Pressure-feed toilet device

Abstract

To provide a pressure-feed toilet device capable of efficiently discharging excrement from a bowl while simplifying the structure.SOLUTION: A pressure-feed toilet device 1 includes: a washing water supply part 6 for supplying washing water to a bowl part 12; a pressure-feed pump 20 for pressure-feeding waste water discharged from the bowl part toward the drain pipe 3; and a control unit 25 that is configured so as to, when receiving a predetermined washing operation signal, control the washing water supply part and the pressure-feed pump to supply washing water so that drainage is continuous in a path 15 from the bottom of the bowl part to the pressure-feed pump and then, to execute a cleaning mode to start the pressure-feed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pressure feeding toilet device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Pressure-feed toilet devices are known that are installed in locations where a drain pipe leading to a sewer is not installed in advance on the floor or wall, such as in bedrooms. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet device in which a flow path is formed in the front-to-rear direction on the lower back surface of the toilet bowl part, the flow path being made up of a suction path that communicates with the lower opening of the toilet bowl part and a discharge path with a discharge outlet provided at the front. This toilet device is provided with a waste storage and discharge mechanism part below the toilet bowl part and the flow path, the waste storage tank being formed so as to communicate with the discharge outlet, and a discharge pump that discharges waste in the waste storage tank to the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-77793 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a toilet device such as that described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a water supply section that ejects a jet of water from the rear end of the flow path in order to discharge waste from the outlet of the flow path on the lower back surface of the toilet bowl portion toward a waste storage tank, which raises concerns that the structure may become complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a pressure-feed toilet device that can effectively discharge waste from the bowl portion while simplifying the structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the pressure-feed toilet device of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a flushing water supply unit which supplies flushing water to a bowl portion, a pressure-feed pump which pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from the bowl portion towards a drain pipe, and a control unit which, upon receiving a specified flushing operation signal, controls the flushing water supply unit and the pressure-feed pump to execute a flushing mode in which flushing water is supplied so that drainage is uninterrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion to the pressure-feed pump, and then pressure-feeding is commenced. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The pressure-feed toilet device according to the present disclosure has the above-described configuration, and is therefore able to effectively discharge waste from the bowl portion while simplifying the structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic, partially cutaway, side cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a pressure-feed toilet device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic side cross-sectional views showing an example of a basic operation carried out in the pressure-feed toilet device. [Diagram 3] 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic side cross-sectional views showing an example of a basic operation carried out in the pressure-feed toilet device. [Figure 4] FIG. 3(a) is a control block diagram of the pressure-feed toilet device, and FIG. 3(b) is a schematic flow chart showing an example of a basic operation executed in the pressure-feed toilet device. [Diagram 5] 2(c) is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a modified example of the pressure-feed toilet device, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic flow chart showing an example of the basic operation performed in the pressure-feed toilet device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In some drawings, some of the detailed reference numerals used in other drawings are omitted. In the following embodiment, directions such as the up-down direction will be described based on the installed state of one example of the pressure-feed toilet device according to this embodiment. Also, based on a user facing the installed pressure-feed toilet device in an upright position, the near side will be defined as the front and the opposite side as the rear (deep side), and the direction perpendicular to the depth direction (front-rear direction) and the up-down direction will be defined as the width direction of the toilet.

[0010] 1 to 5 are diagrams that typically show an example of a pressure-feed toilet device according to the present embodiment and an example of its basic operation, as well as modified examples of the pressure-feed toilet device and an example of its basic operation. As shown in Fig. 1, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a toilet body 10 having a bowl portion 12. This pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a flush water supply section 6 that supplies flush water to the bowl portion 12, and a pressure-feed pump 20 that pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from the bowl portion 12 toward the drain pipe 3. With this configuration, the pressure-feed toilet device 20 can pressure-feed wastewater (flush water and wastewater that contains waste such as excrement; hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as wastewater) toward the drain pipe 3. This allows the pressure-feed toilet device 1 to be installed in places where the drain pipe 3 leading to the sewer has not been installed in advance on the floor side or wall side.

