Pressurized toilet device

Abstract

To provide a pressurized toilet device capable of determining an abnormality in a feedwater system without exposing a sensor.SOLUTION: A pressurized toilet device 1 comprises: a pressurized pump 20 that pressurizes drainage discharged from a bowl part 12 toward a drain pipe 3; a flow sensor 24 that measures a flow rate of washing water supplied to the bowl part in a flow path 8; and a control unit 25 that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it is determined that a measured value by the flow sensor is abnormal with respect to an operational state of the pressurized toilet device.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 pressure-feed flush toilet in which a pressure sensor that detects the stored water level as pressure is embedded in the inner wall surface of the bottom of the toilet water storage section, and a drain pump is disposed in a trap pipe that communicates downstream of the toilet outlet at the bottom of the toilet water storage section. In this pressure-feed flush toilet, when the pressure sensor detects a third predetermined water level as a position where the water level rises above a first predetermined water level, which is the stored water level in the toilet water storage section, the drain pump is operated and a display is activated at the same time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-282240 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the pressure-flush toilet described in Patent Document 1 above, a pressure sensor for detecting the water level is embedded in the bottom inner wall surface of the toilet bowl's water section, making the pressure sensor easily noticeable and raising concerns that the pressure sensor may be subjected to stress when the toilet bowl's water section is cleaned.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a pressure-feed toilet device that can determine an abnormality in the water supply system without exposing the sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the pressure-feed toilet device of the first present disclosure is characterized in that it comprises a pressure-feed pump that pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from a bowl portion toward a drain pipe, a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of the flow path of flushing water supplied to the bowl portion, and a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the measurement value from the flow sensor is abnormal for the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the pressure-feed toilet device of the second disclosure is characterized in that it comprises a pressure-feed pump that pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from a bowl portion toward a drain pipe, a trap portion arranged to connect a discharge portion at the lower end of the bowl portion to the pressure-feed pump, a water level sensor that detects the water level downstream of the water seal portion of the trap portion and upstream of the residual water portion after pressure-feeding by the pressure-feed pump, and a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the detection by the water level sensor is abnormal for the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The pressure-feed toilet device according to the present disclosure has the above-described configuration and is therefore capable of determining an abnormality in the water supply system without exposing the sensor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [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. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 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.

[0011] 1 to 4 are diagrams showing an example of a pressure-feed toilet device according to the present embodiment 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 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 containing 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 even in places where the drain pipe 3 leading to the sewer has not been installed in advance on the floor side or wall side.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a flow rate sensor 24 (see FIG. 4(a)) which measures the flow rate of the flow path of flushing water supplied to the bowl portion 12. The flow path of flushing water supplied to the bowl portion 12 may be the flow path of a private part cleansing device 9 which supplies flushing water towards the private parts, but in this embodiment it is the flushing water supply pipe 8 which is provided in a flushing water supply unit 6 which supplies flushing water towards the inner surface of the bowl portion 12. The cleaning water supply unit 6 is equipped with a water supply valve 7 that opens and closes this cleaning water supply pipe 8 to supply or cut off cleaning water. The water supply valve 7 is provided so as to be incorporated into a midway point of the cleaning water supply pipe 8, and may be an appropriate solenoid valve or the like. The downstream end of cleaning water supply pipe 8 serves as a supply port that supplies cleaning water toward bowl portion 12. The upstream end of cleaning water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pipe 2 such as a water pipe. In other words, cleaning water supply section 6 may be of a direct water pressure type.

[0015] Instead of the above embodiment, the upstream end of the cleansing water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pump, a water supply tank, etc. Also, an appropriate branch pipe branching off from the upstream part of the cleansing water supply pipe 8 may be connected to the local cleansing 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 flow rate sensor 24 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.

[0016] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a trap section 15 that constitutes a connecting pipe and is provided to connect discharge section 14 at the lower end of bowl section 12 to pressure-feed pump 20. With this configuration, water can be sealed off by trap section 15, so there is no need to provide a valve or the like at 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.

