Toilet seat unit and branch fitting

Abstract

To provide a toilet seat unit having simply usable fine air bubble generation means.SOLUTION: A toilet seat unit of the invention has a toilet seat device and a branch fitting. The branch fitting has a branch part to branch water flow to the toilet seat device and a storage tank for storing the water to be supplied to a toilet bowl, and fine air bubble generation means to generate fine air bubbles in the water passing through. The toilet seat unit has a constitution in which the fine air bubble generation means is provided on upstream of the branch part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 25

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet seat unit and a branch fitting equipped with a fine bubble generating means. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a technique for improving the cleaning ability inside a toilet bowl in a flush toilet facility by generating fine bubbles in the water supplied into the bowl is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fine-bubble-containing water supply system in which a supply pipe for supplying water to the toilet bowl is branched, a fine-bubble generating means is attached to the water and fine bubbles are generated, and the water from the fine-bubble generating means is used as the water for flushing the toilet bowl. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-179083 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The microbubble-containing water supply system of Patent Document 1 is attached to a cleaning water supply pipe using an intake joint and a discharge joint, and cannot be used easily.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat unit and a branch fitting that are equipped with an easily usable micro-bubble generating means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The toilet seat unit of the present invention includes a toilet seat device and a branch fitting, the branch fitting including a branch portion for branching a flow of water to the toilet seat device and a storage tank for storing water to be supplied to a toilet bowl, A housing portion is provided on a joint connected to a water stop valve, and the housing portion is housed therein.and a micro-bubble generating means for generating micro-bubbles in the passing water, the micro-bubble generating means being provided upstream of the branching portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the microbubble generating means can be used easily. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a toilet seat unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet seat device as viewed from the bottom side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the process of attaching the main body to the toilet seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an enlarged top view of the main body with the upper casing removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the upper part of the nozzle holder. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the microbubble generating means according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a UFB nozzle. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outlet of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an outlet portion of a modified UFB nozzle. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of the outlet portion showing the vicinity of the protrusion. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in the toilet seat unit. [Figure 15]This is an explanatory diagram comparing the results of cleaning using mist sprayed from the spray section in a toilet seat device configured with a fine-bubble generating means and a toilet seat device configured without a fine-bubble generating means. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram comparing the results of cleaning the nozzle body with water sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port in a toilet seat device configured with a micro-bubble generating means and a toilet seat device configured without a micro-bubble generating means. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a water guide unit of a toilet seat unit showing a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the main body and the main body water supply port. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the main body water inlet and the water guide unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 23] FIG. 11 is a water flow path diagram showing a path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a toilet seat device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0010] 1 to 16 show a first embodiment of a toilet seat device 10 of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration of a toilet seat unit 100 installed around a toilet bowl 1 in a toilet room S as a flush toilet facility. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main body 11, a toilet seat 12, and a toilet seat cover 13 of the toilet seat device 10, seen from the underside (bottom side). The toilet bowl 1 has a concave bowl portion 2 with an open upper surface for receiving excrement, and this bowl portion 2 forms the inner surface of the toilet bowl 1. The bowl portion 2 is the toilet bowl of the toilet bowl 1. The toilet seat 12 is substantially O-shaped in a plan view, and the toilet seat cover 13 covers the toilet seat 12, has a central opening 12A of the toilet seat 12, and is configured to cover the toilet seat 12 in an openable and closable manner. The main body 11 of the toilet seat device 10 is detachably fixed to the upper surface of a toilet rear portion 3 (see FIG. 3) located at the rear of the toilet bowl 1.

[0011] The main body 11 comprises a hollow casing 15 which is the main body part, and this casing 15 comprises a main body underside part 16 which is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the rear part 3 of the toilet 1, and a casing upper part 17 which covers the upper surface of the main body underside part 16 and has an open underside, forming an outer shell member made of synthetic resin. A toilet seat 12 and a toilet seat lid 13, both made of synthetic resin, are rotatably attached to the casing 15, and as shown in Fig. 1, with the toilet seat lid 13 open and the toilet seat 12 tilted down towards the toilet 1, a user can sit with their buttocks on the toilet seat 12.

[0012] On the underside of the toilet seat 12, a plurality of convex seat legs 18 that directly contact the upper surface of the toilet bowl 1 when the toilet seat 12 is tilted toward the toilet bowl 1, which is the use position, are arranged at intervals. In this embodiment, the seat legs 18 are arranged at four locations on the front left and right and the rear left and right, as shown in FIG. 2, but this is only an example and the present invention is not limited to this. One of the toilet seat legs 18 has a built-in mechanical seat switch 19 that serves as a seat detection means, and when the toilet seat leg 18 is pressed against the toilet bowl 1 and the seat switch 19 is turned ON, it can be detected that the user is seated on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, the seat switch 19 is provided on one of the seat legs 18 on the front left or right side in the center as shown in FIG. 2, but this is only an example and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0013] Reference numeral 21 denotes a main body operation unit made of synthetic resin and provided on the side of the casing 15. The main body operation unit 21 is provided with various operation buttons including flushing buttons such as a butt button and a bidet button, and user operations are input via these operation buttons. The main body operation unit 21 is also provided with indicator lamps such as a power lamp, a deodorizing lamp, a power saving lamp, and a toilet seat lamp, and is configured to inform the user of the operating status of each part of the toilet seat device 10 depending on the display form of these indicator lamps.

[0014] A so-called movable cleaning nozzle 25 is provided at the front lower part of the casing 15. The cleaning nozzle 25, which corresponds to a nozzle device, is tubular and extends linearly along the front-rear direction of the main body 11, and is arranged so as to be movable back and forth along the front-rear direction of the main body 11. One or more water discharge parts 66 (see FIG. 5) that discharge water as cleaning liquid are provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the cleaning nozzle 25, and the cleaning nozzle 25 is configured to spray water toward the private parts of the user sitting on the toilet seat 12 without waste when the cleaning nozzle 25 is advanced to a position protruding from below the toilet seat 12. In addition, a nozzle guard 26 that is convex toward the bottom of the main body 11 is integrally formed on the main body lower surface part 16 that forms the bottom of the casing 15 in order to protect the cleaning nozzle 25 housed in the casing 15 when the cleaning nozzle 25 is retracted to a position below the toilet seat 12. The material of the cleaning nozzle 25 is preferably stainless steel to maintain cleanliness, but other materials may be used. In this embodiment, the water outlet 66 includes a bottom washing water outlet 66a that sprays water onto a first local area of ​​the user, and a bidet cleansing water outlet 66b that sprays water onto a second local area different from the first local area of ​​the user, and these bottom washing water outlet 66a and bidet cleansing water outlet 66b are provided in the same cleansing nozzle 25. Note that the configuration of the cleansing nozzle 25 is one example, and the bottom washing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b may each be provided in a dedicated cleansing nozzle 25, and a plurality of cleansing nozzles 25 may each be movable.

