Water closet device

Abstract

To provide a water closet device capable of actualizing water saving while effectively utilizing washing water stored in a washing water tank for sufficiently securing a rim water discharge time.SOLUTION: A water closet (1) includes a water closet body (2) including a bowl part (2a), and a drain trap pipeline (2b), a washing water tank body (4), a rim drain valve (8) for controlling the discharge and stop of the washing water from a rim water discharge port (2c), a jet drain valve (10) for controlling the discharge and stop of the washing water from a jet water discharge port (2d), a rim water channel (2e) for guiding the washing water drained via the rim drain valve to the rim water discharge port, and a jet water channel (2f) for guiding the washing water drained via the jet drain valve to the jet water discharge port. The cross section area of the rim water discharge port is smaller than the cross section area of the jet water discharge port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flush toilet apparatus, and more particularly to a flush toilet apparatus that flushes with flush water stored in a flush water tank. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2015-168994 A (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. In this flush toilet, by opening a drain valve provided in the water storage tank device, flush water is discharged from the two rim spouts and the jet spout provided in the flush toilet, cleaning the bowl. Also, in this flush toilet, flush water discharged from the water storage tank device first flows into a single water conduit, and this water conduit branches, and flush water is discharged from the two rim spouts and the jet spout. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-168994 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the two rim spouts and the jet spout changes over time as shown in Figure 8, and the flush water stored in the water storage tank device is not fully utilized for flushing the toilet. Figure 8 is a graph showing, as a comparative example, an example of the instantaneous flow rate of flush water in a flush toilet of the type described in Patent Document 1, in which flush water that flows into a single water channel is branched and discharged from the rim spout and jet spout.

[0005] That is, in this type of flush toilet, a large flow of flush water is discharged from the jet spout immediately after the drain valve is opened, and then the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the two rim spouts gradually increases. Then, when the drain valve is closed, flush water discharged from the two rim spouts is immediately stopped, while water discharge from the jet spout continues for a predetermined time after the valve is closed. This is because the rim spout is located high, so water discharge stops immediately when the drain valve is closed, whereas the jet spout is located low, so flush water remaining in the water conduit is discharged even after the drain valve is closed. Thus, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, the rim spout continues for a short time, which may result in insufficient cleaning of the bowl surface. Furthermore, if the rim spout duration is extended to adequately clean the bowl surface, the overall flush water volume increases significantly, making it impossible to achieve water conservation.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a flush toilet device that can save water while ensuring sufficient rim spouting time by using flush water stored in a flush water tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a flush toilet device that flushes using flush water stored in a flush water tank, and comprises a flush toilet main body with a bowl portion and a drain trap pipe extending from the bottom of this bowl portion, a flush water tank main body that stores flush water for flushing the bowl portion of the flush toilet main body, a rim drain valve that is provided in this flush water tank main body and controls the discharge and stopping of flush water from one or more rim spouts provided in the flush toilet main body, a jet drain valve that is provided in the flush water tank main body and controls the discharge and stopping of flush water from the jet spout provided in the flush toilet main body, a rim water conduit that is provided in the flush toilet main body and guides flush water discharged via the rim drain valve to one or more rim spouts, and a jet water conduit that is provided in the flush toilet main body and guides flush water discharged via the jet drain valve to the jet spout, and is characterized in that the combined cross-sectional areas of the one or more rim spouts are smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the jet spout.

[0008] According to the present invention configured in this way, flush water from the flush water tank body is discharged from the rim spout via the rim drain valve and rim water conduit, and flush water is discharged from the jet spout via the jet drain valve and jet water conduit. As a result, the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout and the amount of flush water discharged from the jet spout can be controlled independently, ensuring a sufficient amount of rim spouting and thoroughly cleaning the bowl. Furthermore, because the total cross-sectional area of ​​the rim spouts is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the jet spout, even if sufficient time is ensured for water to be discharged from the rim spout, the amount of flush water used does not increase significantly, and water conservation can be achieved.

[0009] In the present invention, preferably, the rim water conduit is such that in the path leading from the rim discharge valve to the one or more rim spouts, the one or more rim spouts are all at the lowest position.

[0010] With the present invention configured in this way, the one or more rim spouts are all at the lowest position in the path of the rim water conduit leading from the rim drain valve to the one or more rim spouts, so flush water discharged via the rim drain valve is discharged from the rim spout without taking a detour.As a result, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout rises in a short time, and a sufficient flushing effect can be obtained even if the spouting time is reduced.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the jet drain valve is opened a predetermined time after the rim drain valve is opened, and the discharge of cleaning water from one or more rim outlets continues even after the jet drain valve is closed.

