Solar-powered public toilets

Abstract

To provide a public toilet equipped with a solar panel that can harmonize with the surrounding scenery and reduce the burden of maintenance work. [Solution] A mounting frame 11 located at the top of a side wall 5 of a building 3 is provided with a horizontally long, strip-shaped solar panel mounting section and a skylight mounting section, and the outer surface of the light-receiving side of the solar panel mounted on the solar panel mounting section is integrated and flush with the outer surface of the side wall 5. If the exterior of the mounting frame 11 and solar panel 21 are unified in black, the presence of the solar panel 21 is further submerged and diluted. In addition, the mounting frame 11 side, together with the solar panel 21, forms a black stripe, constituting part of the exterior design of the building. The contrast and texture between this black stripe and the outer surface of the roof 27 and main side wall 7 can be freely created to create a modern and stylish design.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a public toilet equipped with a solar panel, in which power is supplied to loads such as lighting equipment from an independent solar power source. [Background technology]

[0002] Public toilets have long been installed in parks and other areas, but recently proposals have been made to allow public toilets to be configured to use independent solar power sources to power loads such as lighting equipment and drainage pumps, so that they can be installed in places where there is no commercial power source or can be used in the event of a power outage when the commercial power supply is cut off due to a disaster. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3128131 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as described in Patent Document 1, in all of the conventional proposals, the solar panels are installed on the roof, which makes it appear as if a bulky solar panel has been placed on the roof. On the other hand, public toilets constructed within parks are required to have exteriors that blend in with the surrounding landscape in order to both protect the landscape and increase usage. Also, when installing solar panels on a roof, there is a risk that the waterproofing layer may be damaged, causing leaks. Furthermore, because the outer surface of the solar panel that receives light faces upward, it is prone to becoming covered in fallen leaves and bird droppings. Also, if the panel is hit hard by something, such as a flying ball or a crow dropping a stone, it can break or crack. Leaving the panel with fallen leaves or other debris will reduce its power generation capacity, but climbing up to the roof to check the condition and carry out maintenance such as cleaning and repairs is a significant workload.

[0005] This invention was made with a focus on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a new and useful public toilet equipped with solar panels that is designed to minimize the bulky presence of the solar panels as much as possible, thereby harmonizing with the surrounding landscape and reducing the workload of maintenance work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The solar panel is then attached to the wall of the building, and the solar panel is then attached to the wall of the building. ...

[0007] Preferably, the solar panel mounting portion is configured as a surface frame portion that can also be used as a light-receiving window mounting portion, and the surface frame portion that is not provided with a solar panel is provided with a light-receiving window. Preferably, the side wall portion is divided into upper and lower portions, and a plurality of surface frame portions are formed by a steel-framed mounting frame portion that forms the upper portion. Preferably, the outer surface of the light-receiving side of the solar panel is black, and the outer surface of the mounting frame is also black, forming a black belt-like exterior design. It is also possible to install multiple buildings in a multi-unit configuration, with their side walls lined up without any gaps. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In public toilets equipped with solar panels, the solar panels form part of the exterior wall, reducing their rugged presence and blending in with the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, the burden of maintenance work is reduced because it is not necessary to climb onto the roof. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a public toilet building equipped with solar panels according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of solar panels to be attached to the building of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the interior of a public toilet equipped with a solar panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. [Figure 6] 1 is a right cross-sectional view of the interior of a public toilet equipped with a solar panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the left side. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the public toilet in FIG. 5 and a public toilet with a different internal configuration, connected in a multi-connected manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A public toilet 1 equipped with a solar panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "right," and "left" are generally based on the directions indicated by the arrows shown in relation to the illustrated state of building 3 in Figure 1. Public toilet 1 (Figure 5, etc.) is constructed using the modular construction method, and is shipped completed in a factory with interior and exterior finishes, floor and underfloor finishes, sanitary and electrical installation, and water supply and drainage installation completed. To accommodate the loading height required for transport by truck, the side wall 5 is separated at its upper part into the main side wall 7 and the mounting frame 11 located above it. The lower building structure, consisting of the floor 25 and main side wall 7, the mounting frame 11, and the roof (including ceiling) 27 are transported to the site in separate pieces. After the lower building structure is installed on the ground at the site, the mounting frame 11 is placed on top of the lower building structure, and the roof (including ceiling) 27 is then installed on top of that to complete the integration. Reference numeral 26 denotes the concrete-encased section that was installed after public toilet 1 was installed on site.