[0017] 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)).

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] In this embodiment, the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is provided with a water level sensor 17 that detects the water level downstream of the water seal portion 15c of the trap portion 15 and upstream of the remaining water portion after pressure-feeding by the pressure-feed pump 20. This water level sensor 17 may function as a water level sensor that detects an abnormal water level downstream of the discharge portion 14 of the bowl portion 12 and upstream of the pressure-feed pump 20. In the illustrated example, a path is formed connecting the discharge portion 14 of the bowl portion 12 and the pressure-feed pump 20, and the water level sensor 17 is provided to detect the water level at a rising portion 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 may be various other sensors such as a capacitance type, an electromagnetic wave type, or an ultrasonic type.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a notification unit 29 that notifies the operating state, 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 by light, or alternatively or in addition to such a configuration, a buzzer or speaker that notifies by sound may be used. This notification unit 29 may be provided on the toilet body 10 side, for example, at a suitable location on the toilet seat device, or in addition to or in place of the toilet body 10 side, it may be provided on an appropriate remote controller (remote control device (remote control device)) installed away from the toilet body 10. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to a mode of notifying by light or sound on or around the pressure-feed toilet device 1, the notification unit 29 may be, for example, a transmission unit that transmits a signal of the operating state, occurrence of an abnormality, etc. to an information panel installed at a suitable location in a house or various facilities, a mobile information terminal, etc.

[0023] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a control unit 25 (see FIG. 4(a)) that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it is determined that the measurement value by the flow rate sensor 24 is abnormal with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1. With this configuration, for example, in a flushing state, if the amount of water supplied is small, it can be determined that there is a water supply problem, or in a non-flushing state (standby state), if water is being supplied, it can be determined that there is a water stop problem on the water supply side. In addition, the flow rate sensor 24 is configured to measure the flow rate of the flow path (8) of flushing water supplied to the bowl portion 12, so it is not exposed on the inner surface of the bowl portion 12. In addition, the amount of flushing water supplied can be controlled based on the measurement value of the flow rate sensor 24, and compared to a configuration in which it is controlled by time, it can be controlled to an appropriate supply amount without being affected by the water supply pressure or the opening degree of the stop valve, etc.

[0024] Instead of the above, the control unit 25 may execute a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the detection of the water level sensor 17 is abnormal with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1. With this configuration, in the same manner as above, if the water level sensor 17, which detects the water level downstream of the water seal portion 15c of the trap portion 15 and upstream of the remaining water portion after the pressure-feeding of the pressure-feeding pump 20, does not detect in the flushing state, it can determine that there is a water supply failure, and if the water level sensor 17 detects in the non-flushing state (standby state), it can determine that there is a water stop failure on the water supply side. In addition, since the water level sensor 17 is configured to detect the water level downstream of the water seal portion 15c of the trap portion 15 and upstream of the remaining water portion after the pressure-feeding of the pressure-feeding pump 20, it is not exposed on the inner surface of the bowl portion 12. Furthermore, unlike the flow rate sensor 24, such a water level sensor 17 can detect an abnormal water level even when water is supplied to the bowl portion 12 from a bucket or the like in a non-cleaning state (standby state).

[0025] In this embodiment, the control unit 25, which will be described in detail later, executes the abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the measurement value by the flow sensor 24 is abnormal and that the detection by the water level sensor 17 is abnormal, for the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress false detections such as those detected by the flow sensor 24 due to inertial force after flush water is supplied, compared to a configuration in which abnormalities are determined only by the flow sensor 24, for example. Furthermore, the control unit 25 determines an abnormality when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in a non-flushing state. With this configuration, it is possible to detect a water stop failure on the water supply side. In this case, the control unit 25 may operate the pressure-feed pump 20 in the abnormality resolution mode. With this configuration, if there is a water stop failure on the water supply side, the pressure-feed pump 20 is operated, so that it is possible to prevent flush water from overflowing from the bowl portion 12.

