Toilet flushing system

Abstract

To provide a toilet bowl flushing system that can conserve water while performing the flushing process. [Solution] The toilet comprises a toilet bowl 3, a toilet seat 4, a toilet bowl flushing unit 5 that flushes water into the toilet bowl 3 for cleaning, a seating detection unit 6 that detects whether or not a person is seated on the toilet seat 4, a control unit 7 that controls the toilet bowl flushing unit 5, and an odor detection unit 9 that detects odors inside the toilet bowl 3. The control unit 7 is configured to perform the following actions based on the detection status of the seating detection unit 6 and the odor detection unit 9: when seated, it does not perform the flushing process that activates the toilet bowl flushing unit 5 regardless of the detection status of the odor detection unit 9; when not seated, it performs the flushing process if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor above the set value for flushing; and does not perform the flushing process if the odor detection unit 9 does not detect an odor above the set value for flushing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet cleaning system including a toilet bowl, a toilet seat, a toilet cleaning unit that flows water into the toilet bowl for cleaning, a seating detection unit that detects whether a user is sitting on the toilet seat, and a control unit that controls the toilet cleaning unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet cleaning system including a toilet bowl (bowl part 22), a toilet seat (34), a toilet cleaning unit (23) that flows water into the toilet bowl for cleaning, a seating detection unit (seating sensor 38) that detects whether a user is sitting on the toilet seat, and a control unit (1) that controls the toilet cleaning unit based on the detection state of the seating detection unit.

[0003] In this toilet cleaning system, when it is detected based on the detection state of the seating detection unit that the user has left the toilet seat, the control unit controls the toilet cleaning unit to execute a cleaning process for cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl. Thus, the inside of the toilet bowl can be cleaned without the user operating an operation unit for cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl, and it is possible to prevent the inside of the toilet bowl from not being cleaned because the user forgets to operate the operation unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, there are cases where the user sits on the toilet seat but leaves without excreting. Even in such cases, the cleaning process is executed and the inside of the toilet bowl is cleaned. Therefore, there is room for improvement from the perspective of water conservation.

[0006] <00000In light of this situation, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a toilet flushing system that can conserve water while performing a flushing process by operating the toilet flushing unit in the control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first characteristic configuration of the present invention is a toilet flushing system comprising: a toilet bowl; a toilet seat; a toilet flushing unit that flushes water into the toilet bowl for cleaning; a seat detection unit that detects whether or not a person is seated on the toilet seat; and a control unit that controls the toilet flushing unit, The unit further comprises an odor detection unit for detecting odors inside the toilet bowl, Based on the detection status of the seating detection unit and the odor detection unit, the control unit shall When a seated state is detected by the seating detection unit, the toilet bowl flushing unit will not be activated to perform the flushing process, regardless of the detection state of the odor detection unit. In the non-seat state, where seating is not detected by the seating detection unit, if the odor detection unit detects an odor at or above a preset cleaning odor setting value, the cleaning process is executed. If the odor detection unit does not detect an odor at or above the cleaning odor setting value, the cleaning process is not executed.

[0008] With this configuration, the toilet bowl is not flushed while the user is seated on the toilet seat, thus preventing the toilet bowl from being flushed while the user is defecating. When the user transitions to an unseated state and the odor detection unit detects an odor level exceeding the flushing odor setting due to the user's defecation, the toilet bowl is flushed. If the user does not defecate and the odor detection unit does not detect an odor level exceeding the flushing odor setting, the toilet bowl is not flushed, thus saving water.

[0009] A second characteristic feature of the present invention is that the control unit is configured to perform the cleaning process again if the odor detection unit detects an odor level equal to or greater than the set value for cleaning odor after the cleaning process has been performed.

[0010] With this configuration, even if the toilet bowl is cleaned by the flushing process, if, for example, the waste in the toilet bowl has not been completely flushed away and the odor detection unit detects an odor level exceeding the set value for flushing, the flushing process can be performed again to flush away the waste in the toilet bowl, thus ensuring that the toilet bowl is properly cleaned.

[0011] A third characteristic configuration of the present invention is that it is equipped with a notification unit for notifying a user seated on the toilet seat, A setting value for odors that may cause illness is set higher than the aforementioned setting value for washing odors, which is considered to be the odor setting value for illness. The control unit is configured to notify the system via the notification unit when the odor detection unit detects an odor exceeding the set value for odors indicating poor health.

