Flush toilet with matte and stain-resistant surface

Abstract

To provide a flush toilet bowl having a matte surface and an antifouling surface, which has a good appearance and is difficult to stain. [Solution] When forming a matte surface and an anti-fouling glaze layer in a flush toilet, the boundary position is set with a focus on functionality as well as appearance, adding value to the toilet. By locating the boundary between the anti-fouling glaze layer behind the user and the matte glaze layer lower, the matte appearance of the toilet is not affected, and urine is effectively prevented from running up when the user urinates while standing, resulting in a toilet that is less likely to get dirty.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flush toilet having a matte surface and a stain-resistant surface. [Background technology]

[0002] The appearance of sanitary ware is generally glossy, evoking a sense of luxury and cleanliness. However, matte sanitary ware, the opposite of glossy ware, is highly rated in the market. This is because a matte finish enhances the appearance (design) of the product and allows it to harmonize with the texture of the walls and fixtures in the same space, thereby expanding the variety of designs.

[0003] In the case of flush toilets, which are a type of sanitary ceramic product, even if the exterior has a matte surface, The bowl-shaped receiving area is coated with a stain-resistant glaze layer (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-046364 (Patent Document 1)). This creates a boundary between the matte glaze surface and the stain-resistant glaze surface. There have also been proposals to prevent this boundary from detracting from the appearance and design of the toilet bowl (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-034495 (Patent Document 3)). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-046364 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-062798 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-034495 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors have now discovered that when forming a matte surface and an anti-fouling glaze layer in a flush toilet, the boundary position between them can be set with a focus on functionality as well as appearance, thereby adding value to the toilet. Specifically, a toilet with a good appearance and resistance to soiling has been realized. The present invention is based on this discovery.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flush toilet with a matte surface and a stain-resistant surface, which has a good appearance and is difficult to stain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The flush toilet according to the present invention comprises: A flush toilet bowl with a ceramic base and a glaze layer on the surface, The flush toilet is a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface for receiving waste; a rim portion extending upwardly at the upper edge of the waste receiving surface; and a bowl portion having the glaze layer comprises an antifouling glaze layer and a matte glaze layer, the antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer being in contact with each other to form a boundary, The antifouling glaze layer is provided at least on the dirt receiving surface and the rim portion, In a flush toilet, the matte glaze layer is provided on at least the rim portion, When a user sits on the flush toilet, the direction in front of the user is defined as the front, and the direction behind the user is defined as the rear. The antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the rim portion are formed so that the distance from the upper end of the rim portion at the most forward position to the boundary between them is smaller than the distance from the upper end of the rim portion at the most rearward position to the boundary between them. It is characterized by the following.

[0008] Furthermore, a flush toilet according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A flush toilet bowl with a ceramic base and a glaze layer on the surface, The flush toilet is a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface for receiving waste; a rim portion extending upwardly at the upper edge of the waste receiving surface; and a bowl portion having the glaze layer comprises an antifouling glaze layer and a matte glaze layer, the antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer being in contact with each other to form a boundary, The antifouling glaze layer is provided at least on the dirt receiving surface and the rim portion, In a flush toilet, the matte glaze layer is provided on at least the rim portion, When a user sits on the flush toilet, the direction in front of the user is defined as the front, and the direction behind the user is defined as the rear, and the height is determined based on the flat surface of the location where the flush toilet is installed. The antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the rim portion are formed so that the boundary between them at the rearmost position is lower than the boundary between them at the frontmost position. It is characterized by the following.

[0009] Furthermore, a flush toilet according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: A flush toilet bowl with a ceramic base and a glaze layer on the surface, The flush toilet is a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface for receiving waste; a rim portion extending upwardly at the upper edge of the waste receiving surface; and a bowl portion having the glaze layer comprises an antifouling glaze layer and a matte glaze layer, the antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer being in contact with each other to form a boundary, The antifouling glaze layer is provided at least on the dirt receiving surface and the rim portion, In a flush toilet, the matte glaze layer is provided on at least the rim portion, When a user sits on the flush toilet, the direction in front of the user is defined as the front, and the direction behind the user is defined as the rear. At least at the rear end of the rim portion, an overhang portion that protrudes toward the inside of the bowl portion is provided on the upper edge of the rim portion, and the rearmost position of the boundary is located closer to the center of the inside of the bowl portion than the forwardmost position. It is characterized by the following. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flush toilet 1 according to the present invention. The flush toilet 1 comprises a bowl portion 2, which has a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface 3 for receiving waste, and a rim portion 4 extending upward from the upper edge of the waste receiving surface. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating how a flush toilet 1 according to the present invention is manufactured by joining the lower bowl portion 5 and the upper bowl portion 6, including the rim portion, at the pre-fired body stage. Figure 2 is an SEM image of the glaze surface of Example 2. [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram of a flush toilet bowl according to the present invention that has a stain-resistant glaze layer and a matte glaze layer applied to the surface indicated by dashed line 11, and a stain-resistant glaze layer indicated by dotted line 12 applied to the waste receiving surface 12. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the boundary position between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows that a matte glaze layer shown by dashed line 11 is provided on the rim portion 4, with line 13 as the boundary, and an anti-fouling glaze layer shown by dotted line 12 is provided on the dirt receiving surface 12 side. [Figure 6] 1 is an enlarged view of the rearmost position 14. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an enlarged view of the most forward position 15. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between a rearmost position 14 and a frontmost position 15 of a line 13. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Basic structure of a toilet A schematic cross-sectional view of a flush toilet 1 according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1. Flush toilet 1 comprises a bowl portion 2, which has a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface 3 for receiving waste, and a rim portion 4 extending upward from the upper edge of this waste receiving surface. Flush toilet 1 is generally manufactured by joining a lower portion 5 of the bowl portion and an upper portion 6 of the bowl portion including the rim portion, as shown in Figure 2, at the pre-fired body stage.