[0026] Furthermore, when the control unit 25 receives a predetermined flushing operation signal, it may control the flushing water supply unit 6 and the pressure-feed pump 20 to execute the flushing mode. In the flushing mode, the control unit 25 may start pumping after causing flushing water to be supplied 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, poor suction caused by so-called air entrapment is less likely to occur in the pressure-feed pump 20, compared to a configuration in which pressure-feeding is started approximately simultaneously with the supply of flushing water, or a configuration in which pressure-feeding is started in a state in which drainage is interrupted in the path from the bottom of the bowl portion 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20.

[0027] 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, at a suitable location on 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 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 receiving unit on the toilet body 10 side, and these transmission unit and receiving unit may be configured using various wireless communication methods. Also, 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.

[0028] 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 (flushing operation) of the flushing operation unit 26 is being performed, that is, in a non-flushing state, flushing 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 pumping caused by the previous execution of the flushing 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 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.

[0029] 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 Figs. 2(b) to 3(c). When the small-flush operation unit 28 is operated, the water supply valve 7 is opened. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2(b), 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. At the beginning of pre-water supply, the pressure pump 20 (pump drive unit 21) is not started (ON), and water is discharged beyond the water seal portion 15c of the trap section 15, 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 unit 21 stopped (OFF), the water levels of the casing 23 and the hanging portion 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.

[0030] In this pre-supply, if a predetermined amount of flush water is supplied after the water supply valve 7 is opened, the pump drive unit 21 may be started. At this time, 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 pump drive unit 21 may be started. 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 a configuration in which the supply of flush water until the start of the pump drive unit 21 is time-controlled, that is, until a predetermined time has passed. Also, at this time, as shown in FIG. 2(c), if it is determined 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 pump 20 is generally filled with wastewater, the pump drive unit 21 may be started. With this configuration, the pressure pump 20 is less likely to suffer from poor suction due to so-called air entrapment. As a result, the wastewater from the bowl portion 12 can be stably sucked toward the pressure pump 20, and the accumulation of waste at the bottom of the bowl portion 12 can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, since exhaust section 16 is provided in trap section 15 as described above, the air within trap section 15 can be discharged when the path from the bottom of bowl section 12 to pressure pump 20 is generally filled with wastewater, allowing the path to be filled smoothly with wastewater.

[0031] 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, pumping can be performed even if flow sensor 24 fails or detects erroneously, and overflow from bowl portion 12 can be suppressed. In addition, in the above-mentioned pre-water supply, the manner of determining whether a predetermined amount of cleaning water has been supplied after the water supply valve 7 is opened may be time control instead of the manner of control based on the measurement of the flow rate sensor 24 as described above.

[0032] When the pump drive unit 21 is started, wastewater is pumped from the casing 23 to the wastewater discharge pipe 18 as shown in FIG. 3(a). After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of this pumping, that is, after the pump drive unit 21 is started, the water supply valve 7 may be closed. 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 the bowl section 12 and the trap section 15 is drained. The illustrated example shows a state in which there is residual water in the discharge section 14 on the bottom side of the bowl section 12 and on the bottom side of the casing 23. In this state, the wastewater discharge pipe 18 and the bowl section 12 are in communication, that is, in a broken state, but since the backflow prevention mechanism 19 is provided in the wastewater discharge pipe 18, it is possible to prevent the bad odor from the drain pipe 3 (sewer) from entering the room.