[0012] In cases of poor health such as an imbalance in the intestinal environment, constipation, or indigestion, the odor level detected by the odor detection unit during excretion is often high, and in such cases, it is likely to be significantly higher than the set value for washing odor. In this embodiment, when the odor detection unit detects an odor level higher than the set value for washing odor and above the set value for poor health odor, the notification unit will notify the user, thereby alerting them that they may be experiencing poor health. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] System configuration diagram of a toilet flushing system [Figure 2] Flowchart for automatic cleaning control [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] An embodiment of the toilet flushing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the toilet flushing system 1 comprises a toilet bowl 3, a toilet seat 4, a toilet flushing unit 5 that flushes water into the toilet bowl 3, a seat detection unit 6 that detects whether or not a person is seated on the toilet seat 4, and a control unit 7 that controls the toilet flushing unit 5. The toilet flushing system 1 also comprises an odor detection unit 9 that detects odors in the toilet bowl 3, an notification unit 10 that notifies a user seated on the toilet seat 4, and a communication unit 11 that transmits information about the toilet flushing system 1 to an external management unit (not shown) that manages the toilet flushing system 1.

[0015] The seat detection unit 6 is composed of a seat switch that turns ON when a user is seated on the toilet seat 4 due to the weight of the seated user, and OFF when the user is released from the weight of the user when the user is not seated on the toilet seat 4. The detection information of the ON or OFF state of the seat detection unit 6 is transmitted to the control unit 7. In this embodiment, the seat detection unit 6 is equipped with a seat switch, but the seat detection unit 6 may also be equipped with something other than a seat switch, such as a motion sensor that detects a user on the toilet seat 4.

[0016] The odor detection unit 9 is installed inside the toilet bowl 3 so as to be able to directly detect odors inside the toilet bowl 3, and the detected odor information is transmitted to the control unit 7. The odor detection unit 9 may also be configured to detect odors flowing out from inside the toilet bowl 3 outside the toilet bowl 3. For example, the odor detection unit 9 may be installed on the inner surface of the lid 12 that seals the toilet bowl 3 (the surface on the toilet seat 4 side), the outer surface of the toilet bowl 3, or the wall of the toilet booth in which the toilet bowl 3 is installed.

[0017] The notification unit 10 is composed of, for example, a lamp that can light up in red or the like. In this embodiment, the notification unit 10 is provided on a controller 13 installed on the wall of the toilet booth where the toilet bowl 3 is installed, and a display indicating the content of the notification, such as "feeling unwell," is provided near the notification unit 10 on the controller 13. The notification unit 10 is configured to notify the user of the content of the notification by lighting up in red or the like when notifying the user. The notification unit 10 may light up for a preset time (for example, about 10 seconds) and then automatically turn off, or it may be configured to turn off when a confirmation button (not shown) is operated. The notification unit 10 may also be composed of an LCD monitor that displays the content of the notification in text or images, or a speaker that outputs the content of the notification as sound.

[0018] The control unit 7 is configured to perform automatic flushing control, which automatically executes the flushing process based on the detection status of the seat detection unit 6 and the odor detection unit 9. In this automatic flushing control, based on the detection status of the seat detection unit 6 and the odor detection unit 9, if the seat is detected as occupied by the seat detection unit 6, the flushing process that activates the toilet flushing unit 5 is not executed regardless of the detection status of the odor detection unit 9. If the seat is not detected as occupied by the seat detection unit 6, the flushing process is executed if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor at or above a preset flushing odor setting value, and the flushing process is not executed if the odor detection unit 9 does not detect an odor at or above a preset flushing odor setting value. In other words, the control unit 7 is configured to automatically perform a flushing process if, after a user sits on the toilet seat 4 and then leaves the toilet seat 4 and becomes unseaten, the odor inside the toilet bowl 3 exceeds the set flushing odor value due to the user defecating. Conversely, the control unit 7 is configured not to automatically perform a flushing process if, while the user is seated on the toilet seat 4 and in a seated state, or if, after the user leaves the toilet seat 4 and becomes unseaten, the odor inside the toilet bowl 3 does not exceed the set flushing odor value due to the user not defecating.

