Drain plug opening and closing device

Abstract

To provide a drain plug opening and closing device that facilitates maintenance work of a power body and enables highly reliable filling of a bathtub with hot water.SOLUTION: A drain plug opening and closing device 1 of the present invention is used in a bathtub drainage mechanism 5. The bathtub drainage mechanism 5 includes a drain plug 52 and a switch 54. The drain plug opening and closing device 1 comprises a case 11, a power body 15, an operation body 17, a control section 19, and a pressing body 21. The power body 15 and the operation body 17 are provided inside the case 11. The control section 19 is provided inside the case, supplies electric power from the power body 15 to the operation body 17, and controls operation of the operation body 17. The control section 19 is capable of wireless communication with external devices 101 and 102. The pressing body 21 is provided on the operation body 17 and can press the switch 54. During filling operation, the control section 19 causes the pressing body 21 to press the switch 54 to displace the drain plug 52 to a closed state before supplying hot water 30 to a bathtub 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain plug opening / closing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional drain plug opening / closing devices are disclosed in FIGS. 5 to 7 of Patent Document 1. This drain plug opening / closing device is used in a bathtub drainage mechanism. The bathtub drainage mechanism includes a drainage path, a drain plug, and a switch. The drainage path is connected to the bathtub and can discharge the hot and cold water stored in the bathtub from the bathtub. The drain plug is provided in the drainage path and can be displaced between an open state in which the drainage path is opened and a closed state in which the drainage path is closed. The switch is provided on the outer edge of the bathtub and is separated from the drain plug. The switch is connected to the drain plug by a power transmission member capable of transmitting a pressing operation on itself to the drain plug. Thereby, the switch can operate the drain plug by a pressing operation.

[0003] The drain plug opening / closing device includes an operation detection means, an electric drive unit, and a control unit. The operation detection means is installed in the bathroom at a position separated from the switch and thus from the bathtub. The operation detection means can detect the movement of the user's hand. The electric drive unit is provided in the drainage path and is connected to the drain plug. The electric drive unit has an electric motor as an operating body and also has a power supply body for supplying power to the electric motor. The power supply body is a rechargeable battery or a dry battery. The control unit is also provided in the drainage path. The control unit can control the operation of the electric drive unit. Further, the control unit can communicate wirelessly with the operation detection means.

[0004] In this drain plug opening and closing device, when the drain plug is in the closed state, if the user holds their hand over the motion detection means for 5 seconds, the motion detection means will react. As a result, motion information is transmitted from the motion detection means to the control unit, and the control unit activates the electric drive unit. Consequently, the electric drive unit displaces the drain plug from the closed state to the open state. Similarly, when the drain plug is in the open state, if the user holds their hand over the motion detection means, the control unit activates the electric drive unit, causing the electric drive unit to displace the drain plug from the open state to the closed state. Thus, according to this drain plug opening and closing device, the user can displace the drain plug between the open state and the closed state without performing a pressing operation on a switch.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the above conventional drain plug opening and closing device, as maintenance work for the power source, it is necessary to periodically perform charging work for the rechargeable battery or replacement work for the dry battery. However, in this drain plug opening and closing device, since the power source, and thus the electric drive unit, is provided inside the drain pipe, when performing maintenance work on the power source, the user or the operator performing the maintenance work needs to remove the electric drive unit from the drain pipe together with the drain plug. And after the maintenance work on the power source is completed, it is necessary to reposition these drain plug and electric drive unit in the drain pipe again. Therefore, in this drain plug opening and closing device, it is difficult to easily perform the maintenance work on the power source.

[0007] In addition, in this drain plug opening / closing device, when performing a filling operation in which hot and cold water is supplied to the bathtub and stored in the bathtub, the user must either press the switch in advance to close the drain plug or have the drain plug opening / closing device close the drain plug. However, there are cases where the user forgets to displace the drain plug to the closed state or where the user misunderstands that the drain plug is in the closed state even though it is in the open state. In such cases, the hot and cold water supplied to the bathtub is not stored in the bathtub but is discharged from the drain passage, resulting in a situation where the bathtub cannot be filled with water.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and an object to be solved is to provide a drain plug opening / closing device that enables easy maintenance work of the power supply body and enables reliable filling of the bathtub.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0009] The drain plug opening / closing device of the present invention is a drain plug opening / closing device used in a bathtub drainage mechanism, The bathtub drainage mechanism includes a drain passage connected to the bathtub and capable of discharging the hot and cold water stored in the bathtub from the bathtub, a drain plug provided in the drain passage and displaceable between an open state in which the drain passage is opened and a closed state in which the drain passage is closed, and a switch attached to an attachment portion separated from the drain plug and connected to the drain plug so as to be capable of power transmission, and operating the drain plug by a pressing operation on itself. The drain plug opening / closing device includes a case detachably provided on the attachment portion, A power supply body provided inside the case, An operating body provided inside the case, A control unit provided inside the case, for supplying power from the power supply body to the operating body and controlling the operation of the operating body, And a pressing body provided on the operating body and capable of pressing the switch while moving from the case toward the switch by the operation of the operating body. The case covers the switch when provided on the attachment portion, The power supply body is a rechargeable battery or a dry battery, the control unit is capable of wireless communication with an external device located outside the case, the user can select a water filling operation in which the external device supplies hot and cold water to the bathtub and stores the hot and cold water in the bathtub, the control unit is characterized in that, during the water filling operation, the switch is pressed against the pressing body to displace the drain plug to the closed state prior to the supply of hot and cold water to the bathtub.

[0010] In the drain plug opening / closing device of the present invention, a power supply body is provided in a case, and this case is detachably provided on an attachment portion to which a switch is attached. Therefore, in this drain plug opening / closing device, when performing a charging operation of a rechargeable battery or a replacement operation of a dry battery, that is, a maintenance operation of the power supply body, the case including the power supply body can be easily moved from the attachment portion.

[0011] Further, in this drain plug opening / closing device, the control unit is capable of wireless communication with an external device. The user can select a water filling operation with this external device. Then, during the water filling operation, the control unit presses the switch against the pressing body to displace the drain plug to the closed state prior to the supply of hot and cold water to the bathtub. Therefore, according to this drain plug opening / closing device, it is possible to highly reliably prevent hot and cold water from being supplied to the bathtub while the drain plug is in the open state.

[0012] Therefore, the drain plug opening / closing device of the present invention facilitates the maintenance operation of the power supply body and can highly reliably perform the water filling of the bathtub.

[0013] In addition, in this drain plug opening / closing device, the switch can be pressed by the pressing body because the case provided on the attachment portion covers the switch. Therefore, this drain plug opening / closing device can increase the types of switches that can be supported, and thus the types of drain mechanisms for the bathtub.

