Toilet seat device

Abstract

To provide a toilet seat device capable of increasing the amount of fine bubbles generated with a simple structure.SOLUTION: The toilet seat device 10 of the present invention comprises a flow path 51 formed between a main water supply port 31 that supplies water to the toilet seat device 10 and a jet part 57, a water discharge part 66, and a nozzle cleaning port 67b that discharge water outside the toilet seat device 10, wherein the flow path 51 is provided with fine bubble generating means 54 that generates fine bubbles in the water passing through it, and the flow path 51 includes a valve hole part 113, located downstream of the fine bubble generating means 54, formed with an opening area smaller than an opening area A of a UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles by the fine bubble generating means 54, a location with the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed in a heating unit inflow part 58b, the jet part 57, the water discharge part 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet seat device equipped with a fine bubble generating means. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for improving the cleaning performance of the inside of a toilet bowl and the user's private parts by generating fine bubbles in the water supplied to a flush toilet facility. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a flush toilet device in which a fine bubble generator is provided in a water supply path that supplies cleaning water, and the toilet bowl and the user's private parts are cleaned with water that contains a large amount of fine bubbles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6948144 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since water containing fine bubbles tends to have improved cleaning power as the number of fine bubbles increases, it is preferable to generate a larger number of fine bubbles. Increasing the number of fine bubble generators has been proposed as a method for increasing the content of fine bubbles, but increasing the number of fine bubble generators increases the number of parts, complicating the structure, restricting the installation space for these parts, and increasing manufacturing costs, among other problems.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat apparatus that is capable of increasing the amount of fine bubbles generated with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The toilet seat device of the present invention is characterized in that a flow path through which water flows is formed between a water supply section that supplies water to the toilet seat device and a discharge section that discharges the water outside the toilet seat device, the flow path is provided with a micro-bubble generating means that generates micro-bubbles in the water passing through, and the flow path has a small opening downstream of the micro-bubble generating means, the opening having an opening area smaller than the opening area of ​​the generation section where the micro-bubbles are generated by the micro-bubble generating means. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the amount of fine bubbles generated by the fine bubble generating means with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a toilet seat unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet seat device as viewed from the bottom side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the process of attaching the main body to the toilet seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an enlarged top view of the main body with the upper casing removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a UFB nozzle. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outlet of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an outlet portion of a modified UFB nozzle. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of the outlet portion showing the vicinity of the protrusion. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the pressure distribution when water passes through the UFB nozzle and the UFB upper case. [Figure 12]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the water stop mechanism and the pressure reducing mechanism. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the water stop mechanism body with the drive unit and valve seat removed. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the upper part of the nozzle holder. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in the toilet seat unit. [Figure 21] Same as above, this is a table showing the relationship between the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water that has passed through the UFB nozzle, the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the posterior cleansing water outlet, and the amount of fine bubbles contained in the mist sprayed from the spray section. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fine bubble generating means of a toilet seat unit showing a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the main body and the main body water supply port. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the main body water inlet and the water guide unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29]FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a toilet seat device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0010] 1 to 21 show a first embodiment of a toilet seat device 10 of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration of a toilet seat unit 100 installed around a toilet bowl 1 in a toilet room S as a flush toilet facility. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main body 11, a toilet seat 12, and a toilet seat cover 13 of the toilet seat device 10, seen from below (the bottom side). The toilet bowl 1 has a concave bowl portion 2 with an open upper surface for receiving excrement, and this bowl portion 2 forms the inner surface of the toilet bowl 1. The bowl portion 2 is the toilet bowl of the toilet bowl 1. The toilet seat 12 is substantially O-shaped in a plan view, and has a toilet seat cover 13 configured to cover the toilet seat 12 in an openable and closable manner, a central opening 12A, and a main body 11. The main body 11 of the toilet seat device 10 is detachably fixed to the upper surface of a toilet rear portion 3 (see FIG. 3) located at the rear of the toilet bowl 1.

[0011] The main body 11 comprises a hollow casing 15 which is the main body part, and this casing 15 comprises a main body underside part 16 which is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the rear part 3 of the toilet 1, and a casing upper part 17 which covers the upper surface of the main body underside part 16 and has an open underside, forming an outer shell member made of synthetic resin. A toilet seat 12 and a toilet seat lid 13, both made of synthetic resin, are rotatably attached to the casing 15, and as shown in Fig. 1, with the toilet seat lid 13 open and the toilet seat 12 tilted down towards the toilet 1, a user can sit with their buttocks on the toilet seat 12.

[0012] On the underside of the toilet seat 12, a plurality of convex seat legs 18 that directly contact the upper surface of the toilet bowl 1 when the toilet seat 12 is tilted toward the toilet bowl 1, which is the use position, are arranged at intervals. In this embodiment, the seat legs 18 are arranged at four locations on the front left and right and the rear left and right, as shown in FIG. 2, but this is only an example and the present invention is not limited to this. One of the toilet seat legs 18 has a built-in mechanical seat switch 19 that serves as a seat detection means, and when the toilet seat leg 18 is pressed against the toilet bowl 1 and the seat switch 19 is turned ON, it can be detected that the user is seated on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, the seat switch 19 is provided on one of the seat legs 18 on the front left or right side in the center as shown in FIG. 2, but this is only an example and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0013] Reference numeral 21 denotes a main body operation unit made of synthetic resin and provided on the side of the casing 15. The main body operation unit 21 is provided with various operation buttons including flushing buttons such as a butt button and a bidet button, and user operations are input via these operation buttons. The main body operation unit 21 is also provided with indicator lamps such as a power lamp, a deodorizing lamp, a power saving lamp, and a toilet seat lamp, and is configured to inform the user of the operating status of each part of the toilet seat device 10 depending on the display form of these indicator lamps.

[0014] A so-called movable cleaning nozzle 25 is provided at the front lower part of the casing 15. The cleaning nozzle 25, which corresponds to a nozzle device, is tubular and extends linearly along the front-rear direction of the main body 11, and is arranged so as to be reciprocally movable along the front-rear direction of the main body 11. One or more water discharge parts 66 (see FIG. 17) that discharge water as cleaning liquid are provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the cleaning nozzle 25, and the cleaning nozzle 25 is configured to spray water toward the private parts of the user seated on the toilet seat 12 without waste when the cleaning nozzle 25 is advanced to a position protruding from below the toilet seat 12. In addition, a nozzle guard 26 that is convex toward the bottom of the main body 11 is integrally formed on the main body underside part 16 that forms the bottom of the casing 15 in order to protect the cleaning nozzle 25 housed in the casing 15 when the cleaning nozzle 25 is retracted to a position below the toilet seat 12. The material of the cleaning nozzle 25 is preferably stainless steel to maintain cleanliness, but other materials may be used. In this embodiment, the water outlet 66 includes a bottom washing water outlet 66a that sprays water onto a first local area of ​​the user, and a bidet cleansing water outlet 66b that sprays water onto a second local area different from the first local area of ​​the user, and these bottom washing water outlet 66a and bidet cleansing water outlet 66b are provided in the same cleansing nozzle 25. Note that the configuration of the cleansing nozzle 25 is one example, and the bottom washing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b may each be provided in a dedicated cleansing nozzle 25, and a plurality of cleansing nozzles 25 may each be movable.

[0015] A branch fitting 33 is attached to the stop valve WV, which is installed in advance in the toilet room S as a water supply path, to branch the water flowing in from the stop valve WV to the toilet seat 12 side and to the storage tank (not shown) side that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl for flushing. The branch fitting 33 is composed of a three-way joint, and each joint is connected to the stop valve WV, the tank water supply hose R that supplies water to the storage tank, and the water supply hose 32. A main water supply port 31 is provided on the rear side of the casing 15, and the stop valve WV and the main water supply port 31 are connected to the water supply hose 32, so that the water from the stop valve WV is guided from the main water supply port 31 to the toilet seat 12 via the branch fitting 33 and the water supply hose 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, the toilet seat device 10, the water supply hose 32, and the branch fitting 33 constitute the toilet seat unit 100. The toilet seat unit 100 may be configured so that the toilet seat device 10 and the branch fitting 33 are directly connected to each other.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the mounting recess 41 is recessed upward on the lower surface 16 of the main body, and the mounting recess 41 has a front edge 41A protruding rearward so that a center 41T is located rearward compared to the left and right, and left and right edges 41L, 41R formed rearward from the left and right ends of the front edge 41A, and a rear opening 42 is formed between the rear ends of the left and right edges 41L, 41R. As shown in Fig. 3, a fixing plate 43 for fixing the main body 11 is fixed to the upper surface of the rear part 3 of the toilet, and the rear opening 42 of the mounting recess 41 is aligned with the fixing plate 43, and the main body 11 is slid backward to fit the fixing plate 43 into the mounting recess 41, thereby fixing the main body 11 to the rear part 3 of the toilet, and conversely, the main body 11 can be removed from the rear part 3 of the toilet by sliding the main body 11 forward and removing the fixing plate 43 from the mounting recess 41. In this way, the rear part 3 of the toilet is the mounting part of the toilet 1 to which the main body 11 is attached.

[0017] A deodorizing device 45 is built into the casing 15 in order to reduce and eliminate odors within the toilet 1. For this purpose, an air intake 46 is provided on the front lower surface of the casing 15 facing the top surface of the toilet 1, and a deodorizing passage (not shown) is provided between this and an exhaust port 47 provided at the rear of the casing upper part 17, with a deodorizing fan and a deodorizing unit provided midway along this deodorizing passage.

[0018] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged top view of the main body 11 with the casing upper part 17 removed. Referring to Fig. 4, the configuration of the flow path 51 through which the water flowing in from the main body water supply port 31 flows will be described. The flow path 51 is mainly formed by the main body water supply port 31, a water stop mechanism 52, a pressure reducing mechanism 53, a fine bubble generating means 54, a switching valve 55, a branching section 56, a jetting section 57, a heating unit 58, a nozzle assembly 59, and an air pump 60. As will be described later, the flow path 51 has a first flow path 51-1 and a second flow path 51-2, and the second flow path 51-2 has a third flow path 51-3 and a fourth flow path 51-4. Specifically, the flow path 51 branches into a first flow path 51-1 and a second flow path 51-2 at a branching portion 56, and the second flow path 51-2 branches into a third flow path 51-3 and a fourth flow path 51-4 at an electromagnetic valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59.