[0012] According to the present invention configured in this way, the jet drain valve opens a predetermined time after the rim drain valve is opened, so after the bowl section is cleaned by the rim water spout, the jet water spout activates a siphon action, allowing flush water to be efficiently distributed between cleaning the bowl surface and discharging waste. Also, because flush water continues to be discharged from the rim water spout even after the jet drain valve is closed, the water spouted from the rim water spout can be used to refill the bowl section.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from one or more rim water discharge ports is greatest at the start of discharge and then gradually decreases.

[0014] With the present invention configured in this way, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout is greatest when discharge begins and then gradually decreases, so once the siphon action is activated by the jet water spouting, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water from the rim spout is reduced. As a result, the siphon breaks quickly after the waste is discharged by the siphon action, preventing the wasteful discharge of flush water into the drain trap pipe and allowing flush water to be used efficiently.

[0015] In the present invention, the flush toilet body preferably has one rim spout.

[0016] With the present invention configured in this way, the flush toilet body is equipped with one rim spout, so the total cross-sectional area of ​​the rim spout can be easily set small, and the amount of flush water used can be reduced while the time for which flush water is discharged from the rim spout can be extended.

[0017] In the present invention, the rim drain valve is preferably located further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet body than the jet drain valve, and the rim water conduit extends to the rim spout, passing further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet body than the seat hole provided in the top surface of the flush toilet body.

[0018] With the present invention configured in this way, the rim drain valve is positioned further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet body than the jet drain valve, and the rim water conduit extends to the rim spout, passing further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet body than the seat hole provided in the top surface of the flush toilet body. As a result, the rim water conduit that connects the rim drain valve and rim spout can be made short while ensuring sufficient space for the jet water conduit within the flush toilet body, allowing rim spouting to begin earlier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the flush toilet apparatus of the present invention, flush water stored in the flush water tank can be used to ensure sufficient rim spouting time while also achieving water conservation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flush toilet main body of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a flush water supply system in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a flush water tank body provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout and jet spout in a flush toilet device of this embodiment. [Figure 8] As a comparative example, this is a graph showing an example of the instantaneous flow rate of flush water in a flush toilet of the type in which flush water that flows into a single water channel is branched and discharged from a rim spout and a jet spout. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Next, a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a top view showing the general configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flush toilet main body of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut along line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the flush water supply system in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a flush water tank main body provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is made up of a flush toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank main body 4 located at the rear of this flush toilet main body 2. The flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured so that after use, flushing is carried out by operating a lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank main body 4. Note that the drain valve and other devices provided inside the flush water tank main body 4 are not shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0023] The flush toilet body 2 comprises a bowl portion 2a and a drain trap pipe 2b extending from the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. A rim water outlet 2c is provided on the upper edge of the bowl portion 2a, and a jet water outlet 2d is provided on the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. When flushing the toilet, flush water is discharged from the rim water outlet 2c and the jet water outlet 2d at a predetermined timing, cleaning the waste receiving surface of the bowl portion 2a and discharging the waste and flush water from within the bowl portion 2a into the drain trap pipe 2b. The waste and flush water discharged into the drain trap pipe 2b pass through a drain socket (not shown) and are discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

[0024] Furthermore, two seat holes 2g are provided on the top surface of the flush toilet main body 2, behind the bowl portion 2a and in front of the flush water tank main body 4. These seat holes 2g are circular in cross section and are provided for fixing a toilet seat (not shown) to the top surface of the flush toilet main body 2, and are provided symmetrically on both sides of the centre line of the flush toilet main body 2 in the width direction.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, flush water is supplied to the flush water tank main body 4 from a water supply source 6 such as a tap, and the supplied flush water is stored inside the flush water tank main body 4. The flush water tank main body 4 also has a rim drain valve 8 and a jet drain valve 10 built in, and is configured to discharge or stop flush water from drain ports provided at the bottom of the flush water tank main body 4.

[0026] In this embodiment, by opening the rim drain valve 8, flush water is discharged from the rim spouting drain outlet 4b (Figure 1) of the flush water tank main body 4, passes through the rim water conduit 2e formed inside the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the rim water spout 2c. Also, by opening the jet drain valve 10, flush water is discharged from the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c (Figure 1) of the flush water tank main body 4, and the discharged flush water passes through the jet water conduit 2f formed inside the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the jet water spout 2d.

[0027] 1 and 2, the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c is located in the widthwise centre of the flush toilet main body 2. The jet water conduit 2f connected to this jet water spouting drain outlet 4c extends diagonally downward and forward of the flush toilet main body 2, then branches into two branches that pass on either side of the basin part at the bottom of the bowl 2a, before reuniting at the front side of the basin part and then connecting to the jet water spouting outlet 2d.

