Flush water tank device and flush toilet device equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a washing water tank device capable of accurately setting discharge timing of washing water without using any motor for lifting a drain valve.SOLUTION: A washing water tank device (4) comprises: a washing water tank body (10); a drain valve (12) that switches draining / stopping of washing water in the washing water tank body; a water pressure drive mechanism (14) for driving the drain valve using supply water pressure; a first on-off valve (19) for switching discharge / stop of washing water supplied from a water supply source; a second on-off valve (18) for supplying the washing water to the water pressure drive mechanism so that the drain valve is opened by the water pressure drive mechanism; and a control unit (28) for controlling the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve so as to open the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve to discharge the water from both of an upper water discharge port and a lower water discharge port at the same time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flush water tank apparatus, and in particular to a flush water tank apparatus for supplying flush water to an upper outlet above the water level of a flush toilet body, and a lower outlet below the water level, and a flush toilet apparatus equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2002-61252 A (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. This flush toilet is equipped with a low tank (flush water tank) that stores flush water, and the flush water stored in this low tank is discharged from the jet opening of the flush toilet. Meanwhile, the rim flush water that is discharged into the rim part of the flush toilet is discharged by the water supply pressure of the water supply pipe. In this way, flush toilets of the type in which some of the flush water used to flush the flush toilet is supplied from a flush water tank, and the remaining flush water is supplied directly from a water supply source such as a tap, have the advantages of being able to reduce the volume of the flush water tank and to increase the instantaneous flow rate of the flush water supplied, etc.

[0003] In addition, in the flush toilet described as the second embodiment of Patent Document 1, flush water is discharged from the jet port while the rim flush water is continuously supplied. In other words, the rim flush water is supplied both before and after the jet port is discharged. This flush pattern has the advantage that it can prevent the sealing of the drain trap pipe of the flush toilet from being interrupted during toilet flushing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-61252 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] First, in the flush toilet (second embodiment) described in Patent Document 1, the rim flush water is controlled by an electromagnetic valve, and flush water supplied from the water mains is supplied to the flush toilet as rim flush water. Also, while the rim flush water is being supplied, the drain valve is raised by operating a motor provided in the flush water tank, and the flush water in the flush water tank is discharged from the jet port. This realizes a flush pattern in which flush water is discharged from the jet port while the supply of rim flush water continues. However, because a relatively large force is required to raise the drain valve of the flush water tank, there is a problem in that the motor used to raise the drain valve becomes larger and the power consumed by the motor increases.

[0006] It should be noted that Patent Document 1 also describes other embodiments, but depending on those embodiments, the above-mentioned cleaning pattern cannot be realized. For example, in the first embodiment described in Patent Document 1, the supply of rim cleaning water and the discharge of cleaning water from the Z port are mechanically switched. However, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned cleaning pattern in which the supply of rim cleaning water is started prior to the discharge of cleaning water from the Z port cannot be realized. In addition, in this embodiment, since the discharge of water is switched mechanically, there is a problem that the discharge timing of cleaning water cannot be accurately set due to disturbances such as disturbances of the water surface in the cleaning water tank and friction of the mechanism for switching the cleaning water.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flush water tank device that can accurately set the timing for discharging flush water without using a motor to pull up the drain valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a flush water tank device for supplying flush water to an upper outlet above the water level of a flush toilet body, and a lower outlet below the water level, and is characterized by having: a flush water tank body; a drain valve that switches between discharging and stopping flush water from the lower outlet by switching between discharging and stopping flush water stored in the flush water tank body; a water pressure drive mechanism that drives the drain valve by the water supply pressure of flush water supplied from a water supply source; a first opening / closing valve for switching between a discharge state and a stop state of flush water supplied from the upper outlet, supplied from the water supply source; a second opening / closing valve for supplying flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism so that the drain valve is opened by the water pressure drive mechanism; and a control unit that controls the first opening / closing valve and the second opening / closing valve so that water is discharged from both the upper outlet and the lower outlet at the same time by opening the first opening / closing valve and the second opening / closing valve.

[0009] In the present invention thus configured, the control unit controls the first on-off valve to open it, and flush water supplied from the water supply source is discharged from the upper water outlet. The control unit also controls the second on-off valve to open it, and flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism. The water pressure drive mechanism drives the drain valve using the water supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the water supply source to drain the flush water stored in the flush water tank body and discharge the flush water from the lower water outlet. The control unit controls the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve so that water is discharged from both the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet at the same time.

