Toilet equipment

Abstract

To provide a toilet device capable of smooth opening operation of a toilet seat or toilet lid regardless of an amount of gaps even when there is a gap in an engaging part between an output part and the toilet seat or toilet lid.SOLUTION: In a toilet device, control means controls a motor and restricts rotation of an output part in an opening direction when a rotary member is at a prescribed angle when performing opening operation of the rotary member. The control means further controls the motor and performs opening operation of the output part in the opening direction after contact detection means detects contact between the output part and an engaging part so that a force is given to the rotary member in a closing direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet device that electrically opens and closes a toilet seat or a toilet cover by utilizing, for example, a motor or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, toilet seat devices equipped with an electric opening / closing device that electrically opens and closes a toilet seat or a toilet lid by utilizing a driving source such as a motor have been realized (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Also, there is a control that suppresses the speed at the open end in order to reduce the shaking and collision noise at the open end when the toilet seat or toilet lid is opened and to improve quality (Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-24362 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4293987 [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-42921 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In controlling the opening operation of the toilet seat or lid, it is necessary to reduce the speed at the open end in order to reduce the shaking and collision noise at the open end and improve quality. However, when the load torque of the toilet seat or lid reverses its positive and negative polarities, the speed cannot be suppressed because the rattle caused by the gap between the output part of the electric opening and closing device and the mating part of the toilet seat or lid enters an uncontrollable range. Therefore, from the viewpoint of quality, it is required that the gap at the mating part is small.

[0006] On the other hand, in order to improve the ease of assembly of the toilet seat or toilet lid and the ease of cleaning by attaching and detaching it, it is essential to provide a gap between the output part of the electric opening and closing device and the fitting part of the toilet seat or toilet lid. Therefore, control that can smoothly suppress the speed for the gap of the fitting part is required.

[0007] However, there are variations in the amount of gap, such as the gap increasing in the fitting part due to deterioration over time, and if there is a difference between the expected and actual amount of gap, the seat cover may not be able to slow down and open forcefully, or conversely, it may slow down too much and return to the closed side, making it impossible to open fully.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a toilet device that can achieve a smooth opening action of the toilet seat or toilet lid, even if there is a gap between the output part and the fitting part of the toilet seat or toilet lid, regardless of the size of the gap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention provides an electric opening and closing mechanism having a support part attached to a toilet bowl, a rotating member rotatably supported on the support part and having an engaging part, a motor for rotating the rotating member, and an output part that engages with the engaging part with a gap and transmits the output of the motor to the rotating member, a control means for controlling the drive of the motor, and a contact detection means for detecting contact between the output part and the engaging part when the rotating member is rotating so that a force is applied to the rotating member in a direction opposite to the rotation direction, wherein, when the rotating member is to be opened, the control means controls the motor when the rotating member reaches a predetermined angle to restrict the rotation of the output part in the opening direction, and the control means further controls the motor to open the output part in the opening direction after the contact detection means detects that the output part has come into contact with the engaging part so that a force is applied to the rotating member in the closing direction.

[0010] As a result, even if there is a gap between the fitting portion of the output portion and the toilet seat or toilet lid, a smooth opening action of the toilet seat or toilet lid can be achieved regardless of the size of the gap.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the contact detection means includes motor torque detection means for detecting the torque of the motor, and detection is performed based on the torque of the motor detected by the motor torque detection means.

[0012] Thus, by performing contact detection based on the motor torque detected by the motor torque detection means, even if there is a gap between the output part and the fitting part of the toilet seat or toilet lid, a smooth opening operation of the toilet seat or toilet lid can be achieved regardless of the size of the gap.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the contact detection means includes angular velocity detection means for detecting the angular velocity of the rotating member, and the angular velocity detection means is provided on the rotation axis of the output portion or the fitting portion.

[0014] This makes it possible to measure the torque at a position closer to the contact position, making it possible to make a contact determination while reducing the effects of disturbances and the possibility of erroneous detection.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, the contact detection means includes current value detection means for detecting a current value of the motor, and performs detection based on the current value of the motor detected by the current value detection means.