[0015] A branch fitting 33 is attached to the stop valve WV, which is installed in advance in the toilet room S as a water supply path, to branch the water flowing in from the stop valve WV to the toilet seat 12 side and to the storage tank (not shown) side that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl for flushing. The branch fitting 33 is composed of a three-way joint, and each joint is connected to the stop valve WV, the tank water supply hose R that supplies water to the storage tank, and the water supply hose 32. A main water supply port 31 is provided on the rear side of the casing 15, and the stop valve WV and the main water supply port 31 are connected to the water supply hose 32, so that the water from the stop valve WV is guided from the main water supply port 31 to the toilet seat 12 via the branch fitting 33 and the water supply hose 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, the toilet seat device 10, the water supply hose 32, and the branch fitting 33 constitute the toilet seat unit 100. The toilet seat unit 100 may be configured so that the toilet seat device 10 and the branch fitting 33 are directly connected to each other.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the mounting recess 41 is recessed upward on the lower surface 16 of the main body, and the mounting recess 41 has a front edge 41A protruding rearward so that a center 41T is located rearward compared to the left and right, and left and right edges 41L, 41R formed rearward from the left and right ends of the front edge 41A, and a rear opening 42 is formed between the rear ends of the left and right edges 41L, 41R. As shown in Fig. 3, a fixing plate 43 for fixing the main body 11 is fixed to the upper surface of the rear part 3 of the toilet, and the rear opening 42 of the mounting recess 41 is aligned with the fixing plate 43, and the main body 11 is slid backward to fit the fixing plate 43 into the mounting recess 41, thereby fixing the main body 11 to the rear part 3 of the toilet, and conversely, the main body 11 can be removed from the rear part 3 of the toilet by sliding the main body 11 forward and removing the fixing plate 43 from the mounting recess 41. In this way, the rear part 3 of the toilet is the mounting part of the toilet 1 to which the main body 11 is attached.

[0017] A deodorizing device 51 is built into the casing 15 to reduce and eliminate odors within the toilet 1. For this purpose, an air intake 52 is provided on the front lower surface of the casing 15 facing the top surface of the toilet 1, and a deodorizing passage (not shown) is provided between this and an exhaust port 53 provided at the rear of the casing upper part 17, with a deodorizing fan and a deodorizing unit provided midway along this deodorizing passage.

[0018] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged top view of the main body 11 with the casing upper part 17 removed. Referring to Fig. 4, the configuration of the flow path 51 through which the water flowing in from the main body water supply port 31 flows will be described. The flow path 51 is mainly formed by the main body water supply port 31, a water stop mechanism 52, a pressure reducing mechanism 53, a fine bubble generating means 54, a switching valve 55, a branching section 56, a jetting section 57, a heating unit 58, a nozzle assembly 59, and an air pump 60. As will be described later, the flow path 51 has a first flow path 51-1 and a second flow path 51-2, and the second flow path 51-2 has a third flow path 51-3 and a fourth flow path 51-4. Specifically, the flow path 51 branches into a first flow path 51-1 and a second flow path 51-2 at a branching portion 56, and the second flow path 51-2 branches into a third flow path 51-3 and a fourth flow path 51-4 at an electromagnetic valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59.

[0019] The water stop mechanism 52 starts / stops the inflow of water from the main water supply port 31 to the flow path 51, and in this embodiment, it is composed of an electromagnetic valve, and can be turned on / off by an electric signal. The pressure reducing mechanism 53 reduces and stabilizes the pressure of the passing water to a predetermined pressure, for example, 0.1 to 0.15 MPa, and is provided so that the water with stabilized water pressure can be supplied to the micro-bubble generating means 54. In this embodiment, the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 are integrally formed to form a unitized water guide unit 110, and the water guide unit 110 is composed of the above-mentioned electromagnetic valve. Therefore, the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 can be made small, and the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 can be easily attached to and replaced in the main body 11. Therefore, the water guide unit 110 also functions as a valve device. This is just one example, and the water guide unit 110 may be configured with, for example, a motor-driven valve, that is, an electric valve whose power source is an electric valve such as a solenoid valve or a motor-driven valve. Also, the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reduction mechanism 53 may be formed separately, or the water guide unit 110 may be configured with only one of the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53.

[0020] The switching valve 55 suppresses the water pressure of the water flowing through the flow path 51 to a predetermined value or less, and has an inflow section 55A into which the water flows, an outflow section 55B from which the water flows, an overflow drain section 55C, and a drain pipe 55D connected to a drain hole 16A provided on the main body lower surface section 16. Here, when water flows into the switching valve 55 from the inflow section 55A, if the pressure of the inflowing water is equal to or less than a predetermined value, an overflow drain valve (not shown) built into the switching valve 55 is not opened, and the inflowing water is sent out from the outflow section 55B as it is. On the other hand, if the pressure of the inflowing water exceeds a predetermined value, the overflow drain valve is opened, and a part of the water and gas that flowed into the switching valve 55 is sent from the overflow drain section 55C to the drain pipe 55D, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A into the bowl section 2 of the toilet 1. Thereafter, when the water pressure falls below a predetermined value, the overflow drain valve is closed, and the water that flowed in from inlet 55A is again sent out directly from outlet 55B. Switching valve 55 may be configured so that the overflow drain valve is opened not only when the pressure of the water that has flowed into switching valve 55 exceeds a predetermined value, but also when the flow rate of the water exceeds a predetermined value.

[0021] The branching section 56 branches the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 leading to the jetting section 57 and a second flow path 51-2 leading to the nozzle assembly 59, and selectively sends out the water that has flowed into the branching section 56 to either the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2. In this embodiment, the branching section 56 is configured with an electromagnetic valve, and has an inflow section 56A into which water flows, a first delivery section 56B that delivers water to the first flow path 51-1, a second delivery section 56C that delivers water to the second flow path 51-2, and a branching section main body 56D. The branching body 56D is configured to selectively open / close the first delivery part 56B or the second delivery part 56C by an electric signal, and the water flowing into the branching body 56D from the inflow part 56A is sent to the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2 through the opened first delivery part 56B or the second delivery part 56C. Therefore, the branching part 56 has a function of a valve device. The branching part 56 may be configured with an electric valve, and the first delivery part 56B and the second delivery part 56C may be configured so that only one of them is opened / closed, or both are opened / closed simultaneously.

[0022] The jetting part 57 discharges the water flowing in from the first flow path 51-1 into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1, and adheres the water to the inner wall, which is the inside surface of the bowl part 2, improving the removal of dirt during toilet flushing, and functions as a water outlet. The jetting part 57 of this embodiment has an atomization function that sprays the inflowing water as mist M, and by atomizing the water, the mist M from the jetting part 57 can be adhered to a wide range of the inner wall of the bowl part 2. Note that, although the jetting part 57 is fixed in this embodiment, the jetting part 57 may be configured to be oscillating so that it can spray water over an even wider range.