[0028] Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 1, the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b is located further outboard in the width direction of the flush toilet main body 2 than the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, and the rim drain valve 8 and jet drain valve 10 are positioned directly above the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, respectively. Therefore, the rim drain valve 8 is located further outboard in the width direction of the flush toilet main body 2 than the jet drain valve 10. The rim water conduit 2e extending from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b passes further outboard in the width direction of the flush toilet main body than the seat hole 2g provided in the top surface of the flush toilet main body 2, and extends to the rim spout 2c.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rim water conduit 2e has the cross-sectional shape shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a cross section of the rim water conduit 2e taken along its length (along line III-III in Figure 1). As shown in Figure 3, the rim water conduit 2e extends from the rim spouting drain outlet 4b, which opens upwards, to the rim water spout 2c. The rim water conduit 2e also has the rim water spout 2c at the lowest point in the path from the rim drain valve 8 to the rim water spout 2c. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, of the bottom surfaces of the rim water conduit 2e, the bottom surface at the rim water spout 2c is the lowest. For this reason, flush water discharged via the rim drain valve 8 is discharged from the rim water spout 2c without taking a detour, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim water spout 2c rises in a short time, and a sufficient flushing effect can be achieved even if the spouting time is reduced.

[0030] In this embodiment, one rim water spout 2c is provided near the center in the width direction at the rear of the bowl portion 2a. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rim water spout 2c is smaller than that of the jet water spout 2d. When multiple rim water spouts 2c are provided, it is preferable that the total cross-sectional area of ​​the rim water spouts 2c is smaller than that of the jet water spout 2d. When multiple rim water spouts 2c are provided, it is preferable that the bottom surfaces of the rim water spouts 2c are all positioned at the same height, and that the height of the bottom surface is configured to be the lowest in the route of the rim water conduit 2e leading from the rim drain valve 8 to the rim water spout 2c.

[0031] Next, the internal structure of the flush water tank body 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an inner tank 14 is arranged inside the flush water tank main body 4. Also provided inside the flush water tank main body 4 are a rim drain valve 8 which is arranged inside the flush water tank main body 4 on the outside of the inner tank 14, a jet drain valve 10 which is arranged inside the inner tank 14, a ball tap 16 which is a water supply valve, and a water pressure drive mechanism 18.

[0032] The flush water tank main body 4 and inner tank 14 are containers configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 2. In this embodiment, the flush water tank main body 4 is made of ceramic, and the inner tank 14, which is placed inside this flush water tank main body 4, is made of resin. In this specification, "flush water stored in the flush water tank main body 4" includes flush water stored inside the flush water tank main body 4 (outside the inner tank 14), as well as flush water stored inside the inner tank 14.

[0033] 1 and 5, a rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and a jet water spouting drain outlet 4c are provided on the bottom surface of the flush water tank main body 4, and in this embodiment, these drain outlets are configured to be circular. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c (only the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c is shown in Figure 2) are formed at the same height as the upper end surface of the bowl section 2a, while the rim water spouting outlet 2c is formed below the upper end surface of the bowl section 2a. Therefore, in this embodiment, both the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c are provided at a position higher than the lower end of the rim water spouting outlet 2c.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flush water stored within the flush water tank main body 4 (and outside the inner tank 14) flows through the rim spouting drain outlet 4b into the rim water conduit 2e of the flush toilet main body 2, and the flush water stored within the inner tank 14 flows through the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2. However, the inner tank 14 can also be omitted, in which case flush water stored in a single (undivided) space within the flush water tank main body 4 is supplied to the flush toilet main body 2 through the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, respectively.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, the inner tank 14 is placed on the bottom surface of the flush water tank main body 4, and a circular outlet 14a is formed in the bottom surface of the inner tank 14. This outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 is arranged concentrically so as to match with the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c provided in the flush water tank main body 4. That is to say, in this embodiment, the centre of the circular jet water spouting drain outlet 4c and the circular outlet 14a coincide when viewed from above. For this reason, the flush water in the inner tank 14 is discharged through the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c of the flush water tank main body 4, and flows into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 is formed by a drain port forming member 14b that is formed separately from the main body of the inner tank 14. This drain port forming member 14b is a cylindrical member that is attached watertight to the bottom surface of the inner tank 14 and forms the discharge port 14a on the inside. A seat surface is provided at the upper end of the drain port forming member 14b, and the discharge port 14a is closed when the jet drain valve 10 sits on this seat surface. Therefore, in this embodiment, the seat surface on which the jet drain valve 10 sits is formed by a member separate from the inner tank 14.