[0016] With this, by providing the current value detection means on a control board separate from the control means that controls the drive of the motor, it becomes possible to determine contact without increasing the number of parts in the electric opening and closing device.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the contact detection means includes load detection means for detecting a load applied from the output portion to the fitting portion of the rotating member, and performs detection based on a detection result of the load detection means.

[0018] This makes it possible to directly measure the load at the contact position, thereby making it possible to make a contact determination while reducing the effects of disturbances and the possibility of erroneous detection.

[0019] In the present invention, the predetermined angle is preferably between 70° and 100°.

[0020] This allows for a smooth opening movement of the toilet seat or toilet lid by limiting the rotation in the opening direction to a rotation angle of 70° to 100°, where the vertically downward force of the rotating member is small.

[0021] In the present invention, preferably, when the rotating member is caused to perform an opening operation, the control means controls the motor to rotate the output portion in the closing direction when the rotating member reaches the predetermined opening angle.

[0022] This allows the gap between the output part and the fitting part to be quickly closed by reversing the rotation direction of the output part, enabling operation with little change in speed when the load torque of the toilet seat or toilet lid reverses from positive to negative. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the above configuration, the present invention can provide a toilet device that can achieve a smooth opening operation of the toilet seat or toilet lid, even if there is a gap between the fitting portion between the output portion and the toilet seat or toilet lid, regardless of the amount of the gap. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet lid of a toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open state; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet lid of a toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a closed state; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a toilet with the toilet seat and toilet lid removed according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which an output portion and a bearing of a fitting portion are fitted with a gap according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram of an electric toilet lid opening / closing device and an electric toilet seat opening / closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] A diagram explaining the mechanism by which rattling occurs in a conventional toilet device. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating torque generated in an output section during an opening operation in a conventional toilet device. [Figure 8] A diagram explaining the mechanism by which the toilet lid bounces in a conventional toilet device. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the torque that occurs when the toilet lid bounces in a conventional toilet device. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the output portion and the bearing when the toilet lid is smoothly driven to open according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the torque generated in the output section when the rotation speed is reduced during the opening operation of the toilet lid according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the torque generated in the output section when the rotation direction is reversed during the opening operation of the toilet lid according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a contact determination process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a torque detection means of a motor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a torque detection means using an angular velocity detection circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of installation of an angular velocity sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a torque detection means using a current value detection circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating generated torque from a motor current value. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a contact detection means using a load detection circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of installation of a load detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views that show a toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In more detail, Figure 1 shows the toilet device in a state where the toilet lid 300 is opened to a predetermined opening limit angle and the toilet seat 200 is closed, and Figure 2 shows the toilet lid 300 and the toilet seat 200 in a state where both are closed.

[0026] The toilet apparatus in Fig. 1 has a main body 100 (support part) provided behind a toilet bowl 400. Rotating members of a toilet seat 200 and a toilet lid 300 are pivotally supported on the main body 100 so that they can be opened and closed. Although not shown, the main body 100 is formed with stoppers that regulate the maximum opening angle of the toilet seat 200 and the toilet lid 300. When the toilet seat 200 and the toilet lid 300 are opened electrically, they are opened until a predetermined portion of the base end of the toilet seat 200 and the toilet lid 300 abuts against the stopper (until the maximum opening angle is reached).

[0027] Figure 3 partially shows the toilet apparatus in the state of Figure 1 with toilet seat 200 and toilet lid 300 removed from main body 100, and also shows a schematic configuration according to the present invention inside main body 100. As shown in Figure 3, on the inside (toilet bowl side) of toilet lid 300, bearings 310, 320 (fitting parts) that engage with main body 100 are formed on both side walls of the base end. Similarly, on the inside of toilet seat 200, bearings 210, 220 (fitting parts) that engage with main body 100 are formed on both side walls of the base end.