[0023] The heating unit 58 heats the water sent to the nozzle assembly 59 to increase the water temperature. In this embodiment, the heating unit 58 has a heater 58a (see FIG. 13), and is configured so that the heater 58a heats the water while the water passes through the heating unit 58, thereby instantaneously increasing the water temperature.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly 59 of this embodiment. The configuration of the nozzle assembly 59 will be described with reference to the figure. The nozzle assembly 59 includes a nozzle main body 62, a water supply cylinder 63, a nozzle motor 64, a water supply cylinder motor 65, a nozzle holder 67, and the like. The nozzle main body 62 constitutes the main body of the nozzle assembly 59 and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending linearly. A water supply cylinder storage section 62a extending linearly along the axial direction of the nozzle main body 62 is provided in the radial center of the nozzle main body 62. The nozzle main body 62 is also configured to be inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal so that the base end of the nozzle main body 62 is upward and the tip side is downward, and therefore the nozzle main body 62 reciprocates along the front-rear direction at an angle so that the base end is upward and the tip side is downward.

[0025] The tip surface of the nozzle body 62 is closed. A water outlet 66 is provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the nozzle body 62, in this case, on the upper surface facing the buttocks of the user placed on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, two water outlets, a bottom-cleaning water outlet 66a and a bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b, are provided as the water outlet 66, but the water outlet 66 may have more than two outlets or may have only one outlet. The bottom-cleaning water outlet 66a and the bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b are each connected to the tip of the water supply cylinder storage section 62a.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 5, the water supply cylinder 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the water supply cylinder storage section 62a, and is stored in the water supply cylinder storage section 62a so that it can reciprocate back and forth along the axial direction. Water flows inside the cylindrical water supply cylinder 63, and the water supply cylinder 63 forms a part of a third flow path 51-3, which will be described later. The tip surface of the water supply cylinder 63 is closed. A water supply port 72 is provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the water supply cylinder 63, in this case, on the upper surface facing the buttocks of a user placed on the toilet seat 15.

[0027] The nozzle motor 64 is an example of a nozzle moving means, and rotates the wheel 64a in the directions of arrows a1 and a2 to reciprocate the nozzle main body 62 in the axial direction of the nozzle assembly 59, i.e., along the front-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10. As a result, the entire nozzle assembly 59 reciprocates in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 along the front-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10.

[0028] The water supply cylinder motor 65 rotates the wheel 65a in the directions of arrows b1 and b2, thereby causing the water supply cylinder 63 to reciprocate inside the nozzle main body 62 in the axial direction of the nozzle assembly 59, i.e., along the front-to-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10. As a result, inside the nozzle main body 62, the water supply cylinder 63 reciprocates in the directions of arrows B1 and B2 along the front-to-rear direction of the toilet seat device 10.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, a movement restricting part 68 having a larger diameter than the water supply cylinder storage part 62a is provided inside the base end of the nozzle main body 62, i.e., the side opposite to the tip end. A tip side touch sensor 69 is provided on the tip side of this movement restricting part 68, and a base side touch sensor 70 is provided on the base end side of the movement restricting part 68. Meanwhile, an annular movement restricting part 71 is fixed to the base end of the water supply cylinder 63. The movement restricting part 71 is housed within the movement restricting part 68 so as to be able to move. In this embodiment, the axial length L1 of the nozzle assembly 59 in the movement restriction portion 68 is formed to be approximately the same as the center-to-center length L2 of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and as shown in FIG. 5, when the water supply cylinder 63 is in the rearmost position, the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is located at the location of the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a, and when the water supply cylinder 63 is in the frontmost position, the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is located at the location of the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b.

[0030] The nozzle holder 67 holds the nozzle body 62 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle holder 67 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than the outer circumference of the nozzle body 62, and the nozzle body 62 is configured to slide along the inner wall 67a of the nozzle holder 67 and move back and forth. The inner wall 67a is provided with a nozzle cleaning port 67b, which is configured to be able to spray water onto the outer surface of the nozzle body 62. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the nozzle cleaning port 67b is provided at a position facing the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the nozzle cleaning port 67b is provided at a position on the inner wall 67a facing the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, and the length L3 between the nozzle cleaning ports 67b is formed to be approximately the same as the length L2 between the centers of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b. Therefore, the water from the two nozzle cleaning ports 67b can efficiently wash away dirt adhering to the periphery of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b. Similarly to the nozzle body 62, the nozzle holder 67 is also configured to be inclined with an angle such that the base end direction of the nozzle body 62 is upward and the tip direction is downward with respect to the horizontal, and the water sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port 67b flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle body 62 toward the tip end of the nozzle body 62 and falls into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. Note that this configuration is one example, and the number and arrangement of the nozzle cleaning ports 67b are not limited to this configuration.

[0031] In the nozzle assembly 59, a third flow path 51-3 is formed which leads from the water supply port 72 to the water discharge portion 66 through the water supply cylinder 63, and a fourth flow path 51-4 is formed which leads to the nozzle cleaning port 67b through the nozzle holder 67. The solenoid valve 95 (see FIG. 13) branches the second flow path 51-2 into the third flow path 51-3 and the fourth flow path 51-4. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 is configured to be able to selectively send the water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 to the third flow path 51-3 or the fourth flow path 51-4 by an electric signal. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 functions as a valve device. The solenoid valve 95 may be configured as an electric valve.

[0032] The air pump 60 injects gas into the water supply cylinder 63 to make the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63 contain air bubbles. When the water contains air bubbles due to the injection of gas, the pressure in the water supply cylinder 63 increases, and the pressure of the water flowing through the third flow path 51-3 increases, so that the momentum of the water discharged from the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b can be increased. The outlet of the air pump 60 and the inside of the water supply cylinder 63 are connected via a pipe (not shown), and this pipe is configured to be connected approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the water supply cylinder 63. Therefore, when the air pump 60 is in operation, the air is injected from the air pump 60 from a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow of water in the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is efficiently injected into the water, so that the water can contain air bubbles. Therefore, the air pump 60 has a function as an air bubble containing means for further containing air bubbles in the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, which contains fine air bubbles.