[0019] The water stop mechanism 52 starts / stops the inflow of water from the main body water supply port 31 to the flow path 51, and in this embodiment, it is configured with an electromagnetic valve, and can be turned on / off by an electric signal. The pressure reducing mechanism 53 reduces and stabilizes the pressure of the passing water to a predetermined pressure, for example, 0.1 to 0.15 MPa, and is provided so that the water with the stabilized water pressure can be supplied to the fine bubble generating means 54. In this embodiment, the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generating means 54 are integrally formed to form a unitized water guide unit 110, and the water guide unit 110 is configured with the above-mentioned electromagnetic valve. Therefore, the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 can be made small, and the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 can be easily attached to and replaced in the main body 11. Therefore, the water guide unit 110 also functions as a valve device. This is just one example, and the water guide unit 110 may be configured with, for example, a motor-driven valve, that is, an electric valve whose power source is an electric valve such as a solenoid valve or a motor-driven valve. Also, the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reduction mechanism 53, and the microbubble generating means 54 may each be formed separately, or the water guide unit 110 may be configured with only one of the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53.

[0020] The fine bubble generating means 54 is generally composed of a UFB (Ultrafine-Bubble) upper case 75 as a downstream joint, and a UFB nozzle 77, and a part of the flow path 51 through which water flows is formed inside the UFB upper case 75 and the UFB nozzle 77. As shown in Fig. 5, the fine bubble generating means 54 of this embodiment is coaxially arranged in the order of the UFB nozzle 77 and the UFB upper case 75 from the upstream of the flow path 51, and each part is in close contact with each other to prevent water from leaking between the parts. In the present embodiment, the fine bubble generating means 54 is formed by sequentially pressing a UFB nozzle 77 with a sealing member 78 attached and a water discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 of the water guide unit 110 with a sealing member 79 attached into a storage portion 75a formed in the UFB upper case 75, and the discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the UFB nozzle 77, and the UFB upper case 75 are arranged coaxially from the upstream of the flow path 51 in that order, so that each part is in tight contact with the other parts to prevent water from leaking between the parts.

[0021] The UFB upper case 75 has a hollow portion 82 therein that is a part of the flow path 51, and guides the water flowing in from the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 to a pipe (not shown) connected to the UFB upper case 75. The UFB upper case 75 has a case body 75b and an attachment portion 75c in addition to the above-mentioned storage portion 75a. The attachment portion 75c allows a pipe such as a hose of the flow path 51 to be attached to the micro-bubble generating means 54, and has the same function as the attachment portion 76b. The case body 75b also guides the water flowing in from the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 to the attachment portion 75c in the hollow portion 82. The axial length and outer diameter of the attachment portion 75c, and the number, shape, and position of the flanges may be adjusted and changed depending on the type and inner diameter of the pipe used, the pressure of the water flowing in to the flow path 51, and the like. For example, a flange for preventing the pipe from coming off may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the attachment portion 75c.

[0022] The UFB nozzle 77 generates fine bubbles including ultra-fine bubbles in a liquid such as water supplied from an external water source when the liquid passes through the inside of the UFB nozzle 77 toward the downstream direction of the flow path 51. Therefore, the UFB nozzle 77 has a function as a fine bubble generator. The UFB nozzle 77 in this embodiment is an example, and may generate fine bubbles such as microbubbles (fine bubbles) and micro-nano bubbles in addition to or instead of ultra-fine bubbles, or may generate ultra-fine bubbles (nano bubbles). In this specification, in accordance with the classification of general bubbles by diameter, fine bubbles with a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm are referred to as microbubbles, and fine bubbles with a diameter of several tens of nm to less than 1 μm are referred to as ultra-fine bubbles.

[0023] Fine bubbles such as microbubbles and ultrafine bubbles are negatively charged, and therefore do not bond with each other, but have the function of adsorbing positively charged substances such as dirt. At this time, the surface tension of the liquid containing the fine bubbles, such as water, decreases, improving the cleaning effect. In the case of ultrafine bubbles, odors are also positively charged substances, so they can adsorb odors, improving the deodorizing effect. In addition, when the fine bubbles collapse on the surface of a solid such as dirt, a very small jet flow is generated, further improving the cleaning effect. For example, the pressure inside a fine bubble with a diameter of 100 nm is calculated to be a high pressure of approximately 30 atm (30 atmospheres). In addition, since the specific surface area of ​​fine bubbles is very large, they also have the function of promoting chemical reactions at the interface by giving them fluidity. Furthermore, the fine bubbles are suddenly collapsed by shock waves, generating energy by self-collapse, which generates free radicals and ozone, and these free radicals and ozone can attack bacteria and viruses in the water containing the fine bubbles, thereby sterilizing and disinfecting them. This effect is more pronounced as the diameter of the fine bubbles becomes smaller. For example, ultra-fine ozone bubble water is particularly effective.

[0024] Because ultra-fine bubbles have a small particle size, they can penetrate into complicated areas and have a cleaning effect that removes dirt from objects that cannot be removed by other fine bubbles such as microbubbles.In addition, ultra-fine bubbles have the properties of having a nano-order particle size, small buoyancy, and being highly hydrophobic and difficult to dissolve in water, allowing them to remain in liquid for a long time.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 5, the UFB nozzle 77 is provided downstream of the water discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 and inside the storage portion 75a of the UFB upper case 75. The UFB nozzle 77 is attached in a state of being sandwiched between the water discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 and the UFB upper case 75. A seal member 78 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner peripheral surface of the storage portion 75a. The seal member 78 is composed of, for example, an O-ring made of synthetic resin. The seal member 78 is pressed by the outer peripheral surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner peripheral surface of the storage portion 75a, connecting the UFB nozzle 77 and the storage portion 75a in a watertight state.

[0026] As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the UFB nozzle 77 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape having a step on the outer circumferential surface. The UFB nozzle 77 has an inlet portion 85, an outlet portion 86, a hollow portion 87, and a collision portion 88. The inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The inlet portion 85 is a portion through which water flows from the outside of the UFB nozzle 77 to the inside. Water that has passed through the water discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 is introduced into the UFB nozzle 77 through the inlet portion 85. The outlet portion 86 is a portion through which water flows out from the inside of the UFB nozzle 77 to the outside. The inner diameter of the outlet portion 86 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet portion. The water that flows into the UFB nozzle 77 flows out from the outlet portion 86 into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75, and then flows into a pipe attached to the mounting portion 75c of the UFB upper case 75.

[0027] The hollow portion 87 is provided inside the UFB nozzle 77, connects the inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86, and is formed so that liquids such as water can pass through. The hollow portion 87 is configured to include a throttle portion 87a and a straight portion 87b. The throttle portion 87a and the straight portion 87b are provided around the entire circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the UFB nozzle 77. The throttle portion 87a is provided on the inlet side, i.e., the upstream side, of the UFB nozzle 77. The throttle portion 87a is connected to the inlet portion 85 and is provided between the inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86. The throttle portion 87a is formed so that the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter, of the hollow portion 87 gradually decreases from the inlet portion 85 to the middle portion in the direction in which the UFB nozzle 77 extends. In this embodiment, the throttle portion 87a is formed in a so-called truncated cone tapered tube shape such that the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter, of the hollow portion 87 gradually decreases continuously. The throttle portion 87a may be configured to gradually decrease in a stepped manner the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87. The throttle portion 87a may be configured integrally with the UFB nozzle 77, or may be a separate body.

[0028] The straight portion 87b is provided downstream of the throttle portion 87a. The straight portion 87b is connected to the outlet portion 86. The straight portion 87b is formed in a cylindrical shape, a so-called straight tube shape, in which the inner diameter does not change, that is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43, that is, the area through which the liquid can pass, does not change. The inner diameter of the straight portion 87b is set to be approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the throttle portion 87a, and in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the straight portion 87b is set to be approximately 3 mm, for example.

[0029] The collision portion 88 is for generating fine bubbles in the liquid passing through the hollow portion 87 by locally reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the collision portion 88 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87 can be set to about 25% to 45%. As shown in FIG. 7, the collision portion 88 is provided near the downstream end of the UFB nozzle 77, and at least a part of it is provided in the straight portion 87b. The collision portion 88 is formed integrally with the UFB nozzle 77 by, for example, injection molding a synthetic resin material. The collision portion 88 is not limited to being formed integrally with the UFB nozzle 77, and may be formed separately.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7, the collision section 88 divides the hollow section 87 into a plurality of sections (three in FIG. 8) in the radial direction with respect to the center of the hollow section 87 along the direction in which the water flows. In other words, the hollow section 87 is divided into three hollow sections 87d when passing through the collision section 88. The collision section 88 is composed of three protruding sections 89 formed, for example, in a rod shape, and is formed to protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the straight section 87b toward the inside of the hollow section 87. In this embodiment, the protruding sections 89 protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the straight section 87b toward the center of the cross section of the hollow section 87. The protruding sections 89 are connected to each other at their tips and integrated into a substantially Y-shape. The total cross-sectional area of ​​the three hollow sections 87d is the opening area A of the outlet section 86 of the UFB nozzle 77.

[0031] The multiple protrusions 89 are arranged in a state where they are mutually spaced apart at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cross section of the hollow section 87. The multiple protrusions 89 are not limited to being spaced apart at equal intervals, and may be spaced apart at unequal intervals. The area of ​​the gap formed between each of the protrusions 89 is the minimum cross-sectional area through which water can pass in the fine bubble generating means 54. The multiple protrusions 89 may be four or more as shown in FIG. 9. That is, the multiple protrusions 89 may be configured to divide the hollow section 87 into four or more sections. In the example of FIG. 9, the collision section 88 is formed as a whole into, for example, a substantially cross shape by the multiple protrusions 89. In this case, the hollow section 87 is configured to be divided into four hollow sections 87b when passing through the collision section 60. The sum of the cross-sectional areas of the four hollow sections 87e is the opening area A of the outlet section 86 of the UFB nozzle 77.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 10, the protruding portion 89 has an upstream wall portion 89a, an expanded diameter portion 89b, and a downstream wall portion 89c. The upstream wall portion 89a constitutes the upstream end portion of the protruding portion 89. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the upstream wall portion 89a is formed into a so-called bullet-shaped curved surface that is convex in the opposite direction to the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87, i.e., toward the upstream side. The longitudinal direction means the direction along the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87. The width direction means the direction perpendicular to the direction along the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87.