[0010] According to the present invention thus configured, the water pressure drive mechanism drives the drain valve by the water supply pressure of flush water supplied from the water supply source, so that the drain valve can be opened without using a special actuator such as a motor. Also, because flush water in the flush water tank body is discharged from the lower water outlet, and flush water from the water supply source is discharged from the upper water outlet, the volume of the flush water tank body can be reduced, and a low-silhouette flush toilet device can be easily designed. Furthermore, because the timing of flush water discharge from the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet is set by the control of the first and second opening and closing valves by the control unit, it is less susceptible to disturbances and the discharge timing can be accurately controlled. Also, because the discharge of flush water from the upper water outlet is controlled by the first opening and closing valve, and the discharge of flush water from the lower water outlet is controlled by the second opening and closing valve, flush water can be discharged from both the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet at the same time.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, after opening the first on-off valve, the control section opens the second on-off valve while maintaining the first on-off valve in an open state.

[0012] With the present invention configured in this way, the discharge of flush water from the upper outlet can be controlled independently by the first on-off valve, and the discharge of flush water from the lower outlet can be controlled independently by the second on-off valve, so flush water can be started from the lower outlet at any timing while water continues to be discharged from the upper outlet.This increases the freedom in the timing of flush water discharge, and makes it possible to effectively flush the flush toilet body with a small amount of flush water.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, after one of the first and second on-off valves is closed, the other is kept open for a predetermined period of time to supply refill water to the flush toilet main body.

[0014] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the timing of water discharge from the upper water discharge port and the lower water discharge port can be freely set, which allows greater freedom in designing the supply of refill water.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, at least a portion of the flush water flowing out from the second on-off valve passes through the water pressure drive mechanism and flows into the flush water tank body.

[0016] With the present invention configured in this manner, flush water that has passed through the water pressure drive mechanism flows into the flush water tank body, so that the flush water used to drive the drain valve can also be used for the next toilet flush without waste, improving the efficiency with which flush water is used.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, a portion of the flush water flowing out from the water pressure drive mechanism flows into the flush water tank body, and the remaining flush water bypasses the drain valve and flows into the flush toilet body from the lower spout.

[0018] With the present invention configured in this manner, some of the flush water flowing out from the water pressure drive mechanism enters the flush water tank body, and the remainder flows into the flush toilet body from the lower outlet, so that the flush water can be appropriately allocated between the next flush, and flushing and refilling, making efficient use of the supplied flush water.

[0019] The present invention is also a flush toilet device characterized by having a flush toilet body with an upper water outlet above the water level and a lower water outlet below the water level, and a flush water tank device of the present invention that supplies flush water to the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the flush water tank apparatus of the present invention, the flush water discharge timing can be accurately set without using a motor to pull up the drain valve. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an entire flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a full cross-sectional view of a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a time chart showing an example of a flush sequence by a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Next, a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a full cross-sectional view of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is made up of a flush toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank apparatus 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention placed behind it. The flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured so that after use, the bowl section 2a of the flush toilet main body 2 is flushed by operating a lever handle 8 provided on the flush water tank apparatus 4. The flush water tank apparatus 4 of this embodiment is configured to supply flush water stored internally and flush water supplied from the water supply source C to the flush toilet main body 2 based on operation of the lever handle 8, and to flush the bowl section 2a with this flush water.

[0024] As a modified example, the present invention can be configured so that the bowl portion 2a is flushed by operating a remote control device (not shown) attached to a wall. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured so that the bowl portion 2a is flushed when a predetermined time has elapsed after a human presence sensor (not shown) provided on the toilet seat detects that the user has left the seat. In this case, the human presence sensor (not shown) can be provided on the toilet seat, or in a position where it can detect the user's sitting down, leaving the seat, approaching, leaving, or waving of a hand, and can be provided, for example, on the flush toilet main body 2 or the flush water tank device 4. The human presence sensor (not shown) may be any sensor that can detect the user's sitting down, leaving the seat, approaching, leaving, or waving of a hand, and for example, an infrared sensor or a microwave sensor can be used as the human presence sensor.

[0025] Next, as shown in Figure 2, the flush water tank apparatus 4 has a water storage tank 10, which is the flush water tank main body that stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 2, a drain valve 12 for opening and closing a drain outlet 10a provided in this water storage tank 10, and a drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, which is a hydraulic drive mechanism that drives this drain valve 12. Furthermore, the flush water tank apparatus 4 has a water supply control valve 19, which is a first opening and closing valve that directly supplies flush water supplied from the water supply C to the flush toilet main body 2. Here, the flush water that is stored in the water storage tank 10 and flows out when the drain valve 12 is opened is configured to be discharged from a jet water outlet 2b, which is a lower water outlet provided below the water level W of the bowl portion 2a of the flush toilet main body 2, during toilet flushing. In addition, flushing water supplied from water supply C through water supply control valve 19 is configured to be discharged from rim outlet 2d, which is an upper outlet provided in rim portion 2c of bowl portion 2a, above the water level W of bowl portion 2a, during toilet flushing.