[0011] Since the present invention is characterized by the structure of the building 3, for ease of viewing, only the building 3 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Although FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, it has been disassembled at appropriate points for the sake of ease of understanding the present invention, and is not disassembled for transportation purposes.

[0012] The building 3 is rectangular, and the side wall portion 5 has a rectangular frame shape when viewed from above. The main side wall 7 is made of reinforced concrete and is finished on both the outer and inner sides. Walls 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are located on each of the four sides, and the left-right direction is slightly longer than the front-to-back direction. An opening and closing door 9 is provided on the front wall portion 7a. The mounting frame 11 is stacked on top of the main side wall 7 at the construction site and integrated into one piece. The height necessary and sufficient for the side wall 5 of the building 3 is almost ensured on the main side wall 7 side, and the height dimension of the mounting frame 11 is sufficient to fulfill the functions described below.

[0013] The mounting frame 11 is made of steel, and as shown in Figure 3, it is made up of a pair of bottom and top surfaces 11a and 11b, with the plate surfaces facing up and down, and a rectangular pillar 11c rising up between the bottom and top surfaces 11a and 11b, which are connected to each other and integrated with the rectangular pillar 11c in common, so that when viewed from the front, back, left, and right directions, a rectangular frame made up of the bottom surface 11a, top surface 11b, and rectangular pillars 11c, 11c is formed on all four sides. The size of this frame is the same on all four sides. The outer surface of the rectangular pillar 11c is located slightly inward from the outer surfaces of the lower surface 11a and the upper surface 11b, and is almost flush with them. On the rear side, a stud 11d is interposed between the rectangular pillars 11c.

[0014] The front surface is a horizontally elongated rectangular surface frame portion 13 composed of a lower surface portion 11a, an upper surface portion 11b, and left and right rectangular pillars 11c, 11c. The interior and exterior of the surface frame portion 13 are separated by a mounting surface portion 11e, with the exterior portion forming a mounting recess 13a that is recessed inward. In addition, reinforcing pillars 11f, 11f are interposed between the lower surface portion 11a and the upper surface portion 11b, in contact with the inner surface of the mounting surface portion 11e. A small opening 11g for a terminal block is provided in the mounting surface portion 11e. Similarly, the left and right surfaces also have surface frame portions 15 and 17, each having a mounting recess 15a and 17a.

[0015] On the other hand, the rear surface is a horizontally elongated rectangular surface frame portion 19 composed of a lower surface portion 11a, an upper surface portion 11b, left and right square pillars 11c, 11c, and a partition 11d, and has two horizontally elongated rectangular mounting openings 19a, 19a of the same size separated by the partition 11d.

[0016] The mounting recesses 13a, 15a, and 17a are used to mount solar panels, and the mounting openings 19a and 19a are used to mount light windows. The entire outer surface of the mounting frame portion 11 is colored black.

[0017] Solar panel 21 has a flat, horizontally elongated rectangular shape, and as shown in Figure 4, is composed of panel body 21a, which is smaller and similar to mounting recesses 13a, 15a, and 17a, and frame 21b, which surrounds and holds the four edges of panel body 21a. Panel body 21a is constructed with black monocrystalline solar cells, giving it a black light-receiving surface, and frame 21b is constructed from black-colored aluminum extrusion. Therefore, when viewed from the outer surface of the light-receiving side, solar panel 21 appears entirely black. The solar panel 21 is fitted from the outside into the mounting recesses 13a, 15a, and 17a.