[0033] The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the upstream wall portion 89a may be a triangle pointed toward the upstream side. The enlarged diameter portion 89b is connected to the upstream wall portion 89a and is formed so as to enlarge in a substantially linear manner from the upstream side to the downstream side. The enlarged diameter portion 89b is not limited to a linear enlargement, and may be curved. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 is smaller on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the direction in which water flows through the hollow portion 87. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 changes smoothly in the direction in which water flows through the hollow portion 87.

[0034] The downstream wall portion 89c is connected to the expanded diameter portion 89b and constitutes the downstream end portion of the protrusion portion 89. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the downstream wall portion 89c is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape. The downstream end face of the downstream wall portion 89c is located on the same plane as the downstream end face of the UFB nozzle 77. In other words, the downstream surface of the protrusion portion 89 is configured to be flush with the downstream surface of the UFB nozzle 77. In addition, when considering only the shape of the downstream end portion of the protrusion portion 89, the longitudinal dimension of the downstream wall portion 89c is smaller than the width dimension of the downstream wall portion 89c.

[0035] Here, if the longitudinal dimension L4 of the protruding portion 89 is made smaller than the widthwise dimension W in the cross section of the protruding portion 89, the angle of the surface at which the expanded diameter portion 89b faces the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 becomes large, and the flow resistance of the protruding portion 89 to the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 increases, which may result in a decrease in the flow rate. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, the protruding portion 89 is configured so that the longitudinal dimension L4 is larger than the widthwise dimension W in the cross section of the protruding portion 89, and the flow resistance of the protruding portion 89 to the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 is suppressed to increase the flow rate. In this embodiment, the ratio between the longitudinal dimension L4 and the widthwise dimension W of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 3:2, and the longitudinal dimension L4 of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 0.7 mm to 1.1 mm, and the widthwise dimension W of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, but this is just one example and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0036] 11, the operation of the UFB nozzle 77 will be described. When water flows into the upstream side of the UFB nozzle 77, the flow path cross-sectional area is narrowed in the narrowing section 87a formed to gradually reduce the inner diameter, and the flow velocity is increased based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid mechanics, and cavitation occurs due to reduced pressure. Then, the high-speed flow collides with the collision section 88, and fine bubbles are generated by the shear force acting thereon and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region N, which is formed near the downstream end face of the collision section 88 and is, for example, -1.0 MPa or less. As a result, the UFB nozzle 77 can separate a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, and supply fine bubble water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77. As will be described later, the valve hole portion 113, the place with the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed in the heating unit inlet portion 58b, the jetting portion 57, the water discharge portion 66 and the nozzle cleaning port 67b, which are small openings formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, are located downstream of the fine-bubble generating means 54 and outside the negative pressure region N so as not to hinder the generation of fine bubbles broken down by the shear force acting when the high-velocity flow collides with the collision portion 88 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region N.

[0037] 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53, with the flow of water indicated by arrow F. The water stop mechanism 52 has a water stop mechanism main body 52a, a drive unit 52b having an on-off valve 52c, a valve seat 52d, an inlet 52e, and outlet holes 52f, 52f, and has therein a first hollow portion 101, a second hollow portion 102, and a third hollow portion 103 which are part of the flow path 51. The pressure reduction mechanism 53 also has therein a hollow portion 104 which is part of the flow path 51.

[0038] 13 shows a perspective view of the water stop mechanism main body 52a with the drive unit 52b and the valve seat 52d removed. The inside of the water stop mechanism main body 52a has a double circle structure when viewed from above, and an annular wall 105 is formed in the center. Therefore, when the valve seat 52d is attached to the water stop mechanism main body 52a, the entire upper edge of the annular wall 105 abuts against the back surface of the valve seat 52d, closing the gap between the annular wall 105 and the valve seat 52d, dividing the space inside the water stop mechanism main body 52a, and forming a first hollow section 101 and a third hollow section 103 surrounded by the water stop mechanism main body 52a and the annular wall 105.

[0039] The inlet hole 52e allows water to flow from the main body water supply port 31 into the first hollow portion 101 in the water stop mechanism 52, and is provided in the outer annular portion of the water stop mechanism main body 52a having a double circular structure when viewed from above so as to communicate with the first hollow portion 101. In this embodiment, the opening area B of the inlet hole 52e is formed to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>B), and by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 is further increased, so that more fine bubbles are generated when the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. Therefore, the inlet hole 52e functions as an opening in the valve formed with an opening area B smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles. Further, the outflow holes 52f, 52f allow water to flow out from the first hollow portion 103 in the water stop mechanism 52 to the hollow portion 104 in the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and are provided in the inner circular portion of the water stop mechanism main body 52a having a double circular structure in top view so as to communicate with the third hollow portion 103. Note that, although two outflow holes 52f, 52f are formed in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and only one outflow hole 52f may be formed, or three or more outflow holes 52f may be formed.

[0040] 14 shows a top view of the valve seat 52d. The valve seat 52d is plate-shaped and is formed in substantially the same shape as the space inside the water-stopping mechanism main body 52a when viewed from above, and is formed in a substantially circular plate shape in this embodiment. In this embodiment, when the valve seat 52d and the drive unit 52b are attached to the water-stopping mechanism main body 52a, a second hollow portion 102 surrounded by the water-stopping mechanism main body 52a, the drive unit 52b, and the annular wall 105 is formed. The valve seat 52d is provided with a communication hole 106 that connects the first hollow portion 101 and the second hollow portion 102, and a valve hole 107 that connects the second hollow portion 102 and the third hollow portion 103 and is opened / closed by the on-off valve 52c. In this embodiment, the opening area C of the communication hole 106 is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>C), and the opening area D of the valve hole 107 is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>D), and by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 is increased, so that more fine bubbles are generated when this water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. Therefore, the communication hole 106 and the valve hole 107 function as intra-valve openings formed with opening area C and opening area D smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles.

[0041] The driving unit 52b drives the on-off valve 52c to move back and forth, and in this embodiment is configured as an electromagnetic valve that can be turned on / off by an electric signal. The on-off valve 52c opens / closes the valve hole 107 by moving back and forth, and by opening the valve hole 107, the inflow of water from the main body water supply port 31 to the flow path 51 begins, and by closing the valve hole 107, the inflow of water to the flow path 51 is stopped. As described above, the driving unit 52b may be, for example, motor-driven, and may be an electric valve whose power source is electricity to move the on-off valve 52c.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 4, the switching valve 55 suppresses the water pressure of the water flowing through the flow path 51 to a predetermined value or less, and has an inflow section 55A into which the water flows, an outflow section 55B from which the water flows, an overflow drain section 55C, and a drain pipe 55D connected to a drain hole 16A provided in the main body lower surface section 16. Here, when water flows into the switching valve 55 from the inflow section 55A, if the pressure of the inflowing water is equal to or less than a predetermined value, an overflow drain valve (not shown) built into the switching valve 55 is not opened, and the inflowing water is directly sent out from the outflow section 55B. On the other hand, if the pressure of the inflowing water exceeds a predetermined value, the overflow drain valve is opened, and a part of the water and gas that flowed into the switching valve 55 is sent out from the overflow drain section 55C to the drain pipe 55D, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A into the bowl section 2 of the toilet 1. Thereafter, when the water pressure falls below a predetermined value, the overflow drain valve is closed, and the water that flowed in from inlet 55A is again sent out directly from outlet 55B. Switching valve 55 may be configured so that the overflow drain valve is opened not only when the pressure of the water that has flowed into switching valve 55 exceeds a predetermined value, but also when the flow rate of the water exceeds a predetermined value.

[0043] The branching section 56 branches the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 leading to the jetting section 57 and a second flow path 51-2 leading to the nozzle assembly 59, and selectively sends out the water that has flowed into the branching section 56 to either the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2. In this embodiment, the branching section 56 is configured with an electromagnetic valve, and has an inflow section 56A into which water flows, a first delivery section 56B that delivers water to the first flow path 51-1, a second delivery section 56C that delivers water to the second flow path 51-2, and a branching section main body 56D. The branching body 56D is configured to selectively open / close the first delivery part 56B or the second delivery part 56C by an electric signal, and the water flowing into the branching body 56D from the inflow part 56A is sent to the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2 through the opened first delivery part 56B or the second delivery part 56C. Therefore, the branching part 56 has a function of a valve device. The branching part 56 may be configured with an electric valve, and the first delivery part 56B and the second delivery part 56C may be configured so that only one of them is opened / closed, or both are opened / closed simultaneously.

[0044] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the branching section 56. The branching section main body 56D has a partition wall 111, a valve section 112, and a valve hole section 113 provided in the partition wall 111, and these partition wall 111, valve section 112, and valve hole section 113 function as a switching valve that switches the flow of water that has flowed into the branching section main body 56D. The valve section 112 opens / closes the first delivery section 56B or the valve hole section 113. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, when the valve section 112 moves forward, the first delivery section 56B is closed, while the valve hole section 113, i.e., the second delivery section 56C, is opened, and when the valve section 112 moves backward, the first delivery section 56B is opened, while the valve hole section 113 is closed, but this is just one example. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15 , when the valve portion 112 moves forward, the opening area E of the valve hole portion 113, calculated by subtracting the cross-sectional area of ​​the shaft portion of the valve portion 112 from the hole area of ​​the valve hole portion 113, is configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>E). When the valve portion 112 moves forward and water passes through the valve hole portion 113, the pressure in the flow path 51 is further increased, so that more fine bubbles are generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0045] The jetting part 57 discharges the water flowing in from the first flow path 51-1 into the bowl part 2 of the toilet bowl 1, and adheres the water to the inner wall of the bowl part 2, which is the inner surface of the bowl part 2, to improve the removal of dirt during toilet flushing, and has a function as a water outlet. The jetting part 57 of this embodiment has an atomization function that turns the flowing in water into a mist M and ejects it, and by atomizing the water, the mist M from the jetting part 57 can be attached to a wide range of the inner wall of the bowl part 2. Here, in this embodiment, the opening area F of the jetting part 57 is configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet part 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>F), and by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the pressure in the flow path 51 is further increased, so that more fine bubbles are generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77. The size of the opening area F of the jetting part 57 may be configured to be changeable, so that the amount of fine bubbles contained in the mist M can be adjusted. Further, in this embodiment, the spray part 57 is fixed, but the spray part 57 may be configured to be oscillating so as to spray water over a wider range.