[0033] Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fine bubble generating means 54 of this embodiment. Referring to the figure, the fine bubble generating means 54 is generally composed of a UFB (Ultrafine-Bubble) upper case 75 as a downstream joint, a UFB lower case 76 as an upstream joint, and a UFB nozzle 77. A part of the flow path 51 through which water flows is formed inside the UFB upper case 75, the UFB lower case 76, and the UFB nozzle 77. As shown in Fig. 6, the fine bubble generating means 54 of this embodiment is coaxially arranged in the order of the UFB lower case 76, the UFB nozzle 77, and the UFB upper case 75 from the upstream of the flow path 51, and each part is in close contact with each other to prevent water from leaking between the parts. The fine bubble generating means 54 of this embodiment is constructed by sequentially pressing a UFB nozzle 77 with a seal member 78 attached and a UFB lower case 76 with a seal member 79 attached into a storage section 75a formed in a UFB upper case 75, making it easy to replace the UFB nozzle 77. This is just one example, and the UFB lower case 76, UFB nozzle 77 and UFB upper case 75 may also be constructed to be integrally formed.

[0034] The UFB lower case 76 has a hollow portion 81 therein that is part of the flow path 51, and guides water that flows into the hollow portion 81 from a piping (not shown) of the flow path 51 connected to the UFB lower case 76 to the UFB nozzle 77. The UFB lower case 76 has a case body 76a and an attachment portion 76b. In this embodiment, the case body 76a and the attachment portion 76b are both formed in a cylindrical shape, and the attachment portion 76b is provided coaxially with the case body 76a so that the attachment portion 76b protrudes from the case body 76a.

[0035] The mounting portion 76b allows a pipe such as a hose of the flow path 51 to be attached to the micro-bubble generating means 54. An end of the pipe is inserted and held in the mounting portion 76b, whereby the pipe is attached to the UFB lower case 76. Note that, in this embodiment, a flange is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion 76b to prevent the pipe from coming loose, but this is only one example, and the axial length and outer diameter of the mounting portion 76b, as well as the number, shape and position of the flanges, may be adjusted and changed depending on the type and inner diameter of the pipe used, the pressure of the water flowing into the flow path 51, etc.

[0036] The case body 76a guides the water flowing in from the attachment portion 76b through the hollow portion 81 to the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77. In this embodiment, the hollow portion 81 in the attachment portion 76b is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the outlet of the hollow portion 81 in the case body 76a is formed to be larger than the diameter of the inlet of the hollow portion 81, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the water flowing in from the attachment portion 76b can be smoothly guided to the hollow portion 87.

[0037] The UFB upper case 75 has a hollow portion 82 therein that is a part of the flow path 51, and guides the water flowing in from the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 to a pipe (not shown) connected to the UFB upper case 75. The UFB upper case 75 has a case body 75b and an attachment portion 75c in addition to the above-mentioned storage portion 75a. The attachment portion 75c allows a pipe such as a hose of the flow path 51 to be attached to the micro-bubble generating means 54, and has the same function as the attachment portion 76b. The case body 75b also guides the water flowing in from the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 to the attachment portion 75c in the hollow portion 82. Note that a flange portion for preventing the pipe from coming off is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment portion 75c in this embodiment, but this is just one example, and the axial length and outer diameter of the attachment portion 75c, as well as the number, shape, and position of the flange portions may be adjusted and changed depending on the type and inner diameter of the pipe used, the pressure of the water flowing in to the flow path 51, and the like.

[0038] The UFB nozzle 77 generates fine bubbles including ultra-fine bubbles in a liquid such as water supplied from an external water source when the liquid passes through the inside of the UFB nozzle 77 toward the downstream direction of the flow path 51. Therefore, the UFB nozzle 77 has a function as a fine bubble generating unit. The UFB nozzle 77 in this embodiment is an example, and may generate fine bubbles such as microbubbles (fine bubbles) and micro-nano bubbles in addition to or instead of ultra-fine bubbles, or may generate ultra-fine bubbles (nano bubbles). In this specification, in accordance with the classification of general bubbles by diameter, fine bubbles with a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm are referred to as microbubbles, and fine bubbles with a diameter of several tens of nm to less than 1 μm are referred to as ultra-fine bubbles.

[0039] Fine bubbles such as microbubbles and ultrafine bubbles are negatively charged, and therefore do not bond with each other, but have the function of adsorbing positively charged substances such as dirt. At this time, the surface tension of the liquid containing the fine bubbles, such as water, decreases, improving the cleaning effect. In the case of ultrafine bubbles, odors are also positively charged substances, so they can adsorb odors, improving the deodorizing effect. In addition, when the fine bubbles collapse on the surface of a solid such as dirt, a very small jet flow is generated, further improving the cleaning effect. For example, the pressure inside a fine bubble with a diameter of 100 nm is calculated to be a high pressure of approximately 30 atm (30 atmospheres). In addition, since the specific surface area of ​​fine bubbles is very large, they also have the function of promoting chemical reactions at the interface by giving them fluidity. Furthermore, the fine bubbles are suddenly collapsed by shock waves, generating energy by self-collapse, which generates free radicals and ozone, and these free radicals and ozone can attack bacteria and viruses in the water containing the fine bubbles, thereby sterilizing and disinfecting them. This effect is more pronounced as the diameter of the fine bubbles becomes smaller. For example, ultra-fine ozone bubble water is particularly effective.

[0040] Because ultra-fine bubbles have a small particle size, they can penetrate into complicated areas and have a cleaning effect that removes dirt from objects that cannot be removed by other fine bubbles such as microbubbles.In addition, ultra-fine bubbles have the properties of having a nano-order particle size, small buoyancy, and being highly hydrophobic and difficult to dissolve in water, allowing them to remain in liquid for a long time.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 7, the UFB nozzle 77 is provided downstream of the UFB lower case 76 and inside the storage section 75a of the UFB upper case 75. The UFB nozzle 77 is attached in a state where it is sandwiched between the UFB lower case 76 and the UFB upper case 75. A seal member 78 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner peripheral surface of the storage section 75a. The seal member 78 is formed, for example, of an O-ring made of synthetic resin. The seal member 78 is pressed by the outer peripheral surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner peripheral surface of the storage section 75a, connecting the UFB nozzle 77 and the storage section 75a in a watertight state.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the UFB nozzle 77 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape having a step on the outer circumferential surface. The UFB nozzle 77 has an inlet portion 85, an outlet portion 86, a hollow portion 87, and a collision portion 88. The inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The inlet portion 85 is a portion through which water flows from the outside of the UFB nozzle 77 to the inside. Water that has passed through the hollow portion 81 of the UFB lower case 76 is introduced into the UFB nozzle 77 through the inlet portion 85. The outlet portion 86 is a portion through which water flows from the inside of the UFB nozzle 77 to the outside. The inner diameter of the outlet portion 86 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet portion. The water that flows into the UFB nozzle 77 flows out from the outlet portion 86 into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75, and then flows into a pipe attached to the mounting portion 75c of the UFB upper case 75.