[0018] In the attached state, the outer surface of the light-receiving side of the solar panel 21 is substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the surrounding face frame portions 13, 15, 17. The outer surfaces of the face frame portions 13, 15, and 17, as well as the outer surface of the solar panel 21, are black, creating a sense of unity with the same color. Therefore, the presence of the solar panels 21, 21, 21 within the surface frame portions 13, 15, 17 is buried and diluted.

[0019] The wired glass 23 that forms the light-receiving window is a flat, horizontally elongated rectangle, and is composed of a glass plate that is small enough to fit the installation opening 19a and a frame that surrounds and holds the four edges of the glass plate. A translucent film is attached to the glass plate, and the frame is made of black-colored steel (iron). Two glass sheets 23, 23 are fitted into the mounting openings 19a, 19a of the face frame portion 19 from the outside and mounted thereto. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the glass sheet 23 is fitted into the mounting opening 19a and mounted.

[0020] As the lower building structure, a floor portion 25 is attached to the lower surface of the main side wall portion 7 and is integrated therewith. The substructure, mounting frame 11 and roof 27 are transported separately. A roof 27 is placed on and integrated with the upper surface 11b of the mounting frame 11. The roof 27 is flat, with its upper surface being almost flat and parapets 27a rising from the front and both left and right edges of the four sides.

[0021] The building 3 is constructed as described above, and the presence of the solar panels 21 is buried and diluted within the mounting frame portion 11. In other words, the mounting frame portion 11 is closed off by the solar panels 21, 21, 21 and the glass plates 23, 23, so that only the glass plates 23 can be consciously seen, and as a secondary side wall portion, its outer wall surface is connected vertically to the outer wall surface of the main side wall portion 7, with the surface being almost flush with that of the main side wall portion 7. Therefore, the outer shape is a simple square, and the mounting frame portion 11 is integrated with the main side wall portion 7. The mounting frame 11 side, together with the solar panels 21, 21, 21, forms a black band that constitutes part of the exterior design of the building 3, and by constructing the exterior surfaces of the roof 27 and main side wall 7 with metal siding, exposed concrete, recycled wood, etc., it is possible to freely create contrasts and textures with this black band, resulting in a modern and stylish design.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, inside the building 3 of the public toilet 1, a control panel 29 and a distribution panel 31 are attached at an appropriate height on the inner wall surface of the main side wall 7. The electricity generated by the solar panel 21 is a 12V DC power supply that is charged into a battery inside the control panel 29, and is also converted to 100V AC by a DC / AC converter and supplied to the distribution panel 31. Therefore, this distribution panel 31 has the same specifications as that for commercial power sources. As a standard feature, the lighting circuit, push button circuit, and ventilation fan circuit related to the electrical equipment in the toilet are connected to this distribution board 31. However, if it is specially ordered, it is also possible to incorporate a power outlet circuit, etc.

[0023] From the viewpoint of the functionality of the solar panel 21, the roof 27 does not protrude outward from the mounting frame portion 11, and therefore does not interfere with the solar panel 21 receiving light. Furthermore, because the solar panels 21 form part of the exterior wall surface that is vertical from the ground, not only are they less susceptible to falling leaves and bird droppings, but they also reduce the workload by allowing visual inspection of the adhesion and damage status, as well as cleaning and maintenance, without having to climb onto the roof 27. The installation of the solar panels 21 is also completed within the factory, so there is no need to worry about damage to the building 3. In addition, under building regulations, when installing a public toilet, the application must include the height of the building, including the solar panels, making it advantageous for those who want to keep the building height low while ensuring the ceiling height.

