Flush toilet bowl device

Abstract

To provide a flush toilet bowl device capable of executing a large washing mode and a small washing mode with a simple configuration and suppressing generation of wasted water.SOLUTION: A flush toilet bowl device (1) of the present invention comprising a bowl part (2a) and a drain trap pipeline (2e) comprises: a flush toilet bowl body with an upper water discharge port (2d) and a lower water discharge port (2b); and a washing control device that controls water discharge of washing water from the upper water discharge port and the lower water discharge port to execute a large washing mode and a small washing mode, wherein the washing control device discharges substantially a same amount of the washing water from the lower water discharge port in order to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipeline in the large washing mode and the small washing mode, and controls water discharge from the upper water discharge port so that a water level of reserved water in the bowl part in water discharged from the lower water discharge port is different between the large washing mode and the small washing mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flushing toilet device, and particularly to a flushing toilet device capable of executing a large flushing mode and a small flushing mode.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-105821 (Patent Document 1) describes a drain valve device. This drain valve device is arranged in the water storage tank of a flushing toilet and is configured to discharge the washing water in the water storage tank according to the operation of the user. That is, when the user presses the large flushing button, large flushing is executed, and when the user presses the small flushing button, a smaller amount of washing water than in large flushing is discharged from the water storage tank, and small flushing is executed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-31008 (Patent Document 2) describes a flushing toilet. This flushing toilet includes a toilet body and a water supply function unit that supplies washing water to the toilet body. The water supply function unit is provided with a water storage tank and a pump, and the washing water stored in the water storage tank is pressurized by the pump and discharged from the jet discharge port of the toilet body. On the other hand, a water supply source is directly connected to the rim discharge port of the toilet body, and the washing water is discharged from the rim discharge port by the water supply pressure of the water supply source.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the drain valve device described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the drain valve device becomes complex in order to perform the large-scale cleaning mode (large cleaning) and the small-scale cleaning mode (small cleaning). In the drain valve device described in Patent Document 1, the cleaning operation by the user is transmitted to the drain valve via a mechanism such as multiple links. That is, the rotation angle of the links etc. is configured to be different when the large-scale cleaning button is pressed by the user and when the small-scale cleaning button is pressed, thereby changing the amount the drain valve is lifted to realize the large-scale cleaning mode and the small-scale cleaning mode. For this reason, the drain valve device described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the mechanism becomes complex in order to realize the large-scale cleaning mode and the small-scale cleaning mode. In addition, because the mechanism of the drain valve device is complex, there is also the problem that it is difficult to ensure the reliability of operation over a long period of time.

[0006] On the other hand, the flush toilet described in Patent Document 2 is a toilet that cleans the bowl using flushing water stored in a water tank and flushing water supplied directly from a water source, but it does not support two flushing modes: a full flush and a partial flush. Furthermore, if the amount of flushing water from the water source is simply changed to realize two flushing modes with different amounts of flushing water, problems such as insufficient cleaning power or wasted water will occur.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a flush toilet device that can perform both a full flush mode and a partial flush mode with a simple configuration, while also suppressing the generation of wasted water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush toilet device capable of performing a large flush mode and a small flush mode, comprising: a flush toilet body equipped with a bowl and a drain trap pipe communicating with the lower part of the bowl, with an upper outlet provided above the water level in the bowl and a lower outlet provided below the water level; and a flush control device that controls the discharge of flushing water from the upper and lower outlets to perform a large flush mode and a small flush mode with a smaller amount of flushing water than the large flush mode, wherein the flush control device discharges substantially the same amount of flushing water from the lower outlet in order to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe in the large flush mode and the small flush mode, while controlling the discharge from the upper outlet so that the water level in the bowl differs between the large flush mode and the small flush mode when the water is discharged from the lower outlet.

[0009] In the present invention configured as described above, the cleaning control device controls the discharge of cleaning water from an upper outlet above the water level in the bowl and a lower outlet below the water level to perform a large cleaning mode and a small cleaning mode. Furthermore, in the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode, the cleaning control device discharges substantially the same amount of cleaning water from the lower outlet to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe, while controlling the discharge from the upper outlet so that the water level in the bowl differs between the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode when water is discharged from the lower outlet.

[0010] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the cleaning control device discharges substantially the same amount of cleaning water from the lower outlet in order to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe in both the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode, thus enabling the implementation of both large and small cleaning modes with a simple configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention configured as described above, the water discharge from the upper outlet is controlled to make the water level in the bowl section during water discharge from the lower outlet different in the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode, thus enabling the implementation of both large and small cleaning modes while suppressing wasted water.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device increases the water flow rate from the upper outlet or lengthens the water discharge time until water discharge from the lower outlet begins, when the large cleaning mode is being executed, compared to when the small cleaning mode is being executed, so that the water level in the bowl when water discharge from the lower outlet begins is higher in the large cleaning mode than in the small cleaning mode.

[0012] With the present invention configured in this way, when water is started to be discharged from the lower outlet, the water level in the bowl is higher in the full-wash mode than in the small-wash mode. Therefore, in the full-wash mode, more cleaning water can be sent into the drain trap pipe by the water discharged from the lower outlet, and even if the amount of water discharged from the lower outlet is substantially the same as in the small-wash mode, a strong siphon effect can be induced, thereby increasing the cleaning power.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device starts discharging water from the lower outlet before a siphon effect occurs in the drain trap pipe.

[0014] In the present invention configured as described above, water discharge from the lower outlet is started before the siphon phenomenon occurs in the drain trap pipe, so the siphon phenomenon can be induced by the water discharge from the lower outlet. Therefore, a large amount of cleaning water is discharged from the upper outlet before the siphon phenomenon occurs, and the generation of wasted water can be suppressed.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device starts discharging water from the lower outlet before the water level in the bowl reaches a stable level where the flow rate of cleaning water flowing out over the drain trap pipe is equal to the flow rate of cleaning water flowing into the bowl from the upper outlet.

[0016] When cleaning water flows in from the upper outlet, the water level in the bowl rises, and the cleaning water in the bowl flows out over the drain trap pipe. The flow rate of cleaning water flowing out over the drain trap pipe gradually increases and eventually equals the flow rate of cleaning water flowing in from the upper outlet, and at this point the water level in the bowl becomes stable. With the present invention configured as described above, water is discharged from the lower outlet before the water level in the bowl reaches a stable level, so the amount of cleaning water discharged from the bowl is reduced without contributing much to the discharge of waste, and water waste can be suppressed.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device reduces the water flow rate from the upper outlet or shortens the water discharge time after water discharge from the lower outlet begins when the small cleaning mode is being executed, compared to when the large cleaning mode is being executed, so that the water level in the bowl after water discharge from the lower outlet begins is higher in the large cleaning mode than in the small cleaning mode.

[0018] Generally, when cleaning water is introduced into the bowl section while a siphon effect is occurring in the drain trap pipe, the water level in the bowl section rises, making it more difficult for air to enter the drain trap pipe and extending the duration of the siphon effect. According to the present invention configured as described above, the water level in the bowl section after water discharge from the lower outlet is made higher in the large-volume cleaning mode than in the small-volume cleaning mode. As a result, in the large-volume cleaning mode, where the water level is higher, the duration of the siphon effect is longer than in the small-volume cleaning mode. Therefore, while discharging substantially the same amount of cleaning water from the lower outlet in both the large-volume and small-volume cleaning modes, the duration of the siphon effect can be extended in the large-volume cleaning mode, thereby increasing the cleaning power.

[0019] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device controls the discharge of water from the upper outlet so that, at least during the execution of the heavy cleaning mode, before water discharge from the lower outlet begins, the water level in the bowl section is higher than the upper end of the inlet of the drain trap pipe.

[0020] According to the present invention configured in this way, before water discharge from the lower outlet begins, water is discharged from the upper outlet so that the water level of the accumulated water is higher than the upper end of the inlet of the drain trap pipe. This allows the discharge from the lower outlet to induce a siphon effect, and the duration of the siphon effect can be extended while suppressing the amount of flushing water.

[0021] In the present invention, preferably, the cleaning control device continues to discharge water from the upper outlet from before the start of water discharge to induce the siphon effect from the lower outlet until after the end of water discharge, when the large cleaning mode is being executed.