[0011] Specifically, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is of a seated type (so-called Western style). The installation location of this pressure-feed toilet device 1 is not limited to a toilet room that has been designed in advance as an installation location for a toilet device and has a drain pipe installed on the floor or wall, etc., but may also be, for example, a bedroom, a storage room such as a closet, etc. The installation location of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is not limited to ordinary housing such as detached houses, apartment buildings, temporary housing, etc., but may be various locations such as public facilities such as accommodation facilities, medical facilities, welfare facilities, commercial facilities such as offices, various stores, etc. The bowl portion 12 is shaped like a mortar and opens upward. The toilet body 10 is provided with a skirt portion 11 that surrounds the bowl portion 12. The skirt portion 11 is provided so as to form the outer decorative surface of both sides in the width direction and the front side of the toilet body 10. The skirt portion 11 and the bowl portion 12 may be made of a synthetic resin such as organic glass, or may be made of ceramic. Also, an appropriate metal frame may be provided within the skirt portion 11.

[0012] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 includes a toilet seat 4 placed on the upper peripheral edge of the bowl portion 12, and a toilet lid 5 for opening and closing the opening of the bowl portion 12. A suitable holder is provided at the rear end of the toilet body 10 to hold the toilet seat 4 and the toilet lid 5 so that they can be raised and lowered (rotated) around an axis along the width direction of the toilet. The toilet body 10 may be provided with a toilet seat drive unit for raising and lowering the toilet seat 4, a toilet lid drive unit for opening and closing the toilet lid 5, and the like. The toilet body 10 may also be provided with various functional devices such as a disinfecting water supply device for supplying disinfecting water such as ozone water or hypochlorous acid water into the bowl portion 12, an air bubble generator for adding air bubbles to the washing water, and a deodorizing device for deodorizing the inside of the bowl portion 12. The toilet body 10 or the toilet seat device including the toilet seat 4 and the toilet lid 5 may also be provided with various functional devices such as a heating device for heating the toilet seat 4, and a local cleansing device 9 for cleaning the local area. The pressure-feed toilet device 1 may be provided with various sensors such as a human body detection sensor and a seating sensor, and may also be provided with a remote control device as an operating unit for operating the various functional devices described above, and a transmission / reception device that enables transmission and reception of various signals from the remote control device.

[0013] The cleaning water supply section 6 is equipped with a cleaning water supply pipe 8, the downstream end of which serves as a supply port for supplying cleaning water toward the bowl section 12, and a water supply valve 7 for opening and closing the cleaning water supply pipe 8 to supply or cut off cleaning water. The upstream end of the cleaning water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pipe 2 such as a water pipe. In other words, the cleaning water supply section 6 may be of a direct water pressure type. Alternatively, the upstream end of the cleaning water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pump, a water tank, or the like. Also, an appropriate branch pipe branching off from the upstream part of the cleaning water supply pipe 8 may be connected to the local cleaning device 9. The supply port of the cleaning water supply pipe 8 may be arranged to extend circumferentially around the upper end peripheral edge of the bowl portion 12 and to discharge cleaning water along a groove in the rim portion 13 which is arranged to protrude radially inward to form a groove. The water supply valve 7 is provided so as to be incorporated into a midway portion of the cleaning water supply pipe 8, and may be an appropriate solenoid valve or the like. A flow rate sensor 24 (see FIG. 4(a)) for measuring the flow rate of cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water supply section 6 may be provided at an appropriate position in the cleaning water supply pipe 8, for example, near the downstream side of the water supply valve 7.

