Toilet equipment

Abstract

To provide a toilet system that prevents water from splashing onto the lighting unit located near the rim of the toilet bowl. [Solution] The toilet device 1 comprises a toilet body 10 having a toilet bowl portion 11 with an open top, and a lighting unit 5 that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl portion 11. The lighting unit 5 has a light source 51 and a connection portion 52 connected to the rear of the light source 51, to which wiring 52a that supplies power to the light source 51 is connected, and the connection portion 52 is located higher than the light source 51. Preferably, the lighting unit 5 is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a toilet apparatus. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique of illuminating the inside of the bowl of a toilet apparatus with weak light so that the toilet can be used without disturbing sleep when the toilet is used at night or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In order to irradiate the inside of the bowl with light, the illumination unit is arranged in the vicinity of the rim of the bowl. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003] PATENT DOCUMENT 1 International Publication No. 2017 / 038504 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] When the illumination unit is arranged in the vicinity of the rim of the bowl, water splashes and the like scatter along with the use of the toilet apparatus, and water may splash on the wiring connected to the illumination unit. In particular, when water splashes on the connection portion of the wiring, there is a concern that a problem may occur in power supply. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a toilet apparatus including: a toilet main body having a bowl portion with an open upper part; and an illumination unit that illuminates the inside of the bowl portion, wherein the illumination unit has a light source and a connection portion connected to the rear of the light source and connected to a wiring that supplies power to the light source, and the connection portion is located at a position higher than the light source. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the toilet apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 2A] It is a top view of the front base portion of the present embodiment. [Figure 2B] This is a partial side view of the front base portion of this embodiment. [Figure 2C] This is a schematic diagram of a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the front base portion of this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a partially enlarged perspective view of the front base portion of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the front base portion of this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the toilet device of this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of the area near the light source in this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the toilet device 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-to-back direction as viewed from a person sitting on the toilet seat 21 of the toilet device 1 is defined as the front-to-back direction. The direction connecting the left and right sides that intersect the front-to-back direction is defined as the width direction. The vertical direction is defined as the up-and-down direction. In the drawings, F indicates the front of the toilet device 1, and R indicates the rear.

[0008] The toilet device 1 is a flushable device that is installed, for example, in a toilet room (not shown) and flushes waste into the sewer for cleaning. As shown in Figure 1, the toilet device 1 includes a toilet bowl body 10, a toilet seat 21, a toilet lid 22, a base 3, a buttock washing mechanism 4 as a washing mechanism (see Figure 4), and a lighting unit 5 (see Figure 3).

[0009] The toilet bowl body 10 is a container having a toilet bowl portion 11 with an open top. The toilet bowl portion 11 is a recess formed towards the front of the toilet bowl body 10, with a drain opening formed at its bottom and connected to a sewer pipe (not shown). The toilet bowl portion 11 has a water reservoir portion 12 (see Figure 5) at its bottom in which a certain amount of flushing water is stored for sealing purposes.

[0010] The toilet seat 21 is a roughly annular, flat member with an opening in the center that communicates with the opening of the toilet bowl body 10. It is placed on the upper surface of the toilet bowl body 10 and is attached so as to be openable and closable. The toilet lid 22 is attached on top of the toilet seat 21 so as to be openable and closable and covers the recess of the toilet seat 21 and the toilet bowl body 10.

[0011] The base unit 3 is positioned behind the toilet seat 21 and is equipped with functional components such as the opening and closing mechanisms for the toilet seat 21 and toilet lid 22, a temperature sensor, a seating sensor, a music circuit board and speaker, a deodorizing device, a posterior washing mechanism 4, and a lighting unit 5. Conductive wiring for connecting these various mechanisms and devices and supplying power to the functional components within the base unit 3, as well as piping through which water or hot water flows to supply washing water to the posterior washing mechanism 4, are located in the base unit 3.

[0012] The base section 3 comprises a front base section 31, a rear base section 32, and a cover section 33. The front base section 31 is made of a resin plate, on which the various mechanisms are mounted. The rear base section 32 is molded from resin and has a predetermined height.

