Toilet seat device and toilet bowl device

Abstract

To provide a toilet bowl device capable of communicating effectively with an external device.SOLUTION: A toilet bowl device 100 comprises a functional part 23. The functional part 23 is disposed at the rear portion of a toilet bowl body 10 having a bowl part 11. The functional part 23 has a body cover 24 and a communication substrate 62. The communication substrate 62 is disposed in the upper portion within the body cover 24 and performs wireless communication with an external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to toilet systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet device as a conventional toilet device. This toilet device includes a toilet body, a toilet seat box as a functional part, and a control unit. The control unit is disposed in the toilet seat box. The control unit has a communication unit. The communication unit performs wireless communication with an external device such as a smartphone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-111268 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of toilet device, various functional parts are arranged within the functional section, and therefore, depending on the arrangement within the functional section, the communication section may not be able to obtain sufficient communication sensitivity due to radio waves being blocked by other functional parts.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a toilet apparatus that can communicate satisfactorily with external devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The toilet device of the present disclosure comprises a functional unit that is arranged at the rear of a toilet body having a toilet bowl, and the functional unit has a main body cover and a communication board that is arranged at the upper part within the main body cover and performs wireless communication with the outside. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a functional section according to the first embodiment, with a portion of the internal structure omitted. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a first substrate unit and a rear base plate according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view showing a rear base plate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the rear base plate according to the first embodiment, showing a cross section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a first substrate unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first substrate unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the first substrate unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first substrate unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a first substrate unit according to the first embodiment is placed in a recess. [Figure 12] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a second substrate unit and a front base plate according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a second substrate unit and a front base plate according to the first embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments without causing any contradiction is also included in the embodiment for carrying out the present invention. [1] The toilet device according to the present disclosure comprises a functional unit that is disposed at the rear of a toilet body having a toilet bowl, the functional unit having a body cover and a communication board that is disposed at an upper portion within the body cover and that performs wireless communication with the outside. [2] The toilet device described in [1] above further comprises a toilet seat disposed above the toilet bowl, and the communication board is disposed above the seat surface of the toilet seat. [3] In the toilet device described in either [1] or [2] above, the functional unit has a control board provided separately from the communication board, a control board case that houses the control board, and a communication board case that is connected to the control board case and houses the communication board. [4] In a toilet device described in any of [1] to [3] above, a toilet lid is supported on the functional part so as to be freely opened and closed and covers the toilet bowl, and the communication board is positioned in a position where it is not covered from above by the toilet lid when closed. [5] In the toilet device described in any one of [1] to [4] above, the communication board is positioned in a position that is not covered from above by other components within the main body cover. [6] In the toilet device described in any of [1] to [5] above, the functional unit has a base plate that is arranged on the upper rear surface of the toilet body and can be raised and lowered freely relative to the toilet body, and the communication board rises and falls together with the base plate. [7] In the toilet device described in any of [1] to [6] above, the functional part has a water supply member arranged within the main body cover to circulate water, and a contact prevention part arranged between the water supply member and the communication board.

[0009] <Embodiment 1> The toilet apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment comprises a toilet main body 10 and a toilet seat apparatus 20. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions refer to the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions as seen by a user using the toilet apparatus 100 while properly seated on the toilet seat apparatus 20. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in each drawing represent the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, respectively. The positive directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the front, left, and up, respectively.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the toilet body 10 has a toilet bowl 11, a rim 12, and a peripheral wall 13. The toilet bowl 11, the rim 12, and the peripheral wall 13 are made of ceramic and are formed as a single unit. The toilet bowl 11 is formed in a bowl-like shape recessed downward from the top surface at the front of the toilet body 10. The toilet bowl 11 is connected at its bottom end to a drainage channel (not shown). The rim 12 is provided continuous with the upper end of the toilet bowl 11. The peripheral wall 13 covers the toilet bowl 11 from the front to both the left and right sides.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the toilet seat device 20 is disposed above the toilet body 10. The toilet seat device 20 includes a toilet seat 21, a toilet lid 22, and a functional part 23. The toilet seat 21 and the toilet lid 22 are each supported by the functional part 23 so as to be freely rotatable from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In the fully closed position, the toilet seat 21 and the toilet lid 22 extend forward from the functional part 23 along the upper surface of the toilet body 10 and are disposed above the toilet bowl 11. In the fully open position, the toilet seat 21 and the toilet lid 22 are in a state in which they are slightly tilted backwards from the upright position in which they extend upward from the functional part 23. The toilet seat 21 and the toilet lid 22 are automatically opened and closed by the drive of a motor (not shown).

