Pressure-feed toilet device

Abstract

To provide a pressure-feed toilet device capable of efficiently detecting pressure-feed abnormality.SOLUTION: A pressure-feed toilet device 1 includes: a pressure-feed pump 20 for pressure-feeding waste water discharged from a bowl part 12 toward a drain pipe 3; a water level sensor 17 that detects an abnormal water level downstream of a discharge part 14 of the bowl part after the pressure-feed pump starts a pressure-feed operation; and a control unit 25 that is configured so as to, upon the water level sensor detecting the abnormal water level when a predetermined time elapses after completion of the pressure-feed operation, cause a predetermined abnormality response mode to be executed.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 toilet device equipped with a pressure-feed device that agitates waste contained in wastewater discharged from the toilet body and pumps it together with the wastewater to a downstream drain pipe leading to the sewer. In this pressure-feed toilet device, when a predetermined time has passed since the agitation means and pressure-feeding means in the storage tank of the pressure-feeding device started operating, it is determined whether the water level detected by the water level detection means is equal to or higher than a predetermined water level, and if it is equal to or higher than the predetermined water level, an alert is issued. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-170414 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the pressure-feed toilet device described in Patent Document 1 above, the waste is agitated in the storage tank by an agitation means, and the water level is detected while the waste is being pumped out, which raises concerns that the water level may fluctuate significantly.

[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 effectively detect pressure-feed abnormalities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the pressure-feed toilet device of the first 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 water level sensor that detects an abnormal water level downstream of the discharge portion of the bowl portion after the pressure-feeding operation of the pressure-feed pump, and a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality response mode if the water level sensor detects an abnormal water level when a predetermined time has elapsed after the pressure-feeding operation of the pressure-feed pump has ended.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the pressure-feed toilet device of the second present disclosure comprises a flushing water supply unit which supplies flushing water to a bowl section, a pressure-feed pump which pressure-feeds wastewater discharged from the bowl section towards a drain pipe, a water level sensor which detects an abnormal water level downstream of the discharge section of the bowl section after the pressure-feeding operation of the pressure-feed pump, and a control unit which controls the pressure-feed pump and the flushing water supply unit, and the control unit is characterized in that if the water level sensor detects an abnormal water level due to the supply of flushing water for storage to the bowl section after the pressure-feeding operation of the pressure-feed pump, it executes a predetermined abnormality response mode. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The pressure-feed toilet device according to the present disclosure is configured as described above, and is therefore capable of effectively detecting pressure-feed abnormalities. [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 flush water supply section 6 which supplies flush water to the bowl section 12. This flush water supply section 6 is equipped with a flush water supply pipe 8 whose downstream end serves as a supply port which supplies flush water towards the bowl section 12, and a water supply valve 7 which opens and closes this flush water supply pipe 8 to supply or cut off flush water. The upstream end of the flush water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pipe 2 such as a water pipe. In other words, the flush water supply section 6 may be of the direct water pressure type. However, instead of this embodiment, the upstream end of the flush water supply pipe 8 may be connected to a water supply pump, water tank, or the like. Also, an appropriate branch pipe which branches off from the upstream part of the flush water supply pipe 8 may be connected to the private parts washing 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.

[0015] 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 after the pressure-feeding operation of the pressure pump 20. In this embodiment, this water level sensor 17 is provided so as to detect abnormal water levels at an intermediate location on the path from the discharge section 14 of the bowl section 12 to the pressure-feed pump 20. In the illustrated example, the water level sensor 17 is provided on the suction side of a casing 23 of the pressure-feed pump 20, which will be described later. 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.

[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. The water level sensor 17 is provided to detect the water level downstream of the water sealing portion 15c of the trap portion 15 and upstream of the remaining water portion after pumping by the pressure pump 20. In the illustrated example, 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 pump 20.

[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] 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.

[0022] The pressure-feed toilet device 1 is equipped with a control unit 25 (see FIG. 4(a)) that executes a prescribed abnormality response mode if the water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level a prescribed time after the pressure-feed operation of the pressure pump 20 has ended. With this configuration, the water level to be detected can be detected in a stable state, and false detections can be prevented, compared to a configuration in which an abnormal water level is detected while the pressure pump 20 is operating or immediately after the pressure pump 20 is stopped. Also, for example, when detecting an abnormal water level while the pressure pump 20 is operating or immediately after the pressure pump 20 is stopped, there is a concern that detection may be difficult if wastewater backflows after the pressure-feed operation; however, with the above configuration, detection is possible even in such cases.