[0033] Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the water supply valve 7 was closed (or the pump drive unit 21 was started), the pump drive unit 21 may be stopped to end the pumping. Instead of such time control, for example, a suitable 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 drive 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. 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. 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] An example of the small flush mode that is executed when small flush operation unit 28 is operated has been described above, but the large flush mode that is executed when large flush operation unit 27 is operated (for example, a pushing operation) is generally the same. In the large flush mode, for example, the amount of flush water supplied may be controlled to be greater than the amount of flush water supplied in the small flush mode. Also, in the large flush mode, the drive time of pump drive unit 21 may be made longer than the drive time of pump drive unit 21 in the small flush mode, or the drive of pump drive unit 21 may be controlled so that, while flush water is being supplied, pressure-feeding is performed multiple times.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Next, an example of the abnormality resolution mode will be described with reference to FIG. The above operation example is executed by controlling each unit in accordance with a control program stored in a storage unit provided in the control unit 25, as in the above. In this operation example, as described above, in a non-cleaning state, that is, in a standby state in which the cleaning mode is not being executed (step S100), if the flow rate sensor 24 detects, that is, cleaning water is being supplied (step S101), and the water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level (step S102), the abnormality resolution mode is executed. In this abnormality resolution mode, the notification unit 29 is activated (step S103). With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that an abnormality has occurred, and to encourage the user to stop using the device or to perform maintenance, etc. The notification unit 29 may be stopped when a predetermined time has passed, or may be stopped when the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level.

[0038] Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since water level sensor 17 detected an abnormal water level (step S104), pump drive unit 21 is started (pressure pump 20 is operated) to perform pressure feeding (step S105). This predetermined time may be set according to the measurement value of flow rate sensor 24 so as to prevent flush water from overflowing from bowl portion 12. If the measurement value of flow rate sensor 24 is large, that is, the flow rate of flush water supplied to bowl portion 12 is large, the predetermined time may be shortened, and if the measurement value of flow rate sensor 24 is small, that is, the flow rate of flush water supplied to bowl portion 12 is small, the predetermined time may be lengthened. Moreover, the pump driving unit 21 may be stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the pump driving unit 21. Alternatively, similarly to the above, an appropriate water level sensor may be provided to detect the water level in the casing 23, etc., and the pump driving unit 21 may be stopped when the water level reaches the pump stop level. In addition, flush water may be supplied during pressure-feeding in the abnormality resolution mode. In addition, pressure-feeding in the abnormality resolution mode may be the discharge mode described above. In addition, after pressure-feeding is performed, if the water level sensor 17 detects no abnormal water level, post-water supply as described above may be performed.

[0039] The above-mentioned operation example is merely one example, and appropriate modifications are possible. For example, in the above example, the notification unit 29 and the pressure pump 20 are operated in the abnormality resolution mode, but only one of them may be operated. In the above example, the control unit 25 executes the abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the measurement value of the flow sensor 24 is abnormal and that the detection of the water level sensor 17 is abnormal, but this is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 25 may execute the abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the measurement value of the flow sensor 24 is abnormal, or may execute the abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the detection of the water level sensor 17 is abnormal. In the above example, the control unit 25 judges an abnormality when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in a non-flushing state (standby state), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 25 may judge an abnormality when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in a flushing state (flushing mode in progress). That is, when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in the flushing state and the measured value of the flow rate sensor 24 is abnormal (for example, a predetermined value or less (a flow rate less than a normal flow rate)), the control unit 25 may judge an abnormality (poor water supply) and execute the abnormality resolution mode. Alternatively, when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in the flushing state and the detection of the water level sensor 17 is abnormal (for example, a water level during normal flushing (for example, the same level as the abnormal water level described above) or less), the control unit 25 may judge an abnormality (poor water supply) and execute the abnormality resolution mode. In this case, the control unit 25 may judge an abnormality when the water level sensor 17 does not detect the water level.

[0040] Furthermore, if the control unit 25 determines that the measurement value of the flow rate sensor 24 is abnormal and the detection of the water level sensor 17 is abnormal when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in the flushing state, the control unit 25 may execute an abnormality resolution mode. When the abnormality resolution mode is executed while the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 is in the flushing state as described above, the notification unit 29 may be operated without operating the pressure-feed pump 20. In the above example, the flow rate sensor 24 is provided in the cleansing water supply pipe 8, but it may be provided in the supply pipe of the local cleansing device 9 instead of or in addition to the cleansing water supply pipe 8. Even in this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the water supply valve provided upstream of the supply pipe of the local cleansing device 9 is shutting off properly, whether the water supply is insufficient, etc. Furthermore, in addition to flow sensor 24 that measures the flow rate of the flow path of cleaning water supplied to bowl portion 12, a configuration may be provided in which a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of the flow path downstream of pressure-feed pump 20 is provided. In this case, by monitoring the difference between the amount of water supplied on the water supply side and the amount of water discharged on the water discharge side, it may be possible to determine an abnormality (e.g., poor pressure-feeding).