[0012] The functional unit 23 is disposed at the rear of the toilet body 10. In particular, in the present embodiment, the functional unit 23 is disposed above the toilet body 10 behind the toilet bowl 11. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the functional unit 23 has a front base plate 30, a rear base plate 40, a main body cover 24, a first board unit 50, and a second board unit 60. In addition to these, the functional unit 23 has various functional parts such as a toilet flushing unit, a lifting unit, an electric opening and closing unit, a local washing unit, a hot air drying unit, and a deodorizing unit. The functional unit 23 is configured such that these functional parts and the board units 50, 60 are attached to the front base plate 30 and the rear base plate 40 and covered by the main body cover 24. These functional parts are disposed on the front base plate 30 and the rear base plate 40, and wire harnesses that connect the functional parts and water supply hoses for supplying water to each part are arranged.

[0013] The front base plate 30 and the rear base plate 40 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rear base plate 40 is arranged at the rear end of the toilet body 10, and the front base plate 30 is arranged in front of the rear base plate 40. The front base plate 30 and the rear base plate 40 each have a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. The rear base plate 40 is fixedly arranged with respect to the toilet body 10. The front base plate 30 is provided so as to be able to rise and fall relative to the toilet body 10 in order to facilitate the cleaning of the toilet body 10, etc. Specifically, the front base plate 30 is provided so as to be able to rise and fall relative to the toilet body 10 by a lifting unit (not shown). The front base plate 30 is an example of a base plate according to the present disclosure.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, among the above-mentioned functional parts, the local cleaning unit 31, the sterilization unit 32, the deodorization unit 33, the drying unit 34, and the heat exchange unit 35 are attached to the front base plate 30. The local cleaning unit 31, the sterilization unit 32, the deodorization unit 33, the drying unit 34, and the heat exchange unit 35 are each disposed at the front of the front base plate 30. Specifically, among these functional parts, the local cleaning unit 31 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the front base plate 30. The sterilization unit 32 is disposed adjacent to the left side of the local cleaning unit 31. The deodorization unit 33 is disposed adjacent to the left side of the sterilization unit 32. The drying unit 34 is disposed adjacent to the right side of the local cleaning unit 31. The heat exchange unit 35 is disposed adjacent to the right side of the drying unit 34.

[0015] A shutter 36 is disposed at the front end of the front base plate 30. The shutter 36 is automatically opened when pressed by a nozzle (not shown) protruding into the toilet bowl 11 from the local cleaning unit 31, the drying unit 34, etc., and is automatically closed when the nozzle is retracted. After the local cleaning unit 31 finishes cleaning the local areas and the nozzle is retracted, the nozzle of the local cleaning unit 31 and the shutter 36 are each supplied with wash water and cleaned.

[0016] The first board unit 50 and the second board unit 60 supply power to and control the functional components in the toilet apparatus 100. The first board unit 50 and the second board unit 60 are electrically connected to each other. The first board unit 50 functions to receive power from an external power source such as a commercial 100V power source and generate a predetermined power supply voltage. The second board unit 60 functions as a control unit and controls each part in the functional section 23.

[0017] The first board unit 50 is fixed to the rear base plate 40. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the first board unit 50 is disposed in a recess 41 in the rear base plate 40. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the recess 41 is recessed downward. The recess 41 is rectangular in shape with the longitudinal direction in the left-right direction in a plan view seen from above. The recess 41 is formed at a position toward the left of the front of the rear base plate 40. A fixing boss 42 for fixing the first board unit 50 is provided around the recess 41 in a plan view. The fixing boss 42 is provided at three locations, the front, rear, and right side of the recess 41. A connector storage section 43 is provided behind the recess 41. The connector storage section 43 is formed in a recessed shape recessed downward. The connector storage section 43 stores a connector such as a wire harness arranged around the first board unit 50.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the recess 41 has a front wall 41A, a rear wall 41B, and a bottom wall 41C. The front wall 41A and the rear wall 41B face each other in the front and rear with a space in the recess 41 between them. When the first board unit 50 is inserted into the recess 41, the front wall 41A faces a mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51, which will be described later. The rear wall 41B faces the rear surface of the mounting surface 51A. The upper end of the front wall 41A is set at a height lower than the upper end of the AC board 51 when the AC board 51 is placed in the recess 41. In detail, the upper end height of the front wall 41A is set lower than the height of connection parts 51B and 51C, which will be described later, of the AC board 51. The bottom wall 41C extends in the front and rear direction between the front wall 41A and the rear wall 41B. The bottom wall 41C is inclined downward toward the rear. The rear end of the bottom wall 41C and the lower end of the rear wall 41B are connected by an inclined surface portion 41D that slopes downward toward the front.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the recess 41 has a drain hole 41E and a rib 41F. The drain hole 41E and the rib 41F are provided at positions near the rear of the bottom wall 41C in the front-rear direction. The drain hole 41E is formed at the left end of the recess 41. The drain hole 41E has a rectangular shape in a plan view with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction. The rear edge of the drain hole 41E extends to a position that overlaps with the inclined surface portion 41D. The rib 41F is provided on each side of the drain hole 41E. The rib 41F protrudes upward from the bottom wall 41C. The rib 41F extends in the front-rear direction on the bottom wall 41C with a gap between the front wall 41A and the rear wall 41B. The rear end of the rib 41F is located forward of the inclined surface portion 41D. The upper end of the rib 41F is approximately horizontal, unlike the upper surface of the bottom wall 41C. An upper end of the rib 41F faces a lower surface of a peripheral wall portion 52B of an AC board case 52 in the first board unit 50, which will be described later.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 10, the first board unit 50 has an AC board 51, an AC board case 52, and a cover 53. The first board unit 50 is configured by storing the AC board 51 in the AC board case 52, and covering the AC board 51 and the AC board case 52 from above with the cover 53. The first board unit 50 is arranged in the recess 41 with the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51 oriented along the vertical direction. The mounting heights of the components on the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51 from the mounting surface 51A are different. As shown in Fig. 7, in this embodiment, the mounting component with the highest mounting height on the AC board 51 is arranged at a position toward the lower left of the mounting surface 51A.