[0022] According to the present invention configured in this way, water discharge from the upper outlet continues from before the start of water discharge to induce the siphon effect until after the water discharge has finished. Therefore, water discharge from the upper outlet can be used to clean the surface of the bowl, assist the siphon effect induced by water discharge from the lower outlet, and refill the bowl, thus effectively utilizing the water discharge from the upper outlet for cleaning.

[0023] In the present invention, preferably, the device further includes a cleaning water tank body for storing cleaning water, a drain valve for switching between draining and stopping the cleaning water in the cleaning water tank body, and an on-off valve for switching between discharging and stopping the cleaning water supplied from a water source. The cleaning control device discharges cleaning water from the lower discharge port by opening the drain valve and discharges cleaning water from the upper discharge port by opening the on-off valve.

[0024] In the present invention configured as described above, the cleaning control device opens the drain valve to discharge the cleaning water in the cleaning water tank body from the lower outlet, and opens the on-off valve to discharge the cleaning water supplied from the water source from the upper outlet. With the present invention configured as described above, substantially the same amount of cleaning water is discharged from the lower outlet in both the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode, so the mechanism for opening the drain valve can be simplified. On the other hand, the discharge timing and flow rate of the cleaning water supplied from the water source can be changed relatively easily by controlling the on-off valve, making it easy to implement both the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the flush toilet device of the present invention, a large flush mode and a small flush mode can be performed with a simple configuration, and the generation of wasted water can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the entire flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a full cross-sectional view of a flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flushing water tank device provided in a flush toilet device of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a time chart showing an example of a toilet flushing sequence using a flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically shows the temporal change in the instantaneous flow rate of flushing water flowing through the drain trap pipe in the large flush mode and small flush mode performed by the flush toilet device of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a time chart showing an example of a toilet flushing sequence using a flush toilet device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This diagram schematically shows the temporal change in the instantaneous flow rate of flushing water flowing through the drain trap pipe in the large flush mode and small flush mode performed by the flush toilet device of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows the overall configuration of a flush toilet device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Next, a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the entire flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the flush water tank device provided in the flush toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flush toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention consists of a flush toilet body 2 and a flush water tank device 4 mounted on the rear of it. The flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment is configured so that, after use, a full or partial flush of the bowl portion 2a of the flush toilet body 2 can be performed based on the operation of a lever handle 8 provided on the flush water tank device 4. The flush water tank device 4 provided in this embodiment is configured to supply flush water stored inside and flush water supplied from a water source C to the flush toilet body 2 based on the operation of the lever handle 8, and to flush the bowl portion 2a with this flush water.

[0029] As a variation, the present invention can also be configured so that the bowl portion 2a is cleaned by operating a remote control device (not shown) mounted on the wall. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured so that the bowl portion 2a is cleaned after a predetermined time has elapsed following detection of the user leaving the toilet seat by a human presence sensor (not shown) provided on the toilet seat. In this case, the human presence sensor (not shown) can be provided on the toilet seat or in a position where it can detect the user's sitting, leaving, approaching, moving away, or waving their hand. For example, it can be provided on the toilet bowl body 2 or the flushing water tank device 4. Furthermore, the human presence sensor (not shown) only needs to be capable of detecting the user's sitting, leaving, approaching, moving away, or waving their hand. For example, an infrared sensor or a microwave sensor can be used as the human presence sensor.

[0030] Next, as shown in Figure 2, the flushing water tank device 4 includes a water storage tank 10, which is the flushing water tank body for storing flushing water to be supplied to the toilet bowl body 2; a drain valve 12 for opening and closing a drain port 10a provided in the water storage tank 10; and a drain valve water pressure drive unit 14, which is a water pressure drive mechanism for driving the drain valve 12. Furthermore, the flushing water tank device 4 has a water discharge control valve 19, which is an on / off valve for directly supplying flushing water supplied from the water supply C to the toilet bowl body 2.

[0031] In this configuration, the flushing water stored in the water storage tank 10 and released when the drain valve 12 is opened is discharged from the jet outlet 2b, a lower outlet located below the water level W in the bowl portion 2a of the toilet bowl body 2, during toilet flushing. Furthermore, the flushing water supplied from the water supply C and supplied via the water discharge control valve 19 is discharged from the rim outlet 2d, an upper outlet located on the rim portion 2c of the bowl portion 2a, above the water level W in the bowl portion 2a, during toilet flushing. In addition, a drain trap pipe 2e is connected to the lower part of the bowl portion 2a, and the inlet of this drain trap pipe 2e is directed opposite the jet outlet 2b. Therefore, in this embodiment, when water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b, the drain trap pipe 2e is filled with water, inducing a siphon effect.

[0032] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the configuration of the flushing water tank device 4 provided in the flush toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flushing water tank device provided in a flush toilet device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the flushing water tank device 4 provided in the flush toilet device of this embodiment includes a water storage tank 10, a drain valve 12 that opens and closes the drain port 10a of the water storage tank 10, and a drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 which is a hydraulic drive mechanism that drives the drain valve 12. Furthermore, the flushing water tank device 4 includes a discharge control valve 19 which is an on / off valve that controls the discharge and stopping of flushing water from the rim discharge port 2d (Figure 2), a drain control valve 18 that supplies flushing water to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, and a controller 28 that controls these control valves. In this embodiment, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 and the controller 28 function as a flushing control device, and this flushing control device controls the discharge of flushing water from the rim discharge port 2d and the jet discharge port 2b to execute a large flush mode and a small flush mode which uses less flushing water than the large flush mode.

[0034] The water storage tank 10 is configured to store flushing water to be supplied to the jet outlet 2b (Figure 2) of the toilet bowl body 2, and a drain outlet 10a is formed at its bottom for discharging the stored flushing water to the toilet bowl body 2. In addition, an overflow pipe 10b is connected to the downstream side of the drain outlet 10a within the water storage tank 10. This overflow pipe 10b rises vertically from near the drain outlet 10a and extends above the shut-off water level L1 of the flushing water stored in the water storage tank 10. Therefore, flushing water flowing in from the upper end of the overflow pipe 10b bypasses the drain outlet 10a and flows directly out from the jet outlet 2b of the toilet bowl body 2.

[0035] The drain valve 12 is a valve body positioned to open and close the drain port 10a. When the drain valve 12 is pulled upward, it opens, and the flushing water in the water storage tank 10 is discharged into the toilet bowl body 2 and out from the jet outlet 2b located at the bottom of the bowl portion 2a (Figure 2).

[0036] Meanwhile, the cleaning water supplied from water supply C to the water supply pipe 32 flows into the water supply pipe branch section 33 via a stopcock 32a and a constant flow valve 32b. The water supply pipe branch section 33 branches the cleaning water supplied from water supply C into a first branch pipe 33a and a second branch pipe 33b. Furthermore, a water discharge control valve 19 is provided in the first branch pipe 33a, and a drainage control valve 18 is provided in the second branch pipe 33b. The stopcock 32a is located outside the water storage tank 10, and a constant flow valve 32b is connected to the water storage tank 10 downstream of the stopcock 32a, with the water supply pipe branch section 33 located downstream of the constant flow valve 32b.

[0037] The shut-off valve 32a is provided to stop the water supply to the flushing water tank device 4 during maintenance, etc., and is normally used in an open state. The constant flow valve 32b is provided to allow water supplied from the water supply C to flow into the water supply pipe branch 33 at a predetermined flow rate, and is configured so that a constant flow rate of water is supplied to the flushing water tank device 4 regardless of the installation environment of the flush toilet device.

[0038] On the other hand, the water discharge control valve 19 provided in the first branch pipe 33a is configured to discharge the water supplied from the first branch pipe 33a into the rim water supply pipe 25. The rim water supply pipe 25 is connected to the rim outlet 2d (Figure 2) of the toilet bowl body 2 (not shown in Figure 3), and the flushing water that flows into the rim water supply pipe 25 is discharged from the rim outlet 2d as rim flushing water for cleaning the bowl. In addition, a vacuum breaker 30b is provided in the middle of the rim water supply pipe 25. This prevents water from flowing back into the water discharge control valve 19 from the toilet bowl body when the water discharge control valve 19 side becomes negative pressure.