[0014] Discharge section 14 at the lower end of bowl section 12 and pressure feed pump 20 are connected via trap section 15, which constitutes a path from the bottom of bowl section 12 to pressure feed pump 20. With this configuration, trap section 15 can seal the water, so there is no need to provide a valve or the like in discharge section 14 at the lower end of bowl section 12 to suppress the movement of odors, etc. on the downstream side (pump side) to the indoor side, simplifying the structure and control. The discharge portion 14 of the bowl portion 12 is provided so as to extend rearward from the lower end portion, which is the bottom side of the bowl portion 12, and is cylindrical in shape. The trap portion 15 is provided so as to be continuous with the discharge portion 14. The trap portion 15 and the discharge portion 14 may be formed integrally with each other, or may be formed separately. Trap portion 15 is formed together with a lower end portion of bowl portion 12 so as to form a so-called S-shaped trap.

[0015] The trap section 15 includes a rising portion 15a rising from the discharge section 14, and a hanging portion 15d hanging down from the upper end of the rising portion 15a via a bent portion 15b. In this embodiment, an exhaust section 16 that exhausts air from within the trap section 15 is provided at the bent portion 15b of the trap section 15. The rising portion 15a is provided so as to rise substantially vertically from the discharge portion 14 which extends toward the rear side in a substantially horizontal direction. In the illustrated example, the rising portion 15a is formed so as to be slightly inclined toward the rear side toward the upper end side. In the illustrated example, hanging portion 15d is provided so as to hang down substantially vertically. Bending portion 15b is provided so as to bend the discharge flow path from the rising flow path in rising portion 15a constituting the discharge flow path toward the downward flow path in downward portion 15d constituting the discharge flow path. The bottom wall portion on the inner circumferential surface of this bending portion 15b, i.e., the upper end portion of the rising flow path in rising portion 15a, becomes water sealing portion 15c that regulates the water level in bowl portion 12 (see also FIG. 2(a)).

[0016] The exhaust section 16 is provided so as to open at the top wall portion on the inner circumferential surface of the bent portion 15b. In the illustrated example, the exhaust section 16 is provided so as to be located at the downstream side portion of the bent portion 15b. The exhaust section 16 may be provided with a backflow prevention mechanism such as a suitable check valve that allows air to pass from inside the trap section 15 to outside the trap section 15 while preventing air from passing from outside the trap section 15 to inside the trap section 15. The exhaust section 16 may also be provided with a suitable trap mechanism or the like that suppresses the passage of wastewater from inside the trap section 15 to outside the trap section 15. The exhaust side of the exhaust section 16 may also be provided with a suitable deodorizing mechanism, and the exhaust side may be provided so as to communicate with a sewage discharge pipe 18 or a drain pipe 3, which will be described later.

[0017] The pressure pump 20 is connected such that its suction side communicates with the downstream side of the trap portion 15 . This pressure pump 20 is provided so as to be located inside the toilet body 10. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve a more compact structure compared to a configuration in which a grinding section, pressure pump, etc. are provided in a wastewater storage section, etc., provided outside the toilet body 10. In the illustrated example, the pressure pump 20 is provided so as to be located below the bowl section 12. This pressure delivery pump 20 includes a pump drive unit 21 consisting of a motor or the like, an impeller 22 rotated by this pump drive unit 21, and a casing 23 that houses this impeller 22. The casing 23 is provided with a suction port that is connected to the downstream end of the trap unit 15. In the illustrated example, a rising portion that rises via a bent portion is provided on the suction side of the casing 23, and the upper end of this rising portion is connected to the lower end of the hanging portion 15d of the trap unit 15, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0018] In addition to the function of pumping the wastewater from the bowl portion 12 downstream, the impeller 22 also functions as a crushing section that crushes waste matter such as excrement and toilet paper contained in the wastewater from the bowl portion 12. Note that in addition to the impeller 22, appropriate rotating blades or the like for crushing waste matter may be provided inside the casing 23. Furthermore, the pressure-feed pump 20 is not limited to a centrifugal pump as shown in the figure, and various other pumps may be used. A wastewater discharge pipe 18 is connected to the discharge side of the casing 23. The downstream end of this wastewater discharge pipe 18 is connected to an appropriate drain pipe 3. The diameters of these wastewater discharge pipe 18 and drain pipe 3 may be smaller than the diameter of a general drain pipe that is pre-installed in a toilet room or the like. In addition, the sewage discharge pipe 18 may be provided with a backflow prevention mechanism 19 such as an appropriate check valve that allows wastewater to pass from the pressure pump 20 side to the drain pipe 3 side, while preventing wastewater from passing from the drain pipe 3 side to the pressure pump 20 side.