[0037] Additionally, an overflow pipe 15, which is an exhaust path, is attached to the side of drain port forming member 14b. This overflow pipe 15 is a pipe bent into an L shape, extending from the side of drain port forming member 14b and opening upward above the top end of inner tank 14. As a result, overflow pipe 15 communicates between the space inside drain port forming member 14b and the outside air above the water surface in inner tank 14. When the level of flush water in flush water tank body 4 exceeds the height of overflow pipe 15, this overflow pipe 15 allows flush water to flow into overflow pipe 15, pass through drain port forming member 14b and be discharged into jet water conduit 2f.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the rim drain valve 8 is a valve element arranged to open and close the rim spouting drain outlet 4b provided in the flush water tank main body 4, and the rim spouting drain outlet 4b is opened when the rim drain valve 8 is pulled upward. This causes flush water in the flush water tank main body 4 to be discharged into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) in the flush toilet main body 2 and discharged from the rim spout 2c. Therefore, the rim drain valve 8 is provided in the flush water tank main body 4, and controls the start and stop of flush water being discharged from the rim spout 2c provided in the flush toilet main body 2.

[0039] In this embodiment, the user rotates the lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank body 4, which pulls the ball chain 8a (Figure 5) connected to the rim drain valve 8, causing the rim drain valve 8 to be raised. As a variation, the present invention can also be configured so that the rim drain valve 8 is raised and flushing is performed based on a control signal from a remote control device (not shown) or a detection signal from a human presence sensor (not shown).

[0040] The jet drain valve 10 is provided at the jet water spouting drain port 4c of the flush water tank main body 4, and is a valve body arranged to open and close the discharge port 14a provided in the inner tank 14. By pulling the jet drain valve 10 upward, the jet drain valve 10 lifts off the seat surface of the discharge port 14a, opening the discharge port 14a. As a result, the flush water in the inner tank 14 flows through the discharge port 14a and the jet water spouting drain port 4c of the flush water tank main body 4 into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1).

[0041] In this way, by pulling up the jet drain valve 10, flush water in the inner tank 14 is drained from the outlet 14a, passes through the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, flows into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1) in the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the jet water spout 2d. Therefore, the jet drain valve 10 is provided in the flush water tank main body 4, and controls the start and stop of flush water being discharged from the jet water spout 2d provided in the flush toilet main body 2. Furthermore, if the inner tank 14 is omitted, the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c is opened and closed directly by the jet drain valve 10, and the flush water in the flush water tank main body 4 is discharged.

[0042] 5, in this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is configured to be pulled up from the discharge port 14a by the water pressure drive mechanism 18. That is, the jet drain valve 10 is a valve body equipped with a valve stem 10a extending upward, and the valve stem 10a is pulled up by the water pressure drive mechanism 18. Then, when the jet drain valve 10 is pulled up to a predetermined height, it is separated from the water pressure drive mechanism 18 and gently descends to close the discharge port 14a. The configuration of the water pressure drive mechanism 18 will be described later.

[0043] Furthermore, the ball tap 16, which is a water supply valve, is configured so that flushing water supplied from the water supply source 6 flows in through the inlet pipe 16a, and switches on and off the supply of flushing water to be stored in the flushing water tank main body 4 and the inner tank 14.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, inlet pipe 16a and outlet pipe 16b are connected to ball tap 16, and valve seat 20b is opened and closed by built-in main valve element 20a. Ball tap 16 also has a float 22 and an arm portion 24 that is rotated by this float 22. Float 22 provided on ball tap 16 operates in conjunction with the water level inside flush water tank body 4, and when float 22 drops to a predetermined position, built-in main valve element 20a opens and flush water is supplied to water pressure drive mechanism 18.

[0045] That is, a main valve body 20a is disposed inside the ball tap 16 so as to open and close a valve seat 20b, and when the valve is open, tap water flowing in from the inlet pipe 16a passes through the valve seat 20b and flows out into the outlet pipe 16b. The outlet pipe 16b is connected to a water hydraulic drive mechanism 18.

[0046] The main valve element 20a is a generally disc-shaped diaphragm-type valve element that is attached inside the ball tap 16 so that it can seat on and release from the valve seat 20b. A pressure chamber 20c is formed inside the ball tap 16 on the opposite side of the valve seat 20b from the main valve element 20a. A pilot valve port (not shown) is provided in the ball tap 16 so as to communicate with the interior of this pressure chamber 20c. When this pilot valve port (not shown) is closed and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a against the valve seat 20b, causing it to seat on the valve seat 20b.

[0047] Meanwhile, float 22 is supported by arm portion 24, and a pilot valve (not shown) is connected to this arm portion 24, so that the pilot valve moves as arm portion 24 rotates. In this embodiment, float 22 is disposed inside flush water tank body 4, and moves up and down according to the water level inside flush water tank body 4. As a result, when the water level inside flush water tank body 4 has risen above a predetermined water level, float 22 is pushed upward, which moves the pilot valve (not shown), closing the pilot valve port (not shown) provided on ball tap 16. On the other hand, when flush water is drained from within flush water tank body 4 and the water level drops, float 22 moves downward, and the pilot valve port (not shown) opens. For this reason, when the water level inside flush water tank body 4 is higher than the predetermined water level and the toilet is on standby for flushing, the pilot valve port (not shown) of ball tap 16 is in a closed state.