[0043] The hollow portion 87 is provided inside the UFB nozzle 77, connects the inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86, and is formed so that liquids such as water can pass through. The hollow portion 87 is configured to include a throttle portion 87a and a straight portion 87b. The throttle portion 87a and the straight portion 87b are provided around the entire circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the UFB nozzle 77. The throttle portion 87a is provided on the inlet side, i.e., the upstream side, of the UFB nozzle 77. The throttle portion 87a is connected to the inlet portion 85 and is provided between the inlet portion 85 and the outlet portion 86. The throttle portion 87a is formed so that the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter, of the hollow portion 87 gradually decreases from the inlet portion 85 to the middle portion in the direction in which the UFB nozzle 77 extends. In this embodiment, the throttle portion 87a is formed in a so-called truncated cone tapered tube shape such that the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter, of the hollow portion 87 gradually decreases continuously. The throttle portion 87a may be configured to gradually decrease in a stepped manner the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87. The throttle portion 87a may be configured integrally with the UFB nozzle 77, or may be a separate body.

[0044] The straight portion 87b is provided downstream of the throttle portion 87a. The straight portion 87b is connected to the outlet portion 86. The straight portion 87b is formed in a cylindrical shape, a so-called straight tube shape, in which the inner diameter does not change, that is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43, that is, the area through which the liquid can pass, does not change. The inner diameter of the straight portion 87b is set to be approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the throttle portion 87a, and in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the straight portion 87b is set to be approximately 3 mm, for example.

[0045] The collision portion 88 is for generating fine bubbles in the liquid passing through the hollow portion 87 by locally reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the collision portion 88 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow portion 87 can be set to about 25% to 45%. As shown in FIG. 9, the collision portion 88 is provided near the downstream end of the UFB nozzle 77, and at least a part of it is provided in the straight portion 87b. The collision portion 88 is formed integrally with the UFB nozzle 77, for example, by injection molding a synthetic resin material. The collision portion 88 is not limited to being formed integrally with the UFB nozzle 77, and may be formed separately.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 9, the collision portion 88 divides the hollow portion 87 into a plurality of portions (three in Fig. 9) in the radial direction with respect to the center of the hollow portion 87 along the direction in which the water flows, that is, the hollow portion 87 is divided into three hollow portions 87d when passing through the collision portion 88. The collision portion 88 is composed of three protruding portions 89 formed, for example, in a rod shape, and is formed to protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the straight portion 87b toward the inside of the hollow portion 87. In this embodiment, the protruding portions 89 protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the straight portion 87b toward the center of the cross section of the hollow portion 87. The protruding portions 89 are connected at their tips and integrated into a substantially Y-shape.

[0047] The multiple protrusions 89 are arranged in a state where they are mutually spaced apart at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cross section of the hollow section 87. The multiple protrusions 89 are not limited to being spaced apart at equal intervals, and may be spaced apart at unequal intervals. The area of ​​the gap formed between each of the protrusions 89 is the minimum cross-sectional area through which water can pass in the fine bubble generating means 54. The multiple protrusions 89 may be four or more as shown in FIG. 11. That is, the multiple protrusions 89 may be configured to divide the hollow section 87 into four or more sections. In the example of FIG. 11, the multiple protrusions 89 form the collision section 88 as a whole in, for example, a substantially cross shape. In this case, the hollow section 87 is configured to be divided into four hollow sections 87b when passing through the collision section 60.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 12, the protruding portion 89 has an upstream wall portion 89a, an expanded diameter portion 89b, and a downstream wall portion 89c. The upstream wall portion 89a constitutes the upstream end portion of the protruding portion 89. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the upstream wall portion 89a is formed into a so-called bullet-shaped curved surface that is convex in the opposite direction to the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87, i.e., toward the upstream side. The longitudinal direction means the direction along the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87. The width direction means the direction perpendicular to the direction along the direction in which water flows in the hollow portion 87.

[0049] The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the upstream wall portion 89a may be a triangle pointed toward the upstream side. The enlarged diameter portion 89b is connected to the upstream wall portion 89a and is formed so as to enlarge in a substantially linear manner from the upstream side to the downstream side. The enlarged diameter portion 89b is not limited to a linear enlargement, and may be curved. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 is smaller on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the direction in which water flows through the hollow portion 87. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 changes smoothly in the direction in which water flows through the hollow portion 87.

[0050] The downstream wall portion 89c is connected to the expanded diameter portion 89b and constitutes the downstream end portion of the protrusion portion 89. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the downstream wall portion 89c is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape. The downstream end face of the downstream wall portion 89c is located on the same plane as the downstream end face of the UFB nozzle 77. In other words, the downstream surface of the protrusion portion 89 is configured to be flush with the downstream surface of the UFB nozzle 77. In addition, when considering only the shape of the downstream end portion of the protrusion portion 89, the longitudinal dimension of the downstream wall portion 89c is smaller than the width dimension of the downstream wall portion 89c.

[0051] Here, if the longitudinal dimension L4 of the protruding portion 89 is made smaller than the widthwise dimension W in the cross section of the protruding portion 89, the angle of the surface at which the expanded diameter portion 89b faces the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 becomes large, and the flow resistance of the protruding portion 89 to the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 increases, which may result in a decrease in the flow rate. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, the protruding portion 89 is configured so that the longitudinal dimension L4 is larger than the widthwise dimension W in the cross section of the protruding portion 89, and the flow resistance of the protruding portion 89 to the water flowing in the hollow portion 87 is suppressed to increase the flow rate. In this embodiment, the ratio between the longitudinal dimension L4 and the widthwise dimension W of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 3:2, and the longitudinal dimension L4 of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 0.7 mm to 1.1 mm, and the widthwise dimension W of the protrusion 89 is set to, for example, approximately 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, but this is just one example and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0052] When water flows into the upstream side of the UFB nozzle 77, the flow path cross-sectional area is narrowed at the narrowing section 87a formed so as to gradually reduce the inner diameter, and as a result, the flow velocity is increased based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid mechanics, and cavitation occurs due to reduced pressure. Then, fine bubbles are generated by the shear force acting when the high-speed flow collides with the collision section 88 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region of, for example, -1.0 MPa or less formed near the downstream end face of the collision section 88. As a result, the UFB nozzle 77 can separate a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, and supply fine bubble water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77.

[0053] Next, the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Reference numeral 91 denotes a control unit that electrically controls each part of the toilet seat device 10, and includes a microcomputer, a storage unit 92 such as a readable and writable memory that stores various information and data, a clock unit 93 that measures time and duration, and drive elements for each part. The input port of the control unit 91 is electrically connected to the main body operation unit 21, the seating sensor 19, the distal end touch sensor 69 and the proximal end touch sensor 70 of the nozzle assembly 59, and a toilet seat lid open / close detection unit 94. The output port of the control unit 91 is electrically connected to the water stop mechanism 52, the branch unit 56, the heater 58a of the heating unit 58, the air pump 60, the nozzle motor 64 of the nozzle assembly 59, the water supply cylinder motor 65, and the solenoid valve 95.