[0028] Various devices and circuits are installed within the main body 100, such as an electric opening and closing device (control means 700, electric opening and closing mechanism for the toilet seat 200 and the toilet lid 300) for electrically opening and closing the toilet seat 200 and the toilet lid 300, and a main control unit 800 that performs overall control of the toilet apparatus.

[0029] The electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 includes an output unit 620 for driving the toilet lid 300 to rotate (open / close), and a drive unit that drives the output unit 620 (see FIG. 5). The output unit 620 has a shape that fits into one of the bearings 320 of the toilet lid 300. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the output unit 620 fits into the bearing 320 so as to have a certain gap in the rotation direction of the output unit 620 (see the arrow in the figure).

[0030] On the other hand, the output part 630 has a shape that fits into the other bearing 310 of the toilet lid 300, and axially supports the toilet lid 300. The output part 630 may be equipped with a device that has a torsion coil spring and biases the rotation, or may be equipped with a buffer device that has a damper part and brakes the rotation.

[0031] The output part 630 and the output part 620 of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 each coincide with the rotation center of the toilet lid 300. The shapes of the fitting parts of the bearings 310, 320 may be the same or different. The shapes of the output parts 620, 630 may be the same or different.

[0032] The electric toilet seat opening / closing mechanism 500 includes an output unit 520 for driving the toilet seat 200 to rotate (open / close), and a drive unit for driving the output unit 220 (see FIG. 5). The output unit 620 has a shape that fits into one of the bearings 320 of the toilet lid 300. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the output unit 520 fits into the bearing 220 so as to have a certain gap in the rotation direction of the output unit 520 (see the arrow in the figure).

[0033] On the other hand, output part 530 has a shape that fits into the other bearing 210 of toilet seat 200, and axially supports toilet seat 200. Note that output part 530 may be provided with a device that has a torsion coil spring and biases rotation, or may be provided with a buffer device that has a damper part and brakes rotation.

[0034] The output part 530 and the output part 520 of the toilet seat electric opening / closing mechanism 500 each coincide with the rotation center of the toilet seat 200. The shapes of the fitting parts of the bearings 210 and 220 may be the same or different. The shapes of the output parts 520 and 530 may be the same or different.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing in detail the configuration of the electric toilet lid opening / closing device and the electric toilet seat opening / closing device in the main body 100.

[0036] The electric toilet lid opening / closing device comprises an electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 that rotates an output unit 620 by motor drive, and an electric opening / closing control means 700 that controls the opening and closing operation of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. The electric opening / closing control means 700 comprises a toilet lid motor driver 730 for the motor 611 in the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600, and an electric opening / closing control unit 710 (CPU) that drives the motor 611 via the driver 730 and receives and controls signals related to the opening and closing of the toilet lid.

[0037] The electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 has a motor 611 that generates a driving force, a reduction gear mechanism (transmission mechanism) 612 that reduces the speed of the rotation output of the motor 611 and transmits the driving force to an output unit 620, a rotation detection circuit 613 that detects the rotation angle of the output unit 620, and the output unit 620. The electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 may further include an assist spring (elastic body) 614 that applies a biasing force to the output unit 620 in the opening direction of the toilet lid 300.

[0038] The motor 611 is, for example, a DC motor of a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) system, in which case the electric opening / closing control section 710 provides a PWM control signal (duty ratio to an applied voltage) to the driver 730, and the driver 730 drives the DC motor by providing a PWM voltage corresponding to the PWM control signal to the DC motor. The drive section of the present invention includes, for example, the motor 611 and the reduction gear mechanism 612, and may further include the driver 730.

[0039] Moreover, the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 has a magnet (magnetic body) attached to the gear of the reduction gear mechanism 612, and a rotation detection circuit 613. The rotation detection circuit 613 includes a Hall IC that detects the next change in the magnet and outputs a pulse signal, and detects the presence or absence of rotation of the gear (i.e., rotation of the motor 611) based on the output of the Hall IC. The rotation detection circuit 613 may have a function to detect the rotation direction of the motor 611 based on the output of the Hall IC in addition to the presence or absence of rotation. Furthermore, the magnet and rotation detection circuit 613 may be added to the output unit 620, and may have a function to detect the rotation angle and rotation direction of the output unit 620.