[0039] The water discharge control valve 19 comprises a water discharge valve body 19a, a main valve body 19b located within the water discharge valve body 19a, and a solenoid valve pilot valve 19c. A water discharge control solenoid valve 20b is connected to the water discharge control valve 19, and the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is moved by this solenoid valve 20b. Specifically, the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is configured to open and close a pilot valve port (not shown) provided in the water discharge valve body 19a. When the pilot valve port (not shown) is opened, the pressure in the pressure chamber provided within the water discharge valve body 19a decreases, and the main valve body 19b of the water discharge control valve 19 opens. Conversely, when the pilot valve port (not shown) is closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber increases, and the main valve body 19b closes. As a result, based on the operation of the solenoid valve 20b for water discharge control, the main valve body 19b of the water discharge control valve 19 is opened and closed, and the supply and cessation of water to the rim discharge port 2d (Figure 2) are controlled.

[0040] Next, the drain control valve 18 provided in the second branch pipe 33b is configured to discharge the water supplied from the second branch pipe 33b to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14. The drain control valve 18 also includes a control valve body 18a, a main valve body 18b located within the control valve body 18a, a solenoid valve pilot valve 18c, and a float pilot valve 18d. Furthermore, a drain control solenoid valve 20a and a control valve float 34 are connected to the drain control valve 18.

[0041] The drain control solenoid valve 20a is configured to move the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c built into the drain control valve 18 based on a signal sent from the controller 28, thereby opening and closing a pilot valve port (not shown). When the pilot valve port (not shown) is opened, the pressure in the pressure chamber provided in the control valve body 18a decreases, and the main valve body 18b of the drain control valve 18 opens. Conversely, when the pilot valve port (not shown) is closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber increases, and the main valve body 18b closes. As a result, the main valve body 18b of the drain control valve 18 is opened and closed based on the operation of the drain control solenoid valve 20a, and the supply and stop of water to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 are controlled. In this embodiment, the drain control solenoid valve 20a is a bistable latching type solenoid in which the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c is moved when power is applied, and this state is maintained even when the power is stopped. In this type of solenoid valve, applying power again in the opposite direction can return the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c to its original position.

[0042] Furthermore, a control valve float 34 is also connected to the drain control valve 18, and the float pilot valve 18d is configured to move in accordance with the movement of the control valve float 34. That is, the control valve float 34 is located inside the water storage tank 10 and rises as the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises, moving the float pilot valve 18d via the arm portion 34a. When the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to the shut-off water level L1, the float pilot valve 18d closes the pilot valve port (not shown) of the control valve body portion 18a.

[0043] Thus, the float pilot valve 18d is configured to control the pressure in the pressure chamber provided in the control valve body 18a by opening and closing a pilot valve port (not shown). As a result, when both the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the float pilot valve 18d and the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c are closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber in the control valve body 18a rises, and the main valve body 18b closes.

[0044] In the standby state of the cleaning water tank device 4, the water storage tank 10 is at the shut-off water level L1, and in this state, the pilot valve port (not shown), which is opened and closed by the float pilot valve 18d, is closed. Therefore, in the standby state, based on the operation of the drain control solenoid valve 20a, the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c is moved to open the pilot valve port (not shown), and the main valve body 18b of the drain control valve 18 can be opened.

[0045] Specifically, the controller 28 receives a signal from the lever handle 8, and the controller 28 sends an electrical signal to the drain control solenoid valve 20a to activate it, causing the drain control valve 18 to open. Based on the instruction signal from the controller 28, the drain control valve 18 controls the supply and cessation of the supplied cleaning water to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14. In this embodiment, the entire amount of cleaning water that flows out of the drain control valve 18 is supplied to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 through the inlet pipe 23.

[0046] Furthermore, a vacuum breaker 30a is provided in the inlet pipe 23 connecting the drain control valve 18 and the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14. This vacuum breaker 30a draws outside air into the inlet pipe 23 when negative pressure is created on the drain control valve 18 side, preventing backflow of water from the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 side.

[0047] Next, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is configured to drive the drain valve 12 using the water supply pressure of the cleaning water supplied from the water supply C. Specifically, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 includes a cylinder 14a into which water supplied from the drain control valve 18 flows, a piston 14b slidably disposed within the cylinder 14a, and a rod 15 that protrudes from the lower end of the cylinder 14a and drives the drain valve 12. Furthermore, a spring 14c is placed inside the cylinder 14a, biasing the piston 14b downward, and a packing 14e is attached to the piston 14b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 14a and the piston 14b.

[0048] The cylinder 14a is a cylindrical component, positioned with its axis oriented vertically, and slidably receiving a piston 14b inside. An inlet pipe 23 is connected to the lower end of the cylinder 14a, allowing water flowing out from the drain control valve 18 to flow into the cylinder 14a. As a result, the piston 14b inside the cylinder 14a is pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 14c by the water flowing into the cylinder 14a.

[0049] On the other hand, an outlet hole is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 14a, and the outlet pipe 24 communicates with the inside of the cylinder 14a through this outlet hole. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 14a from the inlet pipe 23 connected to the lower part of the cylinder 14a, the piston 14b is pushed upward from the lower part of the cylinder 14a. When the piston 14b is pushed up to above the outlet hole, the water that has flowed into the cylinder 14a flows out through the outlet hole and the outlet pipe 24. In other words, the inlet pipe 23 and the outlet pipe 24 communicate with each other through the inside of the cylinder 14a when the piston 14b is moved upward.

[0050] Furthermore, the outflow pipe 24 branches into two pipes midway. The first descending pipe 24b, which branches downward, opens downward above the overflow pipe 10b. The other, second descending pipe 24c extends roughly horizontally before curving downward, allowing water to flow into the water storage tank 10. Consequently, some of the cleaning water that flows out from the cylinder 14a flows into the overflow pipe 10b, and the remaining cleaning water is stored in the water storage tank 10.

[0051] Rod 15 is a rod-shaped member connected to the lower surface of piston 14b, extending downward from inside cylinder 14a through a through hole 14f formed in the bottom surface of cylinder 14a. A drain valve 12 is connected to the lower end of rod 15, and rod 15 connects piston 14b and drain valve 12. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 14a and pushes piston 14b upward, rod 15 connected to piston 14b lifts drain valve 12 upward, causing drain valve 12 to open.

[0052] Furthermore, a gap 14d is provided between the rod 15 protruding from below the cylinder 14a and the inner wall of the through-hole 14f of the cylinder 14a, and some of the water that flows into the cylinder 14a flows out through this gap 14d. The water that flows out through the gap 14d flows into the water storage tank 10. However, since this gap 14d is relatively narrow and has high flow resistance, even when water flows out through the gap 14d, the water flowing into the cylinder 14a from the inlet pipe 23 increases the pressure inside the cylinder 14a, pushing up the piston 14b against the biasing force of the spring 14c.

[0053] Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 22 is provided in the middle of the rod 15. The clutch mechanism 22 is configured to separate the rod 15 into an upper rod 15a and a lower rod 15b when the drain valve 12 is lifted up a predetermined distance together with the rod 15. When the clutch mechanism 22 is disengaged, the lower rod 15b is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 14b and the upper part of the upper rod 15a, and the lower rod 15b descends by gravity together with the drain valve 12, resisting buoyancy.

[0054] Furthermore, a drain valve float mechanism 26 is provided near the drain valve 12. This drain valve float mechanism 26 is configured to delay the descent of the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12, which close the drain port 10a, after the rod 15 has been lifted a predetermined distance and the lower rod 15b has been disengaged by the clutch mechanism 22. Specifically, the drain valve float mechanism 26 has a float portion 26a and an engaging portion 26b which is interlocked with the float portion 26a.

[0055] The engaging portion 26b engages with the lower rod 15b, which has been disengaged by the clutch mechanism 22 and descended, preventing the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 from descending and seating on the drain port 10a. Next, as the water level in the water storage tank 10 decreases, the float portion 26a descends, and when the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops to a predetermined level, the float portion 26a rotates the engaging portion 26b, releasing the engagement between the engaging portion 26b and the lower rod 15b. As the engagement is released, the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 descend and seat on the drain port 10a. This delays the closing of the drain valve 12, allowing an appropriate amount of cleaning water to be discharged from the drain port 10a.