[0014] In the drain plug opening / closing device of the present invention, the power source body can be a rechargeable battery. And it is preferable that a power supply unit for supplying power to the rechargeable battery is provided at the uppermost part of the case. In this case, when supplying power to the rechargeable battery, that is, when charging the rechargeable battery, it is not necessary to take out the rechargeable battery from the case. Also, since the power supply unit is provided at the uppermost part of the case, the charging operation of the rechargeable battery can be easily performed.

[0015] Also, the control unit can determine whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state, and can transmit a determination signal based on the determination to an external device. And it is preferable that the external device can notify the user whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state based on the determination signal.

[0016] In this case, the control unit can suitably control the operation of the operating body based on the determination of whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state. Also, since the determination signal is transmitted from the control unit to the external device, in this drain plug opening / closing device, even if the user is at a position away from the drain plug, the user can know whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state through the external device. Therefore, this drain plug opening / closing device can improve convenience.

[0017] The bathtub can have a water storage part for storing hot and cold water and connected to a drain passage, and an outer edge surrounding the water storage part. Also, the mounting part can be the outer edge. Further, the case can be placed on the outer edge and cover the switch from above. And it is preferable that the mass of the power source body is larger than the load when the pressing body presses the switch.

[0018] Regarding the mass of the power supply body, by making it larger than the load when the pressing body presses the switch, the mass of the entire drain plug opening / closing device including the power supply body can be preferably made larger than the load when the pressing body presses the switch. Therefore, in this drain plug opening / closing device, when the pressing body presses the switch, it is possible to preferably prevent the case from rising from the outer edge of the bathtub due to the reaction force from the switch or the occurrence of displacement between the case and the switch. As a result, in this drain plug opening / closing device, since the pressing body can preferably press the switch, the drain plug can be preferably displaced between the open state and the closed state.

[0019] Also, in this drain plug opening / closing device, when preventing the case from rising or the displacement between the case and the switch, it is not always necessary to fix the case to the outer edge in the state where the case is placed on the outer edge. Therefore, in this drain plug opening / closing device, the attachment and detachment of the case to and from the outer edge can be facilitated.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] The drain plug opening / closing device of the present invention enables easy maintenance work of the power supply body and can perform the filling of the bathtub with high certainty.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, Embodiments 1 and 2 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] (Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 according to Embodiment 1 is used in a bathtub 3 of a house (not shown). More specifically, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is used in a bathtub drainage mechanism 5 provided in the bathtub 3.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 are defined by the arrows shown in FIG. 1. And in FIGS. 2 and later, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 are defined corresponding to FIG. 1. These vertical direction and horizontal direction are orthogonal to each other. Also, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the bathtub 3 correspond to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the drain plug opening / closing device 1.

[0025] The bathtub 3 is arranged in the bathroom H. The bathtub 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open upper side, and has an outer peripheral wall 3a, a water storage part 3b, and an outer edge 3c. The outer edge 3c is an example of the "mounting part" in the present invention.

[0026] The outer peripheral wall 3a is located outside the water storage part 3b. The outer peripheral wall 3a extends substantially vertically in the vertical direction while surrounding the water storage part 3b from the outside. Thereby, the outer peripheral wall 3a constitutes the outer surface of the bathtub 3.

[0027] The water storage part 3b is located substantially at the center of the bathtub 3 and is recessed from above downward. Thereby, the water storage part 3b has a bottom wall 301 and an inner peripheral wall 302. The bottom wall 301 is located at the lowest position of the water storage part 3b. The inner peripheral wall 302 is connected to the bottom wall 301 and extends substantially vertically upward while surrounding the bottom wall 301 in the circumferential direction. The water storage part 3b can store hot and cold water 30, and a user (not shown) of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 can take a bath in the hot and cold water 30.

[0028] Also, a water supply device 4 and a drain passage 51 are connected to the water storage part 3b. The water supply device 4 is connected to the inner peripheral wall 302 and can supply hot and cold water 30 into the water storage part 3b from a water heater (not shown) provided outside the bathroom H. On the other hand, the drain passage 51 is connected to the bottom wall 301. Thereby, the drain passage 51 is arranged at a position separated downward from the water supply device 4 in the water storage part 3b. Details of the drain passage 51 will be described later.

[0029] The outer edge 3c is arranged between the outer peripheral wall 3a and the water storage part 3b. The outer edge 3c extends substantially horizontally and is connected to the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 3a and the inner peripheral wall 302. Thereby, the outer edge 3c is integral with the outer peripheral wall 3a and the water storage part 3b and is located at the uppermost position in the bathtub 3. And the outer edge 3c surrounds the water storage part 3b from the outside. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, an attachment opening 31 is formed in the outer edge 3c. The attachment opening 31 penetrates the outer edge 3c in the vertical direction.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the bathtub drain mechanism 5 is composed of a drain passage 51, a drain plug 52, a holding member 53, a switch 54, a cable housing 55, and a power transmission device 56.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the drain passage 51 has a main body passage 51a and a connection passage 51b. One end of the main body passage 51a is connected to the bottom wall 301 of the water storage portion 3b and faces the water storage portion 3b. On the other hand, although not shown, the other end of the main body passage 51a is connected to the outside of the bathroom H. The connection passage 51b is connected to the main body passage 51a and protrudes radially outward from the main body passage 51a.

[0032] The drain plug 52 is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract with respect to the drain passage 51, more specifically, the main body passage 51a, and is displaceable between the open state shown in FIG. 5 and the closed state shown in FIG. 1. When the drain plug 52 is displaced to the open state shown in FIG. 5, it protrudes upward from the main body passage 51a. Thereby, the drain plug 52 in the open state opens the drain passage 51 and communicates the water storage portion 3b and the inside of the main body passage 51a. On the other hand, when the drain plug 52 is displaced to the closed state shown in FIG. 1, it covers the drain passage 51 from above. Thereby, the drain plug 52 in the closed state closes the drain passage 51 and makes the water storage portion 3b and the inside of the main body passage 51a non - communicating.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the holding member 53 is fixed inside the main body passage 51a. Thereby, the holding member 53 is disposed inside the main body passage 51a. Further, the drain plug 52 is inserted through the holding member 53. Thereby, the holding member 53 holds the drain plug 52 so as to be able to protrude and retract. Furthermore, a plurality of through - holes 53a are formed in the holding member 53. Each through - hole 53a penetrates the holding member 53 in the vertical direction, and the hot and cold water 30 in the main body passage 51a can flow through.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the switch 54 has a switch housing 54a and a switch body 54b. The switch housing 54a has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The switch housing 54a is disposed between the outer peripheral wall 3a and the inner peripheral wall 302 of the bathtub 3 and extends into the bathtub 3. The switch housing 54a has a first diameter portion 541 and a second diameter portion 542. The first diameter portion 541 constitutes the upper part of the switch housing 54a. The first diameter portion 541 is fixed to the mounting opening 31 while being inserted through the mounting opening 31 of the outer edge 3c. Thus, the switch housing 54a is fixed to the outer edge 3c and faces upward from the outer edge 3c into the bathroom H. The second diameter portion 542 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the first diameter portion 541. The second diameter portion 542 is connected to the lower end of the first diameter portion 541 and extends downward from the first diameter portion 541.