[0046] The heating unit 58 heats the water sent to the nozzle assembly 59 to increase the water temperature. In this embodiment, the heating unit 58 has a heater 58a (see FIG. 19) and a heating unit inlet 58b that guides the water flowing in from the second delivery section 56C of the branch section 56 into the heating unit 58. The water flowing through the second flow path 51-2 flows into the heating unit 58 via the heating unit inlet 58b, and the heater 58a heats the water while passing through the heating unit 58, thereby instantaneously increasing the water temperature. Here, in this embodiment, the flow path formed in the heating unit inlet 58b is formed so that the opening area G at the location with the smallest cross-sectional area is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet section 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>G). By narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the pressure in the flow path 51 is increased, and more fine bubbles are generated when the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0047] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly 59 of this embodiment. The configuration of the nozzle assembly 59 will be described with reference to the figure. The nozzle assembly 59 includes a nozzle main body 62, a water supply cylinder 63, a nozzle motor 64, a water supply cylinder motor 65, a nozzle holder 67, and the like. The nozzle main body 62 constitutes the main body of the nozzle assembly 59 and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending linearly. A water supply cylinder storage section 62a extending linearly along the axial direction of the nozzle main body 62 is provided in the radial center of the nozzle main body 62. The nozzle main body 62 is also configured to be inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal so that the base end of the nozzle main body 62 is upward and the tip side is downward, and therefore the nozzle main body 62 reciprocates along the front-rear direction at an angle with the base end upward and the tip side downward.

[0048] The tip surface of the nozzle body 62 is closed. A water outlet 66 is provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the nozzle body 62, in this case, on the upper surface facing the buttocks of the user placed on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, two water outlets, a bottom-cleaning water outlet 66a and a bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b, are provided as the water outlet 66, but the water outlet 66 may have more than two outlets or may have only one outlet. The bottom-cleaning water outlet 66a and the bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b are each connected to the tip of the water supply cylinder storage section 62a. In this embodiment, the opening area H of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a is configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>H), and the opening area I of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b is configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 (A>I). By narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the pressure within the flow path 51 is further increased, and more fine bubbles are generated when the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. In addition, the opening area H of the buttocks washing outlet 66a and the opening area I of the bidet cleansing outlet 66b are configured to be larger than the opening area F of the jetting portion 57 (H>F, I>F), and the pressure in the flow path 51 when water is ejected from the buttocks washing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b is lower than the pressure in the flow path 51 when water is ejected from the jetting portion 57, and the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water ejected from the buttocks washing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b is less than the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water used for the mist M, so the cleansing power of the water used to wash the user's body can be made milder than the water used for the mist M. Furthermore, the opening area H of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the opening area I of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b may be made changeable so that the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b can be adjusted.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 17, the water supply cylinder 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the water supply cylinder storage section 62a, and is stored in the water supply cylinder storage section 62a so that it can reciprocate back and forth along the axial direction. Water flows inside the cylindrical water supply cylinder 63, and the water supply cylinder 63 forms a part of a third flow path 51-3, which will be described later. The tip surface of the water supply cylinder 63 is closed. A water supply port 72 is provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the water supply cylinder 63, in this case, on the upper surface facing the buttocks of a user placed on the toilet seat 15. The opening area of ​​the water supply port 72 may be configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, and the opening area of ​​the flow path 51 can be narrowed without changing the opening area H of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a or the opening area I of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b from the conventional ones, and the pressure in the flow path 51 can be further increased so that more fine bubbles are generated when the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. In this case, the opening area of ​​the water supply port 72 is preferably configured to be larger than the opening area F of the jetting portion 57, like the opening area H of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the opening area I of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b.

[0050] The nozzle motor 64 is an example of a nozzle moving means, and rotates the wheel 64a in the directions of arrows a1 and a2 to reciprocate the nozzle main body 62 in the axial direction of the nozzle assembly 59, i.e., along the front-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10. As a result, the entire nozzle assembly 59 reciprocates in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 along the front-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10.

[0051] The water supply cylinder motor 65 rotates the wheel 65a in the directions of arrows b1 and b2, thereby causing the water supply cylinder 63 to reciprocate inside the nozzle main body 62 in the axial direction of the nozzle assembly 59, i.e., along the front-to-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10. As a result, inside the nozzle main body 62, the water supply cylinder 63 reciprocates in the directions of arrows B1 and B2 along the front-to-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10.

[0052] 17, a movement restricting portion 68 having a larger diameter than the water supply cylinder storage portion 62a is provided inside the base end of the nozzle main body 62, i.e., the side opposite to the tip end. A tip side touch sensor 69 is provided on the tip side of this movement restricting portion 68, and a base side touch sensor 70 is provided on the base end side of the movement restricting portion 68. Meanwhile, an annular movement restricting part 71 is fixed to the base end of the water supply cylinder 63. The movement restricting part 71 is housed within the movement restricting part 68 so as to be able to move. In this embodiment, the axial length L1 of the nozzle assembly 59 in the movement restriction portion 68 is formed to be approximately the same as the center-to-center length L2 of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and is configured so that, as shown in FIG. 16, when the water supply cylinder 63 is in the rearmost position, the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is located at the location of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a, and when the water supply cylinder 63 is in the frontmost position, the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is located at the location of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b.

[0053] The nozzle holder 67 holds the nozzle body 62 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 17, the nozzle holder 67 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than the outer circumference of the nozzle body 62, and the nozzle body 62 is configured to slide along the inner wall 67a of the nozzle holder 67 and move back and forth. The inner wall 67a is provided with a nozzle cleaning port 67b, which is configured to be able to spray water onto the outer surface of the nozzle body 62. As shown in FIG. 18, in this embodiment, the nozzle cleaning port 67b is provided at a position facing the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and in the embodiment of FIG. 17, the nozzle cleaning port 67b is provided at a position on the inner wall 67a facing the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and the length L3 between the nozzle cleaning ports 67b is formed to be approximately the same as the length between the centers of the outer openings of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b. Therefore, the water from the two nozzle cleaning ports 67b can efficiently remove dirt adhering to the periphery of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b. Similarly to the nozzle body 62, the nozzle holder 67 is also configured to be inclined with an angle such that the base end direction of the nozzle body 62 is upward and the tip end direction is downward with respect to the horizontal, and the water ejected from the nozzle cleaning port 67b flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle body 62 toward the tip end of the nozzle body 62 and falls into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. Note that this configuration is an example, and the number and arrangement of the nozzle cleaning ports 67b are not limited to this configuration. Also, the total opening area of ​​the nozzle cleaning ports 67b may be configured to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet part 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, and by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the pressure in the flow path 51 can be increased, so that more fine bubbles can be generated when the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0054] In the nozzle assembly 59, a third flow path 51-3 is formed which leads from the water supply port 72 to the water discharge portion 66 through the water supply cylinder 63, and a fourth flow path 51-4 is formed which leads to the nozzle cleaning port 67b through the nozzle holder 67. The solenoid valve 95 (see FIG. 19) branches the second flow path 51-2 into the third flow path 51-3 and the fourth flow path 51-4. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 is configured to be able to selectively send the water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 to the third flow path 51-3 or the fourth flow path 51-4 by an electric signal. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 has a function as a valve device. The solenoid valve 95 may be configured as the motor-operated valve described above.

[0055] The air pump 60 injects gas into the water supply cylinder 63 to make the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63 contain air bubbles. When the water contains air bubbles due to the injection of gas, the pressure in the water supply cylinder 63 increases, and the pressure of the water flowing through the third flow path 51-3 increases, so that the momentum of the water discharged from the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b can be increased. The outlet of the air pump 60 and the inside of the water supply cylinder 63 are connected via a pipe (not shown), and this pipe is configured to be connected approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the water supply cylinder 63. Therefore, when the air pump 60 is in operation, the air is injected from the air pump 60 from a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow of water in the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is efficiently injected into the water, so that the water can contain air bubbles. Therefore, the air pump 60 has a function as an air bubble containing means for further containing air bubbles in the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, which contains fine air bubbles. Furthermore, when the amount of gas injected from the air pump 60 increases, as described above, the pressure inside the water supply cylinder 63 increases, thereby increasing the pressure of the water flowing through the third flow path 51-3. This makes it possible to increase the pressure inside the flow path 51 more than when the amount of gas injected from the air pump 60 is small, and enables more fine bubbles to be generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0056] Next, the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Reference numeral 91 denotes a control unit that electrically controls each part of the toilet seat device 10, and includes a microcomputer, a storage unit 92 such as a readable and writable memory that stores various information and data, a clock unit 93 that measures time and duration, and drive elements for each part. The input port of the control unit 91 is electrically connected to the main body operation unit 21, the seating sensor 19, the distal end touch sensor 69 and the proximal end touch sensor 70 of the nozzle assembly 59, and a toilet seat lid open / close detection unit 94. The output port of the control unit 91 is electrically connected to the water stop mechanism 52, the branch unit 56, the heater 58a of the heating unit 58, the air pump 60, the nozzle motor 64 of the nozzle assembly 59, the water supply cylinder motor 65, and the solenoid valve 95.

[0057] The toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94 detects whether the toilet seat cover 13 is open or closed, and is provided on the toilet seat cover 13 near an axis that is rotatably attached to the toilet seat 12. The toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94 may be of any detection type, such as optical, mechanical, or magnetic, as long as it can output a detection signal in response to whether the toilet seat cover 13 is open or closed.