[0040] The electric toilet lid opening and closing device is connected to a main control unit 800, which controls the entire toilet apparatus, and receives various instruction signals (control signals) related to the opening and closing of the toilet lid from the main control unit 800, and performs operations according to the received control signals.

[0041] The main control unit 800 is configured to be able to communicate with a remote control 810 and a human body detection sensor as another function 820. When the main control unit 800 detects the presence of a human body via the human body detection sensor, it sends a control signal to the control unit 710 to instruct the toilet lid 300 to open. Furthermore, when the main control unit 800 receives an instruction from the remote control 810 to open or close the toilet lid 300, it sends a control signal to the control unit 710 according to the instruction.

[0042] When the electric opening / closing control unit 710 receives a control signal for driving the toilet lid 300 to close from the main control unit 800, it drives the motor 611 in the direction of closing the toilet lid 300 via the driver 730. That is, it drives the motor 611 so that the output unit 620 rotates in the direction of closing the toilet lid 300. The rotation output of the motor 611 is decelerated by the reduction gear mechanism 612 and transmitted to the output unit 620. Then, when the control unit 710 confirms that the toilet lid 300 is closed, it stops driving the motor 611. The toilet lid 300 can be detected to be closed, for example, based on the output of the rotation detection circuit 613, when the output unit 620 reaches a predetermined angle corresponding to the closed state of the toilet lid 300. Alternatively, the toilet lid 300 can be detected to be closed by detecting the stop of the rotation of the gear 612 (the rotation of the motor 611) based on the output of the rotation detection circuit 613. That is, the stop of the rotation of the gear (the rotation of the motor 611) can be detected when the pulse output of the Hall IC provided in the rotation detection circuit 613 stops. In addition, when the toilet lid 300 is stopped by a human action or the like, the pulse output of the Hall IC is stopped, and in this case too, the control unit 710 stops driving the motor 611.

[0043] On the other hand, when the control unit 710 receives a control signal for opening the toilet lid 300 from the main control unit 800, it drives the motor 611 in the direction in which the toilet lid 300 opens. That is, it drives the motor 611 so that the output unit 620 rotates in the direction in which the toilet lid 300 opens. The control unit 710 can detect that the toilet lid 300 has opened to the opening limit angle by detecting that the angle of the output unit 620 has reached a predetermined opening limit angle based on the output of the rotation detection circuit 613. Alternatively, it can detect that the predetermined opening limit angle has been reached by detecting the stop of the rotation of the gear 612 (the rotation of the motor 611) based on the output of the rotation detection circuit 613. That is, it can be determined that the toilet lid 300 has come into contact with the stopper by detecting that the pulse output of the Hall IC provided in the rotation detection circuit 613 has stopped. Note that the pulse output of the Hall IC also stops when the toilet lid 300 is stopped by human action, etc., but in this case, the control unit 710 also stops driving the motor 611.

[0044] On the other hand, the electric toilet seat opening and closing device includes an electric toilet seat opening and closing mechanism 500 that rotates an output part 520 of the toilet seat by motor drive, a toilet lid motor driver 720 for the motor 511 in the electric toilet seat opening and closing mechanism 500, and a control part 710 (CPU) that drives the motor 511 via the driver 720 and performs control related to the opening and closing of the toilet seat.

[0045] The toilet seat electric opening / closing mechanism 500 has a motor 511, a reduction gear mechanism 512 that reduces the speed of the rotation output of the motor 511, a rotation detection circuit 513 that detects the rotation angle of an output unit 520 of the toilet seat, and an output unit 520. The toilet seat electric opening / closing mechanism 500 may further include an assist spring that applies a biasing force to the output unit 520 in the opening direction.