[0021] The AC board 51 is disposed in the recess 41 in a vertical orientation with the mounting surface 51A facing forward. The mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51 is rectangular with the longitudinal direction being the left-right direction. A large number of mounted components are mounted on the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51. The mounting height of the mounted components on the AC board 51 is smaller than the size of the rectangular AC board 51 in the short direction. The AC board 51 has an outer shape such that the planar projection area is smaller when placed vertically with the mounting surface 51A aligned vertically than when placed flat with the mounting surface 51A aligned horizontally.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the AC board 51 has two connection parts 51B, 51C. Each of the connection parts 51B, 51C is provided on the upper part of the AC board 51. More specifically, the connection part 51B is provided at a position near the right end of the upper end of the AC board 51. The connection part 51C is provided at the upper part of the right end of the AC board 51. The wire harnesses WH1, WH2 are connected to the connection parts 51B, 51C, respectively. More specifically, the connection part 51B is a connection part by so-called board-in terminal connection. The terminals of the multiple electric wires constituting the wire harness WH1 are individually connected to the connection part 51B. The wire harness WH1 connected to the connection part 51B has a connector C1 at the other end. The connector C1 is connected to a connector of another wire harness (not shown). The connection part 51B is connected to multiple wire harnesses WH1. The connection part 51C is a connection part by connector connection. A connector C2 that collectively connects the respective terminals of a plurality of electric wires that constitute the wire harness WH2 is connected to the connection portion 51C.

[0023] The AC board case 52 houses the AC board 51. The AC board case 52 is a resin molded product made of ABS or the like. As shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the AC board case 52 has a rear wall 52A and a peripheral wall 52B. The rear wall 52A faces the surface of the AC board 51 opposite to the mounting surface 51A. The rear wall 52A has a rectangular shape in a front view that is slightly larger than the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51. A boss 52C is provided on the front surface of the rear wall 52A. The boss 52C protrudes forward from the front surface of the rear wall 52A. The protruding end of the boss 52C faces the back surface of the AC board 51 in a state where it is housed in the AC board case 52. Between the AC board 51 in a state where it is housed in the AC board case 52 and the rear wall 52A, a gap of at least the protruding length of the boss 52C is secured. This gap is used as a filling space for a potting agent. A case fixing portion 52D is provided on the rear surface of the rear wall portion 52A. The case fixing portion 52D, together with a cover fixing portion 53B of the cover 53 (described later), is screwed to one of a plurality of fixing bosses 42 of the rear base plate 40 and fixed to the rear base plate 40.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 7, the peripheral wall 52B extends forward from the periphery of the rear wall 52A. In the present embodiment, the peripheral wall 52B is provided around the entire periphery of the rear wall 52A. The peripheral wall 52B has a stepped shape in the circumferential direction. The extension length of the peripheral wall 52B from the rear wall 52A is longer at the lower part than at the upper part. The extension length of the lower part of the peripheral wall 52B from the rear wall 52A is set according to the mounting height of the mounted components on the AC board 51 in the housed state. Specifically, the extension length of the lower part of the peripheral wall 52B is set to be equal to or longer than the tip of the mounted components on the AC board 51 in the housed state in the AC board case 52.

[0025] In this embodiment, the extension length from the rear wall 52A at the lower part of the peripheral wall 52B is longer on the left side than on the right side as shown in FIG. 7. As described above, the mounted components having the highest mounting height on the AC board 51 are disposed at the lower left side of the mounting surface 51A. Therefore, the wall height of the lower left part of the peripheral wall 52B is set according to the maximum mounting height of the mounted components on the AC board 51. In contrast, the wall height of the lower right part of the peripheral wall 52B is set according to the mounting height of the mounted components mounted on the right side of the AC board 51. Even the shortest extension length of the peripheral wall 52B extends beyond the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51 in the stored state. The inside of the peripheral wall 52B is filled with a potting material up to a height that covers the mounting surface 51A.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 9, the AC board case 52 has inner fixing claws 52E and outer fixing claws 52F. The inner fixing claws 52E are provided at a plurality of positions on the inner side of the peripheral wall portion 52B. Each inner fixing claw 52E is hooked onto an outer edge of the AC board 51 in the stored state, thereby snap-fitting and fixing the AC board 51. The outer fixing claws 52F are provided on the outer sides of the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion 52B. The outer fixing claws 52F are hooked onto inner edges of cover fixing holes 53A (described later) in the cover 53, thereby snap-fitting and fixing the cover 53.