[0058] The control unit 91 has a function of receiving each detection signal from the seating sensor 19, the toilet seat lid open / close detection means 94, the tip-side touch sensor 69, and the base-side touch sensor 70, as well as an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21, and outputting control signals to the water stop mechanism 52, the branching unit 56, the heater 58a, the air pump 60, the nozzle motor 64, the water supply cylinder motor 65, and the solenoid valve 95 at a predetermined timing based on the timing from the timing means 93. These functions are realized by the control unit 91 reading the programs and settings stored in the storage means 92, which serves as a storage medium.

[0059] 20 is a water flow path diagram showing the main paths through which water flows in the toilet seat unit 100 of this embodiment. With reference to this figure, the operation of the toilet seat device 10 will be described in detail, particularly with respect to the flow path 51 which is the water path within the toilet seat device 10.

[0060] 20 shows a state in which water has been supplied in advance from the stop valve WV via the branch fitting 33 and the water supply hose 32 to the main body water supply port 31. First, to explain the operation of the toilet seat device 10 with the toilet seat lid 13 closed, when the control unit 91 determines based on the settings stored in the storage means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93 that a predetermined time, for example, one hour, has passed since the previous time mist M was sprayed and no water has been sprayed from the spraying unit 57, and there has been an interval, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the first delivery unit 56B, and also controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51.

[0061] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52 and flows into the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and while passing through the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the pressure of the water drops to a predetermined pressure and stabilizes at the predetermined pressure. On the other hand, the opening area B of the inlet hole 52e, the opening area C of the communication hole 106, and the opening area D of the valve hole 107 are formed to be smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, so that the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 increases when the water passes through the inlet hole 52e, the communication hole 106, and the valve hole 107. Then, the water flowing at the predetermined pressure flows from the pressure reducing mechanism 53 through the inlet portion 85 of the fine bubble generating means 54 into the UFB nozzle 77 and flows into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77.

[0062] When water flows into the upstream side of the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is narrowed in the narrowing portion 87a formed to gradually reduce the inner diameter, and the flow velocity of the water is increased based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid mechanics, and the pressure around the water is reduced, causing cavitation. Then, the gas contained in the water is broken down into fine bubbles by the shear force acting when the high-speed water flow collides with the collision portion 88 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region of, for example, -1.0 MPa or less formed near the downstream end face of the collision portion 88. As a result, the UFB nozzle 77 separates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, and supplies water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77. In this embodiment, for example, when water with a water pressure of 0.15 MPa flows into the UFB nozzle 77, 10 UFBs are added to the water that has passed through the UFB nozzle 77. 5 / ml or more.

[0063] Water that flows into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75 from the UFB nozzle 77 flows out of the mounting portion 75c via the case body 75b, and flows into the switching valve 55 from the inflow portion 55A. If the water pressure in the switching valve 55 is below a predetermined value, the water flows out of the delivery portion 55B and into the branch portion 56. On the other hand, if the water pressure in the switching valve 55 exceeds a predetermined value, for example, due to clogging of the flow path 51 between the switching valve 55 and the branch portion 56, the overflow drain valve is opened, and some of the water and gas that flowed into the switching valve 55 flows from the overflow drain portion 55C through the drain pipe 55D into the drain hole 16A and is discharged into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1.

[0064] The water flowing from the inlet 56A of the branch 56 into the branch body 56D flows into the first flow path 51-1 through the opened first delivery part 56B. After that, the water flowing into the jetting part 57 through the first flow path 51-1 is turned into mist M by the jetting part 57 and jetted into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, by discharging the water containing fine bubbles into the bowl part 2, it is possible to wet the inner wall of the bowl part 2 and make it difficult for dirt to adhere to the inner wall, and the water containing fine bubbles improves the cleaning effect and can perform sterilization and disinfection, so that the inner wall of the bowl part 2 can be kept clean. In addition, since the opening area F of the jetting part 57 is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet part 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, the pressure in the flow path 51 is increased more, and more fine bubbles can be generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0065] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, such as one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timer unit 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branch unit 56 to close the first delivery unit 56B. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the mist M stops being sprayed from the spray unit 57. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92, the mist M is sprayed from the spray unit 57 for a predetermined time at a predetermined number of times every predetermined period into the bowl unit 2. Note that the method of spraying the mist M from the spray unit 57, such as setting the interval for spraying the mist M, setting the predetermined number of times, and setting the predetermined time for spraying the mist M, may be configured so that the user can set it using, for example, the main body operation unit 21.

[0066] In addition, when the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93, that water has not been sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port 67b for a predetermined period, such as one hour, it controls the branching unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, controls the solenoid valve 95 to select the fourth flow path 51-4, and controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the flow of water into the flow path 51.

[0067] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in that order, flows from the inlet 56A of the branching section 56 into the branching section main body 56D, and flows out through the opened second delivery section 56C into the second flow path 51-2. Here, in the branching section 56, when the valve section 112 is moving forward, the opening area E of the valve hole section 113 is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet section 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, so that the pressure inside the flow path 51 is further increased, and when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more micro-bubbles can be generated.

[0068] This water then passes through heating unit 58, but since heater 58a is OFF and not energized, the water is not heated at this time. On the other hand, the opening area G of the location with the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed in heating unit inlet portion 58b of heating unit 58 is smaller than the opening area A of outlet portion 86 of UFB nozzle 77, which further increases the pressure in flow path 51, enabling more fine bubbles to be generated when the water flowing through flow path 51 passes through UFB nozzle 77. The water that has passed through heating unit 58 flows into nozzle assembly 59 along second flow path 51-2.

[0069] The water that flows into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected fourth flow path 51-4, and the water that flows into the nozzle cleaning port 67b through the fourth flow path 51-4 is sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port 67b toward the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and falls into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, by spraying water containing fine bubbles into the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, dirt adhering to the periphery of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b is efficiently removed. Note that at this time, the nozzle main body 62 may be moved in the front-rear direction, and water containing fine bubbles may be sprayed onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 to remove dirt over a wide area on the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0070] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, such as one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timer unit 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the water jetting from the nozzle cleaning port 67b also stops. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92, water is jetted from the nozzle cleaning port 67b to the rear washing water outlet 66a and the bidet washing water outlet 66b for a predetermined time for a predetermined number of times every predetermined period. Note that the setting of the predetermined number of times every predetermined period for these water jets and the setting of the predetermined time for jetting water from the nozzle cleaning port 67b may be configured so that the user can set them, for example, via the main body operation unit 21.

[0071] Next, the operation of the toilet seat device 10 when the toilet seat cover 13 is open will be described. When the control unit 91 determines that the toilet seat cover 13 has changed from the closed state to the open state based on a detection signal from the toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94, it controls the branching unit 56 to open the first delivery unit 56B, and also controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51. As described above, the water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the fine bubble generating means 54, the switching valve 55, and the branching unit 56 in that order, and flows into the ejection unit 57 through the first flow path 51-1, where it is turned into mist M and ejected into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles is ejected into the bowl portion 2 in advance to wet the inner wall of the bowl portion 2, making it difficult for dirt to adhere to the inner wall.

[0072] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, for example, one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branching unit 56 to close the first delivery unit 56B. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the spraying of the mist M from the spray unit 57 also stops.

[0073] When the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the toilet seat legs 18 come into contact with and are pressed into the toilet bowl 1, turning on the seat switch 19. When the control unit 91 receives a signal from the seat switch 19 that has turned on, it controls the heater 58a of the heating unit 58 to be energized.

[0074] When the user selects and operates, for example, the "butt button" of the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is transmitted to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position, and also drives and controls the water supply cylinder motor 65 so that the water supply cylinder 63 retreats until it reaches the retreated position and the base end touch sensor 70 turns ON. Then, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, and controls the solenoid valve 95 so that the third flow path 51-3 is selected. After that, when the control unit 91 determines that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position and that the water supply cylinder 63 has retreated to the retreated position based on the detection signal of the base end touch sensor 70, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the air pump 60 to be driven.

[0075] The water flowing into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in order, flows into the branching body 56D from the inlet 56A of the branching part 56, and flows out into the second flow path 51-2 through the opened second delivery part 56C. When this water flows into the heating unit 58, the heater 58a is energized and ON, so that the heater 58a heats the water while the water passes through the heating unit 58, and the water temperature is instantly increased. Note that the output setting of the heater 58a may be configured to be set by the user, for example, through the main body operation unit 21, so that the water temperature after heating by the heater 58a can be adjusted. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0076] The water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. Here, when the force of the water discharged from the rear-cleaning water outlet 66a is set to be increased, gas such as air is discharged from the air pump 60 into the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is injected into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water to contain more air bubbles, and the water pressure increases, thereby increasing the force of the water. In this way, the force of the water discharged from the water outlet 66 can be adjusted. Also, when the amount of gas injected from the air pump 60 increases, the pressure in the flow path 51 can be increased further, so that more fine bubbles can be generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0077] The water force is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60, but the water force setting may be configured to be set by the user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The control unit 91 may be configured to control the air pump 60 to repeatedly turn on and off in short cycles, thereby implementing rhythmic washing in which a soft water jet with a soft water flow without injected air and a water flow with increased water force due to injected air are automatically repeated in short cycles.

[0078] Also, because the water supply cylinder 63 is in the retracted position and the position of the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is at the position of the posterior washing water outlet 66a of the water outlet 66, the water that has passed through the water supply cylinder 63 is discharged from the posterior washing water outlet 66a via the water supply port 72. Here, because the opening area H of the posterior washing water outlet 66a is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, the pressure inside the flow path 51 is further increased, and when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more fine bubbles can be generated.

[0079] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93, it controls the air pump 60 to turn off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water discharge from the posterior washing water discharge port 66a also stops. Then, the control unit 91 drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the tip of the nozzle main body 62 retreats to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

[0080] Also, when the user selects, for example, the "bidet button" on the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is sent to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position, and also drives and controls the water supply cylinder motor 65 so that the water supply cylinder 63 advances until it reaches the forward position and the tip side touch sensor 69 turns ON. Then, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, and controls the solenoid valve 95 to select the third flow path 51-3. After that, when the control unit 91 determines that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position and that the water supply cylinder 63 advances to the forward position based on the detection signal of the tip side touch sensor 69, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51.