[0026] Next, as shown in Figure 3, the flush water tank device 4 further has a drain valve control valve 18, which is a second opening / closing valve that controls the water supply to the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14, and a drain control solenoid valve 20 attached to the drain valve control valve 18.

[0027] The water storage tank 10 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the jet outlet 2b of the flush toilet body 2, and a drain outlet 10a is formed at the bottom of the tank to discharge the stored flush water into the flush toilet body 2. An overflow pipe 10b is also connected to the downstream side of the drain outlet 10a inside the water storage tank 10. This overflow pipe 10b rises vertically from near the drain outlet 10a and extends above the stop water level L1 of the flush water stored in the water storage tank 10. Therefore, flush water that flows in from the upper end of the overflow pipe 10b bypasses the drain outlet 10a and flows out directly from the jet outlet 2b of the flush toilet body 2.

[0028] The drain valve 12 is a valve body arranged to open and close the drain outlet 10a. When the drain valve 12 is pulled upward, it opens and the flush water in the water tank 10 is discharged into the flush toilet body 2 and sprayed from the jet outlet 2b provided at the bottom of the bowl portion 2a.

[0029] The drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is configured to drive the drain valve 12 using the water pressure of the flush water supplied from the waterworks C. Specifically, the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 has a cylinder 14a into which water supplied from the drain valve control valve 18 flows, a piston 14b slidably arranged in the cylinder 14a, and a rod 15 protruding from the lower end of the cylinder 14a to drive the drain valve 12. Furthermore, a spring 14c is arranged inside the cylinder 14a to urge the piston 14b downward, and a packing 14e is attached to the piston 14b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 14a and the piston 14b. In addition, a clutch mechanism 22 is provided in the middle of the rod 15, and the clutch mechanism 22 separates the rod 15 into an upper rod 15a and a lower rod 15b.

[0030] The cylinder 14a is a cylindrical member that is disposed with its axis oriented vertically and that slidably receives the piston 14b inside. An inlet pipe 23 is connected to the lower end of the cylinder 14a, and water that flows out of the drain valve control valve 18 flows into the cylinder 14a. Therefore, the piston 14b in the cylinder 14a is pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 14c by the water that flows into the cylinder 14a.

[0031] On the other hand, an outflow hole is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 14a, and the outflow pipe 24 communicates with the inside of the cylinder 14a through this outflow hole. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 14a from the inflow pipe 23 connected to the lower part of the cylinder 14a, the piston 14b is pushed upward from the lower part of the cylinder 14a. Then, when the piston 14b is pushed up to a position above the outflow hole, the water that has flowed into the cylinder 14a flows out from the outflow hole through the outflow pipe 24. That is, when the piston 14b moves upward, the inflow pipe 23 and the outflow pipe 24 are communicated through the inside of the cylinder 14a.

[0032] Also, a branch portion 24a is provided in the outflow pipe 24, and a first downcomer pipe 24b that branches downward from this branch portion 24a opens downward above the overflow pipe 10b. Also, a second downcomer pipe 24c that extends roughly horizontally from the branch portion 24a and then curves downward causes water to flow out into the water storage tank 10. Therefore, a portion of the flush water that flows out from the cylinder 14a flows into the overflow pipe 10b, and the remaining flush water is stored in the water storage tank 10.

[0033] Rod 15 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of piston 14b, and extends through through-hole 14f formed in the bottom surface of cylinder 14a so as to protrude downward from within cylinder 14a. Drain valve 12 is connected to the lower end of rod 15, and rod 15 connects piston 14b and drain valve 12. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 14a and piston 14b is pushed up, rod 15 connected to piston 14b lifts drain valve 12 upward, and drain valve 12 opens.

[0034] Furthermore, a gap 14d is provided between the rod 15 protruding from below the cylinder 14a and the inner wall of the through hole 14f of the cylinder 14a, and a part of the water that flows into the cylinder 14a flows out from this gap 14d. The water that flows out from the gap 14d flows into the water storage tank 10. Note that, since this gap 14d is relatively narrow and has a large flow resistance, even if water flows out from the gap 14d, the pressure inside the cylinder 14a increases due to the water flowing into the cylinder 14a from the inlet pipe 23, and the piston 14b is pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 14c.

[0035] Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 22 is provided midway along the rod 15. The clutch mechanism 22 is configured to separate the rod 15 into an upper rod 15a and a lower rod 15b when the drain valve 12 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 15. When the clutch mechanism 22 is in a separated state, the lower rod 15b is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 14b and the upper part of the upper rod 15a, and the lower rod 15b, together with the drain valve 12, descends due to gravity while resisting buoyancy.