[0027] The cover 53 covers the AC board 51 from above. The cover 53 is a resin molded product such as ABS. The cover 53 is in the shape of a box that opens downward. The cover 53 is placed on the upper part of the AC board 51 when the AC board 51 is housed in the AC board case 52. As shown in Figs. 7 to 10, the cover 53 has a cover fixing hole 53A, a cover fixing portion 53B, a connector fixing portion 53C, and a vertical wall portion 53D. The cover fixing hole 53A is used to fix the cover 53 to the AC board case 52. The cover fixing holes 53A are provided on the left and right side walls of the cover 53. Each cover fixing hole 53A is formed in a rectangular hole shape. Each cover fixing hole 53A is hooked onto the outer fixing claw 52F of the AC board case 52 when the cover 53 is placed on the AC board 51. As a result, the cover 53 is fixed to the AC board case 52 in the state in which the AC board 51 is housed.

[0028] The cover fixing portion 53B is used to fix the first board unit 50, which is formed by assembling the AC board 51, the AC board case 52, and the cover 53, to the rear base plate 40. The cover fixing portion 53B is screwed to fixing bosses 42 provided on the periphery of the recess 41 in the rear base plate 40. The cover fixing portion 53B is provided in three places on the front, rear, and right side of the cover 53. The connector fixing portion 53C fixes a relay connector of the wire harness routed around the first board unit 50. The connector fixing portion 53C is provided in two places on the cover 53, the center and the right side.

[0029] The standing wall portion 53D rises upward from the upper surface of the cover 53. A pair of the standing wall portions 53D are provided with a gap therebetween in the front-rear direction. The pair of standing wall portions 53D each extend in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the cover 53. The space between the pair of standing wall portions 53D forms a part of the routing path of the multiple hoses H1, H2, H3 as water supply members. The hoses H1, H2, H3 communicate with a pump (not shown) at their upstream ends, and are connected to the shutter 36 and the local washing unit 31 on the front base plate 30 at their downstream ends. The standing wall portion 53D separates the hoses H1, H2, H3 from the wire harnesses WH1, WH2 connected to the AC board 51, the communication board 62 described later, and the like.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the cover 53 has cutouts 53E, 53F, and 53G. The cutout 53E is formed by cutting the left end of the front wall of the cover 53 upward. The cutout 53E is a wiring path for the wire harness WH2 connected to the connection part 51C at the left end of the AC board 51. The cutout 53F is formed by cutting the right end of the front wall of the cover 53 upward. The cutout 53F is a wiring path for the wire harness (not shown) connected to the connection part 51C at the right end of the AC board 51. The cutout 53G is formed by cutting the right side of the center of the rear wall of the cover 53 upward. The cutout 53G is a wiring path for the wire harness WH1 connected to the connection part 51B. The wire harness WH1 is bent backward from the connection portion 51B beyond the upper end of the AC board 51, and routed backward through the cutout portion 53G. A connector C1 at the other end of the wire harness WH1 is connected to a connector of another wire harness (not shown) and is disposed in a connector fixing portion 53C in the cover 53, a connector storage portion 43 behind the recess 41, or the like.

[0031] 11, in the first substrate unit 50 placed in the recess 41, the AC substrate 51 is placed away from the upper surface of the bottom wall 41C, which serves as the bottom surface of the recess 41. Specifically, in the first substrate unit 50 placed in the recess 41, the lower portion of the peripheral wall portion 52B of the AC substrate case 52 faces the upper surface of the rib 41F in the recess 41. This prevents the first substrate unit 50 from lowering below the upper surface of the rib 41F.

[0032] 1 to 3, the second board unit 60 is disposed in front of the first board unit 50. The second board unit 60 is electrically connected to the first board unit 50 via a wire harness WH2 connected to a connection portion 51C in the first board unit 50. The second board unit 60 is disposed on the front base plate 30 in front of the first board unit 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the second board unit 60 is attached onto the sterilization unit 32 and the deodorization unit 33 via a fixing member 37.