[0081] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in this order, flows into the branching body 56D from the inlet 56A of the branching section 56, and flows out into the second flow path 51-2 through the opened second delivery section 56C. When this water flows into the heating unit 58, the heater 58a is energized and ON, so that the heater 58a heats the water while the water passes through the heating unit 58, and the water temperature is instantly raised. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0082] The water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. When the force of the water discharged from the bidet flushing outlet 66b is set to be increased, gas such as air is discharged from the air pump 60 into the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is injected into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water to contain more air bubbles, increasing the water pressure and increasing the force of the water, and when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more fine air bubbles can be generated. The force of the water is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60, but the force of the water may be set by the user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The control unit 91 may also be configured to control the air pump 60 to repeatedly turn on and off in short cycles, thereby implementing rhythmic washing that automatically repeats, in short cycles, a soft water jet with a soft flow of water only without injected air, and a water jet with increased flow of water with injected air.

[0083] In addition, since the water supply cylinder 63 is in the forward position and the position of the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is at the position of the bidet flush water outlet 66b of the water outlet 66, the water that has passed through the water supply cylinder 63 is discharged from the bidet flush water outlet 66b via the water supply port 72. Here, since the opening area I of the bidet flush water outlet 66b is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, the pressure inside the flow path 51 is further increased, and when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more fine bubbles can be generated.

[0084] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timer means 93, it controls the air pump 60 to be turned off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water discharge from the bidet flush water discharge port 66b also stops. Then, the control unit 91 drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the tip of the nozzle main body 62 retreats to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

[0085] Here, the applicant of the present application measured the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water that passed through the UFB nozzle 77 at a water pressure of 0.2 MPa, and the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water discharged by the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment and the mist M that was discharged. The water used was ultrapure water, which was stored in a bucket, and the ultrapure water was directly pumped from the bucket and flowed into the UFB nozzle 77 and the toilet seat device 10. The amount of fine bubbles contained in the ultrapure water in the bucket was also measured before the start of the test and during the test, and it was confirmed that there were 0 bubbles per 1 mL. After the test, the amount of fine bubbles contained in the ultrapure water in the bucket was measured, and it was found to be approximately 1,000,000 bubbles per 1 mL, and it was confirmed that the fine bubbles remained in the water for a predetermined time. FIG. 21 is a table comparing the amount of fine bubbles contained in these waters.

[0086] The amount of microscopic bubbles contained in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 at a water pressure of 0.2 MPa was approximately 1,000,000 bubbles per 1 mL. This value is assumed to be approximately equal to the amount of microscopic bubbles contained in the water discharged or the mist M sprayed out from a conventional toilet seat apparatus 10 in which the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 is the smallest opening area in the flow path 51, and the table was created using this 1,000,000 bubbles per 1 mL as the reference value.

[0087] The amount of microbubbles contained in the water discharged from the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a, which is one of the water outlet parts 66 of the nozzle assembly 59 of the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment, was approximately 300,000,000 bubbles per mL in all of (2) to (4), excluding the first time (1) where the numerical value was off. Furthermore, in all of (2) and (3), where water was supplied to the toilet seat device 10 with a water pressure of 0.2 MPa, and (4), where water was supplied to the toilet seat device 10 with a water pressure of 0.1 MPa, the water pressure when discharged from the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a was approximately 0.07 MPa, and the result was that even if the water pressure when supplying water was different, the water pressure when discharging was approximately the same value.

[0088] The amount of fine bubbles contained in the mist M sprayed out from the spray portion 57 of the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment was approximately 2,000,000,000 bubbles per mL in (5) and (6) where water was supplied to the toilet seat device 10 at a water pressure of 0.2 MPa, and approximately 2,700,000,000 bubbles per mL in (7) where water was supplied to the toilet seat device 10 at a water pressure of 0.1 MPa.

[0089] From the table in Figure 21, it can be seen that the amount of fine bubbles contained per 1 mL in the water discharged from the posterior washing water outlet 66a, which has an opening area H smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, is significantly increased compared to the amount of fine bubbles contained per 1 mL in the water that has passed through the UFB nozzle 77, and that the amount of fine bubbles contained per 1 mL in the mist M sprayed from the spray portion 57, which has an opening area F smaller than the opening area H of the posterior washing water outlet 66a, is significantly increased compared to the amount of fine bubbles contained per mL in the water discharged from the posterior washing water outlet 66a. These results show that the opening area of ​​the outlet from which water is released from the toilet seat device 10 has the greatest effect on the amount per unit of fine air bubbles contained in the water, and that the amount per unit of fine air bubbles contained in the water released can be adjusted depending on the size relationship of the opening area of ​​the outlet, for example by narrowing the opening area of ​​these outlets, thereby confirming the superiority of the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment.

[0090] As described above, in the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment, a flow path 51 through which water flows is formed between the main body water inlet 31, which serves as a water supply section that supplies water to the toilet seat device 10, and the jetting section 57, water discharge section 66, and nozzle cleaning port 67b, which serve as release sections that discharge water outside the toilet seat device 10. The flow path 51 is provided with a micro-bubble generating means 54 that generates micro-bubbles in the water passing through. The flow path 51 is configured to have, downstream of the micro-bubble generating means 54, a valve hole section 113 as a small opening formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet section 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, which serves as a generation section that generates micro-bubbles by the micro-bubble generating means 54, a place with the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed within the heating unit inlet section 58b, the jetting section 57, the water discharge section 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b.

[0091] By configuring in this manner, the pressure within the flow path 51 can be increased by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, and more fine bubbles can be generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77. Therefore, with a simple structure, the amount of fine bubbles generated by the fine bubble generating means 54 can be increased.

[0092] In this embodiment, the valve hole 113, the location of the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed in the heating unit inlet 58b, the jetting portion 57, the water discharge portion 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b are configured to be located outside the negative pressure region N, which is the region where the inside of the flow path 51 is made negative pressure by the micro-bubble generating means 54. This makes it possible to ensure that the generation of fine bubbles fragmented by the shear force acting when the high-velocity flow collides with the collision portion 88 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region N is not hindered.

[0093] In addition, in this embodiment, the valve hole portion 113, the place with the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path formed in the heating unit inlet portion 58b, the spray portion 57, the water discharge portion 66 and the nozzle cleaning port 67b are configured to be formed by narrowing the hole diameter as the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, and with a simple structure, the amount of fine bubbles generated by the fine bubble generating means 54 can be increased.

[0094] Furthermore, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment has a discharge section, which is a water outlet for discharging water into the bowl section 2 as the interior of the toilet 1, and the discharge section 57 acts as a small opening. Therefore, by narrowing the opening area F of the discharge section 57, which has the greatest effect on the unit amount of micro-bubbles contained in the water, it is possible to increase the amount of micro-bubbles generated by the micro-bubble generating means 54 with a simple structure.

[0095] The toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment has a water outlet 66 for discharging water to the private parts as a discharge part, and the water outlet 66, which is the bottom-cleaning water outlet 66a and the bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b, acts as a small opening. Therefore, by narrowing the opening area F of the jetting part 57, which has the greatest effect on the unit amount of microbubbles contained in the water, it is possible to increase the amount of microbubbles generated by the microbubble generating means 54 with a simple structure.

[0096] In addition, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment has, as the release section, a jetting section 57 for jetting water into the bowl section 2 which is the interior of the toilet 1, and a rear-cleaning water outlet 66a and a bidet cleansing water outlet 66b for squirting water onto the private parts, and the jetting section 57, the rear-cleaning water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b act as small openings, with the opening area F of the jetting section 57 being smaller than the opening area H of the rear-cleaning water outlet 66a and the opening area I of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b. Therefore, the pressure in flow path 51 when water is ejected from the buttocks washing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b is lower than the pressure in flow path 51 when water is ejected from the ejection portion 57, and the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water ejected from the buttocks washing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b is less than the amount of fine bubbles contained in the water used for mist M, so the cleansing power of the water used to wash the user's body can be made milder than that of the water used for mist M.

[0097] In addition, in the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment, the flow path 51 is configured to have a branching section 56 that branches into a first flow path 51-1 that supplies water to the spraying section 57 and a second flow path 51-2 that supplies water to the water outlet 66, and the water in which fine bubbles have been generated by the UFB nozzle 77 can be made to flow into the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2.This makes it possible to contain fine bubbles in both the water used at the spraying section 57 and the water outlet 66 without providing a UFB nozzle 77 in each of the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2.

[0098] The toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment has, as the discharge section, a jetting section 57 for discharging water into the bowl section 2 as the interior of the toilet 1, a rear cleansing water outlet 66a for discharging water to the private parts, and a branching section 56 for branching the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 for supplying water to the jetting section 57 and a second flow path 51-2 for supplying water to the water outlet 66, and a valve hole section 113 having a small opening formed in the branching section 56. Therefore, when water passes through the valve hole section 113, the pressure in the flow path 51 can be further increased, and when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more fine bubbles can be generated.

[0099] Furthermore, in the toilet seat apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a valve device having a water stop mechanism 52 as a water stop means for starting or stopping the inflow of water into the flow path 51, or a water stop mechanism 52 and a pressure reducing mechanism 53 as an adjustment means for adjusting the water pressure of the inflowing water, is provided upstream of the flow path 51 from the fine bubble generating means 54, and the valve device is configured to have inlet hole 52e, communication hole 106, and valve hole 107 as openings within the valve that are formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles by the fine bubble generating means 54. Therefore, by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 can be increased, and when this water passes through the UFB nozzle 77, more fine bubbles can be generated.

[0100] 22 shows a modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, a water guide unit 110' and a fine bubble generating means 54' are provided separately.

[0101] Explaining with reference to the figure, in this modification, the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 are integrally formed to form a unitized water guide unit 110', and the water guide unit 110' is composed of the above-mentioned solenoid valve. The fine bubble generating means 54' formed separately from the water guide unit 110' is generally composed of the UFB upper case 75 as a downstream joint, the UFB lower case 76 as an upstream joint, and the UFB nozzle 77, and a part of the flow path 51 through which water flows is formed inside these UFB upper case 75, UFB lower case 76, and UFB nozzle 77. As shown in FIG. 22, the fine bubble generating means 54' of this modification is coaxially arranged in the order of the UFB lower case 76, UFB nozzle 77, and UFB upper case 75 from the upstream of the flow path 51, and each part is in close contact with each other to prevent water from leaking between the parts. The micro-bubble generating means 54' of this modified example is constructed by sequentially pressing a UFB nozzle 77 with a seal member 78 attached and a UFB lower case 76 with a seal member 79 attached into a storage section 75a formed in a UFB upper case 75, making it easy to replace the UFB nozzle 77. This is just one example, and the UFB lower case 76, UFB nozzle 77 and UFB upper case 75 may also be constructed to be integrally formed.