[0048] Furthermore, tap water that flows into the ball tap 16 from the inlet pipe 16a flows into the pressure chamber 20c. When the pilot valve port (not shown) is closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases in this manner, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a toward the valve seat 20b, causing the main valve element 20a to close the valve seat 20b.

[0049] On the other hand, when the rim drain valve 8 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the flush water tank body 4 falls below a predetermined level, the float 22 moves down, the pilot valve (not shown) moves, and the pilot valve port (not shown) opens. When the pilot valve port (not shown) opens, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c drops. This causes the main valve element 20a to move away from the valve seat 20b, opening the valve seat 20b. In this way, with the pilot valve port (not shown) open, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c does not increase, so the valve seat 20b remains open.

[0050] Next, the configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 will be described with reference to FIG. The water pressure drive mechanism 18 is configured to drive the jet drain valve 10 using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied to the flush water tank main body 4 from the water main. Specifically, the water pressure drive mechanism 18 has a cylinder 18a into which water supplied from the ball tap 16 flows, a piston 18b slidably disposed within this cylinder 18a, and a rod 28 that protrudes from the bottom end of the cylinder 18a and drives the jet drain valve 10. Furthermore, a spring 18c is disposed inside the cylinder 18a and urges the piston 18b downward, and a packing is attached to the piston 18b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 18a and the piston 18b. Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 30 is provided at the bottom end of the rod 28, and this clutch mechanism 30 connects and disconnects the rod 28 and the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10.

[0051] Cylinder 18a is a cylindrical member that is disposed with its axis oriented vertically and that slidably receives piston 18b inside. An outlet pipe 16b extending from ball tap 16 is connected to the lower end of cylinder 18a, allowing flush water flowing out from ball tap 16 to flow into cylinder 18a. As a result, piston 18b inside cylinder 18a is pushed up against the biasing force of spring 18c by the water that has flowed into cylinder 18a.

[0052] Meanwhile, an outflow hole is provided at the upper end of cylinder 18a, and water supply pipe 32 is connected to this outflow hole. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 18a from outflow pipe 16b connected to the bottom of cylinder 18a, piston 18b is pushed upward from the bottom of cylinder 18a. Then, when piston 18b is pushed up to a position above the outflow hole, the water that flowed into cylinder 18a flows out from the outflow hole into water supply pipe 32. In addition, flush water that flows into water supply pipe 32 flows into inner tank 14.

[0053] The rod 28 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of the piston 18b, and extends through a through-hole formed in the bottom surface of the cylinder 18a so as to protrude downward from within the cylinder 18a. The valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 is connected to the lower end of the rod 28 via a clutch mechanism 30, and the rod 28 connects the piston 18b and the jet drain valve 10. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 18a and pushes up the piston 18b, the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b lifts the jet drain valve 10 upward, and the jet drain valve 10 opens.

[0054] Furthermore, a gap is provided between the rod 28 protruding from below the cylinder 18a and the inner wall of the through-hole of the cylinder 18a, and some of the water that flows into the cylinder 18a flows out through this gap. The water that flows out through the gap flows into the inner tank 14. Note that because this gap is relatively narrow and has high flow resistance, even when water flows out through the gap, the water flowing into the cylinder 18a from the outflow pipe 16b increases the pressure inside the cylinder 18a, and the piston 18b is pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 18c.

[0055] Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 30 detachably connects the rod 28 and the jet drain valve 10. When the jet drain valve 10 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 28, the clutch mechanism 30 is configured to disconnect the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 from the rod 28. With the clutch mechanism 30 in a disconnected state, the jet drain valve 10 is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 18b and the rod 28, and the jet drain valve 10 descends as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops, closing the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14.

[0056] Next, with new reference to Figures 6 and 7, the operation of the flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. Figure 6 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing, from the top, the jet water spouting state, the rim water spouting state, and the ball tap state. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the instantaneous flow rate of flush water respectively discharged from the rim water spout outlet 2c and jet water spout outlet 2d in a flush toilet device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0057] First, in the standby state for toilet flushing, the rim spout drain port 4b of the flush water tank main body 4 and the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 are closed by the rim drain valve 8 and the jet drain valve 10, respectively. Also, in the standby state, the initial water level inside the flush water tank main body 4 is higher than a predetermined water level, which causes the pilot valve port (not shown) of the ball tap 16 (Figure 5) to be in a closed state, and the valve seat 20b is closed by the main valve body 20a.