[0024] In this building 3, solar panels 21 are attached on three sides. The amount of electricity generated by the solar panel 21 changes depending on the amount of sunlight received on the light-receiving surface, so it is ideal to install it so that sunlight hits it at as perpendicular an angle as possible.In the case of a single-sided type, it is said that the most efficient way to secure a large amount of sunlight is to place it facing south and tilted at about 30 degrees. In this device, the solar panels 21 are attached to form part of the exterior wall, and the ideal tilt angle cannot be achieved. However, the outer frames of the mounting frame 11 on all four sides are the same size, and by changing the internal structure, they can be used as either solar panel mounting areas or skylight mounting areas. This makes it possible to orient multiple solar panels 21 in multiple directions. When the mounting frame 11 is rectangular, the number of solar panels 21 can be adjusted from one to four, allowing for optimal design depending on the amount of sunlight at the installation location and the power consumption of the toilet equipment.

[0025] Since the roof 27 of the building 3 does not protrude outward, as shown in FIG. 7, public toilets having different internal configurations similar to the public toilet 1 of FIG. 5 can be connected in a multi-connected manner. In Figure 7(1), there are three toilets in a row, all of which are constructed using buildings 3 of the above-mentioned shape and size, but the public toilet 32 ​​on the left is a men's toilet, the public toilet 33 in the middle is barrier-free, and the public toilet 35 on the right is a women's toilet. In Figure 7(2), there are two toilets, with the one on the left being a barrier-free public toilet 33. The public toilet 37 on the right is divided into two compartments, each with opening and closing doors 9, 9 and toilets etc. installed inside. The control panel 29 and distribution panel 31 are installed in one of the compartments. In this way, by connecting a plurality of buildings 3 in a multi-connected manner with their respective side wall portions 5 lined up without any gaps, the buildings 3 can be made to look as if they are a single building as a whole.

[0026] The above has described in detail the embodiment of the present invention, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, and exterior of the building, as well as the internal specifications, can be freely designed within the scope of the present invention. It is also possible to configure the underground maintenance pit so that it can be used as a pump-out type emergency waste tank. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1...Public toilet 3...Building 5...Side wall portion 7...Main side wall portion 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d...Wall section 9...Opening / closing door 11... Mounting frame portion 11a... Lower surface portion 11b...top surface portion 11c...rectangular column 11d...Stud 11e...Mounting surface 11f…Reinforcement column 11g…Opening 13...Face frame portion 13a...Concave surface for mounting 15...Face frame portion 15a...Concave surface for mounting 17...Face frame portion 17a...Concave surface for mounting 19...Face frame portion 19a...Installation opening 21...Solar panel 21a...Panel body 21b...Frame 23...Plate glass 25...Floor section 26...Concrete wrapping section 27...Roof 27a...Parapet 29...Control panel 31...Distribution panel 32...Public toilet (men's toilet) 33...Public toilet (barrier-free) 35...Public toilet (women's toilet) 37...Public toilet (private toilet)

Claims

1. A public toilet equipped with a solar panel is characterized in that a horizontally long rectangular solar panel mounting section is provided on the upper part of the side wall of a rectangular building, and the outer surface of the light-receiving side of the solar panel mounted on the solar panel mounting section is flush with and integrated with the outer wall surface of the side wall.

2. In the public toilet equipped with the solar panel according to claim 1, This public toilet is characterized in that the solar panel mounting portion is composed of a surface frame portion that can also be used as a light-receiving window mounting portion, and the surface frame portion that is not equipped with a solar panel is equipped with a light-receiving window.

3. In the public toilet equipped with the solar panel according to claim 2, This public toilet is characterized by the side wall being divided into upper and lower parts, and the upper part being a steel-framed mounting frame part that is made up of multiple surface frame parts.

4. In the public toilet equipped with the solar panel according to claim 3, This public toilet is characterized in that the outer surface of the light-receiving side of the solar panel is black, and the outer surface of the mounting frame is also black, forming a black belt-like exterior design.

5. In the public toilet equipped with the solar panel according to claim 2, This public toilet is characterized by a plurality of buildings being installed in a multi-connected manner with their side walls lined up without any gaps.

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