[0056] The controller 28 incorporates a circuit board and is configured to control the drain control solenoid valve 20a, the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b, etc., based on the operation of the lever handle 8. The circuit board is equipped with a microprocessor, memory, interface circuitry, etc., which are operated by software for controlling toilet flushing.

[0057] Next, the operation of the flush toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a time chart showing an example of a toilet flushing sequence using a flush toilet device of the first embodiment of the present invention. The upper section shows toilet flushing in small flush mode, and the lower section shows toilet flushing in large flush mode. In each section, the upper row shows the water flow rate from the rim outlet, the middle row shows the water flow rate from the jet outlet, and the lower row shows the water level in the bowl. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the temporal change in the instantaneous flow rate of flushing water flowing through the drain trap pipe in large flush mode and small flush mode.

[0058] First, we will explain the toilet flushing sequence when the small flush mode shown in the upper section of Figure 4 is executed. Time t in Figure 4 S0In the standby state for toilet flushing, the water level in the water storage tank 10 is at the shut-off water level L1, and no power is supplied to the drain control solenoid valve 20a and the discharge control solenoid valve 20b. In this state, the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c, the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c, and the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the float pilot valve 18d are all closed. As a result, the main valve body 18b of the drain control valve 18 and the main valve body 19b of the discharge control valve 19 are in a closed state.

[0059] Next, time t in Figure 4 S1 When the user operates the lever handle 8 to perform a small flush, a signal is sent to the controller 28 (Figure 3) instructing the toilet to flush in small flush mode. Upon receiving the toilet flush instruction signal, the controller 28 energizes the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b, causing the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c of the water discharge control valve 19 to open. This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber of the water discharge control valve 19, causing the main valve body 19b to separate from the valve seat and open. In this embodiment, a bistable latching solenoid is used as the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b, so once the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is opened, the open state is maintained even if the power supply is stopped.

[0060] When the water discharge control valve 19 is opened, tap water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 to the water discharge control valve 19 via the water supply pipe branch section 33 and the first branch pipe 33a flows into the rim water supply pipe 25 through the water discharge control valve 19. The flushing water that flows into the rim water supply pipe 25 is discharged from the rim outlet 2d (Figure 2) of the toilet bowl body. The flushing water discharged from the rim outlet 2d flows down while swirling in the bowl section 2a, cleaning the waste receiving surface of the bowl section 2a. This discharge from the rim outlet 2d is performed as "pre-rim" discharge before the discharge from the jet outlet 2b begins. As a result of this "pre-rim" discharge, the water level in the bowl section 2a rises at time t, as shown in the lower part of the upper section of Figure 4. S1 It starts to rise from there.

[0061] After energizing the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b, at a predetermined time t S2 In this configuration, the controller 28 energizes the drain control solenoid valve 20a, causing the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c to dissipate from the pilot valve port (not shown). This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber of the drain control valve 18, causing the main valve body 18b to dissipate from the valve seat and open the valve. That is, after opening the discharge control valve 19, the controller 28 opens the drain control valve 18 while maintaining the open state of the discharge control valve 19. In this embodiment, a bistable latching solenoid is used as the drain control solenoid valve 20a, so once the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c is opened, the open state is maintained even if the power supply is stopped.

[0062] As described above, the flushing water that flows out from the drain control valve 18 flows through the inlet pipe 23 into the cylinder 14a of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 and flows out from the outlet pipe 24. In addition, some of the water that flows from the inlet pipe 23 into the cylinder 14a flows out through the gap 14d between the inner wall of the through hole 14f of the cylinder 14a and the rod 15, and this water flows into the water storage tank 10. On the other hand, some of the flushing water that flows out through the outlet pipe 24 flows into the overflow pipe 10b, and the remaining flushing water flows into the water storage tank 10. In other words, some of the flushing water that flows out from the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 flows into the water storage tank 10, and the remaining flushing water that flows into the overflow pipe 10b bypasses the drain valve 12 and flows into the toilet bowl body from the jet outlet 2b.

[0063] Meanwhile, the cleaning water that flows into the cylinder 14a of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 from the inlet pipe 23 pushes up the piston 14b. This also pulls up the rod 15 connected to the piston 14b and the drain valve 12, opening the drain port 10a. As a result, the cleaning water stored in the water storage tank 10 flows out through the drain port 10a and is discharged as "jet discharge" from the jet discharge port 2b (Figure 2) located at the bottom of the bowl section 2a. The cleaning water discharged from the jet discharge port 2b fills the drain trap pipe 2e extending from the bottom of the bowl section 2a, inducing a siphon effect. Due to the siphon effect, the water and waste in the bowl section 2a are discharged through the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0064] As shown in the lower part of the upper section of Figure 4, time t S2 When the jet water discharge begins, the water level in the bowl section 2a rises rapidly. Subsequently, when a siphon effect occurs in the drain trap pipe 2e, the water in the bowl section 2a is drawn into the drain trap pipe 2e by negative pressure and discharged through the drain trap pipe 2e, causing the water level in the bowl section 2a to drop rapidly. While cleaning water is being discharged from the jet water outlet 2b, water is also continuously discharged from the rim water outlet 2d as "middle rim" water discharge.

[0065] Meanwhile, when the piston 14b is pushed up in the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, and the rod 15 and drain valve 12 are pulled up to a predetermined position as a result, the clutch mechanism 22 disconnects the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 from the upper rod 15a. As a result, while the drain control valve 18 is open, the upper rod 15a remains pushed up together with the piston 14b, while the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 descend due to their own weight. However, the disconnected lower rod 15b engages with the engagement portion 26b of the drain valve float mechanism 26, preventing the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 from descending. As a result, even after the clutch mechanism 22 is disengaged, the drain port 10a of the water storage tank 10 remains open, and water continues to be discharged from the jet outlet 2b.

[0066] As described above, some of the cleaning water that flows out from the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 flows into the water storage tank 10. However, the flow rate of cleaning water that flows into the water storage tank 10 through the outflow pipe 24 is less than the flow rate of cleaning water that is discharged from the drain port 10a when the drain valve 12 is opened, so in this state the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops.

[0067] Next, as the water level in the water storage tank 10 decreases due to the discharge of the cleaning water, the control valve float 34 decreases. This causes time t S2 In this configuration, after the drain valve 12 is opened, the arm portion 34a rotates, the float pilot valve 18d moves away from the pilot valve port (not shown), and the pilot valve port (not shown) is opened.

[0068] Furthermore, after the float pilot valve 18d is opened, the controller 28 sends another control signal to the drain control solenoid valve 20a, causing the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c to close. However, at this point, since the float pilot valve 18d is open, the pressure in the pressure chamber of the drain control valve 18 does not rise, and the drain control valve 18 remains open.

[0069] Next, as the cleaning water in the water storage tank 10 is discharged from the drain port 10a, the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops to a predetermined level, causing the float portion 26a of the drain valve float mechanism 26 to descend, which moves the engaging portion 26b. This releases the engagement between the lower rod 15b and the engaging portion 26b, and the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 begin to descend again. Then, at time t S3 At time t, the drain port 10a of the water storage tank 10 is closed by the drain valve 12, and the discharge of the cleaning water flowing out from the drain port 10a through the jet discharge port 2b is stopped. S3 When the discharge of water from the jet outlet 2b is stopped, the siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 2e then ends. As the siphon effect ends, the discharge of the water accumulated in the bowl section 2a from the drain trap pipe 2e also stops.

[0070] On the other hand, even after the jet water discharge ends, the water discharge from the rim water discharge port 2d continues as "post-rim" water discharge, and the cleaning water discharged from the rim water discharge port 2d flows into the bowl portion 2a and is used as refill water. Therefore, as shown in the lower part of the upper column of FIG. 4, the water level of the stored water in the bowl portion 2a gradually rises after the drain valve 12 is closed and the siphon phenomenon ends.

[0071] Furthermore, at time t S1 after the water discharge control valve 19 is opened, at time t S4 when a predetermined time has elapsed, the controller 28 sends a control signal to the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b to close the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c. As a result, the water discharge control valve 19 is closed, and the water discharge of the cleaning water from the rim water discharge port 2d stops.