[0013] The cover portion 33 is a lid that continuously covers the front base portion 31 and the rear base portion 32. The front end of the cover portion 33 is in contact with the rear end of the toilet seat 21, and the rear end is in contact with the perimeter of the side wall of the rear base portion 32. The lower end of the cover portion 33 rests on the upper surface of the rear of the toilet bowl body 10.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the rear base section 32 is positioned in the space behind the front base section 31. The rear base section 32 has protrusions and indentations that match the external shapes of the functional components that make up each mechanism, and the functional components are attached to it.

[0015] The front base portion 31 is disposed in front of the rear base portion 32, formed as a separate body from the rear base portion 32 and connected to each other. As shown in FIG. 2A, the front base portion 31 is a substantially rectangular thin plate-shaped member arranged such that its longitudinal direction extends along the width direction of the toilet bowl body 10. The front base portion 31 has a front edge portion 31a, a rear edge portion 31b, and a bottom surface portion 310. The front edge portion 31a extends along the width direction of the toilet bowl body 10 on the front side of the front base portion 31. The rear edge portion 31b extends in the same direction as the front edge portion 31a on the rear side of the front edge portion 31a. The bottom surface portion 310 is formed with irregularities, openings, notches and the like for attaching various functional components. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3, the front base portion 31 has a nozzle insertion hole 311, an irradiation port 312, a pedestal portion 313, a claw portion 314, an auxiliary convex portion 315, and a waterproof rib portion 316.

[0016] The nozzle insertion hole 311 is disposed at the central portion in the width direction of the toilet bowl body 10 at the front edge portion 31a of the front base portion 31, and is constituted by two through holes.

[0017] The irradiation port 312 is a through hole formed in the bottom surface portion 310 of the front base portion 31, disposed between the two nozzle insertion holes 311 and behind the nozzle insertion holes 311. The irradiation port 312 is smaller than one of the nozzle insertion holes 311. The irradiation port 312 is opened so that light emitted from an illumination unit 5 to be described later travels toward the toilet bowl portion 11.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2B, the pedestal portion 313 is a protrusion formed behind the irradiation port 312 and protruding from the bottom surface portion 310. The pedestal portion 313 has a front upper surface 313a, a rear upper surface 313b, and a side wall portion 313c. The front upper surface 313a is configured as a flat surface that is downwardly inclined, with the front end side being the lowest and the rear end side being the highest, on the front side in the front-rear direction of the pedestal portion 313. The rear upper surface 313b is configured as a flat surface with no height difference between the front end side and the rear end side. The front upper surface 313a and the rear upper surface 313b are continuously arranged in the front-rear direction. The side wall portion 313c is a peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 313 that stands upright in the vertical direction from the bottom surface portion 310. The illumination unit 5 to be described later is placed on the pedestal portion 313.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C, the claw part 314 is disposed at a position that is between the irradiation port 312 and the pedestal part 313 in the front-rear direction, and slightly offset outward in the width direction of the toilet body 10 from the irradiation port 312 and the pedestal part 313. The claw part 314 is formed by a rectangular plate-shaped protrusion protruding from the bottom surface part 310, with the tip bent at a substantially right angle as shown in FIG. 2C. In the claw part 314, the width direction of the plate forming the claw part 314 extends along the front-rear direction of the toilet body 10, and the tip is bent toward the center side in the width direction of the bottom surface part 310.

[0020] The auxiliary convex part 315 is disposed on the outer side in the width direction of the pedestal part 313 opposite to the claw part 314, and on the rear side relative to the claw part 314. The auxiliary convex part 315 is configured by a substantially rectangular plate-shaped protrusion having a narrower width than the claw part 314. The auxiliary convex part 315 protrudes from the bottom surface part 310 at a height lower than that of the claw part 314. The auxiliary convex part 315 protrudes such that the width direction of the plate extends along the width direction of the toilet body 10.

[0021] The waterproof rib part 316 is a frame-shaped portion disposed behind the nozzle insertion hole 311. The waterproof rib part 316 is disposed so as to surround the nozzle insertion hole 311, the irradiation port 312, the pedestal part 313, the claw part 314, and the auxiliary convex part 315. As shown in FIG. 2A, the claw part 314 disposed inside the waterproof rib part 316 is offset toward one side in the width direction of the waterproof rib part 316. In the waterproof rib part 316, a wider space than that on the one side is left on the other side in the width direction. The waterproof rib part 316 has a standing wall 316a, a protruding part 316b, and a guide wall 316c.