[0023] Instead of or in addition to the above, the control unit 25 may execute a predetermined abnormality response mode if the water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level due to the supply of flush water for pooling to the bowl portion 12 after the pumping operation of the pressure-feed pump 20. For example, if flush water for pooling is supplied when a relatively large amount of pooled water remains in the bowl portion 12 after the pumping operation without completely flowing out, there is a concern that the amount of remaining water will increase downstream, but the control unit 25 can detect an abnormal water level in such a case. In this case, the control unit 25 may operate the pressure-feed pump 20 in the abnormality response mode. With this configuration, the remaining water downstream can be pumped out.

[0024] The control unit 25 controls the flush water supply unit 6 and the pressure-feed pump 20, and if the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level (if it does not detect an abnormal water level) when a predetermined time has elapsed since the pumping operation of the pressure-feed pump 20 ended, it causes flush water for storage to be supplied to the bowl portion 12. On the other hand, in the abnormality response mode, the control unit 25 ends the flush mode without supplying flush water for storage to the bowl portion 12. With this configuration, flush water for storage can be supplied to the bowl portion 12 if the water level is not abnormal after the pumping operation ends. On the other hand, if flush water for storage is supplied to the bowl portion 12 when the water level is abnormal after the pumping operation ends, there is a concern that the amount of remaining water will increase further, but there is no such concern.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 the flushing operation unit 26 is not being operated (flushing operation), that is, in a non-flushing state, as shown in Fig. 2(a), flushing water is stored in the bowl portion 12 up to the height of the water sealing portion 15c of the trap portion 15. Also, in the standby state, if the pumping in the previous execution of the flushing mode described below has been performed normally, there will be no residual water to be discharged from the bent portion 15b and the hanging portion 15d of the trap portion 15, and they will be in an empty state, and there will be residual water to be discharged from 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 will not detect the water.

[0028] 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 operation unit 28 is operated (eg, pressed), the small-flush mode is executed as shown in FIGS. 2(b) to 3(c) and 4(b). When small-cleaning operation section 28 is operated, cleaning and pressure-feeding are performed (step S100). That is, the water supply valve 7 is opened, and 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 level of the casing 23 and the trap section 15 rises, as shown in FIG. 2(b) and (c). That is, 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the pumping operation was completed (step S101), if water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level (step S102), flush water for storage is supplied to bowl section 12, and then water is supplied (step S103). The above-mentioned predetermined time may be an appropriate time so that the water level in the remaining water section after the pumping operation is completed becomes stable, and may be a relatively short time, for example, about 0.5 to 5 seconds.

[0033] On the other hand, when the pumping operation is completed and the above-mentioned predetermined time has elapsed (step S101), if the water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level (step S102), the abnormality response mode is executed and the cleaning mode is terminated without executing post-water supply. In this operation example, the notification unit 29 is operated in the abnormality response mode (step S105). With such a configuration, it is possible to notify the user that an abnormality has occurred and to urge the user to stop using the device or to perform maintenance. The notification unit 29 may be stopped when the predetermined time has elapsed, or may be stopped when the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level.

[0034] In the post-supply of water in step S103, 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, similarly 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, even if the flow rate sensor 24 fails or detects erroneously, it is possible to prevent the trap section 15 or the bowl section 12 from reaching an abnormal water level. Note that 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] Also, if the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level during and after the post-water supply is completed (step S104), the cleaning mode is terminated, whereas if it detects an abnormal water level (step S104), the abnormality response mode is executed. At this time, if the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level until the predetermined time similar to that described above has elapsed after the post-water supply is started, that is, after the water supply valve 7 is opened and closed, the cleaning mode is terminated, whereas if it detects an abnormal water level, the abnormality response mode is executed. In this operation example, in the abnormality response mode after the post-water supply, the alarm unit 29 is operated (step S106), and the pump drive unit 21 is started (the pressure-feed pump 20 is operated) to perform pressure-feeding (step S107). At this time, the alarm unit 29 and the pressure-feed pump 20 may be operated simultaneously, or one may be operated before the other, for example, the alarm unit 29 may be operated before the pressure-feed pump 20. The alarm unit 29 may be stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed, as described above, or may be stopped when the water level sensor 17 does not detect an abnormal water level. In addition, in the pressure-feeding in the abnormality response mode after the subsequent water supply, only pressure-feeding may be performed, or a relatively small amount of flush water may be supplied.