[0035] The switch body 54b is disposed inside the switch housing 54a. Here, as described above, the drain plug 52 is provided in the drain passage 51 connected to the water storage portion 3b of the bathtub 3. On the other hand, the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3 to which the switch housing 54a is fixed is located above the water storage portion 3b. Therefore, in the bathtub drain mechanism 5, the switch 54 including the switch body 54b is disposed at a distance from the drain plug 52.

[0036] The switch body 54b has a head portion 543 and a shaft portion 544. The head portion 543 is located at the upper end of the switch body 54b. The head portion 543 has a larger diameter than the second diameter portion 542 of the switch housing 54a and is formed to have a smaller diameter than the first diameter portion 541.

[0037] The shaft portion 544 is integral with the head portion 543 and extends downward from the head portion 543. The shaft portion 544 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the second diameter portion 542 and enters into the second diameter portion 542.

[0038] The switch body 54b is movable vertically inside the switch housing 54a when pressed by the drain plug opening / closing device 1 or the user. As a result, the switch body 54b can be displaced to the plugging position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the unplugging position shown in FIG. 4, and the release position shown in FIG. 7. When the switch body 54b is in the plugging position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head 543 protrudes slightly above the switch housing 54a and thus the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3. Details of these plugging position, unplugging position, and release position will be described later.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the cable housing 55 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and one end is connected to the connection passage 51b of the drain passage 51. Then, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the other end of the cable housing 55 is connected to the second diameter portion 542 of the switch housing 54a. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the cable housing 55 is disposed between the drain passage 51 and the switch housing 54a and connects the drain passage 51 and the switch housing 54a.

[0040] The power transmission device 56 has a device body 56a and a transmission cable 56b. As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the device body 56a is fixed inside the second diameter portion 542 of the switch housing 54a. The shaft portion 544 of the switch body 54b can enter the device body 56a. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the device body 56a has a locking member and a biasing member. The locking member locks the shaft portion 544 to hold the switch body 54b in the unplugging position when the switch body 54b is displaced to the unplugging position. Further, the locking member releases the locking of the shaft portion 544 when the switch body 54b is displaced to the release position shown in FIG. 7. The biasing member biases the switch body 54b toward the plugging position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 1, one end of the transmission cable 56b is connected to the drain plug 52 via the holding member 53. Then, the transmission cable 56b extends into the cable housing 55 from within the main body passage 51a and the connection passage 51b, and the other end is connected to the apparatus main body 56a.

[0042] The power transmission device 56 transmits the pressing operation on the switch main body 54b to the drain plug 52. That is, when the switch main body 54b is displaced from the closed position to the open position by the pressing operation on the switch main body 54b, the power transmission device 56 displaces the drain plug 52 to the open state by pushing up the drain plug 52 by the transmission cable 56b (see Fig. 5). And when the switch main body 54b is displaced to the closed position by the pressing operation on the switch main body 54b, the power transmission device 56 displaces the drain plug 52 to the closed state by pulling down the drain plug 52 by the transmission cable 56b (see Fig. 1). Note that the configuration of the power transmission device 56 can be appropriately designed as long as the pressing operation on the switch main body 54b can be transmitted to the drain plug 52.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 2 and the like, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 includes a case 11, a power supply unit 13, a rechargeable battery 15, a stepping motor 17, a control unit 19, and a pressing plate 21. The rechargeable battery 15 is an example of the "power supply body" in the present invention, and the stepping motor 17 is an example of the "operating body" in the present invention. And the pressing plate 21 is an example of the "pressing body" in the present invention.

[0044] The case 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction (not shown) orthogonal to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in addition to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The case 11 is made of resin. A housing space 41 is formed in the case 11. The housing space 41 is recessed into the inside of the case 11 downward from the upper end of the case 11. The housing space 41 is composed of a first space portion 41a, a second space portion 41b, a third space portion 41c, and a fourth space portion 41d. Note that the case 11 may be made of metal such as stainless steel or pottery.

[0045] The first space part 41a, the second space part 41b, the third space part 41c, and the fourth space part 41d are arranged in this order from above to below. These first to fourth space parts 41a to 41d communicate with each other. The sizes of the first to fourth space parts 41a to 41d are designed according to the objects to be accommodated inside respectively.

[0046] Also, a recess 43 is formed in the case 11. The recess 43 is recessed upward from the lower end of the case 11. Further, a partition wall 45 is formed between the fourth space part 41d, that is, the accommodation space 41, and the recess 43 in the case 11. The partition wall 45 constitutes the lower surface of the fourth space part 41d and also constitutes the upper surface of the recess 43.

[0047] A first proximity sensor 23 is attached to the partition wall 45 in a state facing upward of the fourth space part 41d. Also, a shaft hole 45a is formed in the partition wall 45. The shaft hole 45a is columnar and penetrates the partition wall 45 in the vertical direction, and communicates with the accommodation space 41 and the recess 43. In other words, the accommodation space 41 and the recess 43 communicate only at the shaft hole 45a, and the portions other than the shaft hole 45a are partitioned by the partition wall 45 and are non - communicating. An annular seal member 47 is provided inside the shaft hole 45a.

[0048] Also, leg portions 49 are formed on the case 11. The leg portions 49 are arranged at positions below the case 11 and on both the left and right sides of the recess 43. Also, a leg mat 49a made of synthetic rubber is attached to the lower end of the leg portion 49. Note that the attachment of the leg mat 49a may be omitted.

[0049] The power supply unit 13 is accommodated in the first space part 41a of the accommodation space 41 and is fixed to the first space part 41a. Thereby, the power supply unit 13 is arranged at the uppermost part of the accommodation space 41, that is, at the uppermost part of the case 11. It has a power supply connector 13a that can be connected to the rechargeable battery 15 in an energizable manner. Also, although detailed illustration is omitted, the power supply unit 13 has a power receiving coil.

[0050] The power supply unit 13 is capable of electromagnetic induction with the charging pad 14 shown in FIG. 6. The charging pad 14 is separate from the drain plug opening / closing device 1 and is arranged outside the bathroom H. The charging pad 14 has a power supply cable 14a that can be energized and connected to a household power supply, and also has a power transmission coil (not shown).