[0046] The electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 500 also has a magnet attached to a gear of the reduction gear mechanism 512, and a rotation detection circuit 513. The rotation detection circuit 513 includes a Hall IC that detects changes in the magnetic field of the magnet, and detects whether or not the gear is rotating (i.e., the motor 511 is rotating) based on the output of the Hall IC. The operation of each element of the electric toilet seat opening / closing device is basically the same as that of the electric toilet lid opening / closing device of the same name, except that the object of drive is the toilet seat, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0047] Here, we will explain the rattling caused by gaps that occur when the toilet cover 300 or toilet seat 200 in a conventional toilet apparatus is driven to open. Here, we will explain using the toilet cover 300 as an example, but the same applies to the toilet seat 200.

[0048] Figure 6(A) shows a graph F of the load torque (weight torque) of the toilet lid 300 against the rotation angle of the toilet lid 300 (or the output section 620 of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600), and Figure 6(B) is a diagram explaining the mechanism of rattling of the fitting portion that occurs when the toilet lid 300 is driven to open.

[0049] The vertical axis of Figure 6 (A) indicates the weight torque of toilet lid 300, and the horizontal axis indicates the rotation angle of toilet lid 300. On the vertical axis, a weight torque greater than 0 means that the weight torque of toilet lid 300 acts in the closing direction of toilet lid 300, and a torque less than 0 means that the weight torque of toilet lid 300 acts in the opening direction of toilet lid 300. An angle of 0° corresponds to a state in which toilet lid 300 is completely closed, and the fully open angle corresponds to a state in which the toilet lid is open to its limit opening angle.

[0050] In the conventional toilet device, as shown in FIG. 6(B), from the closed state of the toilet lid 300 to the reversal point P10 (for example, the angle at which the toilet lid 300's own weight torque becomes 0, where the center of gravity of the toilet lid 300 is located vertically above the rotation axis), the toilet lid 300's own weight torque acts in the toilet lid 300's closing direction. However, once the reversal point P10 is exceeded, the toilet lid 300's own weight torque reverses from the toilet lid 300's closed direction to its open direction. At this time, depending on the size of the gap between the output part 620 and the bearing 320, the toilet lid 300 moves rapidly in the open direction due to its own weight (reversal movement), and the relative positional relationship between the output part 620 and the bearing 320 is reversed (see the dashed frame in FIG. 6(B)). In other words, the gap between the output part 620 and the bearing 320 was formed in the closing direction until the reversal point P10, but after the reversal point P10, it is formed in the open direction. This causes rattling, an increase in rotation speed after the inversion operation, and wobbling at the full open angle of the toilet lid 300, resulting in an operation that impairs the quality of the toilet.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows the torque transmitted by the output unit 620 of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 to the bearing 320 of the toilet lid 300 when the toilet lid 300 is driven to open in a conventional manner, with the torque applied to the toilet lid 300 being shown on the vertical axis and the time during the opening drive being shown on the horizontal axis. In FIG. 7(a), the load torque of the toilet lid 300 is large, so a large torque is transmitted in the opening direction. In FIG. 7(b), the torque transmitted to the toilet lid 300 is reduced to slow down the speed in anticipation of an increase in speed during the rattle. In FIG. 7(c), the speed of the toilet lid 300 increases due to the reversing operation, and a small torque is transmitted from the output unit 620. In FIG. 7(d), after the toilet lid 300 hits the stopper and opens fully, the torque increases to the stall torque, and the toilet lid 300 is held down at the opening limit angle. The stall torque here refers to the torque output when the rotation speed of the output unit 620 of the electric opening / closing mechanism 600 becomes 0. (For example, in Figure 14, the stall torque for a control output with a duty ratio of 50% is P20.) In the opening operation state of Figure 8, the torque continues to be transmitted in the opening direction, accelerating after reversal point P10 just before the open end, causing the toilet lid 300 to wobble at the opening limit angle.