[0022] The standing wall 316a stands upward from the bottom surface part 310. The standing wall 316a is formed along the front, rear, and both side portions of the front base part 31. The width between the rear and front of the standing wall 316a, and the width between the both side portions are substantially equal to each other, and have a shape close to a square.

[0023] The protruding portion 316b is located on the front side of the upright wall 316a, at a position offset to one side in the width direction of the toilet bowl body 10, and protrudes forward in a roughly U-shape. The protruding portion 316b protrudes so as to surround the periphery of the irradiation opening 312.

[0024] The guide wall 316c is the portion that extends inward from the frame made up of the upright wall 316a, such that the other wall of the toilet bowl body 10 in the width direction of the protruding portion 316b extends in the front-rear direction toward the inside of the waterproof rib portion 316. The guide wall 316c guides the area around the lighting unit 5 when it is positioned, as will be described later.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the posterior cleansing mechanism 4 is positioned approximately in the center of the width direction of the toilet bowl body 10 on the front base portion 31. The posterior cleansing mechanism 4 includes a nozzle portion 41, a cover 42, and a water supply mechanism (not shown). The posterior cleansing mechanism 4 is a device that discharges cleansing water into the toilet bowl portion 11 to clean the user's posterior.

[0026] The nozzle section 41 is cylindrical and is a pipe that discharges hot water into the toilet bowl section 11. For example, two pipes are arranged next to each other. The nozzle section 41 is mounted at an angle downward from the rear to the front. The nozzle section 41 passes over the waterproof rib section 316, and its tip is inserted into the nozzle insertion hole 311 of the front base section 31. The tip of the nozzle section 41 is positioned at the rear upper part of the toilet bowl section 11.

[0027] The cover 42 is a cover that covers a pair of nozzle sections 41. The cover 42 is positioned approximately in the center of the width direction of the front base section 31 and extends in the front-to-back direction of the toilet bowl body 10.

[0028] The water supply mechanism 43 includes a hose that supplies hot and cold water to the nozzle section 41, a solenoid valve that opens and closes the valve of the water supply pipe that supplies hot and cold water, and a motor that drives these. The water supply mechanism 43 is located below and rear of the nozzle section 41.

[0029] The lighting unit 5 is a light source that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl 11. The lighting unit 5 is positioned behind the toilet bowl 11 and is attached to the base unit 3. The overall shape of the lighting unit 5 is roughly rectangular and includes a light source 51 and a wiring section 52.

[0030] The light source 51 is a light-emitting diode (LED) optical element, and is surrounded by a plastic casing. The light source 51 is positioned above the illumination port 312.

[0031] The wiring section 52 is located behind the light source 51 and is connected to the light source 51. The wiring section 52 is the part to which the wiring 52a that supplies power to the light source 51 is connected and bundled. The wiring section 52 is mounted on the base section 313 and is positioned higher than the light source 51. The wiring section 52 is located below the nozzle section 41 of the buttock washing mechanism 4. The wiring section 52 is surrounded by a frame-shaped waterproof rib section 316 and is supported by the base section 313, giving it a raised position. As shown in Figures 2B and 6, the support of the wiring section 52 by the base section 313 causes the lighting section 5 to tilt from the rear to the front. Even if water such as washing water discharged from the buttock washing mechanism 4 were to enter the front base section 31, the wiring section 52 would be protected from water ingress.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the lighting unit 5 is sized so that its front end fits into a roughly U-shaped projection 316b on the front end side of the upright wall 316a of the waterproof rib 316. One end of the lighting unit 5 in the width direction abuts against and engages with the claw portion 314. The rear end of the lighting unit 5 is mounted so as to rest on the base portion 313. By aligning the end of the lighting unit 5 opposite to the side that the claw portion 314 abuts against with the guide wall 316c of the waterproof rib 316 and pushing the lighting unit 5 forward while being guided by the claw portion 314 and the guide wall 316c, the lighting unit 5 fits into the projection 316b. When the front end of the lighting unit 5 fits into the projection 316b, the light source 51 is automatically positioned above the illumination opening 312. The auxiliary protrusion 315 assists in guiding the lighting unit 5 so that it does not move to the side opposite to the side where the claw portion 314 is provided. Since the distance between the auxiliary protrusion 315 and the upright wall 316a is greater than the distance between the claw portion 314 and the upright wall 316a of the waterproof rib portion 316, there is extra space for installation, which improves workability and makes installation easier, especially if there are manufacturing errors in the placement of the lighting portion 5 or the claw portion 314 within the waterproof rib portion 316.