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the rechargeable battery 15 is housed in the second space portion 41b of the housing space 41 and is fixed to the second space portion 41b. Thereby, the rechargeable battery 15 is arranged below the power supply unit 13 in the housing space 41. Here, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, a rechargeable battery 15 with a mass of 1 kg or more is adopted. Specifically, the mass of the rechargeable battery 15 is about 1.2 kg. The rechargeable battery 15 is connected to the power supply connector 13a. Thereby, the power supply unit 13 and the rechargeable battery 15 are energizably connected. Note that the rechargeable battery 15 may have a weight for adjusting the mass.

[0052] The stepping motor 17 has a motor body 17a and a rod 17b. The motor body 17a has a connection cable 17c. Also, the motor body 17a is provided with a rotor (not shown) and a plurality of stators inside. The stepping motor 17 is a commercially available product, and by switching the energization to each stator, the rotor rotates at a predetermined rotation angle.

[0053] The rod 17b extends in the vertical direction in the axial direction and is inserted through the motor body 17a. The rod 17b converts the rotation of the rotor into linear motion in the axial direction.

[0054] The stepping motor 17 is housed in the fourth space portion 41d of the housing space 41 with the motor body 17a above the rod 17b. At this time, in the stepping motor 17, the lower part of the rod 17b is inserted into the shaft hole 45a. Thereby, the seal member 47 seals the space between the rod 17b and the shaft hole 45a. Also, in the stepping motor 17, the motor body 17a is held in the fourth space portion 41d by the circlips 20a and 20b.

[0055] Also, in the stepping motor 17, a flange portion 17d is fixed to a position on the rod 17b above the shaft hole 45a. The flange portion 17d is formed in a plate shape. A second proximity sensor 25 is attached to the flange portion 17d so as to face the first proximity sensor 23 from above.

[0056] In the stepping motor 17, the rod 17b moves up and down with respect to the motor body 17a by converting the rotation of the rotor into linear motion in the axial direction. As a result, the rod 17b is displaceable between the initial position shown in FIG. 2, the first position shown in FIG. 3, the second position shown in FIG. 4, and the third position shown in FIG. 7.

[0057] In the initial position shown in FIG. 2, the rod 17b protrudes downward from the motor body 17a in the shortest state. Further, when the rod 17b is in the initial position, the flange portion 17d abuts against the motor body 17a. Furthermore, when the rod 17b is in the initial position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 are most separated from each other in the vertical direction.

[0058] In the first position shown in FIG. 3, the rod 17b protrudes downward from the motor body 17a longer than in the initial position. Therefore, in the first position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 approach each other in the vertical direction more than in the initial position. Also, in the second position shown in FIG. 4, the rod 17b protrudes downward from the motor body 17a longer than in the first position. Therefore, in the second position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 approach each other in the vertical direction more than in the first position.

[0059] In the third position shown in FIG. 7, the rod 17b protrudes downward from the motor main body 17a longer than in the second position. As a result, when the rod 17b is in the third position, it protrudes downward from the motor main body 17a the longest. When the rod 17b is in the third position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 approach each other in the vertical direction more than in the second position. Therefore, when the rod 17b is in the third position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 are closest to each other in the vertical direction.

[0060] The control unit 19 is housed in the third space portion 41c of the accommodation space 41 and is fixed to the third space portion 41c. As a result, the control unit 19 is disposed between the rechargeable battery 15 and the stepping motor 17 in the accommodation space 41.

[0061] The control unit 19 is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 15 through the power cable 19a and is also electrically connected to the motor main body 17a of the stepping motor 17 through the connection cable 17c. The control unit 19 is communicably connected to the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25. Further, the control unit 19 is communicably connected to a contact sensor 27, which will be described later.

[0062] The control unit 19 includes a control main body 19b composed of a plurality of semiconductors and a communication device 19c. The control main body 19b controls the charging of the rechargeable battery 15 by controlling the power supply from the power supply unit 13 to the rechargeable battery 15. The control main body 19b also supplies power from the rechargeable battery 15 to the stepping motor 17 while controlling the operation of the stepping motor 17. Further, the control main body 19b determines whether the drain plug 52 of the bathtub drainage mechanism 5 is currently in an open state or a closed state. A detailed description of this determination by the control main body 19b will be given later.

[0063] The communication device 19c is capable of wireless communication with the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 shown in FIG. 1. The kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 are examples of the "external device" in the present invention.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the pressing plate 21 is formed in a disk shape having a predetermined thickness. The pressing plate 21 is disposed in the recess 43 of the case 11. And the pressing plate 21 is fixed to the lower end of the rod 17b. Thereby, the pressing plate 21 moves in the vertical direction with respect to the case 11 as the rod 17b moves in the vertical direction with respect to the motor main body 17a. And the pressing plate 21 can press the switch main body 54b downward with a predetermined load by contacting the head 543 of the switch main body 54b.

[0065] Here, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the maximum load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b, that is, the maximum load when the stepping motor 17 moves the pressing plate 21 downward in the case 11 toward the switch main body 54b is 1 kg / cm 2 is set. Note that the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b, including the maximum load, can be appropriately set according to the load required when pressing the switch main body 54b.

[0066] Further, a contact sensor 27 is provided on the pressing plate 21. The contact sensor 27 can transmit a contact signal to the control main body 19b when the pressing plate 21 contacts the head 543 of the switch main body 54b.

[0067] In this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the control main body 19b determines, based on the signals received from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25, whether the rod 17b of the stepping motor 17 is in the initial position, the first position, the second position, or the third position. Specifically, when the rod 17b is in the initial position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 detect the vertical distance between each other and transmit an initial position signal to the control unit 19. Also, when the rod 17b is in the first position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 detect the vertical distance between each other and transmit a first position signal to the control unit 19. Further, when the rod 17b is in the second position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 detect the vertical distance between each other and transmit a second position signal to the control unit 19. And when the rod 17b is in the third position, the first proximity sensor 23 and the second proximity sensor 25 detect the vertical distance between each other and transmit a third position signal to the control unit 19.

[0068] That is, when the control main body 19b receives the initial position signal, it determines that the rod 17b is in the initial position; when it receives the first position signal, it determines that the rod 17b is in the first position; and when it receives the second position signal, it determines that the rod 17b is in the second position. And when the control main body 19b receives the third position signal, it determines that the rod 17b is in the third position.

[0069] Furthermore, the control main body 19b determines, based on the first position signal and the second position signal received from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25 and the timing of receiving the contact signal from the contact sensor 27, whether the drain plug 52 of the bathtub drainage mechanism 5 is currently in the open state or the closed state. Then, based on this determination, the control main body 19b wirelessly communicates a determination signal to the kitchen remote control 101 and the smartphone 102 shown in FIG. 1 via the communication device 19c.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 1, both the kitchen remote control 101 and the smartphone 102 are separate from the case 11, and thus from the drain plug opening / closing device 1, and are located outside the case 11. Specifically, the kitchen remote control 101 is outside the bathroom H and is attached to the kitchen (not shown) of the house. The kitchen remote control 101 enables the user to select the hot water filling operation. The hot water filling operation is an operation that activates the drain plug opening / closing device 1 and supplies hot water 30 to the water storage section 3b of the bathtub 3 to store the hot water 30 in the water storage section 3b.