[0036] Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed after the pumping operation is completed (step S101), the same operation as above is performed depending on whether or not the water level sensor 17 detects an abnormal water level (steps S102 to S107). Note that, although an example of the small-flush mode that is executed when the small-flush operation unit 28 is operated has been described above, the large-flush mode that is executed when the large-flush operation unit 27 is operated (for example, a pushing operation) is generally similar. 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 the pump drive unit 21 may be made longer than the drive time of the pump drive unit 21 in the small-flush mode, or the pump drive unit 21 may be driven and controlled so that pumping is performed multiple times while flush water is being supplied. In this case, when the final pumping operation has ended and the above-mentioned predetermined time has elapsed, the water level sensor 17 may monitor for an abnormal water level.

[0037] Also, 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 discharge mode in which the amount of water supplied in the pre-water supply is less than (or zero) than in the small flush mode and large flush mode. This discharge mode may be executed, for example, by receiving a discharge operation signal output by operating a discharge operation unit or the like provided at 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 discharge mode may be relatively small, and unlike the flush mode, pressure-feeding may be 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. Furthermore, after the pressure-feeding operation in the discharge mode is completed, abnormal water levels may be monitored by the water level sensor 17 in the same manner as described above. Furthermore, pressure-feeding in the abnormality response mode after the above-mentioned post-water supply may be in the discharge mode.

[0038] The above-mentioned operation example is merely one example, and appropriate modifications are possible. For example, in the above example, in the abnormality response mode after the pumping operation is completed (steps S102, S105), the notification unit 29 is activated without subsequent water supply, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, in the abnormality response mode after the pumping operation is completed, the notification unit 29 may not be activated, or the notification unit 29 may be activated while subsequent water is supplied. In the above example, the alarm unit 29 is activated and pressure feeding is performed in the abnormality response mode after the later water supply (steps S104, S106, S107), but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, in the abnormality response mode after the later water supply, the alarm unit 29 may not be activated, or pressure feeding may not be performed. In addition, in the above example, the water level sensor 17 monitors for abnormal water levels when the pumping operation has ended and the above-mentioned specified time has elapsed, and when post-water supply is being performed and when post-water supply has ended, but the water level sensor 17 may monitor for abnormal water levels only at one of these times.

[0039] 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, the trap 15 is provided in the path from the bottom of the bowl 12 to the pressure pump 20, but the trap 15 may not be provided, and a suitable sewage crushing tank or sewage storage tank may be provided as part of the same path. In this case, the water level sensor 17 may be provided to detect an abnormal water level in the sewage crushing tank or sewage storage tank. 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Pressure-feed toilet device 6. Washing water supply section 12 Bowl section 14 Discharge section 17 Water level sensor 20 Pressure Pump 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 water level sensor that detects an abnormal water level downstream of a discharge portion of the bowl portion after a pumping operation of the pressure pump; a control unit that executes a predetermined abnormality response mode if the water level sensor detects an abnormal water level when a predetermined time has elapsed since the pumping operation of the pressure pump is completed; A pressure-feed toilet device comprising:

2. In claim 1, The control unit controls a flush water supply unit which supplies flush water to the bowl section and the pressure pump, and if the water level sensor does not detect an abnormal water level when a predetermined time has elapsed since the pressure pump's pumping operation has ended, supplies flush water for storage to the bowl section, while in the abnormality response mode, ends the flush mode without supplying flush water for storage to the bowl section.

3. 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 water level sensor that detects an abnormal water level downstream of a discharge portion of the bowl portion after a pumping operation of the pressure pump; A control unit that controls the pressure pump and the cleaning water supply unit, The control unit is characterized in that if the water level sensor detects an abnormal water level due to the supply of flushing water for storage to the bowl section after the pressure pump operates, the control unit executes a predetermined abnormality response mode.

4. In claim 3, The pressure-feed toilet device, wherein the control unit operates the pressure pump in the abnormality response mode.

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

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