[0033] The fixing member 37 is a resin molded product such as ABS. As shown in FIG. 12, the fixing member 37 is generally inclined upward from the front to the rear. The fixing member 37 is fixed to the sterilization unit 32 and the deodorization unit 33 on the front base plate 30 with screws. The fixing member 37 has a groove portion 37A, receiving portions 37B and 37C, and an arm portion 37D. The groove portion 37A has a U-shaped cross section that forms a groove extending in the front-rear direction. Two hoses H1 and H2 of the hoses H1, H2, and H3 are arranged in the groove portion 37A. The hoses H1 and H2 are arranged on the upper surface of the cover 53 from the right to the left, then extend forward and pass through the groove portion 37A while descending, and are connected to the left side of the local cleaning unit 31 of the front base plate 30 and the left end of the shutter 36, respectively. In addition to the hoses H1 and H2, other wire harnesses (not shown) and the like are also routed in the groove portion 37A.

[0034] The receiving portions 37B, 37C are provided in pairs on both the left and right sides of the groove portion 37A. The pair of receiving portions 37B, 37C extend outward from the left and right upper edges of the groove portion 37A, respectively. The pair of left and right receiving portions 37B, 37C form a flush flat surface on both sides of the groove portion 37A. The upper surfaces of the receiving portions 37B, 37C are flat inclined surfaces that slope upward from the front to the rear. A DC board case 63 of the second board unit 60, which will be described later, is placed on the upper surface of each receiving portion 37B, 37C.

[0035] The arm 37D extends rightward from the rear end of the groove 37A. A hose H3 is routed over the arm 37D. The hose H3 reaches the front fixing member 37 from the cover 53 and is routed over the arm 37D. After passing over the arm 37D, the hose H3 is routed below the rear of the local cleaning unit 31 and behind the drying unit 34, in that order, wraps around to the front of the front base plate 30 above the heat exchange unit 35, and is connected to the right end of the shutter 36.

[0036] The fixing member 37 has a fixing ring 37E. The fixing ring 37E functions as a fixing portion for fixing the second board unit 60. A plurality of fixing rings 37E are provided on the outer left and right edges of the receiving portions 37B and 37C. In detail, two fixing rings 37E are provided on the right receiving portion 37B and one fixing ring 37E is provided on the left receiving portion 37C. Each fixing ring 37E rises upward from the edge of the receiving portions 37B and 37C and forms a hole penetrating in the left-right direction. The fixing ring 37E is snap-fitted to an outer fixing claw 63D of the DC board case 63, which will be described later.

[0037] 12 and 13, the second board unit 60 has a DC board 61, a communication board 62, a DC board case 63, and a communication board case 64. The second board unit 60 is configured by storing the DC board 61 and the communication board 62 in the DC board case 63 and the communication board case 64, respectively. The DC board 61 and the DC board case 63 are examples of a control board and a control board case, respectively, according to the present disclosure.

[0038] The DC board 61 has a rectangular planar shape with the front left corner cut out. Many components are mounted on a mounting surface 61A of the DC board 61. The DC board 61 is disposed with the mounting surface 61A facing slightly forward and diagonally upward. Specifically, the DC board 61 is disposed in a state where it is housed in the DC board case 63, inclined along the inclined surfaces formed by the receiving portions 37B and 37C of the fixing member 37.

[0039] The DC board case 63 is a resin molded product such as ABS. As shown in FIG. 13, the DC board case 63 has a bottom wall 63A, a peripheral wall 63B, an inner fixed claw 63C, and an outer fixed claw 63D. The bottom wall 63A is a flat plate having a planar shape slightly larger than the planar shape of the DC board 61. The DC board case 63 is fixed to the fixed member 37 by placing the lower surface of the bottom wall 63A on the receiving parts 37B and 37C of the fixed member 37. The bottom wall 63A is disposed inclined along the inclined surface formed by the receiving parts 37B and 37C so that the rear side is higher than the front side.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 13, the peripheral wall portion 63B extends upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 63A. The peripheral wall portion 63B is provided around the entire periphery of the bottom wall portion 63A. The extension height of the peripheral wall portion 63B is uniform all around the periphery in the circumferential direction, regardless of the mounting height of the components on the mounting surface 61A of the DC board 61. The extension height of the peripheral wall portion 63B exceeds the mounting surface 61A of the DC board 61 when it is housed in the DC board case 63. The inside of the peripheral wall portion 63B is filled with a potting agent up to a height that covers the mounting surface 61A.

[0041] The inner fixing claws 63C are provided at multiple positions on the inner side of the peripheral wall portion 63B. Each inner fixing claw 63C hooks onto the outer edge of the DC board 61 in the stored state, thereby snap-fitting and fixing the DC board 61. The outer fixing claws 63D are provided on the outer sides of the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion 63B. The outer fixing claws 63D hook onto the inner edge of the fixing ring 37E of the fixing member 37, thereby snap-fitting and fixing the DC board case 63.