[0071] The smartphone 102 is a commercially available general-purpose product and can be carried by the user. The smartphone 102 stores a dedicated program for controlling the hot water filling of the bathtub 3 and the operation of the drain plug opening / closing device 1. Thus, with this smartphone 102 as well, the user can select the hot water filling operation, similar to the kitchen remote control 101.

[0072] In addition, the kitchen remote control 101 and the smartphone 102 are respectively provided with displays 101a and 102a. Based on the determination signal transmitted from the communication device 19c, information indicating whether the drain plug 52 is currently in the open state or the closed state is displayed on these displays 101a and 102a. Note that only the kitchen remote control 101 may be used as the "external device" in the present invention, or only the smartphone 102 may be used as the "external device" in the present invention. Further, instead of the smartphone 102, a tablet computer or the like may be used as the "external device" in the present invention.

[0073] This drain plug opening / closing device 1 can be used in the bathtub drain mechanism 5, enabling the pressing operation of the switch body 54b. Thereby, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 can operate the drain plug 52. In this way, by using this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the user does not need to perform the pressing operation of the switch body 54b to operate the drain plug 52 himself / herself. For this reason, the user can operate the drain plug 52 from a location separated from the bathtub 3 and thus from the bathroom H.

[0074] Hereinafter, taking the case where the user operates the smartphone 102 to select the hot water filling operation as an example, the operation of the drain plug 52 using the drain plug opening / closing device 1 and the supply of hot and cold water 30 to the water storage section 3b will be specifically described.

[0075] First of all, as a preparatory work, the user attaches the drain plug opening / closing device 1 to the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the user positions the legs 49 of the case 11 facing the outer edge 3c, and makes the pressing plate 21 face the switch body 54b from above. Then, in this state, the user brings the leg mat 49a provided on the leg 49 into contact with the outer edge 3c outside the switch housing 54a. As a result, the case 11, and thus the drain plug opening / closing device 1, is placed on the outer edge 3c and the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is attached to the outer edge 3c. As a result, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the case 11 covers the switch 54 from above, and in the recess 43, the pressing plate 21 faces the head 543 of the switch body 54b from above. Thus, the preparatory work is completed. Also, when the preparatory work is completed, the user exits the bathroom H.

[0076] As described above, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, simply placing the case 11 on the outer edge 3c completes the attachment to the outer edge 3c. At this time, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, it is not necessary to fix the case 11 placed on the outer edge 3c to the outer edge 3c. Also, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the case 11 can be removed from the outer edge 3c by lifting the case 11 and separating it from the outer edge 3c. That is, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the case 11 is detachably provided on the outer edge 3c.

[0077] Then, when the preparatory work is completed, the user operates the smartphone 102 to select the hot water filling operation. As a result, a confirmation operation signal is transmitted from the smartphone 102 to the control section 19 of the drain plug opening / closing device 1, more specifically, to the communication device 19c (step S101 in FIG. 8).

[0078] As a result, in the control unit 19, the control main body 19b controls the operation of the stepping motor 17 to displace the rod 17b to the initial position shown in FIG. 2 (step S102 in FIG. 8). That is, by displacing the rod 17b to the initial position, the pressing plate 21 is separated above the head 543 of the switch main body 54b so that the pressing plate 21 and the head 543 are in a non-contact state. Then, the control main body 19b receives the initial position signal from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25, determines that the displacement of the rod 17b to the initial position is completed, and determines that the rod 17b is present at the initial position. Thus, when the displacement of the rod 17b to the initial position is completed, the control main body 19b starts the confirmation operation (step S103). If the rod 17b is already in the state of being displaced to the initial position after step S101, step S102 is omitted and the process proceeds to step S103.

[0079] Here, the confirmation operation is an operation for the control main body 19b to determine whether the drain plug 52 is currently in the open state or the closed state when the drain plug opening / closing device 1 operates the drain plug 52.

[0080] By starting the confirmation operation, the control main body 19b operates the stepping motor 17 to displace the rod 17b from the initial position toward the first position. Here, if the drain plug 52 is in the closed state shown in FIG. 1 and the switch main body 54b is in the plug-closed position shown in FIG. 3, when the rod 17b reaches the first position, the pressing plate 21 abuts against the head 543 of the switch main body 54b. Therefore, when the control main body 19b receives the first position signal from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25, that is, when the rod 17b is at the first position, it will receive the contact signal from the contact sensor 27 (step S104: YES in FIG. 8).

[0081] As a result, the control main body 19b determines that the drain plug 52 is currently in the closed state. Thereby, the control main body 19b transmits a plug-closed detection signal indicating that it has been determined that the drain plug 52 is in the closed state to an external device, that is, the smartphone 102, through the communication device 19c (step S105).

[0082] As a result, on the smartphone 102, character information indicating that the drain plug 52 is in the closed state is displayed on the display 102a. In this way, the smartphone 102 notifies the user of the plug-closed information (step S106). Also, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the control main body 19b ends the confirmation operation (step S107).

[0083] Incidentally, in the situation where the control main body 19b transmits a plug-closed detection signal to the smartphone 102 at the stage of the confirmation operation, that is, when the drain plug 52 is in the closed state at the stage of the confirmation operation, there is a possibility that the old hot water 30 when the user last took a bath remains stored in the water storage part 3b of the bathtub 3. Although such old hot water 30 is assumed to be used as washing water, for example, when performing a new hot water filling operation, it is necessary to discharge the old hot water 30 from the water storage part 3b.

[0084] Therefore, in such a case, after notifying the plug-closed information, the smartphone 102 transmits a main operation start signal to the communication device 19c (step S201 in FIG. 9). As a result, the control main body 19b controls the operation of the stepping motor 17 and displaces the rod 17b to the initial position in FIG. 2 (step S202 in FIG. 9). For this reason, the pressing plate 21 separates from the head 543 of the switch main body 54b at the plug-closed position.

[0085] Then, after the rod 17b is displaced to the initial position, the control main body 19b displaces the rod 17b toward the second position. In this way, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 starts pressing the switch main body 54b with the pressing plate 21 (step S203).