[0019] The odor setting value for cleaning is set based on the odor when a user in good health excretes, and is set such that the value detected by the odor detection unit 9 when a user in good health excretes is equal to or greater than the odor setting value for cleaning. Also, a poor physical condition odor setting value higher than the odor setting value for cleaning is set as the odor setting value assuming poor physical condition. This poor physical condition odor setting value is set to a value higher than the odor setting value for cleaning as the poor physical condition odor setting value in consideration of the fact that in cases of poor physical condition such as disturbance of the intestinal environment, constipation, and indigestion, the odor value at the time of excretion detected by the odor detection unit 9 often becomes high. And the control unit 7 is configured to execute a poor physical condition notification process for notifying with the notification unit 10 when an odor equal to or greater than the poor physical condition odor setting value is detected by the odor detection unit 9. That is, when an odor equal to or greater than the poor physical condition odor setting value is detected by the odor detection unit 9, the control unit 7 executes the poor physical condition notification process, and the notification unit 10 lights up or blinks, so that it is possible to alert the user that there is a risk of poor physical condition.

[0020] The control unit 7 is configured not to execute the cleaning process regardless of the detection state of the odor detection unit 9 until a preset waiting time (for example, from several seconds to about ten and several seconds, specifically, 5 seconds) elapses after the detection state of the seating detection unit 6 switches from the seated state to the non-seated state. And the control unit 7 is configured to execute the cleaning process when an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value for cleaning is detected by the odor detection unit 9 after the waiting time has elapsed after the detection state of the seating detection unit 6 switches to the non-seated state. By setting such a waiting time, it is possible to avoid the cleaning process being executed immediately after the user leaves the toilet seat 4, and the user can confirm that the inside of the toilet bowl 3 has been cleaned by the cleaning process being executed before the user exits the toilet booth.

[0021] The control unit 7 is configured to execute the cleaning process again when an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value for cleaning is detected by the odor detection unit 9 after the cleaning process is executed. That is, when the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value for cleaning after the cleaning process is executed, the control unit 7 is configured to repeatedly execute the cleaning process.

[0022] In the automatic cleaning control, when the cleaning process is repeatedly performed, the number of times of the repeatedly performed cleaning process is counted. When the count number of the repeatedly performed cleaning process reaches or exceeds the set number of times (for example, 5 times), the communication unit 11 is controlled to execute an abnormality notification process of transmitting to the management unit that there may be an abnormality in the toilet cleaning system 1. By executing the abnormality notification process in this way, the management unit can grasp that there may be an abnormality in the toilet cleaning system 1, and can quickly take measures such as repair.

[0023] The odor detection unit 9 is always in a state where it can detect odor. The control unit 7 is configured to execute the cleaning process when the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value for cleaning even if the non-seated state is not detected after the seated state is once detected by the seat detection unit 6 after the start of the automatic cleaning control (even before the seated state is reached), as long as the non-seated state is detected.

[0024] Next, the automatic cleaning control in which the control unit 7 automatically executes the cleaning process based on the detection states of the seat detection unit 6 and the odor detection unit 9 will be described based on the flowchart of the automatic cleaning control shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, in the automatic cleaning control, after the seating detection unit 6 detects that the user has become seated by sitting on the toilet seat 4 (#1: Yes), and then the seating detection unit 6 detects that the user has become non-seated by leaving the toilet seat 4 (#2: Yes), when the waiting time has elapsed (#3: Yes), it is determined whether the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value (#4). Also, even before the seating detection unit 6 detects the seated state (#1: No), it is determined whether the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor equal to or greater than the odor setting value (#4). If the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor level exceeding the set odor level (#4: Yes), the cleaning process is performed (#7) as it is assumed that the user has excreted. If the odor detection unit 9 does not detect an odor level exceeding the set odor level (#4: No), the cleaning process is not performed as it is assumed that the user has not excreted.

[0025] Furthermore, in automatic cleaning control, if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor exceeding the set value for cleaning odor (if #4: Yes), and the detected odor is equal to or greater than the set value for odor indicating poor health (if #5: Yes), both the poor health notification process and the cleaning process are executed (#6, #7). If the odor detected by the odor detection unit 9 is less than the set value for odor indicating poor health (if #5: No), only the cleaning process is executed (#7).

[0026] In automatic cleaning control, if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor level exceeding the set value for cleaning odor immediately after the cleaning process (#7) is completed (#8: No), the number of repetitions is counted (#10), and if the count is less than the set number (e.g., 5 times) (#11: No), the cleaning process (#7) is repeated. If the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor level below the set value for cleaning odor immediately after the first or repeated cleaning process (#7) is completed (#8: Yes), the repetition count is reset (#9) and automatic cleaning control is terminated. Also, if the number of repetitions becomes greater than or equal to the set number due to repeated execution of the cleaning process (#7) (#11: Yes), the cleaning process is not executed, and an abnormality notification process is executed (#12) and automatic cleaning control is terminated.