[0041] Furthermore, the flush operation unit 26 (large flush operation unit 27 and small flush operation unit 28) is not limited to a configuration in which it is operated by pressing, and may be a non-contact type operation unit that receives detection of the user's hand or the like as an operation. Moreover, instead of or in addition to a mode in which the flush operation signal is output by 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 soiling 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 each member and each part of the pressure-feed toilet device 1 described above, and the basic operations executed in the pressure-feed toilet device 1 are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible.

[0042] <Additional Notes> The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques. <Technology 1> A pressure-feed toilet device comprising a pressure pump that pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from a bowl portion toward a drain pipe, a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of the flow path of flushing water supplied to the bowl portion, and a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the measurement value from the flow sensor is abnormal for the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device. <Technology 2> A pressure-feed toilet device comprising: a pressure pump that pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from a bowl portion toward a drain pipe; a trap portion arranged to connect the discharge portion at the lower end of the bowl portion to the pressure-feed pump; a water level sensor that detects the water level downstream of the water seal portion of the trap portion and upstream of the remaining water portion after pressure-feeding by the pressure-feed pump; and a control portion that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode if it determines that the detection by the water level sensor is abnormal with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device. <Technology 3> A pressure-feed toilet device as described in Technology 2, which is equipped with a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of the flow path of flushing water supplied to the bowl section, and when the control unit determines that the measurement value by the flow sensor is abnormal and that the detection by the water level sensor is abnormal, with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device, it executes the abnormality resolution mode. <Technology 4> The pressure-feed toilet device according to any one of Techniques 1 to 3, further comprising an alarm unit, wherein the control unit activates the alarm unit in the abnormality resolution mode. <Technology 5> The pressure-feed toilet device according to any one of Techniques 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines the abnormality when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device is in a non-flushing state. <Technology 6> The pressure-feed toilet device according to Art 5, wherein the control unit operates the pressure pump in the abnormality resolution mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1. Pressure-feed toilet device 8 Cleaning water supply pipe (flow path) 12 Bowl section 14 Discharge section 15 Trap section 15c Water sealing part 17 Water level sensor 20 Pressure Pump 24 Flow Sensor 25 Control Unit 29. Notification Department 3 Drain pipe

Claims

1. a pressure pump that pressure-feeds the wastewater discharged from the bowl portion toward a drain pipe; a flow rate sensor for measuring a flow rate of the cleaning water supplied to the bowl portion; a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode when it is determined that the measurement value by the flow rate sensor is abnormal with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device; A pressure-feed toilet device comprising:

2. a pressure pump that pressure-feeds the wastewater discharged from the bowl portion toward a drain pipe; a trap portion provided to connect a discharge portion at a lower end of the bowl portion and the pressure feed pump; a water level sensor that detects a water level downstream of a water seal portion of the trap portion and upstream of a residual water portion after pumping by the pumping pump; a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality resolution mode when it is determined that the detection by the water level sensor is abnormal with respect to the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device; A pressure-feed toilet device comprising:

3. In claim 2, A flow rate sensor is provided to measure the flow rate of the cleaning water supplied to the bowl portion, The control unit executes the abnormality resolution mode when it determines that the measurement value by the flow sensor is abnormal and that the detection by the water level sensor is abnormal for the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, Equipped with a notification unit, The pressure-feed toilet device, wherein the control unit activates the notification unit in the abnormality resolution mode.

5. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The pressure-feed toilet device, wherein the control unit determines the abnormality when the operating state of the pressure-feed toilet device is a non-flushing state.

6. In claim 5, The pressure-feed toilet device, wherein the control unit operates the pressure pump in the abnormality resolution mode.

Images