[0086] Specifically, as described above, when the rod 17b is displaced from the initial position to the first position, the pressing plate 21 abuts against the head 543 of the switch body 54b (see FIG. 3). Then, as the rod 17b is displaced from the first position toward the second position, the pressing plate 21 moves downward while abutting against the head 543 and enters the first diameter portion 541 of the switch housing 54a. In this process, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing plate 21 presses the switch body 54b downward through the head 543. Thus, when the rod 17b is displaced to the second position, the switch body 54b pressed by the pressing plate 21 is displaced to the open position. Further, when the rod 17b reaches the second position, the control body 19b receives a second position signal from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25. Thereby, the control body 19b stops the operation of the stepping motor 17. Thus, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the pressing of the switch body 54b by the pressing plate 21 is temporarily terminated (step S204 in FIG. 9).

[0087] In this way, when the switch body 54b is displaced from the closed position to the open position by the pressing plate 21, the control body 19b receives a contact signal from the contact sensor 27 while receiving a second position signal from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25. For this reason, the control body 19b determines that the drain plug 52 is currently in the open state, and transmits an open plug detection signal indicating that it has been determined that the drain plug 52 is in the open state to the smartphone 102 (step S205).

[0088] Thereby, on the smartphone 102, character information indicating that the drain plug 52 is in the open state is displayed on the display 102a. Thus, the smartphone 102 notifies the user of the open plug information. Further, the smartphone 102 transmits a standby signal to the communication device 19c to shift the drain plug opening / closing device 1 to the standby state (step S206). Thereby, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 continues the standby state until it receives a standby release signal from the smartphone 102 (step S207: NO). Also, while the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is in the standby state, in addition to the open plug information, a display prompting the user to give an instruction to release the standby state of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is performed on the display 102a.

[0089] When the drain plug 52 is in the open state in this way, as shown in FIG. 5, the drain plug 52 opens the drain passage 51 and communicates the water storage part 3b with the inside of the main body passage 51a. Therefore, when old hot and cold water 30 is stored in the water storage part 3b, as indicated by the black arrow in FIG. 5, this hot and cold water 30 flows from the water storage part 3b through the main body passage 51a of the drain passage 51 and each through hole 53a of the holding member 53 and is discharged to the outside of the bathroom H. Here, although there is a difference depending on the amount of hot and cold water 30 stored in the water storage part 3b, it takes a certain amount of time to discharge all the hot and cold water 30 in the water storage part 3b. Therefore, the user cleans the bathtub 3 while the hot and cold water 30 is being discharged.

[0090] Then, when the cleaning of the bathtub 3 is completed and all the hot and cold water 30 in the water storage part 3b is discharged, the user gives an instruction through the smartphone 102 to release the standby state of the drain plug opening / closing device 1. Thereby, the smartphone 102 transmits a standby release signal toward the communication device 19c.

[0091] Thus, when the communication device 19c receives the standby release signal (step S207: YES in FIG. 9), the drain plug opening / closing device 1 ends the standby state (step S208). When the standby state ends, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the pressing of the switch main body 54b by the pressing plate 21 is started (step S209), and the switch main body 54b at the open plug position is displaced to the closed plug position.

[0092] Specifically, the control main body 19b operates the stepping motor 17 to displace the rod 17b from the second position toward the third position. As a result, since the pressing plate 21 moves further downward within the first diameter part 541 of the switch housing 54a, the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b at the open plug position further downward. Thus, when the rod 17b is displaced to the third position, the switch main body 54b is displaced to the release position shown in FIG. 7.

[0093] Further, when the rod 17b reaches the third position, the control body 19b receives a third position signal from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25. Thereby, the control body 19b displaces the rod 17b from the third position to the initial position. For this reason, the pressing plate 21 moves away upward from the switch body 54b.

[0094] On the other hand, when the switch body 54b is displaced to the release position, the holding by the device main body 56a is released. For this reason, the switch body 54b is displaced to the closed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the biasing force of the biasing member of the device main body 56a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the drain plug 52 is displaced from the open state to the closed state, closing the drain passage 51. In this way, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 ends the pressing of the switch body 54b by displacing the switch body 54b in the open position to the closed position (step S210 in FIG. 9).

[0095] Further, when the pressing of the switch body 54b is completed and the rod 17b is displaced to the initial position, the control body 19b transmits an operation end signal to the smartphone 102 (step S211). As a result, the smartphone 102 determines that the drain plug 52 is currently in the closed state, and starts supplying hot and cold water 30 from a water heater (not shown) into the water storage section 3b through the water supply fitting 4 shown in FIG. 1 (step S212). That is, prior to the supply of the hot and cold water 30 into the water storage section 3b, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 completes the pressing operation of the switch body 54b and displaces the drain plug 52 to the closed state.

[0096] The supply of the hot and cold water 30 into the water storage section 3b continues until a preset set time elapses (step S213: NO). When the set time elapses (step S213: YES), the smartphone 102 ends the supply of the hot and cold water 30 into the water storage section 3b (step S214). In this way, the water filling operation is completed.

[0097] Incidentally, when the control body 19b starts the confirmation operation by the pressing plate 21 (step S103 in FIG. 8), if the drain plug 52 is in the open state shown in FIG. 5, the switch body 54b is in the plug-opening position shown in FIG. 4. In this case, even if the rod 17b is displaced from the initial position to the first position, the pressing plate 21 does not contact the head 543 of the switch body 54b, and when the rod 17b reaches the second position, the pressing plate 21 gradually comes into contact with the head 543. That is, the control body 19b receives the detection signal for the first time when the rod 17b reaches the second position (step S104 in FIG. 8: NO).

[0098] As a result, the control body 19b determines that the drain plug 52 is currently in the open state. Accordingly, the control body 19b transmits an open-plug detection signal to the smartphone 102 through the communication device 19c (step S110). Thereby, the smartphone 102 notifies the user of the open-plug information (step S111). Also, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the control body 19b ends the confirmation operation (step S112).

[0099] Here, when the drain plug 52 is in the open state at the stage of the confirmation operation, it is common that the old hot water 30 from the previous bath is not stored in the water storage part 3b of the bathtub 3 and that the cleaning of the bathtub 3 has been completed after the previous bath. For this reason, after notifying the open-plug information in step S111, the smartphone 102 transmits a main operation start signal to the communication device 19c (step S113). Thereby, thereafter, the processes of steps S209 to S214 in FIG. 9 are performed, and the drain plug opening / closing device 1 displaces the drain plug 52 to the closed state. That is, also in this case, prior to the supply of the hot water 30 into the water storage part 3b, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 completes the pressing operation of the switch body 54b and displaces the drain plug 52 to the closed state. Note that after performing the process of step S112 shown in FIG. 8, the smartphone 102 may shift the drain plug opening / closing device 1 to the standby state and perform the processes of steps S209 to S214 in FIG. 9 after receiving an instruction from the user.