[0027] As described above, the control unit 7 is configured to perform a cleaning process that activates the toilet bowl cleaning unit 5, regardless of the detection status of the odor detection unit 9, when seating is detected by the seating detection unit 6, and when seating is not detected by the seating detection unit 6, if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor equal to or greater than the preset cleaning odor setting value, it will perform the cleaning process, and if the odor detection unit 9 does not detect an odor equal to or greater than the cleaning odor setting value, it will not perform the cleaning process. Therefore, since the flushing process is not performed when the toilet user is seated on the toilet seat 4, the inside of the toilet bowl 3 is not flushed while the user is defecating. When the toilet user transitions to an unseated state where they are not seated on the toilet seat 4, and the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor level exceeding the flushing odor setting value due to the user's defecation, the flushing process is performed to flush the waste from the toilet bowl. Furthermore, if the user does not defecate and the odor detection unit 9 does not detect an odor level exceeding the flushing odor setting value, the flushing process is not performed, thus saving water.

[0028] Furthermore, the controller 13 is equipped with an operating unit 14 that the toilet user operates when flushing the toilet bowl 3. The control unit 7 is configured to execute a flushing process that activates the toilet flushing unit 5 when the operating unit 14 is operated. In other words, the control unit 7 is configured to execute the flushing process at any time the user operates the operating unit 14.

[0029] [Another embodiment] Other embodiments of the present invention will now be described. Note that the configurations of each embodiment described below are not limited to being applied individually, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments.

[0030] (1) In the above embodiment, even when the automatic cleaning control repeatedly executes the cleaning process multiple times, the system is configured to perform the poor health notification process only when the odor detected by the odor detection unit 9 during the first cleaning process is equal to or greater than the set value for poor health odor. However, the system may be configured to also perform the poor health notification process multiple times when the odor detected by the odor detection unit 9 during the second and subsequent cleaning processes is equal to or greater than the set value for poor health odor.

[0031] (2) In the above embodiment, a configuration was described as one in which the cleaning process is repeated if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor at or above the set value for cleaning odor immediately after the cleaning process is performed. However, the configuration may also be such that the cleaning process is repeated if the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor at or above the set value for cleaning odor after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cleaning process, or before the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0032] (3) In the above embodiment, the system is configured to determine whether or not the odor detection unit 9 detects an odor exceeding the set value for odor even before the seating state is detected by the seating detection unit 6 (in the case of #1: No), and to execute the cleaning process. However, the cleaning process may be not executed before the seating state is detected by the seating detection unit 6. In this case, the odor detection unit 9 may be configured to start detecting odors only when the seating state is detected by the seating detection unit 6. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1. Toilet flushing system 3 Toilet bowl 4 toilet seats 5. Toilet flushing section 6. Seating detection unit 7 Control Unit 9. Odor detection unit 10 Hochi Department

Claims

1. A toilet flushing system comprising a toilet bowl, a toilet seat, a toilet flushing unit that flushes water into the toilet bowl for cleaning, a seat detection unit that detects whether or not a person is seated on the toilet seat, and a control unit that controls the toilet flushing unit, The unit further comprises an odor detection unit for detecting odors inside the toilet bowl, Based on the detection status of the seating detection unit and the odor detection unit, the control unit shall When a seated state is detected by the seating detection unit, the toilet bowl flushing unit will not be activated to perform the flushing process, regardless of the detection state of the odor detection unit. A toilet bowl flushing system configured such that, in an unseaten state where seating is not detected by the seating detection unit, if the odor detection unit detects an odor at or above a preset cleaning odor setting value, the flushing process is executed; and if the odor detection unit does not detect an odor at or above the cleaning odor setting value, the flushing process is not executed.

2. The toilet bowl cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the cleaning process again if the odor detection unit detects an odor at or above the set value for cleaning odor after the cleaning process has been performed.

3. The toilet seat is equipped with a notification unit to inform the user seated on it. A setting value for odors that may cause illness is set higher than the aforementioned setting value for washing odors, which is considered to be the odor setting value for illness. The toilet flushing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to notify the user via the notification unit when the odor detection unit detects an odor exceeding the set value for odors indicating poor health.

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