[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lighting unit 5 attached to the front base 31 and emitting light. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the area around the light source 51 in Figure 5, magnified. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rear end of the lighting unit 5 is raised by the base 313, so that the central beam X, which is the center of the light emitted by the lighting unit 5, is directed towards the rear of the toilet bowl 11. The central beam X is the light emitted from the light-emitting diode as the light source 51 that travels in the direction of the strongest intensity. The central beam X is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape of the lighting unit 5. The illumination range E illuminated by the light emitted by the lighting unit 5 is located towards the rear of the toilet bowl body 10. The lighting unit 5 is positioned to emit light while avoiding the water reservoir 12 of the toilet bowl 11. In other words, the lighting unit 5 is positioned so that the central beam X is directed away from the water reservoir 12. With this arrangement, the high-intensity light near the central beam X hits the rear wall of the toilet bowl 11. As shown in Figure 5, light hitting the rear wall of the toilet bowl 11 is reflected and illuminates the front. The high-intensity light near the central beam X does not directly illuminate the water reservoir 12.

[0034] This embodiment provides the following advantages. The toilet device 1 is configured to include a toilet body 10 having a toilet bowl portion 11 with an open top, and a lighting unit 5 that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl portion 11. The lighting unit 5 is configured to include a light source 51 and a connection unit 52 connected to the rear of the light source 51, to which wiring 52a that supplies power to the light source 51 is connected, and the connection unit 52 is positioned higher than the light source 51. Because the connection unit 52 is positioned higher than the light source 51, water is less likely to come into contact with the connection unit 52 which is connected to the rear of the light source 51. As a result, malfunctions are less likely to occur in the connection unit 52, and the inside of the toilet bowl can be stably illuminated.

[0035] In this embodiment, the lighting unit 5 is tilted downward from the rear to the front. By tilting the lighting unit 5, the connection unit 52 can be easily positioned higher than the light source 51. Therefore, water is less likely to come into contact with the connection unit 52. As a result, malfunctions in the connection unit 52 are less likely to occur, and the inside of the toilet bowl can be stably illuminated. Furthermore, because the lighting unit 5 is tilted downward, the central beam X of the light emitted by the lighting unit 5 faces backward, and the light does not directly shine on the water reservoir 12 in the toilet bowl 11 where the flushing water is stored. This prevents people using the toilet at night from being dazzled and awakened by the light reflected from the water reservoir 12.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the toilet bowl 11 is further configured to include a buttock washing mechanism 4 that discharges washing water into the toilet bowl 11 to wash the user's buttocks. The buttock washing mechanism 4 is configured to include a nozzle 41 that supplies washing water into the toilet bowl 11, and the nozzle 41 is mounted at an angle downward from the rear to the front. The wiring section 52 is positioned below the nozzle section 41. Because the wiring section 52 is positioned below the nozzle section 41, the space within the front base section 31 can be efficiently utilized to mount the lighting section 5. Because the nozzle section 41 itself is angled downward, it is difficult to position the lighting section 5 upright, but by positioning the wiring section 52 higher than the light source 51, the space can be efficiently utilized while protecting the wiring section 52.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lighting unit 5 is positioned so that the central light X faces the rear of the toilet bowl 11. This prevents the light from directly shining on the water reservoir 12 of the toilet bowl, thus preventing people using the toilet at night from being dazzled and awakened by the light reflected from the water reservoir 12.