[0019] In this embodiment, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a water level sensor 17 that detects abnormal water levels downstream of the discharge section 14 of the bowl section 12 and upstream of the pressure-feed pump 20. The illustrated example shows an example in which the water level sensor 17 is provided to configure a path connecting the discharge section 14 of the bowl section 12 and the pressure-feed pump 20, and to detect the water level at a rising section provided on the suction side of the casing 23 of the pressure-feed pump 20. Such a water level sensor 17 may be a water pressure sensor that detects water pressure, or various other sensors such as a capacitance type, radio wave type, or ultrasonic type. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a notification unit 29 that notifies the user of the operating state, the occurrence of an abnormality, etc. Such notification unit 29 may be an alert lamp made of a light source such as an LED that notifies the user by light, or alternatively or in addition to such a configuration, it may be a buzzer or speaker that notifies the user by sound.

[0020] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a control unit 25 (see FIG. 4(a)) that controls the flush water supply unit 6 and the pressure-feed pump 20 to execute the flush mode when a predetermined flush operation signal is received. In this flush mode, the control unit 25 starts pumping after supplying flush water so that drainage is uninterrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20. With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which pressure-feeding is started approximately simultaneously with the supply of flush water, or a configuration in which drainage is interrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20, poor suction caused by so-called air entrapment is less likely to occur in the pressure-feed pump 20. This allows drainage from the bowl portion 12 to be stably sucked toward the pressure-feed pump 20, and effectively reduces the accumulation of waste in the bowl portion 12. This also makes it unnecessary to provide a water supply unit or the like that discharges a jet flow that discharges waste from the bottom side flow path of the bowl portion downstream, and simplifies the structure.

[0021] Furthermore, even when trap section 15 as described above is provided as in this embodiment, flush water is supplied so that drainage is uninterrupted in the path from the bottom of bowl section 12 to pressure pump 20. This allows drainage to be uninterrupted, including through trap section 15, and allows the drainage from bowl section 12 to be stably sucked toward pressure pump 20. In this embodiment, as described above, exhaust section 16 is provided in trap section 15. With this configuration, when flushing water is supplied so that drainage is uninterrupted in the path from the bottom of bowl section 12 to pressure pump 20, air within trap section 15 can be exhausted, and drainage interruption due to air within trap section 15 can be effectively prevented.

[0022] In this embodiment, the control unit 25 starts pumping when it determines, based on the measurement by the flow rate sensor 24, that an amount of flush water has been supplied such that the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20 is generally filled with drainage water in the flushing mode. With this configuration, it is possible to control the supply amount to an appropriate amount without being affected by the water supply pressure or the opening degree of the stop valve, etc., compared to, for example, a configuration in which the supply time of flush water until the start of pumping is time-controlled, that is, until a predetermined time has elapsed. This makes it possible to shorten the flushing time and save water, compared to, for example, a configuration in which the supply time of flush water is set longer so that drainage is not interrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20.