[0100] In this way, when the water filling operation is completed, the user can take a bath in the bathtub 3. Here, prior to taking a bath in the bathtub 3, the user moves the drain plug opening / closing device 1 from the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3 to the outside of the bathroom H. Thereby, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 does not get in the way during the bath, and it is possible to prevent the drain plug opening / closing device 1 from accidentally falling into the hot water 30 in the bathtub 3. Also, when the user finishes taking a bath, if necessary, the user presses the switch body 54b to displace the drain plug 52 to the open state.

[0101] Also, when the user operates the kitchen remote control 101 to select the water filling operation, the water filling operation is performed in the same manner as described above. And at this time, information such as the opening and closing information of the plug is notified to the user through the display 101a of the kitchen remote control 101.

[0102] By the way, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, since the stepping motor 17 operates by power supply from the rechargeable battery 15, it is necessary to periodically perform a charging operation as maintenance work for the rechargeable battery 15. For this reason, when charging the rechargeable battery 15, the user moves the drain plug opening / closing device 1 from the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3 to the location where the charging pad 14 shown in FIG. 6 is arranged. Then, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is placed on the charging pad 14. At this time, the user places the case 11 in a state where the vertical direction is opposite to the case of placing it on the outer edge 3c, and makes the power supply unit 13 face the charging pad 14. Thereby, electromagnetic induction from the charging pad 14 to the power supply unit 13 is performed, and power is supplied from the power supply unit 13 to the rechargeable battery 15. In this way, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the rechargeable battery 15 can be charged.

[0103] Here, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the rechargeable battery 15 is housed within the accommodation space 41 of the case 11. Also, the case 11 can be attached to the outer edge 3c by being placed thereon, and in this case, there is no need to fix the case 11 to the outer edge 3c. And the user can remove the case 11 from the outer edge 3c by lifting the case 11 from the outer edge 3c. For this reason, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, when the user performs the charging operation of the rechargeable battery 15, the user can easily move the case 11 including the rechargeable battery 15 to the location where the charging pad 14 is arranged. Also, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, when performing the charging operation of the rechargeable battery, the user does not need to take out the rechargeable battery 15 from the case 11.

[0104] Also, as described above, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, during the hot water filling operation, the control main body 19b causes the switch main body 54b to be pressed against the pressing plate 21 prior to the supply of the hot water 30 to the water storage part 3b of the bathtub 3, and displaces the switch main body 54b to the closed position, that is, displaces the drain plug 52 to the closed state. For this reason, according to this drain plug opening / closing device 1, it is possible to highly reliably prevent the hot water 30 from being supplied to the water storage part 3b while the drain plug 52 is in the open state.

[0105] Therefore, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment is easy to perform maintenance work on the rechargeable battery 15 and can highly reliably perform hot water filling of the bathtub 3.

[0106] In particular, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, since the power supply part 13 is provided at the uppermost part of the case 11, when performing the charging operation of the rechargeable battery 15, it is easier to place the drain plug opening / closing device 1 on the charging pad 14 with the power supply part 13 facing the charging pad 14. And since the power supply part 13 performs electromagnetic induction with the charging pad 14, the user can charge the rechargeable battery 15 only by placing the drain plug opening / closing device 1 on the charging pad 14 with the power supply part 13 facing the charging pad 14. Thereby, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, compared with the case where, for example, charging terminals are provided on the case 11 and the rechargeable battery 15 is charged by connecting these terminals to a charging cable, the charging operation of the rechargeable battery 15 has become easier.

[0107] Further, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the control main body 19b of the control unit 19 determines whether the drain plug 52 is currently in the open state or the closed state based on the first position signal and the second position signal received from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25, and the timing at which the contact signal is received from the contact sensor 27. Therefore, the control main body 19b can preferably control the operation of the stepping motor 17 based on this determination. As a result, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the switch main body 54b can be preferably pressed by the pressing plate 21.

[0108] In addition, the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 display the plug opening information and the plug closing information on the displays 101a and 102a to notify the user. Therefore, even when the user is located at a position away from the drain plug 52 and thus from the bathroom H, the user can know whether the drain plug 52 is in the open state or the closed state. For this reason, this drain plug opening / closing device 1 has high convenience.

[0109] Furthermore, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, the mass of the rechargeable battery 15 is approximately 1.2 kg. On the other hand, the maximum load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b is set to 1 kg / cm 2 Thus, the mass of the rechargeable battery 15 is greater than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b, including the maximum load. Also, since the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 including the rechargeable battery 15 exceeds 1.2 kg, the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is even greater than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b.

[0110] Therefore, in this drain plug opening / closing device 1, even if the case 11 is not fixed to the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3, it is possible to preferably prevent the case 11 from lifting off the outer edge 3c or a displacement occurring between the case 11 and the switch main body 54b due to the reaction force from the switch main body 54b when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch main body 54b.

[0111] In addition, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is not exclusively used only for the bathtub drain mechanism 5, and can be used as long as it is a bathtub drain mechanism capable of displacing the drain plug between an open state and a closed state by pressing an operation of a switch.

[0112] (Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 10, the drain plug opening / closing device 2 of Embodiment 2 includes a lid body 16 and dry batteries 18 in place of the power supply unit 13 and the rechargeable battery 15 in the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of Embodiment 1. The dry battery 18 is an example of the "power supply body" in the present invention. This drain plug opening / closing device 2 is also used for the bathtub drain mechanism 5 (see FIG. 1). Note that there are a plurality of dry batteries 18 included in the drain plug opening / closing device 2, and in FIG. 10, one of the plurality of dry batteries 18 is illustrated.

[0113] The lid body 16 is detachably provided in the first space portion 41a of the accommodation space 41. By being provided in the first space portion 41a, the lid body 16 is located at the uppermost part of the case 11. A gripping portion 16a is formed on the lid body 16. Further, a seal member 48 for sealing between the lid body 16 is provided in the first space portion 41a.

[0114] The dry battery 18 is housed in a battery box 180 provided in the second space portion 41b. The battery box 180 is connected to the control unit 19 through a power cable 19a so as to be energizable. Thereby, the control main body 19b supplies power from the dry battery 18 to the stepping motor 17 and controls the operation of the stepping motor 17.

[0115] Here, in this drain plug opening / closing device 2, the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing device 2 including the dry battery 18 is about 1.2 kg. For this reason, the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing device 2 is larger than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch body 54b. Note that the type and number of the dry batteries 18 can be appropriately changed according to the power required for power supply to the stepping motor 17 and the like. Other configurations in this drain plug opening / closing device 2 are the same as those of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of Embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0116] Regarding this drain plug opening / closing device 2 as well, similar to the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, while being installed on the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3, the pressing operation of the switch body 54b by the pressing plate 21 is performed. As a result, also with this drain plug opening / closing device 2, it is possible to displace the drain plug 52 between the open state and the closed state.