[0072] Furthermore, even after the water discharge from the rim water discharge port 2d stops, since the drain control valve 18 is in the open state, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 passes through the cylinder 14a of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 and flows into the water storage tank 10 and the overflow pipe 10b. Therefore, even after the drain port 10a is closed, the cleaning water flowing into the overflow pipe 10b flows into the bowl portion 2a through the jet water discharge port 2b, and the flowing cleaning water is used as refill water (it should be noted that since the cleaning water discharged from the jet water discharge port 2b through the overflow pipe 10b is a small flow rate, it is not shown in FIG. 4). As a result, the water level of the stored water in the bowl portion 2a slowly rises even after the water discharge from the rim water discharge port 2d stops. On the other hand, since the cleaning water passing through the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 also flows into the water storage tank 10, the water level in the water storage tank 10 also rises.

[0073] Next, at time t S5When the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to a predetermined shut-off water level L1, the control valve float 34 rises, the float pilot valve 18d moves via the arm portion 34a, and the pilot valve port is closed. As a result, both the solenoid valve pilot valve 18c and the float pilot valve 18d are closed, so the pressure in the pressure chamber within the control valve body 18a rises, closing the main valve body 18b, and the drain control valve 18 is closed. At this time, the water level in the bowl portion 2a is in the standby state (time t S0 The water level returns to the level indicated in the diagram. As a result, the water supply to the water storage tank 10 is stopped.

[0074] On the other hand, when the drain control valve 18 is closed, stopping the water supply to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, the piston 14b of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 14c. As the upper rod 15a is pushed down together with the piston 14b, the upper rod 15a and the lower rod 15b, which had been disconnected by the clutch mechanism 22, are reconnected. Therefore, the next time the toilet is flushed, the upper rod 15a and the lower rod 15b are both raised by the piston 14b. With this, one toilet flush in the small flush mode is completed, and the toilet flushing device returns to the toilet flushing standby state.

[0075] Next, we will explain the toilet flushing sequence when the full flush mode shown in the lower section of Figure 4 is executed. Time t in the lower column of Figure 4 L0 The standby state for toilet flushing is the same as in the case of the small flush mode described above. Next, time t L1 When the user operates the lever handle 8 to perform a full flush, a signal is sent to the controller 28 instructing it to execute the full flush mode. The controller 28 energizes the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b to open the water discharge control valve 19 and starts discharging water from the rim discharge port 2d. The control of this water discharge control valve 19 is the same as that of the small flush mode described above.

[0076] Furthermore, the controller 28 controls the time t L2At this point, the drain control solenoid valve 20a is energized, causing the drain control valve 18 to open. As described above, when the drain control valve 18 is opened, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is activated, and the drain valve 12 of the water storage tank 10 is opened. As a result, at time t L2 At this point, water discharge from the jet outlet 2b begins. The action of opening the drain valve 12 is the same as in the case of the small flush mode described above. However, at time t L1 After starting water discharge from the rim outlet 2d, at time t L2 In the case of the full flush mode, the period until the drain valve 12 is opened is longer than in the case of the small flush mode. That is, in the full flush mode, time t L1 and time t L2 The time between these two is time t in the small cleaning mode. S1 and time t S2 It is made longer than the time between them.

[0077] Here, the flow rate (L / min) of the cleaning water discharged from the rim outlet 2d is the same in both the large-cleaning mode and the small-cleaning mode. However, in the large-cleaning mode, the discharge time from the rim outlet 2d before the start of discharge from the jet outlet 2b is longer than in the small-cleaning mode. Therefore, the water level in the bowl section 2a at the time of starting discharge from the jet outlet 2b is higher in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode. That is, the water level L at the start of jet discharge in the large-cleaning mode. L This refers to the water level L at which the jet water discharge is initiated in the small flush mode. S It is set higher than that. Thus, in this embodiment, the water level of the water accumulated in the bowl section 2a during water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is controlled to be different in the large flush mode and the small flush mode.

[0078] Thus, in this embodiment, the period during which rim water is discharged before the start of jet water discharge is made longer in the large-scale cleaning mode than in the small-scale cleaning mode, so that the water level in the reservoir when jet water discharge is started is higher in the large-scale cleaning mode than in the small-scale cleaning mode. In contrast, as a modification, the present invention can also be configured such that the water level in the reservoir when jet water discharge is started is higher in the large-scale cleaning mode than in the small-scale cleaning mode, by increasing the flow rate of rim water discharged before the start of jet water discharge in the large-scale cleaning mode than in the small-scale cleaning mode.

[0079] In this embodiment, the flow rate (L / min) of the cleaning water discharged from the rim outlet 2d is relatively small. Therefore, water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b before the siphon phenomenon occurs in the drain trap pipe 2e, and the discharge from the jet outlet 2b induces the siphon phenomenon. In other words, water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b before the siphon phenomenon occurs in the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0080] Furthermore, when cleaning water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d and the water level in the bowl section 2a rises, the water accumulated in the bowl section 2a overflows the apex 2f of the drain trap pipe 2e and is drained from the drain trap pipe 2e (in this state, the siphon effect does not occur). The flow rate overflowing the apex 2f of the drain trap pipe 2e gradually increases after water discharge from the rim outlet 2d begins, and eventually the flow rate of cleaning water flowing in from the rim outlet 2d becomes equal to the flow rate of cleaning water flowing out over the apex 2f of the drain trap pipe 2e. In this state, even when water is being discharged from the rim outlet 2d, the water level of the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a becomes constant and reaches a stable water level. In this embodiment, water discharge from the jet outlet 2b begins before the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a reaches a stable water level, causing the siphon effect to occur in the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0081] Furthermore, the siphon force that discharges the waste and accumulated water in the bowl section 2a through the drain trap pipe 2e increases as the water level in the bowl section 2a increases at the time the siphon phenomenon occurs in the drain trap pipe 2e. In other words, the higher the water level in the bowl section 2a at the time the siphon phenomenon occurs is above the height of the apex 2f (Figure 2) of the drain trap pipe 2e, the stronger the force pushing the accumulated water into the drain trap pipe 2e due to the hydrostatic pressure, and the greater the siphon force. Also, the higher the water level at the time the siphon phenomenon occurs, the greater the amount of cleaning water drawn into the drain trap pipe 2e by the siphon phenomenon, allowing for more powerful discharge of waste from the bowl section 2a.

[0082] In this embodiment, the water level of the accumulated water when water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is started and a siphon effect is generated in the drain trap pipe 2e is higher in the large flush mode than in the small flush mode. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, in the large flush mode, the maximum instantaneous flow rate of the cleaning water flowing through the drain trap pipe 2e is greater than in the small flush mode. As a result, in this embodiment, the siphon force is greater in the large flush mode than in the small flush mode, and the sewage and accumulated water in the bowl section 2a can be discharged more powerfully through the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0083] Furthermore, time t in Figure 4 L2 After starting water discharge from the Z-outlet 2b, at time t L3 At this point, the drain valve 12 is closed, and water discharge from the jet outlet 2b ends. Here, jet water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is performed by opening the drain control valve 18 and activating the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 to pull up the drain valve 12, and this is the same in both the large flush mode and the small flush mode. Therefore, the time t when the drain valve 12 is opened in the large flush mode is L2 ~time t L3 The period is the time t when the drain valve 12 is opened in the small flush mode. S2 ~time t S3This period is almost identical to the previous one. Therefore, in both the large and small flushing modes, substantially the same amount (same volume) of flushing water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b in order to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0084] In reality, the water pressure of the water supply C to the cleaning water tank device 4 is not always constant, so the amount of cleaning water discharged from the jet outlet 2b varies with each cleaning cycle and between the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode. However, since the water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is performed under the same control by the same cleaning control device (drain valve water pressure drive unit 14, controller 28), it can be said that substantially the same amount of cleaning water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b in both the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode. Therefore, in this embodiment, the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode are performed by discharging substantially the same amount of cleaning water from the jet outlet 2b while varying the water level of the water stored in the water discharged from the jet outlet 2b.