[0054] The toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94 detects whether the toilet seat cover 13 is open or closed, and is provided on the toilet seat cover 13 near an axis that is rotatably attached to the toilet seat 12. The toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94 may be of any detection type, such as optical, mechanical, or magnetic, as long as it can output a detection signal in response to whether the toilet seat cover 13 is open or closed.

[0055] The control unit 91 has a function of receiving each detection signal from the seating sensor 19, the toilet seat lid open / close detection means 94, the tip-side touch sensor 69, and the base-side touch sensor 70, as well as an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21, and outputting control signals to the water stop mechanism 52, the branching unit 56, the heater 58a, the air pump 60, the nozzle motor 64, the water supply cylinder motor 65, and the solenoid valve 95 at a predetermined timing based on the timing from the timing means 93. These functions are realized by the control unit 91 reading the programs and settings stored in the storage means 92, which serves as a storage medium.

[0056] 14 is a water flow path diagram showing the main paths through which water flows in the toilet seat unit 100 of this embodiment. With reference to this figure, the operation of the toilet seat device 10 will be described in detail, particularly with respect to the flow path 51 which is the water path within the toilet seat device 10.

[0057] 14 shows a state in which water has been supplied in advance from the stop valve WV via the branch fitting 33 and the water supply hose 32 to the main body water supply port 31. First, to explain the operation of the toilet seat device 10 with the toilet seat lid 13 closed, when the control unit 91 determines based on the settings stored in the storage means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93 that a predetermined time, for example, one hour, has passed since the previous time mist M was sprayed and no water has been sprayed from the spraying unit 57, and there has been an interval, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the first delivery unit 56B, and also controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51.

[0058] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52 and flows into the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and while passing through the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the pressure of the water drops to a predetermined pressure and stabilizes at the predetermined pressure. Then, the water flowing at the predetermined pressure flows into the hollow portion 81 from the attachment portion 76b of the micro-bubble generating means 54.

[0059] The water that has flowed into the microbubble generating means 54 flows into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 through the case body 76a of the UFB lower case 76. When the water flows into the upstream side of the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, the flow path cross-sectional area is narrowed in the narrowing portion 87a formed to gradually reduce the inner diameter, and the flow velocity of the water is increased based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid mechanics, and cavitation occurs due to the reduction in pressure around the water. Then, the gas contained in the water is broken down into fine bubbles by the shear force acting when the high-speed water flow collides with the collision portion 88 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure region of, for example, -1.0 MPa or less formed near the downstream end face of the collision portion 88. As a result, the UFB nozzle 77 precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as microbubbles, and supplies water containing a larger amount of microbubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77. In this embodiment, for example, when water with a water pressure of 0.15 MPa flows into the UFB nozzle 77, the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 is doped with 10 5 / ml or more.

[0060] Water that flows into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75 from the UFB nozzle 77 flows out of the mounting portion 75c via the case body 75b, and flows into the switching valve 55 from the inflow portion 55A. If the water pressure in the switching valve 55 is below a predetermined value, the water flows out of the delivery portion 55B and into the branch portion 56. On the other hand, if the water pressure in the switching valve 55 exceeds a predetermined value, for example, due to clogging of the flow path 51 between the switching valve 55 and the branch portion 56, the overflow drain valve is opened, and some of the water and gas that flowed into the switching valve 55 flows from the overflow drain portion 55C through the drain pipe 55D into the drain hole 16A and is discharged into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1.

[0061] Water flowing from inlet 56A of branch 56 into branch body 56D flows into first flow path 51-1 through open first delivery section 56B. Thereafter, water flowing into jet 57 through first flow path 51-1 is turned into mist M by jet 57 and jetted into bowl 2 of toilet 1. By releasing water containing fine bubbles into bowl 2 in this way, the inner wall of bowl 2 is wetted to make it difficult for dirt to adhere to the inner wall, and water containing fine bubbles improves the cleaning effect and can be used for sterilization and disinfection, so that the inner wall of bowl 2 can be kept clean.

[0062] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, such as one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timer unit 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branch unit 56 to close the first delivery unit 56B. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the mist M stops being sprayed from the spray unit 57. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92, the mist M is sprayed from the spray unit 57 for a predetermined time at a predetermined number of times every predetermined period into the bowl unit 2. Note that the method of spraying the mist M from the spray unit 57, such as setting the interval for spraying the mist M, setting the predetermined number of times, and setting the predetermined time for spraying the mist M, may be configured so that the user can set it using, for example, the main body operation unit 21.

[0063] In addition, when the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93, that water has not been sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port 67b for a predetermined period, such as one hour, it controls the branching unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, controls the solenoid valve 95 to select the fourth flow path 51-4, and controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the flow of water into the flow path 51.

[0064] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in this order, flows into the branching body 56D from the inlet 56A of the branching section 56, and flows out into the second flow path 51-2 through the opened second delivery section 56C. The water then passes through the heating unit 58, but is not heated at this time because the heater 58a is OFF and not energized. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0065] The water that flows into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected fourth flow path 51-4, and the water that flows into the nozzle cleaning port 67b through the fourth flow path 51-4 is sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port 67b toward the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and falls into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, by spraying water containing fine bubbles into the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b, dirt adhering to the periphery of the rear cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b is efficiently removed. Note that at this time, the nozzle main body 62 may be moved in the front-rear direction, and water containing fine bubbles may be sprayed onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 to remove dirt over a wide area on the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0066] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, such as one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timer unit 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the water jetting from the nozzle cleaning port 67b also stops. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92, water is jetted from the nozzle cleaning port 67b to the rear washing water outlet 66a and the bidet washing water outlet 66b for a predetermined time for a predetermined number of times every predetermined period. Note that the setting of the predetermined number of times every predetermined period for these water jets and the setting of the predetermined time for jetting water from the nozzle cleaning port 67b may be configured so that the user can set them, for example, via the main body operation unit 21.

[0067] Next, the operation of the toilet seat device 10 when the toilet seat cover 13 is open will be described. When the control unit 91 determines that the toilet seat cover 13 has changed from the closed state to the open state based on a detection signal from the toilet seat cover open / close detection means 94, it controls the branching unit 56 to open the first delivery unit 56B, and also controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51. As described above, the water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the fine bubble generating means 54, the switching valve 55, and the branching unit 56 in that order, and flows into the ejection unit 57 through the first flow path 51-1, where it is turned into mist M and ejected into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles is ejected into the bowl portion 2 in advance to wet the inner wall of the bowl portion 2, making it difficult for dirt to adhere to the inner wall.