[0042] The DC substrate case 63 has a boss 63E and a rib 63F. The boss 63E protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 63A. The protruding end of the boss 63E faces the back surface of the DC substrate 61 when it is housed in the DC substrate case 63. This ensures that the DC substrate 61 has a gap of at least the height of the boss 63E when it is housed in the DC substrate case 63. This gap is used as a filling space for the potting agent. The rib 63F protrudes downward from the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 63A. A plurality of ribs 63F are provided. The plurality of ribs 63F are arranged so as to face the inner surface of the groove portion 37A of the fixing member 37 when the DC substrate case 63 is fixed to the fixing member 37. This prevents the DC substrate case 63 from being misaligned with respect to the fixing member 37.

[0043] The communication board 62 communicates with external devices such as a smartphone. The communication board 62 has a function of performing wireless communication with external devices in accordance with communication standards such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The toilet apparatus 100 can control the functions of each functional unit in response to communication signals received from the outside by the communication board 62. The communication board 62 is electrically connected to the DC board 61 via a wire harness (not shown).

[0044] The communication board 62 is disposed behind the DC board 61. The communication board 62 is disposed with a mounting surface 62A facing upward. A communication module (not shown) is mounted on the mounting surface 62A with the communication direction facing upward. The communication board 62 is disposed with the height of the mounting surface 62A higher than the height of the rear end of the mounting surface 61A of the DC board 61.

[0045] The communication board 62 is housed in the communication board case 64. The communication board case 64 is a resin molded product made of ABS or the like. As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the communication board case 64 is connected to the DC board case 63. The front end of the communication board case 64 is connected to the rear end of the DC board case 63. In the present embodiment, the communication board case 64 is integrally formed with the DC board case 63 by resin molding. The communication board case 64 extends substantially horizontally rearward from the rear end of the DC board case 63. The communication board case 64 has a bottom wall portion 64A, a peripheral wall portion 64B, and a fixing claw 64C. The bottom wall portion 64A forms a flat surface that extends horizontally. The peripheral wall portion 64B extends upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 64A. The fixing claw 64C snap-fits the outer edge of the communication board 62 in the front-rear direction.

[0046] 3, when the second board unit 60 is attached to the front base plate 30, the communication board 62 is located in front of the cover 53 of the first board unit 50. As described above, the cover 53 has a pair of standing wall portions 53D with the hoses H1, H2, and H3 routed in the space between them. The communication board 62 is disposed in front of the pair of front and rear standing wall portions 53D. The standing wall portions 53D function as contact prevention portions disposed between the communication board 62 and the hoses H1, H2, and H3 as water supply members.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, in the functional section 23 in the use state with the main body cover 24 covered, the communication board 62 is disposed relatively high within the main body cover 24. No other functional components are disposed above the communication board 62 within the main body cover 24. That is, the communication board 62 is disposed in a position where it is not covered from above by other components within the main body cover 24. The communication board 62 is disposed above the seat surface 21A of the toilet seat 21. In other words, the height position of the communication board 62 is above the seat surface 21A of the toilet seat 21. The communication board 62 is disposed in a position where it is not covered from above by the toilet lid 22 in the closed state. In other words, the position of the communication board 62 in the front-rear direction is behind the rear end of the toilet lid 22 in the closed state.

[0048] The action and effect of the toilet apparatus 100 configured as above will be described. The toilet apparatus 100 comprises a functional unit 23. The functional unit 23 is disposed at the rear of the toilet body 10 which has the toilet bowl 11. The functional unit 23 comprises a main body cover 24 and a communication board 62. The communication board 62 is disposed at the upper part inside the main body cover 24 and performs wireless communication with the outside.

[0049] With this configuration, the toilet device 100 can improve the communication sensitivity of the communication board 62. For example, if the communication board is disposed at the bottom inside the main body cover, the physical distance between the communication board and the space outside the main body cover becomes large, and communication radio waves may be blocked by other functional components, making it difficult to ensure sufficient communication sensitivity. In contrast, the communication board 62 is disposed in close proximity to the main body cover 24, which separates the inside and outside of the functional unit 23, so it is easy to receive communication signals from the outside. Since the communication board 62 is disposed in close proximity to the main body cover 24, it can also transmit communication signals to the outside well. Therefore, the toilet device 100 can communicate well with external devices.

[0050] In the toilet apparatus 100, the communication board 62 is disposed above the seat surface 21A of the toilet seat 21. That is to say, in the toilet apparatus 100, the communication board 62 is in a relatively high position even with respect to the toilet seat 21, which is disposed outside the functional unit 23. This allows the toilet apparatus 100 to communicate well with external devices.