[0085] Next, time t in Figure 4 L4 At this point, the controller 28 closes the water discharge control valve 19, ending the water discharge from the rim outlet 2d. Furthermore, at time t L5 In this process, when the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to a predetermined shut-off water level L1, the control valve float 34 rises and the drain control valve 18 closes. At this time, the water level in the bowl section 2a is in the standby state (time t L0 The water level returns to the level indicated in the image, and the water supply to the water storage tank 10 is stopped. With this, one toilet flush in full flush mode is completed, and the toilet flushing system returns to the toilet flushing standby state.

[0086] Here, in the full cleaning mode, time t L2 After opening the drain valve 12, at time t L4 In the short flush mode, the period until the water discharge from the rim outlet 2d is terminated is time t S2 ~time t S4This period is the same as the period in which water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d during the full flush mode. L1 ~t L4 This refers to the period t during which water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d in the small flush mode. S1 ~t S4 This becomes longer. Therefore, the amount of cleaning water (volume of cleaning water) discharged from the rim outlet 2d is greater in the large cleaning mode than in the small cleaning mode. On the other hand, the period t during which the drain control valve 18 is open in the large cleaning mode is longer. L2 ~t L5 This refers to the period t during which the drain control valve 18 is open in the small flushing mode. S2 ~t S5 This is identical, and the amount of cleaning water discharged from the jet outlet 2b is also substantially the same. Therefore, the total amount of cleaning water used in the large cleaning mode (the total volume of cleaning water discharged from the rim outlet 2d and the jet outlet 2b) is greater than the total amount of cleaning water used in the small cleaning mode.

[0087] In the first embodiment of the flush toilet device 1 of the present invention, the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14 and controller 28, which are flush control devices, discharge substantially the same amount of flushing water from the jet outlet 2b in order to induce a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 2e in the large flush mode and the small flush mode, so that the large flush mode and the small flush mode can be realized with a simple configuration. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by controlling the water discharge from the rim outlet 2d, the water level in the bowl section 2a during water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is made to differ between the large flush mode and the small flush mode, so that the large flush mode and the small flush mode can be realized while suppressing wasted water.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, when water is started to be discharged from the jet nozzle 2b, the water level in the bowl section 2a is higher in the full flush mode than in the small flush mode. Therefore, in the full flush mode, more flushing water can be sent into the drain trap pipe 2e by the water discharged from the jet nozzle 2b, and even if the amount of water discharged from the jet nozzle 2b to induce the siphon effect is substantially the same as in the small flush mode, a strong siphon effect can be induced, and the flushing power can be increased.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, water discharge from the jet outlet 2b is started before the siphon phenomenon occurs in the drain trap pipe 2e, so the siphon phenomenon can be induced by the water discharge from the jet outlet 2b. As a result, a large amount of flushing water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d before the siphon phenomenon occurs, and the generation of wasted water can be suppressed.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, since water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b before the water level in the bowl 2a reaches a stable level, the amount of flushing water discharged from the bowl 2a can be reduced without contributing much to the discharge of waste, thereby suppressing wasted water.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the amount of flushing water discharged from the jet outlet 2b is substantially the same in the large flush mode and the small flush mode, so the mechanism for opening the drain valve 12 can be simplified. On the other hand, the discharge timing and flow rate of the flushing water supplied from the water supply can be changed relatively easily by controlling the water discharge control valve 19, making it easy to implement the large flush mode and the small flush mode.

[0092] Next, a flush toilet device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The flush toilet device according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above only in the control performed by the controller 28. Therefore, below, only the parts of the second embodiment of the present invention that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and similar configurations, operations, and effects will not be described.

[0093] Figure 6 is a time chart showing an example of a toilet flushing sequence using a flush toilet device of the second embodiment of the present invention. The upper section shows toilet flushing in the small flush mode, and the lower section shows toilet flushing in the large flush mode. The upper part of each section shows the water flow rate from the rim outlet, the middle section shows the water flow rate from the jet outlet, and the lower section shows the water level in the bowl. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the temporal change in the instantaneous flow rate of flushing water flowing through the drain trap pipe in the large flush mode and small flush mode.

[0094] First, the toilet flushing sequence when the small flush mode shown in the upper section of Figure 6 is performed using the flush toilet device of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Time t in the upper column of Figure 6 S10 The standby state for toilet flushing is the same as in the first embodiment described above. Next, time t S11 In this configuration, when the user operates the lever handle 8 (Figure 1) to perform a small flush, a signal is sent to the controller 28 instructing it to execute the small flush mode. The controller 28 energizes the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b to open the water discharge control valve 19 and starts discharging water from the rim outlet 2d. The control of this water discharge control valve 19 is the same as in the first embodiment described above. As a result, the water level in the bowl section 2a gradually rises.

[0095] Furthermore, the controller 28 controls the time t S12 At this point, the drain control solenoid valve 20a is energized, causing the drain control valve 18 to open. When the drain control valve 18 opens, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is activated, and the drain valve 12 of the water storage tank 10 opens. As a result, at time t S12In this configuration, water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b to induce a siphon effect within the drain trap pipe 2e. The action of opening the drain valve 12 is the same as in the first embodiment described above.

[0096] When the drain valve 12 is opened, a large volume of water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b, inducing a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 2e, and the water and waste accumulated in the bowl section 2a are discharged through the drain trap pipe 2e. As a result, the water level in the bowl section 2a decreases.

[0097] Next, time t S12 At the time t, after the drain control valve 18 is opened and the drain valve 12 is opened, the time before the drain valve 12 is closed S13 In this configuration, the controller 28 stops the discharge of water from the rim outlet 2d. Specifically, after the drain valve 12 is opened but before it is closed, the controller 28 sends a signal to the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b to close the water discharge control valve 19, thereby stopping the discharge of water from the rim outlet 2d.

[0098] Then, at time t S14 In this configuration, the drain valve 12 is seated on the drain port 10a and closed, ending the discharge of water from the jet outlet 2b that induces the siphon effect. The action of closing the drain valve 12 is the same as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment described above, even after the drain valve 12 is closed, the drain control valve 18 remains open, so the tap water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 (Figure 3) flows through the outflow pipe 24 into the water storage tank 10 and the overflow pipe 10b, respectively.

[0099] The cleaning water that flows into the overflow pipe 10b flows into the bowl section 2a through the jet outlet 2b for refilling, so the water level in the bowl section 2a rises even after the drain valve 12 is closed. Also, the cleaning water that flows into the water storage tank 10 raises the water level in the water storage tank 10. Figure 6, time t S15In this process, when the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to a predetermined shut-off water level L1, the control valve float 34 rises and the drain control valve 18 closes. At this time, the water level in the bowl section 2a is in the standby state (time t S10 The water level returns to the level indicated in the image, and the water supply to the water storage tank 10 is stopped. With this, one toilet flush in the small flush mode is completed, and the toilet flushing device returns to the toilet flushing standby state.

[0100] Next, we will explain the toilet flushing sequence when the full flush mode shown in the lower section of Figure 6 is executed. Time t in the lower column of Figure 6 L10 The standby state for toilet flushing is the same as in the small flush mode. Next, time t L11 When the user operates the lever handle 8 to perform a full flush, a signal is sent to the controller 28 instructing it to execute the full flush mode. The controller 28 energizes the water discharge control solenoid valve 20b to open the water discharge control valve 19 and starts discharging water from the rim outlet 2d. The control of this water discharge control valve 19 is the same as in the small flush mode. As a result, the water level in the bowl section 2a gradually rises.

[0101] Furthermore, the controller 28 controls the time t L12 At this point, the drain control solenoid valve 20a is energized, causing the drain control valve 18 to open. When the drain control valve 18 opens, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is activated, and the drain valve 12 of the water storage tank 10 opens. As a result, at time t L12 In this configuration, water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b to induce a siphon effect. The action of opening the drain valve 12 is the same as in the small flush mode. In this embodiment as well, the siphon phenomenon does not occur in the drain trap pipe 2e before water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b.

[0102] When the drain valve 12 is opened and a large flow of water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b, a siphon effect is induced in the drain trap pipe 2e, and the water and waste accumulated in the bowl section 2a are discharged through the drain trap pipe 2e. Here, in this embodiment, the period t from when the rim discharge is started until when the jet discharge is started. L11 ~t L12 However, during the period t in the small wash mode S11 ~t S12 This is identical to the above. Therefore, in this embodiment, the water level in the bowl section 2a at the time when water is discharged from the jet outlet 2b is controlled to be substantially the same in the large flush mode and the small flush mode.