[0058] Next, at time t1 in Figure 6, when the user rotates the lever handle 4a (Figure 5) of the flush water tank main body 4 to flush the toilet, the ball chain 8a connected to it pulls up the rim drain valve 8. This causes the rim drain valve 8 to be pulled away from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b, opening the latter. When the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b is opened, flush water that had been stored inside the flush water tank main body 4 (outside the inner tank 14) flows from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) and is discharged from the rim water spout outlet 2c. The rim water spouting from the rim water spout outlet 2c creates a swirling flow on the waste receiving surface of the bowl section 2a, cleaning the waste receiving surface. When flushing water is discharged from this rim water outlet 2c, a swirling flow is formed on the inner wall surface of the bowl portion 2a, and this swirling flow swirls around the bowl portion 2a more than once, thoroughly cleaning the bowl portion 2a.

[0059] As shown in Figure 7, in the flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2c rises quickly when the rim drain valve 8 is opened. On the other hand, in a flush toilet of the type described in Patent Document 1, in which flush water that flows into a single water conduit is branched and discharged, it takes time for the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from each rim spout to rise after the drain valve is opened, as in the comparative example shown in Figure 8. This is because, in the flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the rim spout 2c is at the lowest position in the entire path of the rim water conduit 2e, from the rim spouting drain outlet 4b to the rim spout 2c (Figure 3).

[0060] In contrast, in the flush toilet apparatus of the comparative example shown in Figure 8, the flush water discharged from the flush water tank passes through a water conduit that heads toward the jet spout, so the flush water reaches the rim spout through a water conduit that is located lower than the rim spout. In this way, in the flush toilet apparatus of the comparative example shown in Figure 8, the flush water that reaches the rim spout is discharged in a roundabout way, so it takes time for the instantaneous flow rate of flush water to increase after the drain valve is opened.

[0061] Next, as flush water is discharged from the rim spouting drain port 4b, the water level in the flush water tank body 4 drops. This causes the float 22 of the ball tap 16 (Fig. 5) to drop, opening the pilot valve port (not shown). As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c drops, opening the main valve body 20a, and flush water begins to be supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 (Fig. 5) through the outflow pipe 16b.

[0062] When flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18, the flush water that flows into the cylinder 18a pushes up the piston 18b against the biasing force of the spring 18c. This causes the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b to pull up the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10, opening the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14. In other words, the jet drain valve 10 is driven and opened by the water supply pressure of the tap water supplied via the ball tap 16.

[0063] As a result, at time t2 in Figure 6, outlet 14a is opened and flush water that had been stored in inner tank 14 flows through outlet 14a and jet water spouting drain outlet 4c into jet water conduit 2f (Figure 2) and is discharged from jet water spouting outlet 2d. Here, jet water spouting outlet 2d has a larger cross-sectional area than rim water spouting outlet 2c, and the head pressure of the flush water in inner tank 14 is higher than the head pressure of the flush water in flush water tank main body 4. For this reason, as shown in Figure 7, the instantaneous flow rate of jet water spouting is greater than the instantaneous flow rate of rim water spouting.

[0064] Furthermore, the jet spouting of water from the jet water outlet 2d fills the drain trap pipe 2b, inducing a siphon action. The siphon action causes accumulated water and waste in the bowl portion 2a to be sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b and discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown). In this way, in this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 opens a predetermined time after the rim drain valve 8 is opened. In other words, while flush water continues to be discharged from the rim water outlet 2c, flush water begins to be discharged from the jet water outlet 2d, and a siphon action is initiated within the drain trap pipe 2b.

[0065] In this way, in the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, a siphon action can be generated within the drain trap pipe 2b early on after the jet drain valve 10 opens. In particular, the flush water initially discharged from the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c (discharge outlet 14a) has a high head pressure because the water level in the inner tank 14 is high. As a result, flush water with a high head pressure can be effectively used to flush the toilet, and the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the jet water spouting outlet 2d can be increased.

[0066] On the other hand, when the jet drain valve 10 is raised to a predetermined height together with the piston 18b of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18, the clutch mechanism 30 (Fig. 5) separates the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 from the rod 28. As a result, the jet drain valve 10 descends toward the discharge port 14a as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops. Then, at time t3 in Fig. 6, the jet drain valve 10 seats on the discharge port 14a, and the discharge port 14a is closed.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, when the jet drain valve 10 is closed, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the jet water outlet 2d decreases. Note that in Figure 7, jet water continues to be discharged even after the jet drain valve 10 is closed because flush water remaining in the jet water conduit 2f falls due to gravity and is discharged from the jet water outlet 2d. Also, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water being discharged from the rim water outlet 2c is lower than when discharge began. For this reason, the siphon action stops (siphon failure) sooner after the accumulated water and waste in the bowl section 2a is discharged into the drain trap pipe 2b by the siphon action, making it possible to prevent excessive flush water from being discharged from the drain trap pipe 2b.