[0036] Further, a drain valve float mechanism 26 is provided near the drain valve 12. This drain valve float mechanism 26 is configured to delay the closing of the drain port 10a caused by the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 descending after the rod 15 is lifted a predetermined distance and the lower rod 15b is separated by the clutch mechanism 22. Specifically, the drain valve float mechanism 26 has a float portion 26a and an engagement portion 26b that interlocks with the float portion 26a.

[0037] The engaging portion 26b is configured to engage with the lower rod 15b that has been released by the clutch mechanism 22 and descends, preventing the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 from descending and seating on the drain outlet 10a. Next, the float portion 26a descends as the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops, and when the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops to a predetermined water level, the float portion 26a rotates the engaging portion 26b, and the engagement between the engaging portion 26b and the lower rod 15b is released. As a result of the disengagement, the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 descend and seat on the drain outlet 10a. This delays the closing of the drain valve 12, allowing an appropriate amount of flush water to be discharged from the drain outlet 10a.

[0038] In addition, a vacuum breaker 30 is provided in the inlet pipe 23 connecting the drain valve control valve 18 and the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14. When negative pressure occurs on the drain valve control valve 18 side, this vacuum breaker 30 draws outside air into the inlet pipe 23, preventing backflow of water from the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 side.

[0039] Next, the drain valve control valve 18 includes a control valve body 18a, a main valve body 18b arranged in the control valve body 18a, a solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c, and a float side pilot valve 18d. Furthermore, the drain valve control valve 18 is connected to a drain control solenoid valve 20 and a control valve float 34.

[0040] The drain control solenoid valve 20 is configured to move the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c built into the drain valve control valve 18 based on a signal sent from the controller 28, and open and close a pilot valve port (not shown). When the pilot valve port (not shown) is opened, the pressure in the pressure chamber provided in the control valve main body 18a decreases, and the main valve body 18b of the drain valve control valve 18 is opened. When the pilot valve port (not shown) is closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber increases, and the main valve body 18b is closed. As a result, the main valve body 18b of the drain valve control valve 18 is opened and closed based on the operation of the drain control solenoid valve 20, and the supply and stop of water to the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14 is controlled. In this embodiment, a bistable latching type solenoid is used as the drain control solenoid valve 20, in which the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c is moved by applying current once, and the state is maintained even when the current is stopped. In this type of solenoid valve, when current is again applied in the opposite direction, the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c can be returned to its original position.

[0041] Furthermore, a control valve float 34 is also connected to the drain valve control valve 18, and the float-side pilot valve 18d is configured to move in response to the movement of the control valve float 34. That is, the control valve float 34 is disposed in the water storage tank 10, and rises together with the rise in the water level of the water storage tank 10, moving the float-side pilot valve 18d via the arm portion 34a. When the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to the stop water level L1, the float-side pilot valve 18d closes the pilot valve port (not shown) of the control valve main body portion 18a.

[0042] In this way, the float side pilot valve 18d is configured to control the pressure in the pressure chamber provided in the control valve main body 18a by opening and closing the pilot valve port (not shown). As a result, when the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the float side pilot valve 18d and the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c are both closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber in the control valve main body 18a rises and the main valve element 18b is closed.

[0043] Incidentally, when the flush water tank device 4 is in a standby state, the storage tank 10 is at the stop water level L1, and in this state, the pilot valve port (not shown) that is opened and closed by the float-side pilot valve 18d is closed. Therefore, in the standby state, the pilot valve port (not shown) can be opened and the main valve body 18b of the drain valve control valve 18 can be opened by moving the solenoid valve-side pilot valve 18c based on the operation of the drain control solenoid valve 20. Specifically, the controller 28 receives a signal from the lever handle 8, and the controller 28 sends an electric signal to the drain control solenoid valve 20 to operate it and open the drain valve control valve 18.

[0044] That is, the drain valve control valve 18 controls the supply and stop of the supplied flush water to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 based on an instruction signal from the controller 28, which is the control unit. In this embodiment, the entire amount of flush water flowing out from the drain valve control valve 18 is supplied to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 through the inlet pipe 23. A portion of the flush water supplied to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 flows out from the gap 14d between the inner wall of the through hole 14f of the cylinder 14a and the rod 15, and flows into the water storage tank 10. Also, most of the water supplied to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 flows out of the cylinder 14a through the outlet pipe 24, and flows into the overflow pipe 10b and the water storage tank 10, as described above.