[0103] On the other hand, in the small cleaning mode, the controller 28 controls the time t S12 At the time t before the drain control valve 12 is closed, after the drain control valve 18 is opened and the drain valve 12 is opened. S13 In this case, the discharge of water from the rim outlet 2d was stopped. In contrast, in the full flush mode, after the drain valve 12 is closed (at time t L13 Water discharge from the rim outlet 2d continues until (after). For this reason, in the small flush mode, the water level in the bowl section 2a drops rapidly after the siphon effect is induced in the drain trap pipe 2e by the water discharge from the jet outlet 2b, whereas in the large flush mode, the water level drops gradually even after the siphon effect is induced. As a result, in the large flush mode, the water level in the bowl section 2a is always higher than the upper end 2g (Figure 2) of the inlet of the drain trap pipe 2e, and no air is drawn in from the inlet of the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0104] That is, as schematically shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, since the water level in the bowl section 2a at the time when jet water discharge begins is the same in the large flush mode and the small flush mode, the maximum instantaneous flow rate of the cleaning water flowing through the drain trap pipe 2e is almost the same in the large flush mode and the small flush mode. However, in the small flush mode, during jet water discharge (period t S12 ~t S14In the first flush mode, the rim discharge is stopped, whereas in the second flush mode, the rim discharge continues, so the water level of the accumulated water after the siphon effect is induced is maintained higher than in the third flush mode. As a result, the siphon effect continues for a longer period in the drain trap pipe 2e.

[0105] Thus, in this embodiment, the discharge from the rim outlet 2d is controlled so that the water level in the bowl section 2a differs between the large-cleaning mode and the small-cleaning mode while water is being discharged from the jet outlet 2b. Specifically, the discharge from the rim outlet 2d is controlled so that the water level in the bowl section 2a after water discharge from the jet outlet 2b begins to be higher in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, in the large-cleaning mode, the time during which the cleaning water flows at a large flow rate through the drain trap pipe 2e is longer than in the small-cleaning mode. This allows for a stronger cleaning force to be obtained in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode.

[0106] Thus, in this embodiment, the period during which rim discharge is performed during jet discharge is made shorter in the small-cleaning mode than in the large-cleaning mode, so that the water level after jet discharge is started is higher in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode. In contrast, as a modification, the present invention can also be configured so that the water level after jet discharge is started is higher in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode by increasing the flow rate of rim discharge during jet discharge in the large-cleaning mode than in the small-cleaning mode. Furthermore, in this embodiment, rim discharge is stopped during jet discharge in the small-cleaning mode, but the present invention can also be configured so that rim discharge is gradually reduced during jet discharge.

[0107] Furthermore, time t in Figure 6 L13 In this state, the drain valve 12 is seated on the drain port 10a and closed, ending the discharge of water from the jet outlet 2b to induce the siphon effect. Here, in the full flush mode, the period t after the drain valve 12 is opened until it is closed L12 ~t L13 In the small flushing mode, the period t is the time from when the drain valve 12 is opened until it is closed.S12 ~t S14 This is essentially the same. Therefore, the amount of cleaning water (volume of cleaning water) discharged from the jet outlet 2b to induce the siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 2e is essentially the same in both the small cleaning mode and the large cleaning mode.

[0108] Next, after the drain valve 12 is closed, at time t L14 In this state, the controller 28 closes the water discharge control valve 19, stopping the discharge of water from the rim outlet 2d. Thus, in the full-scale flushing mode, water discharge from the rim outlet 2d continues from before the start of water discharge from the jet outlet 2b to induce the siphon effect until after the water discharge has finished.

[0109] Furthermore, even after the drain valve 12 is closed, the drain control valve 18 remains open, so the tap water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 (Figure 3) flows through the outlet pipe 24 into the water storage tank 10 and the overflow pipe 10b, respectively. The cleaning water that flows into the water storage tank 10 is stored inside the water storage tank 10, and the cleaning water that flows into the overflow pipe 10b flows into the bowl section 2a through the jet outlet 2b in order to refill the bowl section 2a.

[0110] Next, time t L15 In this process, when the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to a predetermined shut-off water level L1, the control valve float 34 rises and the drain control valve 18 closes. At this time, the water level in the bowl section 2a is in the standby state (time t L10 The water level returns to the level indicated in the image, and the water supply to the water storage tank 10 is stopped. With this, one toilet flush in full flush mode is completed, and the toilet flushing system returns to the toilet flushing standby state.

[0111] Here, during the period t in the full-wash mode, water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d. L11 ~t L14 This refers to the period t during which water is discharged from the rim outlet 2d in the small flush mode. S11 ~t S13This becomes longer. As a result, the amount of cleaning water discharged from the rim outlet 2d (the volume of cleaning water) is greater in the large cleaning mode than in the small cleaning mode. Thus, the total amount of cleaning water used in the large cleaning mode (the total volume of cleaning water discharged from the rim outlet 2d and the jet outlet 2b) is greater than the total amount of cleaning water used in the small cleaning mode.

[0112] In the flush toilet device of the second embodiment of the present invention, the water level in the bowl portion 2a after water discharge from the jet spout 2b begins is higher in the full flush mode than in the small flush mode. As a result, in the full flush mode, where the water level is higher, the duration of the siphon effect is longer than in the small flush mode. Therefore, while discharging substantially the same amount of flushing water from the jet spout 2b to induce the siphon effect in both the full flush mode and the small flush mode, the duration of the siphon effect can be increased in the full flush mode, thereby increasing the flushing power.

[0113] According to the flush toilet device of the second embodiment of the present invention, when the full flush mode is executed, water is discharged from the rim spout 2d from before the start of water discharge to induce the siphon effect until after the water discharge has finished. Therefore, the water discharged from the rim spout 2d can be used to clean the surface of the bowl portion 2a, assist the siphon effect induced by the water discharged from the rim spout 2d, and refill the bowl portion 2a, thereby effectively utilizing the water discharged from the rim spout 2d for cleaning.

[0114] Next, with reference to Figure 8, a flush toilet device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The flush toilet device according to this embodiment has the same flushing sequence for the large flush mode and small flush mode as the first embodiment described above, but the configuration of the flush toilet device to achieve this differs from the first embodiment described above. Therefore, in the following, only the parts of the third embodiment of the present invention that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and the similar configuration, operation, and effects will not be described. Figure 8 shows the overall configuration of a flush toilet device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] As shown in Figure 8, the flush toilet device 100 of this embodiment includes a flush toilet body 102, a flush water tank device 104, and a flush control device 106 that controls the flushing of the flush toilet body 102. The flush toilet device 100 of this embodiment is configured so that, after use, the flush control device 106 can perform a full flush or a partial flush of the bowl portion 102a of the flush toilet body 102 based on the operation of the remote control 108.

[0116] Furthermore, the flushing water tank device 104 includes a water storage tank 110, which is the flushing water tank body for storing flushing water to be supplied to the flush toilet body 102; a pressure pump 112 for pressurizing the flushing water stored in the water storage tank 110 and sending it to the flush toilet body 102; a switching valve 114; and an on / off valve 116 for switching the supply and stopping of flushing water supplied from the water supply source C to the switching valve 114.

[0117] The toilet bowl body 102 includes a bowl portion 102a for receiving waste, a lower outlet, a jet outlet 102b, located below the water level W of the bowl portion 102a, and an upper outlet, a rim outlet 102d, located on the rim portion 102c of the bowl portion 102a. Furthermore, a drain trap pipe 102e is connected to the lower part of the bowl portion 102a, and the inlet of this drain trap pipe 102e is directed opposite the jet outlet 102b.

[0118] The pressurizing pump 112 is configured to pressurize the flushing water stored in the water storage tank 110 and discharge it from the jet outlet 102b of the toilet bowl body 102. By operating the pressurizing pump 112 and discharging the flushing water from the jet outlet 102b, a siphon effect is induced in the drain trap pipe 102e.

[0119] The switching valve 114 is configured to switch the flushing water supplied from the water supply C to either the water storage tank 110 side or the rim outlet 102d side. When the switching valve 114 is switched to the water storage tank 110 side, the flushing water supplied from the water supply C and passing through the switching valve 114 flows into the water storage tank 110 and is stored there. On the other hand, when the switching valve 114 is switched to the rim outlet 102d side, the flushing water supplied from the water supply C and passing through the switching valve 114 is discharged from the rim outlet 102d of the toilet bowl body 102.