[0012] In this specification, when a user sits on a flush toilet, the direction in front of the user is referred to as the front (direction A in Figure 1), and the direction behind the user is referred to as the rear (direction B in Figure 1). Also, when referring to height in this invention, height is defined based on the plane of the location where the flush toilet is installed.

[0013] A flush toilet according to the present invention has a glaze layer applied to the surface of the ceramic base, which is divided into an anti-fouling glaze layer and a matte glaze layer. These two glaze layers may be applied partially overlapping, or may be applied in separate areas with different glazes applied, but the two are provided adjacent to form a boundary. Figure 2 shows the flush toilet according to the present invention, with the anti-fouling glaze layer and matte glaze layer basically being applied to the area that determines the appearance of the toilet, with the matte glaze layer being applied to the waste-receiving surface 3 of the bowl 2 that may come into contact with waste. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of a flush toilet with an anti-fouling glaze layer and a matte glaze layer applied in this way, with the matte glaze layer applied to the surface indicated by dashed line 11, and the anti-fouling glaze layer indicated by dotted line 12 being applied to the waste-receiving surface 2.

[0014] In the present invention, an anti-fouling glaze layer is provided on at least both the waste receiving surface and the rim, and a matte glaze layer is provided on at least the rim, with this anti-fouling glaze layer and matte glaze layer coming into contact to form a boundary. A flush toilet according to the present invention is characterized by the setting of the boundary between the anti-fouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer. In other words, in a flush toilet according to the present invention, the anti-fouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the rim are formed so that the distance from the top of the rim at its most forward position to the boundary between them is shorter than the distance from the top of the rim at its most rearward position to the boundary between them.

[0015] Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the boundary position between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the present invention. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bowl of a flush toilet according to the present invention, showing that the rim 4 is formed to extend upward at the upper edge of the waste-receiving surface 3. Line 13 on the inner surface of the bowl of this rim 4 is the boundary. On this boundary line 13, the boundary position at the rearmost position of the flush toilet 1 is indicated as 14, and the frontmost position of the flush toilet 1 is indicated as 15. Figure 5 shows that on the rim 4, with line 13 as the boundary, a matte glaze layer, indicated by dashed line 11, is provided, and a stain-resistant glaze layer, indicated by dotted line 12, is provided on the waste-receiving surface 12 side.

[0016] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the rearmost position 14. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the forwardmost position 15. In Figure 6, the point where the curvature changes from the flat upper surface region of the rim portion 4 toward the inside of the bowl portion is designated as 6. In Figure 7, the point where the curvature changes from the flat upper surface region of the rim portion 4 toward the inside of the bowl portion is designated as 5. In this invention, point 5 is called the forwardmost upper end of the rim portion, and point 6 is called the rearmost upper end of the rim portion. A flush toilet according to this invention is characterized in that the distance from this forwardmost upper end 5 to boundary 15 is shorter than the distance from the rearmost upper end 6 to boundary 14; in other words, the anti-fouling glaze layer and matte glaze layer are formed on the rim portion so that this distance is shorter.

[0017] The surface of the matte glaze layer has more irregularities and higher surface resistance than the surface of the stain-resistant glaze layer. Therefore, when a person urinates while standing at the rear of the rim portion 4, the matte glaze layer forms a longer surface, which effectively prevents urine from running up at this position 14, resulting in less soiling. In addition, the front portion has a higher proportion of stain-resistant glaze, which helps prevent dirt from adhering to the surface.