[0045] Meanwhile, flush water supplied from water supply C is supplied to drain valve control valve 18 via stop valve 32a, constant flow valve 32b, water supply pipe branch section 33, and first branch pipe 33a. Stop valve 32a is disposed outside water storage tank 10, and constant flow valve 32b is connected to the downstream side of stop valve 32a inside water storage tank 10. Water supply pipe branch section 33 is provided downstream of constant flow valve 32b, and first branch pipe 33a branched off at water supply pipe branch section 33 is connected to drain valve control valve 18.

[0046] Stopcock 32a is provided to stop the supply of water to flush water tank apparatus 4 during maintenance, etc., and is normally used in the open state. Constant flow valve 32b is provided to allow water supplied from water supply C to flow into drain valve control valve 18 at a predetermined flow rate, and is configured so that a constant flow rate of water is supplied to drain valve control valve 18 regardless of the installation environment of flush toilet apparatus 1.

[0047] On the other hand, a second branch pipe 33 b branched off from the water supply pipe branch portion 33 is connected to the water supply control valve 19 . The water supply control valve 19 is configured to allow water supplied from the second branch pipe 33b to flow out into the rim water supply pipe 25. The rim water supply pipe 25 communicates with the rim water outlet 2d of the flush toilet body 2 (not shown in FIG. 3), and flush water that flows into the rim water supply pipe 25 is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d as rim flush water for flushing the bowl section 2a. A vacuum breaker 31 is also provided midway along the rim water supply pipe 25. This makes it possible to prevent water from flowing back from the flush toilet body 2 side to the water supply control valve 19 when negative pressure occurs on the water supply control valve 19 side.

[0048] The water supply control valve 19 includes a water supply valve main body 19a, a main valve element 19b disposed within the water supply valve main body 19a, and a solenoid valve pilot valve 19c. A water supply control solenoid valve 21 is connected to the water supply control valve 19, and the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is configured to be moved by the water supply control solenoid valve 21. In other words, the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is configured to control the pressure in a pressure chamber provided within the water supply valve main body 19a by opening and closing a pilot valve port (not shown) provided in the water supply valve main body 19a.

[0049] The controller 28 has a built-in circuit board and is configured to control the drain control solenoid valve 20, the water supply control solenoid valve 21, etc., based on the operation of the lever handle 8. A microprocessor, memory, interface circuitry, etc. are provided on the circuit board, and these are operated by software for controlling the toilet flushing.

[0050] The controller 28 sends a control signal to the water supply control solenoid valve 21 to move the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c. When the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c opens a pilot valve port (not shown) of the water supply valve main body 19a, the pressure in the pressure chamber inside the water supply valve main body 19a decreases, the main valve body 19b moves, and the water supply control valve 19 opens. As a result, flush water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 flows out from the water supply control valve 19 to the rim water supply pipe 25 and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d of the flush toilet main body 2.

[0051] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the flush water tank apparatus 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the flush toilet apparatus 1 equipped with it, will be described. FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example of a flush sequence by flush water tank apparatus 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] First, in the toilet flush standby state at time t0 in Fig. 4, the water level in the water storage tank 10 is at the stop water level L1, and no current is being applied to the drain control solenoid valve 20 and the water supply control solenoid valve 21. In this state, the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c and the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the float side pilot valve 18d are both closed. As a result, the main valve body 18b of the drain valve control valve 18 is in a closed state. In addition, the pilot valve port (not shown) opened and closed by the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is also closed, and the main valve body 19b of the water supply control valve 19 is also in a closed state.

[0053] Next, when the user operates the lever handle 8 (FIG. 1) at time t1 in FIG. 4, a signal commanding toilet flushing is sent to the controller 28 (FIG. 3). Upon receiving the command signal for toilet flushing, the controller 28 energizes the water supply control solenoid valve 21, opening the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c of the water supply control valve 19. This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber of the water supply control valve 19, causing the main valve body 19b to lift off the valve seat and open the valve. In this embodiment, a bistable latching solenoid is used as the water supply control solenoid valve 21, so once the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c is opened, the open state is maintained even if the power supply is stopped.

[0054] When the water supply control valve 19 is opened, tap water supplied to the water supply control valve 19 from the water supply pipe 32 via the water supply pipe branch 33 and second branch pipe 33b passes through the water supply control valve 19 and flows into the rim water supply pipe 25. The flush water that flows into the rim water supply pipe 25 is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d (Figure 2) of the flush toilet body 2, and the rim flush water begins flushing the bowl portion 2a as "pre-rim" water outlet before water outlet from the jet water outlet 2b begins.