[0051] In the toilet device 100, the functional unit 23 has a DC board 61 as a control board provided separately from the communication board 62, a DC board case 63 as a control board case that stores the DC board 61, and a communication board case 64 that is connected to the DC board case 63 and stores the communication board 62. That is, the functional unit 23 has a second board unit 60 in which the DC board 61, the communication board 62, the DC board case 63, and the communication board case 64 are unitized. According to this configuration, the second board unit 60 in a unitized state can be assembled to the functional unit 23 after establishing an electrical connection between the DC board 61 and the communication board 62. Therefore, the toilet device 100 can easily assemble the functional unit 23. For example, if the communication board and the control board are not unitized, it is necessary to connect a wire harness or the like after assembling them separately to the functional unit, which is cumbersome. In contrast, the toilet device 100 has the communication board 62 connected to the DC board 61 via the DC board case 63 and the communication board case 64 to form a second board unit 60, which makes it easy to assemble the functional part 23.

[0052] In the toilet apparatus 100, the communication board 62 is disposed in a position where the top is not covered by the closed toilet lid 22. Therefore, the toilet apparatus 100 can communicate well with external devices.

[0053] The communication board 62 is disposed in a position where it is not covered from above by other components inside the body cover 24. This allows the toilet apparatus 100 to communicate well with external devices.

[0054] In the toilet device 100, the functional part 23 has a front base plate 30 as a base plate. The front base plate 30 is disposed on the rear upper surface of the toilet body 10 and can be raised and lowered relative to the toilet body 10. The communication board 62 rises and falls together with the front base plate 30. Therefore, compared to a case in which the communication board does not rise and fall together with the base plate, the toilet device 100 makes it easier to prevent the wire harness connected to the communication board 62 from being caught in the rising and falling of the base plate. That is, in the case of the toilet device 100, the communication board 62 is electrically connected to the DC board 61, and the DC board 61 also rises and falls together with the front base plate 30. Therefore, the wire harness between the communication board 62 and the DC board 61 can also be raised and lowered together, reducing the risk of being caught. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the DC board 61, which is another component that establishes an electrical connection with the communication board, is also raised and lowered together with the base plate, the risk of the wire harness being caught can be reduced.

[0055] It is also possible to fundamentally solve the above-mentioned risk by mounting the communication module on the communication board on the control board. However, there is a concern that the communication sensitivity of the communication module may decrease if it is covered by potting. For this reason, it is necessary to avoid mounting the communication module on the same board as the mounted components that require potting. In the toilet device 100, the communication module is mounted on the communication board 62, which is a board separate from the DC board 61, and the communication board 62 is stored in the communication board case 64 formed integrally with the DC board case 63, thereby unitizing the communication board 62 with the DC board 61. Therefore, the toilet device 100 can reduce the risk of the wire harness connected to the communication board 62, which is separate from the DC board 61, being pinched while realizing reliable insulation of the mounted components on the DC board 61 by potting.

[0056] In the toilet apparatus 100, the functional section 23 has hoses H1, H2, and H3 as water supply members, and a standing wall section 53D of the cover 53 as a contact prevention section. The hoses H1, H2, and H3 are routed inside the main body cover 24 to allow water to flow. The standing wall section 53D is disposed between the hoses H1, H2, and H3 and the communication board 62. Therefore, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent contact between the communication board 62 and the hoses H1, H2, and H3, and can maintain good communication sensitivity.

[0057] In the toilet apparatus 100, the functional unit 23 has an AC board 51 and a rear base plate 40. The AC board 51 has components mounted on its surface. The rear base plate 40 has a recess 41 in which the AC board 51 is disposed. The AC board 51 is disposed in the recess 41 with its mounting surface 51A oriented along the vertical direction, which is a direction intersecting the horizontal direction.

[0058] With this configuration, the toilet apparatus 100 can improve the design freedom of the functional part 23. That is, the AC board 51 has a smaller planar projection area on the rear base plate 40 when placed vertically with the mounting surface 51A aligned vertically, compared to when placed flat with the mounting surface 51A aligned horizontally. By placing the AC board 51 in the recess 41 formed in the rear base plate 40, the amount of upward protrusion is reduced compared to when the AC board 51 is placed directly on the rear base plate 40. Therefore, the functional part 23 has improved space efficiency on the rear base plate 40, and the freedom of placement of other components on the rear base plate 40 is improved. Therefore, the toilet apparatus 100 can improve the design freedom of the functional part 23.

[0059] In the toilet apparatus 100, the AC board 51 has connection portions 51B, 51C to which the wire harnesses WH1, WH2 are connected. The connection portions 51B, 51C are formed on the upper portion of the AC board 51 when the AC board 51 is placed in the recess 41. Therefore, the AC board 51 can easily pull out the wire harnesses WH1, WH2 above the recess 41 while avoiding contact with the components mounted on the AC board 51.

[0060] In the toilet apparatus 100, the recess 41 has a front wall 41A. The front wall 41A faces the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51 when it is placed in the recess 41. The upper end of the front wall 41A is lower than the height of the connection parts 51B, 51C of the AC board 51 when it is placed in the recess 41. Therefore, when connecting the wire harnesses WH1, WH2 to the AC board 51 when it is placed in the recess 41, the front wall 41A is unlikely to get in the way of the connection work. As a result, in the toilet apparatus 100, the wire harnesses WH1, WH2 can be easily connected to the AC board 51 when it is placed in the recess 41, and the workability of assembling the functional part 23 can be improved.