[0052] Next, a case where the toilet lid 300 is decelerated by suppressing the drive torque of the toilet lid electric opening and closing mechanism 600 during a conventional inversion operation and contacting the output unit 620 with the side opposite to the opening direction of the bearing 320 (reverse contact) will be described. Figure 8 shows the relationship between the output unit 620 and the bearing 320 of the toilet lid 300 when the contact direction of the output unit 620 is contacted with the closing side of the bearing 320 during inversion to decelerate the toilet lid 300. In Figure 8(b), the toilet lid 300 is gradually decelerated just before the reversal point of the self-weight torque. In Figure 8(c), the output unit 620 performs reverse contact to suppress the increase in the speed of the toilet lid 300 after the inversion operation. At that time, if the torque applied in the closing direction of the toilet lid 300 due to reverse contact is excessive, the toilet lid 300 will return to the closing direction (rebound) as shown in Figure 8(d).

[0053] FIG. 9 shows the change in torque value over time during the opening operation when the toilet lid 300 in FIG. 8 bounces back. In FIG. 9(c), excessive torque is applied in the closing direction during reverse contact, causing the toilet lid 300 to bounce back to the closed side. As a result of the rebound, the output unit 620 contacts the bearing 320 again in the opening direction, driving the toilet lid 300 in the opening direction. In the worst case, if the torque to drive in the opening direction is insufficient and the rotation detection means 613 cannot detect the rotation of the output unit 620, the control unit 710 may stop driving the motor 611. If the torque at the reverse contact for deceleration is not appropriate and a rebound occurs, the toilet lid 300 will no longer follow a smooth trajectory, and the quality will be greatly impaired. However, it is difficult to adjust the degree of the torque to decelerate due to the rattle.

[0054] Therefore, in the present invention, a contact determination is made to see if a reverse hit has occurred at the moment shown in Figure 10(c), and the timing of resuming the opening drive in Figure 10(d) is adjusted depending on the degree of contact, thereby solving the aforementioned bouncing of the toilet lid 300 and achieving smooth opening and closing of the toilet lid 300.

[0055] FIG. 11 shows the torque generated by the output unit 620 when the toilet lid 300 is driven to open in the present invention. FIG. 11(b) shows the state in which the drive torque is suppressed and the speed is suppressed just before the load reversal point P10. Since the toilet lid 300 does not stop by the reversal point P10, the drive torque continues to be generated in the opening direction. When the reversal point P10 is reached, the output unit 620 contacts the closing side of the toilet lid bearing 320, so as shown in FIG. 11(c), the output unit 620 generates a closing torque on the toilet lid 300. Using the contact determination method described later, the torque generated according to the magnitude of contact is adjusted to a torque that decelerates the toilet lid 300 and does not cause rebounding, as shown in FIG. 12(d).

[0056] In addition, when suppressing the drive torque of the output part 620 at the reversal point P10, the output part 620 may be rotated in the reverse direction as shown in Fig. 12(b). By rotating in the reverse direction, the time until the output part 620 hits the closing side of the bearing 320 can be made shorter than in the form of Fig. 11, so the acceleration of the toilet lid 300 after the reversal point P10 can be suppressed quickly. The process after the contact determination is the same as in Fig. 11.

[0057] This toilet apparatus performs an opening operation by sequentially executing the steps shown in FIG.

[0058] First, when the electric opening / closing control means 700 receives a signal from the main control unit 800 to start the opening operation, it starts driving the motor 611 to open. Then, the electric opening / closing control unit 710 judges whether the angle of the toilet lid 300 calculated by the rotation detection circuit 613 exceeds a preset angle, for example, an arbitrary set value between 70° and 100° of the toilet lid opening angle. If the set angle is exceeded, the driving of the motor 611 is suppressed. The suppression here may mean reducing the driving torque of the motor 611 to decelerate, or driving in the closing direction to rotate in reverse. Next, after the driving of the motor 611 is suppressed, the contact determination flow is started. The generated torque in the bearing 320 of the toilet lid is calculated from sensors installed in the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 or the toilet lid 300. Then, it is judged whether the generated torque exceeds a preset set torque. If it exceeds, the contact determination flow is terminated, and the motor driving is increased in the opening direction to open the toilet lid 300 to the opening limit angle.