[0117] Also, in the drain plug opening / closing device 2, when performing the replacement work as the maintenance work of the dry battery 18, the drain plug opening / closing device 2 including the case 11 is moved from the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3. Then, the user holds the grip portion 16a and pulls up the lid body 16 above the case 11 to remove the lid body 16 from the case 11. As a result, the user can perform the replacement work of the dry battery 18 through the first space portion 41a. And when the replacement work of the dry battery 18 is completed, the user attaches the lid body 16 to the case 11 again. Thus, in this drain plug opening / closing device 2, it is possible to easily perform the replacement work of the dry battery 18. Other operations in this drain plug opening / closing device 2 are the same as those of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0118] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the first and second embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above first and second embodiments and can be appropriately modified and applied without departing from the gist thereof.

[0119] For example, in the drain plug opening / closing devices 1 and 2 of the first and second embodiments, instead of the stepping motor 17, an electromagnetic solenoid or the like may be employed as the "actuating body" in the present invention.

[0120] Also, in the drain plug opening / closing devices 1 and 2 of the first and second embodiments, the control main body 19b may determine whether the drain plug 52 is in the open state or the closed state based on the first position signal and the second position signal received from the first and second proximity sensors 23 and 25, and the timing of the torque fluctuation of the rod 17b when the pressing plate 21 comes into contact with the switch body 54b.

[0121] Further, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, the mass of the rechargeable battery 15 is made smaller than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch body 54b, while the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 including the rechargeable battery 15 may be made larger than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch body 54b.

[0122] Further, in the drain plug opening / closing devices 1 and 2 of the first and second embodiments, a suction cup may be provided on the leg portion 49 of the case 11, and when the case 11 is placed on the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3, the suction cup is adsorbed to the outer edge 3c to fix the case 11 to the outer edge 3c. Similarly, an engaging claw may be provided on the leg portion 49, and when the case 11 is placed on the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3, the engaging claw is engaged with the gap between the switch housing 54a and the mounting opening 31 of the outer edge 3c to fix the case 11 to the outer edge 3c. Further, when the case 11 is fixed to the outer edge 3c in this way, the total mass of the drain plug opening / closing devices 1 and 2 may be made smaller than the load when the pressing plate 21 presses the switch body 54b.

[0123] Further, in the drain plug opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, the rechargeable battery 15 is charged by electromagnetic induction between the charging pad 14 and the power supply unit 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a charging terminal may be provided on the case 11, and the rechargeable battery 15 may be charged by connecting a charging cable to this terminal.

[0124] Further, in the first and second embodiments, the outer edge 3c of the bathtub 3 is used as the "mounting portion" in the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a part of the wall surface or the floor surface of the bathroom H may be used as the "mounting portion" in the present invention.

[0125] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 are used as the "external devices" in the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102, a bathroom remote controller provided in the bathroom H may be added as the "external device" in the present invention. The kitchen remote controller 101 and the bathroom remote controller are connected via a water heater and can communicate with each other. In this case, when the user operates the smartphone 102 to select the hot water filling operation, the fact that the hot water filling operation has been selected is transmitted from the smartphone 102 to the kitchen remote controller 101 by wireless communication, and further, the fact that the hot water filling operation has been selected is transmitted from the kitchen remote controller 101 to the bathroom remote controller. As a result, by wireless communication between the bathroom remote controller and the control unit 19 of the drain plug opening / closing device 1, the drain plug opening / closing device 1 operates the drain plug 52 through the operation of the switch body 54b as described above, and the kitchen remote controller 101 can operate the water heater by wired or wireless communication. That is, when performing the hot water filling operation, the smartphone 102 can be responsible for receiving the operation from the user, the bathroom remote controller can be responsible for controlling the operation of the drain plug opening / closing device 1, and the kitchen remote controller 101 can be responsible for controlling the operation of the water heater. Even when the bathroom remote controller controls the operation of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 in this way, the opening plug information and closing plug information may be notified to the user through the display 102a of the smartphone 102.

[0126] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 may be configured such that the user can select a single operation in which only the switch body 54b of the drain plug opening / closing device 1 is pressed by the drain plug opening / closing device 1 in addition to the hot water filling operation.

[0127] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the kitchen remote controller 101 and the smartphone 102 may notify the user of the opening plug information and the closing plug information by voice.

Industrial Applicability

[0128] The present invention can be used in bathrooms of houses and the like.

Explanation of Signs

[0129] 1, 2… Drain plug opening / closing device 3… Bathtub 3b… Water storage part 3c… Outer edge (mounting part) 5… Drain mechanism for bathtub 11… Case 13… Power supply unit 15… Rechargeable battery (power source body) 17… Stepping motor (actuating body) 18… Dry battery (power source body) 19… Control unit 21… Pressing plate (pressing body) 30… Hot and cold water 51… Drainage path 52… Drain plug 54… Switch 101… Kitchen remote control (external device) 102… Smartphone (external device)

Claims

1. A drain plug opening / closing device used in a bathtub drainage mechanism, wherein the bathtub drainage mechanism includes a drainage channel connected to the bathtub and capable of discharging the hot water stored in the bathtub from the bathtub, a drain plug provided in the drainage channel and displaceable between an open state in which the drainage channel is opened and a closed state in which the drainage channel is closed, and a switch attached to an attachment portion separated from the drain plug and connected to the drain plug so as to be capable of power transmission, and the switch operates the drain plug by a pressing operation on itself, the drain plug opening / closing device includes a case detachably provided on the attachment portion, a power source provided inside the case, an operating body provided inside the case, a control unit provided inside the case, which supplies power from the power source to the operating body and controls the operation of the operating body, and a pressing body provided on the case and capable of pressing the switch while moving from the case toward the switch by the operation of the operating body, the case covers the switch when provided on the attachment portion, the power source is a rechargeable battery or a dry battery, the control unit is capable of wireless communication with an external device located outside the case, the external device allows a user to select a filling operation for supplying hot water to the bathtub while storing the hot water in the bathtub, and the control unit causes the pressing body to press the switch to displace the drain plug to the closed state prior to the supply of hot water to the bathtub during the filling operation. A drain plug opening / closing device characterized by this.

2. The power source is the rechargeable battery, The drain plug opening / closing device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit provided at the uppermost part of the case for supplying power to the rechargeable battery.

3. The control unit is capable of determining whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state, and capable of transmitting a determination signal based on the determination to the external device, and the external device can notify the user whether the drain plug is in the open state or the closed state based on the determination signal. The drain plug opening / closing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The bathtub has a water storage portion capable of storing hot water and connected to the drainage channel, and an outer edge surrounding the water storage portion, the attachment portion is the outer edge, and the case is placed on the outer edge to cover the switch from above. The drainage plug opening / closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mass of the power supply body is greater than the load when the pressing body presses the switch.

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