[0018] First Aspect According to the first aspect of the present invention, the boundary between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer on the rim is formed so that the rearmost boundary position 14 is lower than the frontmost boundary position 15. This configuration effectively prevents urine from running up when urinating while standing, thereby preventing soiling. Furthermore, since the proportion of stain-resistant glaze is higher in the front than in the rear, adhesion of dirt to the front can be prevented.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the boundary includes a portion where its height is approximately constant. In Fig. 4, in the front region, the boundary 13 does not change its height. By providing a boundary between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in this manner, it is possible to suppress the sense of incongruity caused by the different appearance of the two glaze layer surfaces in the region that is easily visible to the user.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the height of the boundary changes in a relatively rearward region. In Figure 4, boundary 13 changes in height in a relatively rearward direction. By providing a boundary between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in this way, when a user stands in front of the flush toilet with the valve seat open, the rear is easily visible to the user, and the matte surface is visible in that area, without detracting from the appearance of the toilet.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the area of ​​the stain-resistant glaze layer on the inner surface of the bowl's rim 4 is larger than the area of ​​the matte glaze layer. By providing a boundary between the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in this way, it is possible to improve the appearance while suppressing the adhesion of dirt through the stain-resistant glaze layer.

[0022] Second Aspect According to a second aspect of the present invention, at least at the rear end of the rim portion, the upper edge of the rim portion is provided with an overhang portion that protrudes toward the inside of the bowl portion, and the rearmost position of the boundary is located closer to the center of the inside of the bowl portion than the forwardmost position.

[0023] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating this embodiment, and in Figure 8, line 16 is drawn by connecting the forward-most position and the rearmost position at the boundary between the bowl-shaped waste receiving surface 3 that receives waste and the rim portion 4. A perpendicular line 17 is drawn through the center of this line 16. The rearmost position 14 of line 13 is considered to be closer to this perpendicular line 17 than the forward-most position 15. More specifically, when perpendicular lines 18a and 18b are drawn at the forward-most and rearmost positions, respectively, at the boundary between the waste receiving surface 3 and the rim portion 4, and perpendicular lines 19a and 19b are drawn that pass through the rearmost position 14 and the forward-most position 15 of line 13, the distance between perpendicular lines 18a and 19a is greater than the distance between perpendicular lines 18b and 19b. By configuring in this manner, similar to the first embodiment, when urinating while standing, urine is efficiently prevented from running up, and the effect of preventing soiling is achieved.

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the flush toilet according to the second aspect of the present invention include an embodiment in which the boundary in the first aspect includes a portion where the height is approximately constant, an embodiment in which the height of the boundary changes in a region relatively far back, and an embodiment in which the area of ​​the stain-resistant glaze layer on the inner surface of the bowl portion of the rim is larger than the area of ​​the matte glaze layer.

[0025] Combination of the first and second aspects The present invention also encompasses a combination of the first and second aspects described above. That is, the scope of the present invention also includes a flush toilet in which the boundary between the anti-fouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer on the rim is formed so that the boundary between them at its rearmost position is lower than the boundary between them at its forwardmost position, and at least the rear end of the rim is provided with an overhanging portion on the upper edge thereof that protrudes toward the inside of the bowl, and the rearmost position of the boundary is located closer to the center of the inside of the bowl than the forwardmost position.

[0026] Matte glaze layer and stain-resistant glaze layer In the present invention, examples of the matte glaze layer include those described in JP-A-6-211541, JP-A-2-229736, and JP-A-2012-046364. In the present invention, examples of the antifouling glaze layer include those described in WO99 / 061392.

Claims

1. A flush toilet bowl having a ceramic base and a glazed layer on its surface, The aforementioned flush toilet, - A bowl-shaped waste receiving surface that receives waste, - The rim portion extending upward at the upper edge of the waste receiving surface and It comprises a bowl section having, The aforementioned glaze layer comprises a stain-resistant glaze layer and a matte glaze layer, and the stain-resistant glaze layer and the matte glaze layer are in contact, forming a boundary. The antifouling glaze layer is provided at least on the dirt receiving surface and the rim portion, In a flush toilet in which the aforementioned matte glaze layer is provided at least on the rim, When a user sits on the flush toilet, the direction in front of the user is defined as the front, and the direction behind the user is defined as the rear. The upper end of the rim is defined as the point where the curvature of the rim changes from the upper surface area toward the inside of the bowl at the foremost and rearmost positions of the rim, respectively. The antifouling glaze layer and the matte glaze layer in the rim are formed such that the distance from the upper end of the rim at the foremost position of the rim downward in the vertical direction to the boundary between the two is smaller than the distance from the upper end of the rim at the rearmost position of the rim downward in the vertical direction to the boundary between the two. A flush toilet characterized by the following features.

2. The flush toilet according to Claim 1, wherein the front and rear ends of the rim portion are provided with an overhang portion that protrudes toward the inside of the bowl portion at the upper edge of the rim portion, and the rearmost position of the boundary is located closer to the center of the inside of the bowl portion than the frontmost position.

3. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the boundary includes a portion in which its height is substantially constant.

4. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the height of the boundary changes in the rear region.

5. A flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the area of ​​the antifouling glaze layer on the inner surface of the bowl portion of the rim portion is larger than the area of ​​the matte glaze layer.

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