[0068] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, for example, one minute, based on the settings stored in the storage means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the branching unit 56 to close the first delivery unit 56B. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and the spraying of the mist M from the spray unit 57 also stops.

[0069] When the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the toilet seat legs 18 come into contact with and are pressed into the toilet bowl 1, turning on the seat switch 19. When the control unit 91 receives a signal from the seat switch 19 that has turned on, it controls the heater 58a of the heating unit 58 to be energized.

[0070] When the user selects and operates, for example, the "butt button" of the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is transmitted to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position, and also drives and controls the water supply cylinder motor 65 so that the water supply cylinder 63 retreats until it reaches the retreated position and the base end touch sensor 70 turns ON. Then, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, and controls the solenoid valve 95 so that the third flow path 51-3 is selected. After that, when the control unit 91 determines that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position and that the water supply cylinder 63 has retreated to the retreated position based on the detection signal of the base end touch sensor 70, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51, and also controls the air pump 60 to be driven.

[0071] The water flowing into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in order, flows into the branching body 56D from the inlet 56A of the branching part 56, and flows out into the second flow path 51-2 through the opened second delivery part 56C. When this water flows into the heating unit 58, the heater 58a is energized and ON, so that the heater 58a heats the water while the water passes through the heating unit 58, and the water temperature is instantly increased. Note that the output setting of the heater 58a may be configured to be set by the user, for example, through the main body operation unit 21, so that the water temperature after heating by the heater 58a can be adjusted. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0072] The water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. Here, if the force of the water discharged from the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a is set to be increased, gas such as air is discharged from the air pump 60 into the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is injected into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water to contain more air bubbles, increasing the water pressure and increasing the force of the water. In this way, the force of the water discharged from the water discharge unit 66 can be adjusted. Note that the force of the water is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60, but the water force may be set by the user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. Also, the control unit 91 may be configured to control the air pump 60 to be turned ON and OFF repeatedly in short cycles, and rhythmic washing may be performed in which a soft discharge of water with a soft force of water only without air being injected and a discharge of water with increased force of water with air being injected are automatically repeated in short cycles.

[0073] In addition, since the water supply cylinder 63 is in the retracted position and the position of the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is at the position of the posterior washing water outlet 66a of the water outlet section 66, water that has passed through the water supply cylinder 63 is discharged from the posterior washing water outlet 66a via the water supply port 72.

[0074] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93, it controls the air pump 60 to turn off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water discharge from the posterior washing water discharge port 66a also stops. Then, the control unit 91 drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the tip of the nozzle main body 62 retreats to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

[0075] Also, when the user selects, for example, the "bidet button" on the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is sent to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position, and also drives and controls the water supply cylinder motor 65 so that the water supply cylinder 63 advances until it reaches the forward position and the tip side touch sensor 69 turns ON. Then, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the second delivery unit 56C, and controls the solenoid valve 95 to select the third flow path 51-3. After that, when the control unit 91 determines that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position and that the water supply cylinder 63 advances to the forward position based on the detection signal of the tip side touch sensor 69, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51.

[0076] The water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the micro-bubble generating means 54, and the switching valve 55 in this order, flows into the branching body 56D from the inlet 56A of the branching section 56, and flows out into the second flow path 51-2 through the opened second delivery section 56C. When this water flows into the heating unit 58, the heater 58a is energized and ON, so that the heater 58a heats the water while the water passes through the heating unit 58, and the water temperature is instantly raised. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0077] The water that has flowed into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. Here, when the force of the water discharged from the bidet flush water outlet 66b is set to be increased, gas such as air is discharged from the air pump 60 into the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is injected into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water to contain more air bubbles, and the water pressure increases, thereby increasing the force of the water. The force of the water is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60, but the water force may be set by the user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The control unit 91 may also be configured to control the air pump 60 to be turned ON and OFF repeatedly in short cycles, to perform rhythmic washing in which a soft discharge of water with a soft force of water only without air being injected and a discharge of water with increased force of water with air being injected are automatically repeated in short cycles.

[0078] In addition, since the water supply cylinder 63 is in the forward position and the position of the water supply port 72 of the water supply cylinder 63 is at the position of the bidet flush water outlet 66b of the water outlet 66, water that has passed through the water supply cylinder 63 is discharged from the bidet flush water outlet 66b via the water supply port 72.

[0079] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timer means 93, it controls the air pump 60 to be turned off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water stops flowing into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water discharge from the bidet flush water discharge port 66b also stops. Then, the control unit 91 drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the tip of the nozzle main body 62 retreats to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

[0080] Here, the inventors conducted comparative experiments on (1) a toilet seat device configured with a fine bubble generating means 54, such as the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment, and (2) a toilet seat device configured without the fine bubble generating means 54.

[0081] (Comparative experiment 1) Water containing chlorine was sprayed onto a resin plate and then dried to artificially attach chlorine to the resin plate. The resin plate with the chlorine attached was (1) cleaned with mist M sprayed from the spray part 57 of the toilet seat device 10, and (2) cleaned with mist M sprayed from the spray part 57 of a toilet seat device not equipped with the microbubble generating means 54, and each resin plate was measured with an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA).

[0082] Figure 15 shows the results of EPMA measurements. As shown in Figure 15, it can be seen that (2) when cleaning with tap water mist M, a small amount of chlorine remains on the resin plate, whereas (1) when cleaning with water mist M containing fine bubbles, no chlorine remains on the resin plate. Therefore, the cleaning effect is improved with water mist M containing fine bubbles, and the superiority of the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment has been confirmed.

[0083] (Comparative experiment 2) The nozzle body 62 was washed by continuously running (1) water containing fine bubbles and (2) tap water from the nozzle washing port 67, and the extent to which bacteria were eliminated after washing was measured. FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of washing water and the elimination value, which is a value indicating the elimination rate. As shown in FIG. 16, both washing by (1) and washing by (2) were found to have a sterilization effect when the amount was 200 ml or more. Furthermore, washing by (2) suppressed 99% or more of bacteria after washing for 2 minutes, while washing by (1) suppressed 99% or more of bacteria after washing for 1 minute. Therefore, while both washing by (1) and washing by (2) were effective to a certain extent, washing by (1) was found to be more effective than washing by (2), and the superiority of the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment was confirmed.

[0084] As described above, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a nozzle assembly 59 as a nozzle provided with a water outlet 66 as a water spout for ejecting water toward the user's private parts, a jetting portion 57 as a water discharge port for releasing water into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1, and a UFB nozzle 77 of a fine bubble generating means 54 that generates fine bubbles in the water passing through, and is configured so that water containing fine bubbles is supplied to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57.