[0055] After energizing the water supply control solenoid valve 21, at time t2, a predetermined time later, the controller 28 energizes the drain control solenoid valve 20, causing the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c to unseat from the pilot valve port (not shown). This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber of the drain valve control valve 18, causing the main valve body 18b to unseat from the valve seat and open the valve. That is, after opening the water supply control valve 19, the controller 28 opens the drain valve control valve 18 while maintaining the open state of the water supply control valve 19. In this embodiment, since a bistable latching solenoid is used as the drain control solenoid valve 20, once the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c is opened, the open state is maintained even if energization is stopped. When the drain valve control valve 18 is opened, tap water supplied to the drain valve control valve 18 from the water supply pipe 32 via the water supply pipe branch section 33 and the first branch pipe 33a flows through the drain valve control valve 18 and into the inlet pipe 23.

[0056] Furthermore, the flush water that has flowed into the inlet pipe 23 flows into the cylinder 14a of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, pushing up the piston 14b. This also pulls up the rod 15 and the drain valve 12 connected to the piston 14b, and opens the drain port 10a. This causes the flush water stored in the water storage tank 10 to flow out through the drain port 10a, and is discharged as "Zet water" from the Z outlet 2b (FIG. 2) provided at the bottom of the bowl section 2a. The flush water discharged from the Z outlet 2b fills the drain trap pipe 2e extending from the bottom of the bowl section 2a, inducing the siphon phenomenon. Due to the siphon phenomenon, the accumulated water and waste in the bowl section 2a are discharged through the drain trap pipe 2e. In this way, while flush water is being discharged from the Z outlet 2b, the discharge from the rim outlet 2d continues as "middle rim" water. Therefore, when the drain outlet 10a is opened, flush water is discharged from both the rim water outlet 2d and the jet water outlet 2b at the same time.

[0057] In this way, in the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, flush water continues to be supplied from the rim spout 2d even while the siphon phenomenon is occurring due to flush water discharged from the jet spout 2b. This prevents the water in the bowl section 2a from being excessively reduced by the siphon phenomenon being drawn in, and the sealing water in the drain trap pipe 2e from being interrupted. If the sealing water in the drain trap pipe 2e is interrupted, there is a risk of odors flowing back from the drain trap pipe 2e, but this can be prevented in this embodiment. In addition, because the supply of flush water continues from the rim spout 2d even while the siphon phenomenon is occurring, the sealing water is not interrupted, the siphon phenomenon can be continued, and the end of the siphon phenomenon can be prevented.

[0058] On the other hand, when the piston 14b is pushed up in the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, and the rod 15 and drain valve 12 are raised to a predetermined position, the clutch mechanism 22 separates the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 from the upper rod 15a. As a result, while the drain valve control valve 18 is open, the upper rod 15a remains pushed up together with the piston 14b, while the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 descend under their own weight. However, the separated lower rod 15b engages with the engagement portion 26b of the drain valve float mechanism 26, preventing the lower rod 15b and drain valve 12 from descending. As a result, the drain port 10a of the water tank 10 remains open even after the clutch mechanism 22 is separated, and drainage from the water tank 10 continues.

[0059] Furthermore, when flush water flows from the inflow pipe 23 into the cylinder 14a of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 and the piston 14b is pushed up to the top of the cylinder 14a, the flush water in the cylinder 14a flows out through the outflow pipe 24. Furthermore, part of the water that flows into the cylinder 14a from the inflow pipe 23 flows out from the gap 14d between the inner wall of the through hole 14f of the cylinder 14a and the rod 15, and this water flows into the water storage tank 10. Meanwhile, part of the flush water that flows out through the outflow pipe 24 flows into the overflow pipe 10b, and the remaining flush water flows into the water storage tank 10. That is, part of the flush water that flows out from the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 flows into the water storage tank 10, and the remaining flush water that flows into the overflow pipe 10b bypasses the drain valve 12 and flows into the flush toilet body from the jet spout 2b. Furthermore, since the flow rate of flushing water flowing into the water storage tank 10 through the outflow pipe 24 is less than the flow rate of flushing water discharged from the drain outlet 10a when the drain valve 12 is opened, the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops in this state.

[0060] Next, when the flush water in the water storage tank 10 is discharged and the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops, the control valve float 34 drops. As a result, at time t3, the arm portion 34a rotates, the float-side pilot valve 18d leaves the pilot valve port (not shown), and the pilot valve port (not shown) opens.

[0061] Furthermore, after the float side pilot valve 18d is opened at time t3, at time t4 the controller 28 again sends a control signal to the drain control solenoid valve 20 to close the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c. However, at this point in time, since the float side pilot valve 18d is open at time t3, the pressure in the pressure chamber of the drain valve control valve 18 does not increase, and the drain valve control valve 18 is maintained open.