[0023] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a flush operation unit 26 that outputs a flush operation signal. The flush operation unit 26 is equipped with a large flush operation unit 27 that is operated when a relatively large amount of flush water is supplied, and a small flush operation unit 28 that is operated when a relatively small amount of flush water is supplied. This flush operation unit 26 may be provided on the toilet body 10 side, for example, in an appropriate location of the toilet seat device, or in addition to or instead of on the toilet body 10 side, it may be provided on an appropriate remote controller (remote control device (remote control equipment)) installed away from the toilet body 10. In this case, the remote controller may be provided with an appropriate control unit or the like that controls the transmission of operation signals of each operation unit of the flush operation unit 26 to the control unit 25 on the toilet body 10 side via a transmission unit. The transmission unit may be configured to correspond to the reception unit on the toilet body 10 side, and these transmission unit and reception unit may be configured using various wireless communication methods. Furthermore, instead of being wirelessly connected to the toilet body 10 in this manner so as to be able to send and receive signals, the remote controller and the toilet body 10 may be wired connected by an appropriate signal line or the like.

[0024] The control unit 25 may be a microcomputer (MCU) or the like including a control circuit such as a CPU, and various memories (storage units) such as a ROM and a RAM for storing various programs, etc. The above-mentioned water supply valve 7, flow rate sensor 24, pump drive unit 21, cleaning operation unit 26, notification unit 29, water level sensor 17, etc. are connected to this control unit 25 in a wired or wireless manner via appropriate signal lines, etc. In a standby state where no operation (cleaning operation) of the cleaning operation unit 26 is being performed, cleaning water is stored in the bowl portion 12 up to the height of the water sealing portion 15c of the trap portion 15, as shown in Fig. 2(a). Also, in the standby state, due to the pressure-feeding caused by the previous execution of the cleaning mode described below, there is no residual water to be drained in the bent portion 15b and the hanging portion 15d of the trap portion 15, and they are in an empty state, and there is residual water to be drained in the casing 23 of the pressure-feed pump 20 and part of the rising portion connected thereto. In this standby state, if there is no abnormality in the water supply system or the drainage system, the residual water level will be lower than the abnormality detection level of the water level sensor 17. In other words, the water level sensor 17 is not detecting.

[0025] On the other hand, when the cleaning operation unit 26 is operated (cleaning operation), each unit is controlled according to a control program stored in a memory unit provided in the control unit 25, and the following basic operation (cleaning mode) is executed. For example, when the small-flush operating unit 28 is operated (eg, pressed), the small-flush mode is executed as shown in FIG. 4(b). When the small-flush operation unit 28 is operated (step S100), the water supply valve 7 is opened (step S101). As a result, pre-water supply is performed in which flush water is supplied from the supply port through the flush water supply pipe 8 toward the bowl section 12, as shown in FIG. 2(b). At the beginning of the pre-water supply, the water is discharged beyond the water seal section 15c of the trap section 15 without the pressure pump 20 (pump drive section 21) being started (ON), and the water levels of the casing 23 and the trap section 15 rise, as shown in FIG. 2(b) and (c). In other words, if the water supply valve 7 is opened with the pump drive section 21 stopped (OFF), the water levels of the casing 23 and the hanging section 15d of the trap section 15, which are downstream of the path from the bottom of the bowl section 12 to the pressure pump 20, rise in sequence, as shown in FIG. 2(b). At this time, if the wastewater discharge pipe 18 is formed to rise from the casing 23, the water level of the wastewater discharge pipe 18 also rises. When the hanging portion 15d is filled with flush water, the water level at the bent portion 15b rises together with the pooled water level in the bowl portion 12.

[0026] In this pre-supply, if a predetermined amount of flush water is supplied after the water supply valve 7 is opened, that is, if the supply amount of flush water reaches a predetermined value (step S102), the pump drive unit 21 is started (step S103). At this time, if it is determined based on the measurement by the flow rate sensor 24 that an amount (predetermined amount) of flush water has been supplied that fills the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure pump 20 with wastewater, the pump drive unit 21 may be started. Here, the amount (predetermined amount) that fills the path with wastewater is not limited to an amount that completely fills the discharge portion 14, trap portion 15, and casing 23 of the bowl portion 12 with wastewater. As shown in FIG. 2(c), it may be a state in which air remains in the bent portion 15b of the trap portion 15 that constitutes the path, and may be an amount that fills 50% or more of the volume of the bent portion 15b with wastewater, for example. Even with this configuration, the bottom half (side of the water sealing section 15c) of the bent section 15b, the bottom side of the bowl section 12, the rising section 15a of the trap section 15, the hanging section 15d and the casing 23 are filled with wastewater, and the drainage is uninterrupted along the same path.