[0102] The UFB lower case 76 has a hollow portion 81 therein that is part of the flow path 51, and guides water that flows into the hollow portion 81 from a piping (not shown) of the flow path 51 connected to the UFB lower case 76 to the UFB nozzle 77. The UFB lower case 76 has a case body 76a and an attachment portion 76b. In this embodiment, the case body 76a and the attachment portion 76b are both formed in a cylindrical shape, and the attachment portion 76b is provided coaxially with the case body 76a so that the attachment portion 76b protrudes from the case body 76a.

[0103] The mounting portion 76b allows a pipe such as a hose of the flow path 51 to be attached to the micro-bubble generating means 54. An end of the pipe is inserted and held in the mounting portion 76b, whereby the pipe is attached to the UFB lower case 76. Note that, in this embodiment, a flange is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion 76b to prevent the pipe from coming loose, but this is only one example, and the axial length and outer diameter of the mounting portion 76b, as well as the number, shape and position of the flanges, may be adjusted and changed depending on the type and inner diameter of the pipe used, the pressure of the water flowing into the flow path 51, etc.

[0104] The case body 76a guides the water flowing in from the attachment portion 76b through the hollow portion 81 to the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77. In this embodiment, the hollow portion 81 in the attachment portion 76b is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the outlet of the hollow portion 81 in the case body 76a is formed to be larger than the diameter of the inlet of the hollow portion 81, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the water flowing in from the attachment portion 76b can be smoothly guided to the hollow portion 87.

[0105] Even with this configuration, water can be caused to flow from the discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, and the UFB nozzle 77 can cause the air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 to precipitate in large quantities as fine bubbles, supplying water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before it passed through the UFB nozzle 77, and causing the water that has flowed into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75 to flow out from the mounting portion 75c via the case body 75b.

[0106] As described above, in the toilet seat device 10 of this modified example, a flow path 51 through which water flows is formed between the main body water supply port 31, which supplies water to the toilet seat device 10, and the spouting portion 57, the water discharge portion 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b, which discharge water to the outside of the toilet seat device 10. The flow path 51 has a micro-bubble generating means 54' which generates micro-bubbles in the water passing through it, and a small opening which is formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 which serves as a generating portion for generating micro-bubbles in the micro-bubble generating means 54'. A water-conducting unit 110' serving as a valve device having a water-stopping mechanism 52 as a water-stopping means for starting or stopping the inflow, or a water-stopping mechanism 52 and a pressure reducing mechanism 53 as an adjustment means for adjusting the water pressure of the inflowing water, is provided upstream of the flow path 51 from the fine-bubble generating means 54', and the inlet hole 52e, communication hole 106 and valve hole 107, which are formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet portion 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles by the fine-bubble generating means 54, are formed in the water-conducting unit 110'.

[0107] With this configuration, the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 can be increased by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, and more fine bubbles can be generated when this water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. EXAMPLES

[0108] 23 to 25 show a second embodiment of a toilet seat device 10' of the present invention. In this embodiment, there is no fine bubble generating means 54 or fine bubble generating means 54', and a UFB nozzle 77 is provided in a main body water supply port 31'.

[0109] 23 to 25, main body water supply port 31' is provided with a storage section for accommodating UFB nozzle 77, and by attaching main body water supply port 31' housing UFB nozzle 77 to the water intake section of water stop mechanism 52, i.e., the water intake section of water guide unit 110", the main body water supply port 31', UFB nozzle 77, and water intake section of water stop mechanism 52 are arranged coaxially in this order from the upstream of flow path 51, so that each part is in tight contact with each other to prevent water from leaking between the parts. Therefore, main body water supply port 31' also functions as a fine bubble generating means.

[0110] With this configuration, water with high water pressure before pressure reduction can be supplied to UFB nozzle 77, and as the water passes through UFB nozzle 77, the water pressure load applied to UFB nozzle 77 can be increased, and a larger amount of air dissolved in the water can be precipitated as fine bubbles, increasing the concentration of fine bubbles. Also, since UFB nozzle 77 is provided in main body water supply port 31' rather than inside casing 15, the configuration inside casing 15 can be simplified and casing 15 can be made smaller.

[0111] In addition, in the water stop mechanism 52 of this embodiment, the hole diameter, i.e., the opening area, of the fourth hollow portion 121, which is a part of the flow path 51 and serves as a flow path that guides water from the main body water supply port 31' to the inlet hole 52e of the water stop mechanism main body 52a, is formed to be smaller than the hole diameter of the fourth hollow portion 121 of the first embodiment. Therefore, while the pressure in the flow path 51 does not increase significantly because the pressure reducing mechanism 53 is disposed immediately after the water stop mechanism 52, the speed of the water flowing through the fourth hollow portion 121 can be increased, and more fine bubbles are generated when this water passes through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0112] As described above, in the toilet seat apparatus 10' of this embodiment, the water guide unit 110" as a valve device having the water stop mechanism 52 as a water stop means for starting or stopping the flow of water into the flow path 51, or the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 as an adjustment means for adjusting the water pressure of the inflowing water, is provided upstream of the fine-bubble generating means 54 in the flow path 51, and the inlet hole 52e, the communication hole 106 and the valve hole 107, which are formed with an opening area smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77 that generates fine bubbles by the fine-bubble generating means 54, are formed in the water guide unit 110". With this configuration, the speed of the water flowing through the flow path 51 can be increased by narrowing the opening area of ​​the flow path 51, and more fine bubbles can be generated when this water passes through the UFB nozzle 77. EXAMPLES

[0113] FIG. 26 shows a third embodiment of a toilet seat device 10'' of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toilet seat device 10'' is configured to be provided with two or more fine bubble generating means. Explaining with reference to the same figure, the toilet seat device 10" of this embodiment adopts the main body water inlet 31' of the second embodiment in the toilet seat device 10 which is a variation of the first embodiment, and two or more fine bubble generating means are provided between the main body water inlet 31' and the fine bubble generating means 54'. Therefore, the main body water inlet 31' causes the air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 to precipitate in large quantities as fine bubbles, and the fine bubble generating means 54' further subdivides the fine bubbles contained in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 through cavitation, and further precipitates the air dissolved in the water as fine bubbles. Therefore, by configuring in this manner, the fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water outlet 66 and the fine bubbles contained in the mist M sprayed out from the spraying portion 57 can be further subdivided, and the concentration of the fine bubbles can be increased. EXAMPLES

[0114] FIG. 27 shows a toilet seat device 10 according to the present invention. III4 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a microbubble generating means 54 is provided in each of the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2. Referring to the figure, the toilet seat device 10 of the present invention III In the present embodiment, a fine bubble generating means 54 is provided in a first flow path 51-1, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the jetting portion 57, and a fine bubble generating means 54 is also provided in a second flow path 51-2, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the nozzle assembly 59, downstream of the heating unit 58 in this embodiment. Note that the fine bubble generating means 54 may be provided upstream of the heating unit 58 in the second flow path 51-2.

[0115] By configuring in this way, it is possible to obtain a microbubble generating means 54, i.e., a UFB nozzle 77, with different performances, such as the size, amount, and concentration of the generated microbubbles. For example, it is possible to configure the concentration of microbubbles contained in the water of the mist M sprayed from the spray portion 57 to be different from the concentration of microbubbles contained in the water discharged from the water discharge portion 66. For example, since the spray portion 57 sprays water into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1, the concentration of microbubbles is increased to improve the cleaning effect, and since the water discharge portion 66 discharges water to the user's private parts, the concentration of microbubbles is reduced to provide a milder cleaning effect. Note that the opening area A of the spray portion 57, the opening area H of the buttocks cleaning water discharge port 66a, which is the water discharge portion 66, and the opening area I of the bidet cleaning water discharge port 66b may be adjusted in accordance with the UFB nozzles 77 with different performances, such as the size, amount, and concentration of the generated microbubbles. EXAMPLES

[0116] FIG. 28 shows a fifth embodiment of the toilet seat unit 100' of the present invention. In this embodiment, a UFB nozzle 77 is provided on the branch fitting 33' used in the toilet seat unit 100'. Referring to the figure, a fitting that connects to the stop valve WV of the branch fitting 33' is provided with a housing that houses the UFB nozzle 77, and by connecting the branch fitting 33' housing the UFB nozzle 77 to the stop valve WV, water is prevented from leaking between the fitting and the stop valve WV. This configuration can improve the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water flowing through the flow path 51 of the toilet seat device 10 connected to the branch fitting 33', and can further improve the cleaning effect. In addition, since the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33' through the tank water supply hose also contains fine bubbles, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use can be improved. Therefore, the UFB nozzle 77 of the branch fitting 33' functions as a fine bubble generating means for external installation. It is also possible to accommodate a UFB nozzle 77 in the joint that connects the branch fitting 33' to the water supply hose 32, thereby achieving the same effect as the toilet seat apparatus 10' of the second embodiment. EXAMPLES

[0117] FIG. 29 shows a sixth embodiment of a toilet seat unit 100″ of the present invention. In this embodiment, a UFB nozzle 77 is provided only on the branch fitting 33′, and the toilet seat device 10 IV Explaining with reference to the same figure, the joint that connects to the stop valve WV of the branch fitting 33' is provided with a housing portion that houses the UFB nozzle 77, as in the fifth embodiment, and the UFB nozzle 77 is housed in the housing portion. IVIn the embodiment, the flow path 51 is not provided with the fine bubble generating means 54 or the UFB nozzle 77 serving as the fine bubble generating portion, and thus the UFB nozzle 77 is not provided. Even with this configuration, water containing fine bubbles generated by the branch fitting 33' can be supplied to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57, and can be used not only for washing the bowl portion 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59. Furthermore, since the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33' via the tank water supply hose also contains fine bubbles, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use can be improved. Normally, the branch fitting is integrated with the toilet seat device and sold, distributed, etc. as a toilet seat unit product, so that the toilet seat device 100" can be provided with the branch fitting 33' provided with the UFB nozzle 77, and the toilet seat device 100" can be provided with the UFB nozzle 77. IV The toilet seat device 10 of the conventional configuration does not have the fine bubble generating means 54, i.e., the UFB nozzle 77. IV Even so, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. EXAMPLES

[0118] FIG. 30 shows a toilet seat unit 100 according to the present invention. III In this embodiment, the seventh embodiment of the hot water storage type toilet seat device 10 V The present invention is applied to the above. The configuration of the flow path 51 will be described with reference to the figure. The flow path 51' is mainly formed by the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the fine bubble generating means 54, the tank 96, the motor-operated valve 97, the jetting part 57, the heating unit 58, and the nozzle assembly 59'. As will be described later, the flow path 51' has a fifth flow path 51-5, a sixth flow path 51-6, and a seventh flow path 51-7. Specifically, the flow path 51' is formed so as to branch into the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, and the seventh flow path 51-7 by the motor-operated valve 97.