[0062] Next, when the flush water in the water storage tank 10 is discharged from the drain outlet 10a and the water level in the water storage tank 10 drops to a predetermined level, the float part 26a of the drain valve float mechanism 26 descends, which moves the engagement part 26b. This releases the engagement between the lower rod 15b and the engagement part 26b, and the lower rod 15b and the drain valve 12 begin to descend again. Then, at time t5, the drain outlet 10a of the water storage tank 10 is closed by the drain valve 12, and the discharge of the flush water that has flowed out of the drain outlet 10a from the jet water outlet 2b is stopped.

[0063] Furthermore, since the drain valve control valve 18 remains open even after the drain outlet 10a is closed, water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 flows into the drain valve hydraulic actuator 14 and flows out into the outflow pipe 24. A portion of the flush water that flows out of the outflow pipe 24 flows into the overflow pipe 10b through the first downcomer pipe 24b. Therefore, even after the drain outlet 10a is closed, the flush water that flows into the overflow pipe 10b flows into the bowl section 2a at a small flow rate through the jet spout 2b, and the inflowing flush water is used as refill water. Also, a remaining portion of the flush water that flows out of the outflow pipe 24 flows into the water storage tank 10 through the second downcomer pipe 24c, so the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises.

[0064] Furthermore, after the discharge of water from the jet water outlet 2b is stopped at time t5, at time t6 the controller 28 sends a control signal to the water supply control solenoid valve 21 to close the solenoid valve pilot valve 19c of the water supply control valve 19. This stops the discharge of water from the rim water outlet 2d of the flush toilet body 2. After the jet water outlet is finished, water is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d as "post-rim" water outlet, and the flush water discharged from this rim water outlet 2d also flows into the bowl section 2a and is used as refill water. Even after the water supply control valve 19 is closed, the drain valve control valve 18 remains open, and the flush water that flows from the first downcomer pipe 24b through the drain valve hydraulic drive section 14 and into the overflow pipe 10b is used to refill the bowl section 2a.

[0065] Next, at time t7, when the water level in the water storage tank 10 rises to a predetermined water stop water level L1, the control valve float 34 rises, and the float side pilot valve 18d is moved via the arm portion 34a, and the pilot valve port is closed. As a result, both the solenoid valve side pilot valve 18c and the float side pilot valve 18d are closed, so that the pressure in the pressure chamber in the control valve main body portion 18a rises to close the main valve body 18b, and the drain valve control valve 18 is closed. As a result, water supply to the water storage tank 10 is stopped. As a modified example, the present invention can be configured so that the water supply control valve 19 is maintained in an open state until the drain valve control valve 18 is closed, and the water supply control valve 19 is closed after the drain valve control valve 18 is closed.

[0066] In this embodiment, as described above, the water level in the water storage tank 10 is detected by the mechanical control valve float 34 to close the drain valve control valve 18, but as a modified example, the water level in the water storage tank 10 can be detected by a float switch (not shown) instead of the control valve float 34. In this case, the controller 28 controls the drain control solenoid valve 20 to close the drain valve control valve 18 based on the detection signal of the float switch. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured so that the control valve float 34 and the float switch are not provided, and the controller 28 opens the drain valve control valve 18 by the drain control solenoid valve 20, and then the drain valve control valve 18 is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0067] On the other hand, when the drain valve control valve 18 is closed to stop the supply of water to the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14, the piston 14b of the drain valve hydraulic drive unit 14 is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 14c. When the upper rod 15a is pushed down together with the piston 14b, the upper rod 15a and lower rod 15b, which had been separated by the clutch mechanism 22, are reconnected. For this reason, the next time a toilet flush is performed, both the upper rod 15a and the lower rod 15b are pulled up by the piston 14b. This completes one toilet flush and the flush toilet device returns to its standby state for toilet flushing.

[0068] According to the flush water tank device 4 of the embodiment of the present invention, the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14 drives the drain valve 12 by the water supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the water supply source, so the drain valve 12 can be opened without using a special actuator such as a motor. Also, since the flush water in the water storage tank 10 is discharged from the jet water outlet 2b and the flush water from the water supply source is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d, the volume of the water storage tank 10 can be made small, and a low-silhouette flush toilet device 1 can be easily designed. Furthermore, since the timing of discharge of flush water from the rim water outlet 2d and the jet water outlet 2b is set by the control of the water supply control valve 19 and the drain valve control valve 18 by the controller 28, it is less susceptible to disturbances and the discharge timing can be accurately controlled. Also, since the discharge of flush water from the rim water outlet 2d is controlled by the water supply control valve 19 and the discharge of flush water from the jet water outlet 2b is controlled by the drain valve control valve 18, flush water can be discharged from both the rim water outlet 2d and the jet water outlet 2b at the same time.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the discharge of flush water from the rim water outlet 2d can be independently controlled by the water supply control valve 19, and the discharge of flush water from the jet water outlet 2b can be independently controlled by the drain valve control valve 18, so that the discharge of flush water from the jet water outlet 2b can be started at any timing while continuing to discharge water from the rim water outlet 2d. This increases the degree of freedom in the timing at which flush water is discharged, and the flush toilet body 2 can be effectively flushed with a small amount of flush water.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of the present embodiment, the timing of water spouting from the rim water spout 2d and the jet water spout 2b can be freely set, allowing greater freedom in design for the supply of refill water.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, flush water that has passed through the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14 flows into the water storage tank 10, so the flush water used to drive the drain valve 12 can also be used for the next toilet flush without waste, improving the efficiency of flush water utilisation.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, part of the flush water flowing out from the drain valve water pressure drive unit 14 enters the water storage tank 10, and the remainder flows into the flush toilet main body 2 from the jet outlet 2b, so that the flush water can be appropriately allocated between the next flush, and flushing and refilling, and the supplied flush water can be used efficiently.