[0061] In the toilet apparatus 100, the connection portion 51B of the AC board 51 is connected to a board-in terminal provided at the end of the wire harness WH1. Therefore, the toilet apparatus 100 can improve the freedom of arrangement of the connection portion. For example, when connecting the wire harness by a connector connection on the mounting surface of the board, it is necessary to provide a space on the mounting surface for arranging the connector. In this case, depending on the size of the connector, there is a risk of restrictions on the arrangement on the mounting surface. In contrast, since the connection portion 51B is a board-in terminal connection, the individual connection portions that connect to the individual terminals can be arranged relatively freely. As a result, the toilet apparatus 100 can improve the freedom of arrangement of the connection portion.

[0062] In the toilet apparatus 100, a drain hole 41E is formed in the bottom wall 41C, which is the bottom of the recess 41. Therefore, even if water enters the recess 41, the toilet apparatus 100 can drain the water to the outside through the drain hole 41E. As a result, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent the AC board 51 from becoming flooded.

[0063] In the toilet apparatus 100, the AC board 51 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the recess 41 when inserted into the recess 41. Therefore, even if water seeps into and accumulates in the recess 41, the AC board 51 is spaced apart from the bottom surface, and therefore can prevent water from entering while allowing a certain amount of water to accumulate. As a result, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent water from entering the AC board 51.

[0064] In the toilet apparatus 100, the functional unit 23 has an AC board case 52. The AC board case 52 houses the AC board 51. The AC board case 52 has a rear wall 52A and a peripheral wall 52B. When the AC board 51 is housed in the AC board case 52, the lower part of the peripheral wall 52B extends to a position equal to or greater than the tip of the mounted components on the mounting surface 51A of the AC board 51. Therefore, when the AC board 51 is placed in the recess 41, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent the mounted components on the mounting surface 51A from contacting the front wall 41A of the recess 41. As a result, the toilet apparatus 100 can avoid damage to the AC board 51 when assembling the functional unit 23.

[0065] In the toilet apparatus 100, the functional unit 23 has a cover 53. The cover 53 covers the AC board 51 from above. Therefore, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent other functional parts, water supply members such as hoses, wire harnesses, etc. from coming into contact with the AC board 51 from above.

[0066] In the toilet apparatus 100, the functional unit 23 has hoses H1, H2, and H3 that allow water to flow. The hoses H1, H2, and H3 are routed and separated from the wire harnesses WH1 and WH2 that are connected to the AC board 51 by a cover 53. Therefore, even if water leakage or condensation occurs in the hoses H1, H2, and H3, the toilet apparatus 100 can prevent the water from reaching the AC board 51 through the wire harness.

[0067] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] (1) The configuration of the base plate is not limited to that of the above embodiment. For example, the base plate may be provided integrally without being divided into front and rear portions, or may be divided into three or more portions.

[0069] (2) The communication method of the communication board according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as it can communicate with the outside world wirelessly.

[0070] (3) The configurations of the control board case and the communication board case according to the present disclosure are not limited to those in the above embodiment. The control board case and the communication board case may be provided separately, or may not be connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10...toilet body, 11...toilet bowl, 21...toilet seat, 21A...toilet seat surface, 22...toilet lid, 23...functional part, 24...body cover, 30...front base plate (base plate), 61...DC board (control board), 62...communication board, 63...DC board case (control board case), 64...communication board case, 100...toilet device

Claims

1. A toilet seat and a functional part that supports the toilet seat so that it can rotate freely, the functional unit includes a main body cover, a communication board disposed within the main body cover and configured to perform wireless communication with an external device, and a control board provided separately from the communication board; the communication board is disposed with its mounting surface facing upward in a position where it is not covered by other components inside the main body cover, A toilet seat apparatus, wherein the mounting surface of the communication board is positioned higher than the mounting surface of the control board.

2. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication board is disposed above a seat surface of the toilet seat when the toilet seat is in a closed state.

3. the functional unit has a communication board case that houses the communication board, The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication board case has a fixing claw for holding the communication board.

4. The functional unit has a base plate that can be raised and lowered, The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication board moves up and down together with the base plate.

5. the functional unit has a control board case that houses the control board, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a boss is provided on the bottom of the control board case, the boss protruding upward and facing the rear surface of the control board.

6. A toilet seat device as described in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the communication board performs wireless communication with an external smartphone.

7. A toilet seat device as described in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the communication board is connected to the control board via a wire harness.

8. A toilet seat device as described in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the communication board is arranged behind the control board.

9. A toilet body, A toilet apparatus comprising: a toilet seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 2, which is disposed above the toilet body.

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