[0059] 14 to 20 are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating the generated torque.

[0060] Fig. 14 shows a method for calculating the generated torque based on the preset TN characteristic of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. The TN characteristic shown in Fig. 14 shows the relationship between the drive torque and rotation speed of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. Here, the TN characteristic during operation is assumed to be a characteristic shifted in parallel from the TN characteristic with a set duty ratio of 100% in accordance with the duty ratio of the PWM control. In addition, the electric opening / closing control unit 710 has a means for calculating the rotation speed (rotation speed) based on the rotation information detected from the rotation detection circuit 613, and the rotation detection circuit 613 may be, for example, a Hall IC, which calculates the average rotation speed (rotation speed) by dividing the angle of one pulse waveform output from the Hall IC by the time of one pulse waveform.

[0061] The generated torque can be calculated as the torque corresponding to the calculated number of revolutions (rotation speed) in the TN characteristic obtained from the output duty ratio. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, in the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 operating at a duty ratio of 50%, when the number of revolutions detected by the rotation detection circuit 613 is N1, the generated torque of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 at that time is T1.

[0062] By using such a method, contact determination using the rotation detection circuit 613 becomes possible.

[0063] 15 shows a method for calculating the torque generated by the angular velocity detection circuit 640. The angular velocity detection circuit 640 shown in FIG.

[0064] Figure 16 shows an example of the arrangement of angular velocity detection circuit 640. Angular velocity detection circuit 640 places, for example, a gyro sensor on the rotation axis of output unit 620 or toilet lid 300 (long chain line in Figure 16), and is installed in a direction that allows detection of angular velocity with respect to the rotation direction of the rotation axis (arrow in Figure 16).

[0065] The electric opening / closing control unit 710 can calculate the angular acceleration θdd by dividing the amount of change in the angular velocity θd detected by the angular velocity detection circuit 640 by the time until the change. Then, the generated torque τ can be calculated as τ=I×θdd from the preset inertial force I of the toilet lid 300 and the calculated angular acceleration θdd.

[0066] In the embodiment of Fig. 14, there is a reduction gear mechanism 612 between the output unit 620 and the rotation detection circuit 613, and if there is backlash in the gears, a delay will occur between the timing when the toilet lid 300 and the output unit 620 come into contact and the calculation of the generated torque. On the other hand, in the embodiment of Fig. 15, contact determination can be performed in a location close to the contact position, making it possible to perform quick drive control in response to a reverse hit.

[0067] 17 and 18 show a method of calculating the generated torque using the current value detection circuit 740. FIG. 17 shows that the electric opening / closing control means 700 is provided with a current value detection circuit 740 for the motor 611, and the electric opening / closing control unit 710 can detect the current value. FIG. 18 shows a method of calculating the generated torque based on the TI characteristic of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. Here, the TI characteristic represents the relationship between the drive torque of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 and the value of the current flowing through the motor 611. The electric opening / closing control unit 710 calculates the generated torque from the preset TI characteristic of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 based on the current value during driving, and performs contact determination.

[0068] In the means for calculating the generated torque based on the TN characteristic in FIG. 15, the calculation accuracy of the rotation speed is greatly affected by the mechanical configuration of the rotation detection circuit 613. In other words, if the rotation detection circuit 613 is a Hall IC, the rotation speed cannot be detected until a pulse waveform is output. On the other hand, in the means in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the generated torque according to the current value can be output according to the sampling period of the sensor, so that the generated torque in the motor 611 can be calculated each time. Also, in the embodiment in FIG. 17, by providing the current value detection circuit 740 in the electric opening / closing control means 700, it becomes unnecessary to provide the current value detection circuit 740 inside the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600, and the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 can be made more compact.