[0027] In addition, the above-mentioned specified amount may be set appropriately taking into consideration the volume of the bent portion 15b and the hanging portion 15d of the trap portion 15 which are empty in the standby state shown in Figure 2(a), the volume of the casing 23 and the rising portion connected to it and the amount of residual water therein, the rise in the accumulated water level in the bowl portion 12, the rise in the water level in the sewage discharge pipe 18, etc. In the above case, pump drive unit 21 may be started if a predetermined time has elapsed (time-up) before the supply amount calculated based on the measurement value of flow sensor 24 reaches the above-mentioned predetermined amount. With this configuration, pressure feeding can be performed even if flow sensor 24 fails or detects erroneously, and overflow from bowl portion 12 can be suppressed.

[0028] When the pump driving unit 21 is started, wastewater is pumped from the casing 23 toward the wastewater discharge pipe 18, as shown in FIG. 3(a). Then, when the first time has elapsed since starting pump drive unit 21 (step S104), water supply valve 7 is closed (step S105). As a result, only pumping is performed without supplying flush water, and the water level further drops, as shown in FIG. 3(b), and most of the wastewater in bowl section 12 and trap section 15 is drained. The illustrated example shows a state in which there is residual water in discharge section 14 on the bottom side of bowl section 12 and on the bottom side of casing 23. In this state, wastewater discharge pipe 18 and bowl section 12 are in communication, that is, in a broken state, but since backflow prevention mechanism 19 is provided in wastewater discharge pipe 18, it is possible to prevent bad odors from drain pipe 3 (sewer) from entering the room.

[0029] Then, when a second time has elapsed since the pump driving unit 21 was started (or a predetermined time has elapsed since the water supply valve 7 was closed) (step S106), the pump driving unit 21 may be stopped and the pumping may be terminated (step S107). This second time and the above-mentioned first time may be set to appropriate times so that effective cleaning and pumping can be performed. Note that, instead of such time control, for example, an appropriate water level sensor may be provided to detect the water level in the casing 23, etc., and when the water level reaches a pump stop level, the pump driving unit 21 may be stopped. 3(c), water supply valve 7 is opened to supply flush water to bowl portion 12, and post-water supply is performed to store flush water in bowl portion 12 (step S108). At this time, water supply valve 7 may be configured to open after pumping has ended, that is, after a predetermined time has elapsed since pump drive portion 21 was stopped. Also, at this time, if water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level, that is, if pumping and draining are not being performed normally, notification portion 29 may be activated, and the flush mode (small flush mode) may be ended without performing post-water supply.

[0030] In addition, in the post-supply, if it is determined based on the measurement by the flow rate sensor 24 that a predetermined amount of flush water has been supplied, the water supply valve 7 may be closed. For example, if the supply amount calculated based on the measurement value of the flow rate sensor 24 reaches a predetermined amount at which the water level in the bowl section 12 is approximately the height of the water sealing section 15c, the water supply valve 7 may be closed. In this case, similar to the above, if a predetermined time has elapsed (time-up) before the supply amount calculated based on the measurement value of the flow rate sensor 24 reaches the above-mentioned predetermined amount, the water supply valve 7 may be closed. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the trap section 15 or the bowl section 12 from reaching an abnormal water level even if the flow rate sensor 24 fails or detects erroneously. Instead of controlling the closure of the water supply valve 7 in the post-supply based on the measurement by the flow rate sensor 24, time control may be used.