[0073] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the water supply control valve 19 is opened to start rim water spouting, and then the drain valve control valve 18 is opened a predetermined time later to perform jet water spouting, but the present invention can also be configured so that rim water spouting and jet water spouting start simultaneously in the case of a small flush, etc.

[0074] Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the rim spout 2d that discharges flush water along the wall surface of the rim section 2c at the upper end of the bowl section 2a is provided as the upper spout, but various spouts provided above the water pool level W of the flush toilet body 2 can be the upper spout. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the jet spout 2b provided at the bottom of the bowl section 2a so as to face the entrance of the drain trap pipe is provided as the lower spout, but various spouts provided below the water pool level W of the flush toilet body 2 can be the lower spout. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl section 2b Z outlet (lower outlet) 2c Rim section 2d Rim outlet (upper outlet) 2e Drain trap pipe 4. Cleaning water tank device 8 Lever Handle 10 Water tank (main body of cleaning water tank) 10a Drain port 10b Overflow pipe 12 Drain valve 14 Drain valve hydraulic drive unit (hydraulic drive mechanism) 14a Cylinder 14b Piston 14c Spring 14d Gap 14e Gasket 14f through hole 15 Rod 15a Upper Rod 15b Lower Rod 18 Drain valve control valve (second opening and closing valve) 18a Control valve body 18b Main valve body 18c Solenoid valve side pilot valve 18d Float side pilot valve 19. Water supply control valve (first opening / closing valve) 19a Water supply valve body 19b Main valve body 19c Solenoid valve pilot valve 20. Drainage control solenoid valve 21 Water supply control solenoid valve 22 Clutch mechanism 23 Inflow pipe 24 Outflow pipe 24a Branch 24b 1st downcomer 24c 2nd downcomer 25 Rim water supply pipe 26 Drain valve float mechanism 26a Float section 26b Engagement part 28 Controller (control unit) 30 Vacuum Breaker 31 Vacuum breaker 32 Water supply pipe 32a Stopcock 32b Constant flow valve 33 Water supply pipe branch 33a First branch pipe 33b Second branch pipe 34 Control valve float 34a Arm section

Claims

1. A flush water tank device for supplying flush water to an upper water outlet above the water level of a flush toilet body and a lower water outlet below the water level, A cleaning water tank body, a drain valve that switches between discharging and stopping flush water stored in the flush water tank body, thereby switching between discharging and stopping flush water from the lower water outlet; a water pressure drive mechanism that drives the drain valve using the water pressure of the flush water supplied from a water supply source; a first opening / closing valve for switching between a discharge state and a discharge stop state of flush water supplied from a water supply source from the upper water outlet; a second opening / closing valve for supplying flush water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism so that the drain valve is opened by the water hydraulic drive mechanism; a control unit that controls the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve so that water is discharged from both the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet at the same time by opening the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve; A flush water tank device comprising:

2. 2. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, after opening the first on-off valve, opens the second on-off valve while maintaining the first on-off valve in an open state.

3. 3. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after one of the first opening / closing valve and the second opening / closing valve is closed, the other is kept open for a predetermined period of time to supply refill water to the flush toilet body.

4. 4. A flush water tank apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the flush water flowing out from the second opening / closing valve flows into the flush water tank body through the water pressure drive mechanism.

5. A flush water tank apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein a portion of the flush water flowing out from the water pressure drive mechanism flows into the flush water tank body, and the remaining flush water bypasses the drain valve and flows into the flush toilet body from the lower spout.

6. A flush toilet device comprising: A flush toilet body having an upper spout above the water level and a lower spout below the water level; A flush water tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which supplies flush water to the upper water outlet and the lower water outlet; A flush toilet device comprising:

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