[0069] Figures 19 and 20 show a configuration for calculating the generated torque by the load detection circuit 650. Figure 19 shows a configuration in which the load detection circuit 650 is installed in the output section 620 of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600, or in the bearing 320 of the toilet lid 300. The load detection circuit 650 is connected to the electric opening / closing control means 70, and the electric opening / closing control section 710 calculates the generated torque based on the detected load value.

[0070] FIG. 20(a) shows an example where a load sensor such as a strain gauge is installed on the output section 620 of the electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. FIG. 20(b) shows an example where a similar load sensor is installed on the bearing of the toilet lid 300. The load sensor is positioned so that it can measure the circumferential load, which allows the moment of the rotation axis to be measured. The control section calculates the torque from the load value and the preset distance from the center of the rotation axis to the load sensor, and performs contact determination from the magnitude of the generated torque. Note that, in order to perform a simple contact determination, it is not necessarily necessary to convert the torque value, and it may be determined based on the magnitude of the load value.

[0071] When contact determination is performed using a detection circuit connected to the gears of motor 611 or electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600 as shown in Figures 14, 17, and 18, there is a delay in the time from contact to contact determination due to backlash in electric toilet lid opening / closing mechanism 600. On the other hand, the means in Figures 19 and 20 can detect the occurrence of contact at a position closest to the contact position, allowing for rapid control of the output unit 620 when it hits the opposite side, suppressing the bouncing of toilet lid 300 and enabling a smooth opening operation.

[0072] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and in the implementation stage, the components can be appropriately modified and embodied as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiment. For example, it is also possible to delete some components from all the components shown in the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 100 Main body 200 Toilet Seat 210, 220, 310, 320 bearings 300 toilet lid 400 Toilet 500 Electric toilet seat opening and closing mechanism 511, 611 motor 512, 612 Reduction gear mechanism 513, 613 Rotation detection circuit 514, 614 Spring 520, 530, 620, 630 Output section 600 Electric opening / closing mechanism for toilet lids 640 Angular velocity detection circuit 650 Load detection circuit 700 Electric opening and closing control means 710 Electric opening / closing control unit 720 Toilet seat motor driver 730 Toilet lid motor driver 740 Current value detection circuit 800 Main control unit 810 Remote Control 820 Other features P10 Reversal point P20, P30 Stall torque

Claims

1. A support part that is attached to the toilet bowl; A rotating member supported rotatably relative to the support portion and having a fitting portion; an electric opening / closing mechanism including a motor that rotates the rotating member and an output portion that is fitted to the fitting portion with a gap therebetween and transmits an output of the motor to the rotating member; A control means for controlling the driving of the motor; a contact detection means for detecting, when the rotating member is rotating, that the output portion and the fitting portion come into contact with each other so that a force is applied to the rotating member in a direction opposite to a rotation direction, the control means, when performing an opening operation of the rotating member, controls the motor when the rotating member reaches a predetermined angle to suppress rotation of the output section in the opening direction; the control means controls the motor to rotate the output unit in the opening direction after the contact detection means detects that the output unit and the fitting unit have come into contact with each other so that a force is applied to the rotating member in the closing direction after the rotation of the output unit in the opening direction is suppressed, The toilet apparatus according to the present invention, characterized in that the contact detection means includes a motor torque detection means for detecting a torque of the motor, and detection is performed based on the torque of the motor detected by the motor torque detection means.

2. 2. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the contact detection means includes angular velocity detection means for detecting an angular velocity of the rotating member, the angular velocity detection means being provided on a rotation axis of the output portion or the fitting portion.

3. 3. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the contact detection means includes a current value detection means for detecting a current value of the motor, and performs detection based on the current value of the motor detected by the current value detection means.

4. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the contact detection means includes a load detection means for detecting a load applied from the output portion to the fitting portion of the rotating member, and performs detection based on a detection result of the load detection means.

5. 5. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is between 70° and 100°.

6. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the rotating member is caused to perform an opening operation, the control means controls the motor to rotate the output portion in a closing direction when the rotating member reaches the predetermined angle.

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