[0031] An example of the small flush mode executed when the small flush operation unit 28 is operated has been described above, but the large flush mode executed when the large flush operation unit 27 is operated (for example, a push operation) is generally the same. In the large flush mode, for example, the supply amount of flush water may be controlled to be greater than the supply amount of flush water in the small flush mode. In the large flush mode, the drive time of the pump drive unit 21 may be greater than the drive time of the pump drive unit 21 in the small flush mode, or the drive of the pump drive unit 21 may be controlled so that pumping is performed multiple times while the flush water is being supplied. In this case, before starting at least the first pumping, the flush water may be supplied so that the drainage is continuous in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pumping pump 20. Also, before starting each of the multiple pumpings, the flush water may be supplied so that the drainage is continuous in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pumping pump 20.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, in addition to the small flush mode and large flush mode described above, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 may be capable of executing a drain mode in which the amount of water supplied in the pre-water supply is less than (or zero) than in the small flush mode or large flush mode. This drain mode may be executed, for example, by receiving a drain operation signal output by operating a drain operation unit provided in an appropriate location, or by simultaneously pressing or long pressing the large flush operation unit 27 and the small flush operation unit 28. The amount of water supplied in this drain mode may be relatively small, and unlike the flush mode, pressure-feeding may be started in a state in which drainage has been interrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20.

[0033] Next, a modified example of the pressure-feed toilet device and an example of its basic operation will be described with reference to FIG. In the following modified examples, differences from the previously described example will be mainly described, and explanations of similar configurations will be omitted or briefly described. In the following modified examples, explanations of the same operational effects as those of the previously described example will be omitted or briefly described.

[0034] 5(a) and (b) show a schematic diagram of a pressure-feed toilet device according to a first modified example and an example of its basic operation. In this modification, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the pressure-feed toilet device 1A is provided with a water level sensor (full water level sensor) 17A that detects when the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20 is almost filled with wastewater. In this modification, the control unit 25 starts pressure-feeding when the full water level sensor 17A detects this in the flushing mode. With this configuration, as in the above, it is possible to control the supply amount to an appropriate amount without being affected by the water supply pressure or the opening degree of the stop valve. Also, compared to the control mode based on the flow rate sensor 24 as described above, it is less susceptible to the influence of residual water in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20. This also makes it possible to shorten the flushing time and save water, as in the above.

[0035] Specifically, the full water level sensor 17A is provided to detect the water level at the bent portion 15b of the trap portion 15. In the illustrated example, the full water level sensor 17A is provided to detect the water level near the top wall portion of the bent portion 15b. This full water level sensor 17A may be various sensors, similar to the above-mentioned water level sensor 17. This full water level sensor 17A is connected to the control portion 25 by wire or wirelessly via an appropriate signal line, etc., similar to the above (see FIG. 4(a)). In addition, instead of the configuration in which water level sensor 17 for detecting an abnormal water level and full water level sensor 17A are provided as in the illustrated example, a configuration may be provided in which one water level sensor is provided that can detect an abnormal water level and that the path from the bottom of bowl portion 12 to pressure feed pump 20 is substantially filled with wastewater (full water level). Also, similar to the above, the full water level is not limited to the water level at which discharge portion 14, trap portion 15, and casing 23 of bowl portion 12 are completely filled with wastewater. In other words, it may be a state in which air remains in bent portion 15b of trap portion 15 as shown in FIG. 5(a), or, for example, it may be a water level at which 50% or more of the volume of bent portion 15b is filled with wastewater.

[0036] In this modification, as shown in Fig. 5(b), a cleaning mode that is generally similar to the above-mentioned example is executed. Note that steps S200, S201, and S203 to S208 in Fig. 5(b) are similar to steps S100, S101, and S103 to S108 in Fig. 4(b), so that the description will be omitted or will be given briefly. When flush operation unit 26 (for example, small-flush operation unit 28) is operated (step S200), water supply valve 7 is opened and pre-water supply is performed (step S201). In this pre-water supply, if full water level sensor 17A detects the full water level after water supply valve 7 is opened (step S202), pump drive unit 21 is started (step S203). Then, as above, when predetermined conditions are met, water supply valve 7 is closed, pump drive unit 21 is stopped, and post-water supply is performed (steps S204 to S208).