[0068] Meanwhile, in the flush toilet system of the comparative example shown in Figure 8, when the drain valve is closed, the instantaneous flow rate of jet water spouting drops immediately, and flush water remaining in the water conduit continues to be discharged from the jet spout even after the drain valve is closed. Also, in the flush toilet system of the comparative example shown in Figure 8, when the drain valve is closed, the instantaneous flow rate of water spouted from the rim spout also drops rapidly, and thereafter becomes almost zero. This is because the rim spout is located higher than the jet spout, and so after the drain valve is closed, most of the flush water remaining in the water conduit heads towards the jet spout. In this way, in the flush toilet system of the comparative example shown in Figure 8, rim spouting stops almost simultaneously with the drain valve being closed.

[0069] When the jet drain valve 10 is closed at time t3 in Figure 6 and the jet water spouting stops, the siphon action in the drain trap pipe 2b stops and flush water in the bowl portion 2a is no longer sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b. Meanwhile, water continues to be discharged from the rim water outlet 2c, and rim water spouting continues even after the jet drain valve 10 is closed. In this way, after the siphon action stops, the flush water discharged from the rim water outlet 2c is not discharged into the drain trap pipe 2b and is therefore used to refill the water accumulated in the bowl portion 2a.

[0070] When the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 is open, flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16, and flows into the inner tank 14 through the water supply pipe 32 (Figure 5) connected to the cylinder 18a. For this reason, after the jet water spouting is stopped at time t3 in Figure 6, the water level in the inner tank 14 rises due to the flush water flowing in from the water supply pipe 32.

[0071] Meanwhile, because the rim drain valve 8 is still open, flush water within the flush water tank body 4 flows out from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b, and the water level within the flush water tank body 4 continues to drop. Then, at time t4 in Figure 6, when the water level within the flush water tank body 4 drops to a predetermined dead water level, the rim drain valve 8 seats on the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the rim drain valve 8 closes. This stops rim water spouting from the rim water outlet 2c. Also, at time t4 when rim water spouting stops, the water level W within the bowl section 2a has returned to the water level in standby mode.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, water is discharged from the rim spout 2c continuously from when the rim drain valve 8 opens (time t1 in Figure 6) until it closes (time t4 in Figure 6) due to the hydraulic head pressure of the flush water in the flush water tank main body 4. For this reason, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2c decreases as the water level in the flush water tank main body 4 drops, so it is greatest when discharge begins and then gradually decreases. In the flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the instantaneous flow rate at the start of rim spouting is approximately 11 [L / min], and the instantaneous flow rate at the end of rim spouting is approximately 8 [L / min]. In this way, in the flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment, rim spouting at an appropriate instantaneous flow rate continues for an extended period of time. Furthermore, in the flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the total amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2c and jet spout 2d is approximately 3.8 [L].

[0073] Furthermore, even after the rim drain valve 8 is closed, the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 remains open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) flows into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 via the ball tap 16 and the water pressure drive mechanism 18. This causes the water level in the inner tank 14 to rise. Then, at time t5 in Figure 6, when the inner tank 14 is full, the flush water that has flowed into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 overflows and flows into the flush water tank main body 4. This causes the water level in the flush water tank main body 4 to begin to rise.

[0074] Next, when the water level in the flush water tank main body 4 rises to a predetermined water level, the float 22 of the ball tap 16 rises and the pilot valve (not shown) closes. When the pilot valve closes in this way, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d rises. Then, at time t6 in Figure 6, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d presses the main valve element 20a and causes it to seat on the valve seat 20b, closing the main valve element 20a. This stops the water supply from the water supply source 6 to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16, and stops the supply of flush water into the inner tank 14.

[0075] When the water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 is stopped, the piston 18b (Figure 5) inside the cylinder 18a, which had been pushed up by the water supply, is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 18c. As a result, the rod 28 attached to the piston 18b also drops. When the rod 28 drops to a predetermined position, the clutch mechanism 30 reconnects the rod 28 to the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10. This completes one toilet flush, and the flush toilet device 1 returns to its standby state for toilet flushing.