[0038] In this embodiment, the toilet bowl portion 11 is configured to include a water reservoir portion 12 at the bottom for storing washing water, and the lighting unit 5 is positioned so that the central light X is directed toward a part other than the water reservoir portion 12. As a result, the light does not directly irradiate the water reservoir portion 12 of the toilet bowl portion, thus achieving the same effect as described above.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the lighting unit 5 is further configured to include a base unit 3 to which it is attached. The base unit 3 is configured to include a pedestal unit 313 that supports the rear part of the lighting unit 5. This makes it easier to reliably position the wiring unit 52 higher than the light source 51, and reduces the likelihood of water getting on the wiring unit 52. Therefore, the same effects as described above are achieved.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the base portion 3 is configured to include a frame-shaped waterproof rib portion 316 surrounding the connection portion 52, and a claw portion 314 positioned inside the waterproof rib portion 316 with which the lighting portion 5 engages. The claw portion 314 is positioned towards one side in the width direction of the waterproof rib portion 316. Since the connection portion 52 is surrounded by the frame-shaped waterproof rib portion 316, even if water enters the front base portion 31, it is possible to prevent water from getting on the connection portion 52. Furthermore, since the lighting portion is engaged along the claw portion 314 and there is space on the other side of the claw portion 314, the installation of the lighting portion 5 becomes easier, improving work efficiency.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the toilet device 1 is configured to include a toilet body 10 having a toilet bowl portion 11 with an open top, and a lighting unit 5 that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl portion 11. The toilet bowl portion 11 is configured to include a water reservoir portion 12 at the bottom for storing flushing water, and the lighting unit 5 is positioned so that the central light X is directed toward parts other than the water reservoir portion 12. Since light does not directly shine on the water reservoir portion 12 in which flushing water is stored within the toilet bowl portion 11, it is possible to prevent people using the toilet at night from being dazzled and awakened by the light reflected from the water reservoir portion 12.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the outer shape of the lighting unit 5 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the central light X of the lighting unit 5 is directed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As a result, the central light X is directed toward the rear of the toilet bowl 11 and positioned to face parts other than the water reservoir 12, thus achieving the same effect as described above.

[0043] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications, improvements, etc., are included in this disclosure. For example, the lighting unit does not have to be attached to the base unit. The shape of the lighting unit is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Toilet unit, 3 Base unit, 4 Buttock washing mechanism, 5 Lighting unit, 10 Toilet bowl body, 11 Toilet bowl unit, 12 Water reservoir unit, 41 Nozzle unit, 51 Light source, 52 Connection unit, 52a Wiring, 313 Base unit, 314 Claw unit, 316 Waterproof rib unit

Claims

1. A toilet bowl body having a toilet bowl section with an open top, It comprises a lighting unit that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl, The lighting unit comprises a light source and a connection section connected to the rear of the light source, to which wiring that supplies power to the light source is connected, and the connection section is located at a higher position than the light source, in a toilet device.

2. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting unit is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

3. The toilet bowl section is further equipped with a cleaning mechanism that discharges cleaning water into the toilet bowl and cleans the user. The cleaning mechanism has a nozzle that supplies cleaning water into the toilet bowl. The nozzle portion is mounted at an angle downward from the rear to the front. The toilet device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection portion is located below the nozzle portion.

4. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lighting unit is arranged so that the central light is directed towards the rear of the toilet bowl.

5. The toilet bowl section has a water reservoir at the bottom for storing washing water. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lighting unit is arranged such that the central light is directed toward a part other than the water reservoir.

6. The aforementioned lighting unit further comprises a base portion to which the lighting unit is attached, The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base portion has a pedestal portion that supports the rear portion of the lighting portion.

7. The base portion includes a frame-shaped waterproof rib portion that surrounds the connection portion, It has a claw portion that is positioned inside the waterproof rib portion and into which the lighting portion engages, The toilet device according to claim 6, wherein the claw portion is positioned towards one side in the width direction of the waterproof rib portion.

8. A toilet bowl body having a toilet bowl section with an open top, It comprises a lighting unit that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl, The toilet bowl section has a water reservoir at the bottom for storing washing water. The lighting unit is positioned such that the central light is directed towards parts other than the water reservoir, in a toilet device.

9. The external shape of the aforementioned lighting unit is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped. The central light of the illumination unit is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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