[0119] The tank 96 stores water flowing from the microbubble generating means 54 in advance, heats the stored water to increase the water temperature, and supplies the water with the increased water temperature to the motor-operated valve 97, and functions as a heating unit that heats the water flowing through the flow path 51'. The tank 96 in this embodiment also has a valve that starts / stops the flow of stored water into the flow path 51', and functions as a water stop means that starts / stops the flow of water into the flow path 51'. In this embodiment, this valve is configured as an electric valve and is controlled by an electric signal from the control unit 91, but this is just one example. Water that cannot be contained in the tank 96, such as water that overflows when the tank 96 is full, is configured to be sent to the drain pipe 96A, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A via the drain pipe 96A into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. The tank 96 may be configured to have a pump that sends water from the tank 96 to the motor-operated valve 97.

[0120] The motor-operated valve 97 branches the flow path 51' into a fifth flow path 51-5 leading to the jetting portion 57, a sixth flow path 51-6 leading to the water discharge portion 66 of the nozzle assembly 59', and a seventh flow path 51-7 leading to the nozzle cleaning port 67b of the nozzle assembly 59', and sends the water that has flowed into the motor-operated valve 97 selectively to the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, or the seventh flow path 51-7. Therefore, the motor-operated valve 97 has the same function as the branching portion 56. The motor-operated valve 97 in this embodiment is configured as a motor-driven valve driven by a stepping motor, but this is just one example. In this embodiment, the fine-bubble generating means 54 is provided upstream of the tank 96 in the flow path 51', but this is not limited to this and may be provided upstream of the electric valve 97 downstream of the tank 96. As explained in the previous embodiments, the fine-bubble generating means 54 may be provided in the water guide unit 110 or the branch fitting 33, or multiple fine-bubble generating means 54 may be provided.

[0121] Next, the toilet seat device 10 VThe operation of the above will be described. When the control unit 91 controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51', the water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the micro-bubble generating means 54 in this order, and flows into the tank 96. Since the valve of the tank 96 is not opened here, the tank 96 is configured so that water containing micro-bubbles is stored in advance through the UFB nozzle 77 in the tank 96. When water is stored in the tank 96, the tank 96 heats the water to increase the water temperature to a predetermined temperature. In this way, water containing micro-bubbles is stored in the tank 96 in advance, and the water is increased to a predetermined temperature. The water that cannot be stored in the tank 96 is sent to the drain pipe 96A, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A via the drain pipe 96A into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1.

[0122] The control unit 91 may store in the storage unit 92 the timing setting for starting the inflow of water into the flow path 51', such as a predetermined time or an interval setting since the water stop mechanism 52 last stopped the inflow of water into the flow path 51', or the setting of the time from when the inflow of water into the flow path 51' is started to when it is stopped, and control the water stop mechanism 52 to automatically start / stop the inflow of water into the flow path 51' based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and a timing signal from the timing means 93. The water stop mechanism 52 may also be configured so that the inflow of water into the flow path 51' can be started / stopped by a user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The water stop mechanism 52 may also be configured to inflow water into the flow path 51' when the valve of the tank 96 is opened, and in this case, the control unit 91 may control the water stop mechanism 52 so that the time when the valve of the tank 96 was open corresponds to the time when the water stop mechanism 52 inflows water into the flow path 51' and the amount of water flowing out of the tank 96 corresponds to the amount of water flowing into the flow path 51' by the water stop mechanism 52.

[0123] Thereafter, the control unit 91 controls each component to release water containing fine bubbles from the jetting unit 57, the water discharge unit 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b at the timing described above in the first embodiment. For example, when the toilet seat lid 13 is in a closed state, the control unit 91 determines based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous time mist M was sprayed and no water has been sprayed from the jetting unit 57, and there has been an interval, and controls the motor-operated valve 97 to select the fifth flow path 51-5, and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96.

[0124] Water that flows into motor-operated valve 97 from within tank 96 flows into the selected fifth flow path 51-5. Thereafter, water that flows into jetting portion 57 through fifth flow path 51-5 is turned into mist M at jetting portion 57 and jetted into bowl portion 2 of toilet 1. In this way, water at a predetermined temperature containing fine bubbles is discharged into bowl portion 2.

[0125] Also, for example, when the toilet seat cover 13 is closed, if the control unit 91 determines that water has not been sprayed from the nozzle flushing port 67b for a predetermined period of time based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timing unit 93, it controls the motor valve 97 to select the seventh flow path 51-7 and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96. Then, the water that flows into the motor valve 97 from inside the tank 96 flows into the selected seventh flow path 51-7. After that, the water that flows into the nozzle flushing port 67b of the nozzle assembly 59 through the seventh flow path 51-7 is sprayed from the nozzle flushing port 67b toward the rear washing water outlet 66a and the bidet washing water outlet 66b, flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and falls into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles at a predetermined temperature is sprayed onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0126] Also, for example, when the user sits on the toilet seat 12 with the toilet seat cover 13 open, the toilet seat legs 18 come into contact with the toilet bowl 1 and are pressed down, turning on the seat switch 19. Then, when the user selects and operates, for example, the "butt button" or "bidet button" on the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is sent to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position. Then, the control unit 91 controls the motorized valve 97 to select the sixth flow path 51-6, and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96. Then, the water that flows into the motorized valve 97 from inside the tank 96 flows into the selected sixth flow path 51-6. Then, the water that flows into the water discharge unit 66 through the water supply cylinder 63 of the nozzle assembly 59 through the sixth flow path 51-6 is discharged from the water discharge unit 66. In this manner, water containing fine air bubbles at a predetermined temperature is discharged from the water discharge portion 66.

[0127] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the first to seventh embodiments and their modifications, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the first to seventh embodiments and their modifications may be combined. In addition to the flow paths of the parts provided in the flow path 51, the piping constituting the flow path 51 and the piping of the first flow path 51-1 to the seventh flow path 51-7 may be configured so that the hole diameter is smaller than the opening area A of the outlet 86 of the UFB nozzle 77, so that the pressure in the flow path 51 can be increased and more fine bubbles can be generated when the water flowing through the flow path 51 passes through the UFB nozzle 77. In addition, the parts and values ​​used in the first to seventh embodiments and their modifications may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1 Toilet 10,10' Toilet Seat System 31,31' Water supply port (water absorption part) 51 Flow Path 51-1 First channel 51-2 Second Channel 52 Water-stopping mechanism (water-stopping means) 52e Inflow hole (small opening) 53 Pressure reducing mechanism (adjustment means) 54,54' Microbubble generating means 56 Branch 57 Spout part (discharge part, small opening) 66 Water outlet (discharge section, small opening) 67b Nozzle cleaning port (discharge part, small opening) 77 UFB nozzle (generation part) 106 Communication hole (small opening) 107 Valve hole (small opening) 110' Water conveying unit (valve device) 113 Valve hole (small opening) N Negative pressure area (area where negative pressure occurs)

Claims

1. A flow path through which the water flows is formed between a water supply section that supplies water to the toilet seat device and a discharge section that discharges the water to the outside of the toilet seat device, The flow path is provided with a microbubble generating means for generating microbubbles in the water passing through the flow path, A toilet seat device characterized in that the flow path has a small opening downstream of the micro-bubble generating means, the opening area of ​​which is smaller than the opening area of ​​the generating section where the micro-bubbles are generated by the micro-bubble generating means.

2. 2. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small opening is disposed outside a region where the micro-bubble generating means creates a negative pressure in the flow passage.

3. 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small opening is formed by narrowing the diameter of the flow passage.

4. The discharge portion has a water outlet for discharging the water into the toilet bowl, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small opening is the water outlet.

5. The discharge portion has a water outlet for discharging the water to a private part, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small opening is the water outlet.

6. The discharge portion has a water discharge port for discharging the water into the toilet bowl and a water outlet for discharging the water to the private parts, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small openings are the water outlet and the water spout, and the opening area of ​​the water outlet is smaller than the opening area of ​​the water spout.

7. 7. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a branching portion that branches the flow path into a first flow path that supplies the water to the water outlet and a second flow path that supplies the water to the water discharge port.

8. The discharge portion has a water discharge port for discharging the water into the toilet bowl and a water outlet for discharging the water to the private parts, a branching portion that branches the flow path into a first flow path that supplies the water to the water outlet and a second flow path that supplies the water to the water outlet, 3. A toilet seat apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the small opening is formed in the branch portion.

9. a valve device having a water stopping means for starting or stopping the inflow of the water into the flow path, or a valve device having a water stopping means and an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure of the water flowing into the flow path, is provided downstream of the fine bubble generating means in the flow path, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is provided with an opening in the valve, the opening having an area smaller than the area of ​​the opening of the generating section in which the fine bubbles are generated by the fine bubble generating means.

10. a valve device having a water stopping means for starting or stopping the inflow of the water into the flow path, or a water stopping means and an adjustment means for adjusting the water pressure of the water flowing into the flow path, is provided upstream of the fine bubble generating means in the flow path, 3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is provided with an opening in the valve, the opening having an area smaller than the area of ​​the opening of the generating section in which the fine bubbles are generated by the fine bubble generating means.

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