[0076] According to the flush toilet apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, flush water from the flush water tank main body 4 is discharged from the rim spout 2c via the rim drain valve 8 and rim water conduit 2e, and flush water is discharged from the jet spout 2d via the jet drain valve 10 and jet water conduit 2f. As a result, the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2c and the amount of flush water discharged from the jet spout 2d can be controlled independently, ensuring a sufficient amount of rim water discharge and adequately cleaning the bowl section 2a. Furthermore, because the cross-sectional area of ​​the rim spout 2c is smaller than that of the jet spout 2d, even if sufficient water discharge time from the rim spout 2c is ensured, the amount of flush water used does not increase significantly, and water conservation can be achieved.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the rim water conduit 2e is configured so that the rim spout 2c is at the lowest position in the path from the rim drain valve 8 to the rim spout 2c (Figure 3). For this reason, flush water discharged via the rim drain valve 8 is discharged from the rim spout 2c without taking a detour. As a result, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2c rises in a short time, and a sufficient flushing effect can be obtained even if the spouting time is reduced.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is opened a predetermined time after the rim drain valve 8 is opened (time t2 in Figure 6), so after the bowl section 2a is flushed by the rim water spout, the jet water spout activates a siphon action, allowing flush water to be efficiently allocated between cleaning the bowl surface and discharging waste. Also, because the discharge of flush water from the rim water spout 2c continues even after the jet drain valve 10 is closed (times t3 to t4 in Figure 6), the water spouted from the rim water spout 2c can be used to refill the bowl section 2a.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the rim water outlet 2c is greatest when discharge begins and then gradually decreases (Figure 7), so once the siphon action has been activated by the jet water discharge, the instantaneous flow rate of flush water from the rim water outlet 2c has decreased. As a result, the siphon breaks quickly after waste has been discharged by the siphon action, preventing the wasteful discharge of flush water into the drain trap pipe 2b and allowing flush water to be used efficiently.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the flush toilet main body 2 is equipped with one rim spout 2c, so the total cross-sectional area of ​​the rim spout 2c can be easily set small, and the amount of flush water used can be reduced while the time for which flush water is discharged from the rim spout 2c can be extended.

[0081] Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the rim drain valve 8 is positioned further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet main body 2 than the jet drain valve 10, and the rim water conduit 2e extends to the rim spout 2c, passing further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet main body 2 than the seat hole 2g provided in the top surface of the flush toilet main body 2 (Figure 1). As a result, it is possible to ensure sufficient space for the jet water conduit 2f inside the flush toilet main body 2, while also making it possible to shorten the rim water conduit 2e, which connects the rim drain valve 8 and the rim spout 2c, allowing rim spouting to begin earlier.

[0082] The flush toilet apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. In particular, in the above-described embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is opened using the water pressure drive mechanism 18, so that the jet drain valve 10 opens after the rim drain valve 8 has opened. However, as a modification, the rim drain valve 8 and / or the jet drain valve 10 may be configured to be opened using the power of a motor (not shown), and the motor may be operated so that the jet drain valve 10 opens with a delay. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured so that the rim drain valve 8 and the jet drain valve 10 are pulled up by a ball chain or the like connected to the lever handle 4a, and by lengthening the ball chain or the like attached to the jet drain valve 10, the jet drain valve 10 opens after the rim drain valve 8 has opened. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl section 2b Drain trap pipe 2c Rim Spout 2d jet spout 2e Rim Waterway 2F Jet Waterway 2g seat hole 4 Cleaning water tank body 4a Lever handle 4b Rim water outlet 4c Jet water outlet 6 Water source 8 Rim drain valve 8a Chain 10 Jet drain valve 10a valve stem 14 Inner tank 14a Outlet 14b Drain hole forming member 15 Overflow pipe (exhaust path) 16 Ball tap (water supply valve) 16a Inflow pipe 16b Outflow pipe 18 Water Hydraulic Drive Mechanism 18a cylinder 18b piston 18c spring 20 Main body 20a Main valve body 20b Valve seat 20c Pressure Chamber 22 Float 24 Arm section 28 Rod 30 Clutch mechanism 32 Water supply pipe

Claims

1. A flush toilet device that flushes using flush water stored in a flush water tank, a flush toilet body having a bowl portion and a drain trap pipe extending from the bottom of the bowl portion; a flush water tank body that stores flush water for flushing the bowl portion of the flush toilet body; a rim drain valve that is provided in the flush water tank body and controls the start and stop of flush water discharge from one or more rim spouts provided in the flush toilet body; a jet drain valve that is provided in the flush water tank body and controls the start and stop of flush water discharge from a jet spout provided in the flush toilet body; a rim water conduit provided in the flush toilet body that guides flush water discharged via the rim drain valve to the one or more rim spouts; a jet water conduit that is provided in the flush toilet body and guides flush water discharged via the jet drain valve to the jet spout; and A flush toilet apparatus characterized in that the total cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more rim spouting ports is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the jet spouting port.

2. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rim water conduit has one or more rim spouts at the lowest position in the path from the rim drain valve to the one or more rim spouts.

3. A flush toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the jet drain valve is opened a predetermined time after the rim drain valve is opened, and the discharge of flush water from the one or more rim spouts continues even after the jet drain valve is closed.

4. 4. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from said one or more rim spouts is greatest at the start of discharge and gradually decreases thereafter.

5. The flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flush toilet body is provided with one rim spout.

6. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rim drain valve is located further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet main body than the jet drain valve, and the rim water conduit extends to the rim spout, passing further outward in the width direction of the flush toilet main body than a seat hole provided in the top surface of the flush toilet main body.

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