[0037] The basic operations in the above-mentioned examples are merely examples, and appropriate modifications are possible. For example, both the flow rate sensor 24 and full water level sensor 17A as described above may be provided, and if either step S102 or step S202 as described above is satisfied, pump drive unit 21 may be started. Alternatively, instead of providing such a configuration as providing flow rate sensor 24 and full water level sensor 17A, pump drive unit 21 may be started when a predetermined time has elapsed since flush water is supplied (water supply valve 7 is opened) and drainage is uninterrupted in the path from the bottom of bowl portion 12 to pressure discharge pump 20. Also, for example, in each of the above examples, the pumping is started (pump drive unit 21 is started) while flush water is being supplied (water supply valve 7 is opened), but pump drive unit 21 may be started after water supply valve 7 is closed. Also, the examples show that the pumping is started when flush water is supplied and the path from the bottom of bowl portion 12 to pressure-feed pump 20 is mostly filled with wastewater, but it is acceptable if the path is not mostly filled with wastewater as long as it is uninterrupted.

[0038] Furthermore, the large flush operation unit 27 and the small flush operation unit 28 are not limited to a configuration in which they are operated by pressing, and may be non-contact operation units that accept the detection of the user's hand, etc. as an operation. Instead of or in addition to a mode in which the flush operation signal is output by the operation of the large flush operation unit 27 or the small flush operation unit 28, the flush operation signal may be output, for example, when a seating sensor or the like detects leaving the toilet seat 4, or when dirt is detected by various other sensors or the like. In the above example, a trap section 15 is provided in the path from the bottom of the bowl section 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20, but such a trap section 15 may not be provided, and an appropriate sewage crushing tank or sewage storage tank may be provided as part of the same path. The configurations of the various members and parts of the pressure-feed toilet device 1, 1A described above are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1,1A Pressure-fed toilet device 6. Washing water supply section 12 Bowl section 14 Discharge section 15 Trap section (path from the bottom of the bowl section to the pressure pump) 15a Standing part 15b Bend part 15d hanging part 16 Exhaust section 17A Full water level sensor (water level sensor) 20 Pressure Pump 24 Flow Sensor 25 Control Unit 3 Drain pipe

Claims

1. a cleaning water supply unit for supplying cleaning water to the bowl unit; A pressure pump that pressure-feeds the wastewater discharged from the bowl portion toward a drain pipe; a control unit which, upon receiving a predetermined flushing operation signal, controls the flushing water supply unit and the pressure pump to execute a flushing mode in which flushing water is supplied so that drainage is uninterrupted in a path from the bottom of the bowl unit to the pressure pump, and then pressure-feeding is started; A pressure-feed toilet device comprising:

2. In claim 1, A pressure-feed toilet device characterized in that the discharge portion at the lower end of the bowl portion and the pressure-feed pump are connected via a trap portion having a rising portion that rises from the discharge portion and a hanging portion that hangs down from the upper end of the rising portion via a bent portion.

3. In claim 2, A pressure-feed toilet device, characterized in that an exhaust section is provided at the bent portion of the trap section to exhaust air within the trap section.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, a flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water supply unit; A pressure-feed toilet device characterized in that, in the flushing mode, when the control unit determines, based on measurement by the flow rate sensor, that an amount of flush water has been supplied such that the path from the bottom of the bowl portion to the pressure pump is generally filled with wastewater, the control unit starts pressure-feeding.

5. In any one of claims 1 to 3, a water level sensor for detecting when a path from a bottom of the bowl portion to the pressure pump is substantially filled with wastewater; The pressure-feed toilet device, wherein the control unit starts pressure-feeding when the water level sensor detects a water level in the flushing mode.

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