[0120] The on-off valve 116 is located upstream of the switching valve 114 and is configured to switch the outflow and stop of the cleaning water supplied from the water supply C to the switching valve 114. When the switching valve 114 is switched to the rim outlet 102d side, the on-off valve 116 can be opened and closed to switch the discharge and stop of cleaning water from the rim outlet 102d.

[0121] The cleaning control device 106 is configured to execute a small cleaning mode and a large cleaning mode based on the operation of the remote control 108. Specifically, the cleaning control device 106 sends control signals to the pressurizing pump 112, the switching valve 114, and the on / off valve 116, respectively, to execute the small cleaning mode and the large cleaning mode. In particular, the cleaning control device 106 consists of a microprocessor, memory, interface circuitry, and software for operating these (not shown).

[0122] Next, the operation of the flush toilet device 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The sequence of toilet flushing performed by the flush toilet device 100 of this embodiment is the same as the sequence of the first embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0123] That is, the upper column of Figure 4, time t S0 In the standby state, cleaning water is stored in the water storage tank 110 up to a predetermined water level, the switching valve 114 is switched to the rim outlet 102d side, and the on / off valve 116 is closed. Next, time t S1When the user performs a small flush using the remote control 108, the flush control device 106 executes the small flush mode. First, the flush control device 106 sends a control signal to the on-off valve 116, causing it to open. As a result, the flushing water supplied from the water supply C passes through the on-off valve 116 and the switching valve 114, and is discharged as "front rim" water from the rim outlet 102d of the toilet bowl body 102. That is, the rim water discharge from the rim outlet 102d is directly performed by the water supply pressure of the water supply C.

[0124] Next, time t S2 At this point, the flushing control device 106 sends a control signal to the pressurizing pump 112, which then activates. As a result, the flushing water stored in the water storage tank 110 is pressurized and discharged from the jet outlet 102b of the toilet bowl body 102. This induces a siphon effect in the drain trap pipe 102e, causing the waste and flushing water in the bowl section 102a to be discharged through the drain trap pipe 102e. Note that at time t S2 Even after the jet water discharge begins, water discharge from the rim outlet 102d continues as "middle rim" water discharge.

[0125] Furthermore, the cleaning control device 106 controls the time t S3 At this point, a control signal is sent to the pressurizing pump 112 to stop it. This stops the discharge of jet water from the jet outlet 102b. Also, at time t S3 Even after the jet water discharge is stopped, water discharge from the rim outlet 102d continues as "rear rim" water discharge. The flushing water discharged as "rear rim" water is used to refill the bowl portion 102a of the toilet bowl body 102.

[0126] Next, time t S4When the refill of the bowl portion 102a is completed, the cleaning control device 106 sends a control signal to the switching valve 114 to switch it to the water storage tank 110 side. As a result, the cleaning water supplied from the water supply C is supplied to the water storage tank 110, and the water discharge from the rim water outlet 102d stops. Then, when the water level in the water storage tank 110 returns to the predetermined water level, the cleaning control device 106 closes the on-off valve 116 and switches the switching valve 114 to the side of the rim water outlet 102d. Thereby, the flushing toilet device 100 returns to the standby state before the start of toilet cleaning, and the toilet cleaning in the small cleaning mode is completed.

[0127] Also, the large cleaning mode shown in the lower column of FIG. 4 is similarly executed under the control of the cleaning control device 106. Here, in the large cleaning mode, after the rim water discharge is started at time t L1 the period until the pressure pump 112 is operated at time t L2 is made longer than that in the small cleaning mode. Therefore, when the pressure pump 112 is operated at time t L2 and the water discharge from the jet water outlet 102b is started, the accumulated water level in the bowl portion 102a is higher in the large cleaning mode than in the small cleaning mode.

[0128] Furthermore, at time t L2 ~t L3 the pressure pump 112 is operated for the same operating time and at the same operating rotational speed as at time t S2 ~t S3 in the small cleaning mode. Therefore, the amount of cleaning water discharged from the jet water outlet 102b to induce the siphon phenomenon in the drain trap pipe 102e is substantially the same in the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode. Thus, the flushing toilet device 100 of the present embodiment using the water storage tank 110 and the pressure pump 112 can also execute the large cleaning mode and the small cleaning mode similar to those of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] Furthermore, by changing the timing of operation of the pressure pump 112, the switching valve 114, and the on / off valve 116, the configuration of the flush toilet device 100 of this embodiment can also perform a large flush mode and a small flush mode similar to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6.

[0130] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above. In particular, in the embodiments described above, the water discharged from the rim outlet was supplied directly from the water supply, and the water discharged from the jet outlet was supplied from a water storage tank, but these water supply sources can be combined as desired. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the rim outlet was provided as an upper outlet above the water level, and the jet outlet was provided as a lower outlet below the water level, but the positions of these outlets can be changed as appropriate above and below the water level. In addition, any components provided in each embodiment of the present invention described above can be combined with the configurations of other embodiments as desired to constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl section 2b Z-type spout (lower spout) 2c Rim section 2D rim spout (upper spout) 2e Drain trap pipe 2f The top of the drain trap pipe 2g Top edge of the entrance 4. Washing water tank device 8 Lever handle 10. Water storage tank (washing water tank body) 10a Drain port 10b Overflow pipe 12 Drain valve 14. Drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14a Cylinder 14b Piston 14c spring 14d gap 14e packing 14f through hole 15 rods 15a Upper rod 15b Lower rod 18 Drain control valve 18a Control valve body 18b Main valve body 18c Solenoid valve pilot valve 18d Float pilot valve 19. Water discharge control valve (on / off valve) 19a Water discharge valve body 19b Main valve body 19c Solenoid valve pilot valve 20a Solenoid valve for drainage control 20b Solenoid valve for water discharge control 22 Clutch mechanism 23 Inflow pipe 24 Outflow pipe 24b 1st downcomer 24c 2nd downcomer 25 Rim water supply pipe 26 Drain valve float mechanism 26a Float section 26b Engagement part 28 Controllers 30a Vacuum breaker 30b Vacuum breaker 32 Water supply pipe 32a Shut-off valve 32b Constant flow valve 33 Water supply pipe branching point 33a First branch pipe 33b Second branch pipe 34 Control valve float 100 Flush toilet device 102 Flush toilet body 102a Bowl section 102b Z-type spout 102c rim section 102d Rim spout 102e Drain trap pipe 104 Washing water tank device 106 Washing control device 108 Remote Controls 110 Water storage tank 112 Pressure pump 114 Switching valve 116 Shut-off valve

Claims

1. A flush toilet device capable of executing a large flush mode and a small flush mode, a flush toilet body including a bowl portion and a drain trap pipe line communicating with the lower portion of the bowl portion, with an upper spout provided above the water level in the bowl portion and a lower spout provided below the water level; a flush control device that controls the discharge of flush water from the upper water discharge port and the lower water discharge port to execute a large flush mode and a small flush mode that uses less flush water than the large flush mode; and A flush toilet apparatus characterized in that the flush control device is set to discharge substantially the same amount of flush water from the lower spout in the large flush mode and the small flush mode to induce siphoning within the drain trap pipe, while in the large flush mode the time from when water starts to be discharged from the upper spout until when water starts to be discharged from the lower spout is set longer than in the small flush mode.

2. A flush toilet device as described in claim 1, further comprising a water storage tank for storing flush water, and a pressure pump for pressurizing the flush water in the water storage tank and discharging it from the lower outlet.

3. A flush toilet device as described in claim 2, wherein the flush control device operates the pressure pump for substantially the same operating time and at the same operating speed in the large flush mode and the small flush mode, thereby discharging substantially the same amount of flush water from the lower outlet.

4. The flush control device is configured to cause the booster pump to start discharging water from the lower outlet a predetermined time after flush water has started to be discharged from the upper outlet, and in the large flush mode, the time between when flush water starts to be discharged from the upper outlet and when water starts to be discharged from the lower outlet is set longer than in the small flush mode. A flush toilet device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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