[0085] With this configuration, by using the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment, a user can easily use a toilet seat device equipped with a micro-bubble generating means, without the need for special piping work to attach the micro-bubble generating means to the flush water supply piping as in the past. Furthermore, water containing micro-bubbles can be used not only for washing the bowl portion 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59 provided with the water discharge portion 66 that discharges the water, and micro-bubbles can be contained in the water for multiple purposes used in the toilet seat device 10.

[0086] Furthermore, in the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment, a flow path 51 is formed for supplying water to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57 from the main body water inlet 31 as a water inlet to the toilet seat device 10, and a branching portion 56 is provided for branching the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 for supplying water to the jetting portion 57 and a second flow path 51-2 for supplying water to the nozzle assembly 59, and the UFB nozzle 77 of the fine-bubble generating means 54 is configured to be provided upstream of the branching portion 56 in the flow path 51. Therefore, water in which fine bubbles have been generated by the UFB nozzle 77 can be made to flow into the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2, and fine bubbles can be contained in both the water used in the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57 even if UFB nozzles 77 are not provided in the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2, respectively.

[0087] Furthermore, in the toilet seat apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the water guide unit 110 as a first valve device having the water stop mechanism 52 as a water stop means for starting or stopping the inflow of water into the flow path 51, or the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reducing mechanism 53 as an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure of the inflowing water by reducing the pressure of the inflowing water, is provided upstream of the branching portion 56 in the flow path 51, and the UFB nozzle 77 of the fine-bubble generating means 54 is provided downstream of the water guide unit 110 in the flow path 51. Therefore, it is possible to start / stop the inflow of water by an electric signal from the control unit 91, and water with a stabilized water pressure can be supplied to the UFB nozzle 77 of the fine-bubble generating means 54.

[0088] Furthermore, the nozzle assembly 59 of this embodiment is configured to have a third flow path 51-3 that supplies water to the water discharge portion 66, and a fourth flow path 51-4 through which water flows to clean the nozzle main body 62 of the nozzle assembly 59. Therefore, it is possible to contain fine air bubbles in the water used in the nozzle cleaning port 67b, which sprays water to clean the nozzle main body 62.

[0089] In addition, the branching section 56 in this embodiment is configured with a second valve device and is capable of selectively supplying water to the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2, and water can be selectively supplied to the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2 by an electrical signal from the control section 91.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the second flow path 51-2 is configured to be provided with a heating unit 58 as a heating means for heating water, and the water used to wash the user's private parts can be heated to instantly increase the water temperature.

[0091] In addition, in this embodiment, the water emitted from the spray portion 57 is configured to be a mist M, and by atomizing the water containing fine air bubbles, the mist M from the spray portion 57 can be attached to a wide area of ​​the inner wall of the bowl portion 2.

[0092] In addition, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment may be configured so that the spraying method for releasing mist M as water from the spraying portion 57 can be set, and the user can arbitrarily change the settings of the spraying method for mist M.

[0093] 17 and 18 show a modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, a water guide unit 110' is provided with a micro-bubble generating means 54'.

[0094] Referring to Figure 17, the water-conducting unit 110' is a unit in which the main water supply port 31, water stop mechanism 52, pressure reduction mechanism 53 and fine bubble generating means 54' are integrally formed, and the water discharge portion of the pressure reduction mechanism 53 of the water-conducting unit 110 is pressed into the storage section 75a instead of the UFB lower case 76, and the discharge portion of the pressure reduction mechanism 53, the UFB nozzle 77 and the UFB upper case 75 are arranged coaxially from the upstream of the flow path 51, in that order, so that each part is in tight contact with the other parts to prevent water from leaking between the parts.

[0095] With this configuration, water can be made to flow from the discharge portion of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, and the UFB nozzle 77 can precipitate a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, supplying water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77, and allowing the water that has flowed into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75 to flow out of the mounting portion 75c via the case main body 75b. Furthermore, the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generating means 54' are integrally formed into a unit, so that the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generating means 54' can be made smaller in size, and the main body water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generating means 54' can be easily attached to and replaced in the main body 11. EXAMPLES

[0096] 19 to 21 show a second embodiment of a toilet seat device 10' of the present invention. In this embodiment, there is no fine bubble generating means 54, and a UFB nozzle 77 is provided in a main body water supply port 31'.

[0097] Explaining with reference to Figures 19 to 21, main body water supply port 31' is provided with a storage section for accommodating UFB nozzle 77, and by attaching main body water supply port 31' housing UFB nozzle 77 to the water intake section of water stop mechanism 52, i.e., the water intake section of water guide unit 110", the main body water supply port 31', UFB nozzle 77, and water intake section of water stop mechanism 52 are arranged coaxially in this order from the upstream of flow path 51, so that each part is in tight contact with each other to prevent water leaking between the parts. Therefore, main body water supply port 31' also functions as a fine bubble generating means.

[0098] With this configuration, water with high water pressure before pressure reduction can be supplied to UFB nozzle 77, and as the water passes through UFB nozzle 77, the water pressure load applied to UFB nozzle 77 can be increased, and a larger amount of air dissolved in the water can be precipitated as fine bubbles, increasing the concentration of fine bubbles. Also, since UFB nozzle 77 is provided in main body water supply port 31' rather than inside casing 15, the configuration inside casing 15 can be simplified and casing 15 can be made smaller.

[0099] As described above, in the toilet seat apparatus 10' of this embodiment, the water guide unit 110" serving as a first valve device having the water stop mechanism 52 as a water stop means for starting or stopping the inflow of water into the flow path 51, or the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53 as an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure of the inflowing water by reducing the pressure of the inflowing water, is provided upstream of the branching portion 56 in the flow path 51, and the UFB nozzle 77 of the main body water supply port 31' serving as a micro-bubble generating means is provided upstream of the flow path 51 from the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53 of the water guide unit 110". Therefore, water with high water pressure before pressure reduction can be supplied to the UFB nozzle 77, and a larger amount of air dissolved in the water can be precipitated as micro-bubbles, thereby increasing the concentration of micro-bubbles. EXAMPLES

[0100] FIG. 22 shows a third embodiment of a toilet seat device 10" of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toilet seat device 10" is configured to have two or more fine bubble generating means. Explaining with reference to the same figure, the toilet seat device 10" of this embodiment adopts the main body water inlet 31' of the second embodiment in the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment, and two or more fine bubble generating means are provided in the main body water inlet 31' and the fine bubble generating means 54. Therefore, the main body water inlet 31' precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, and the fine bubble generating means 54 further subdivides the fine bubbles contained in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 by cavitation, and further precipitates the air dissolved in the water as fine bubbles. Therefore, with this configuration, the fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water discharge portion 66 and the fine bubbles contained in the mist M sprayed from the spray portion 57 can be further subdivided, and the concentration of the fine bubbles can be increased.

[0101] As described above, the toilet seat device 10" of this embodiment is configured to have the main body water inlet 31', the fine bubble generating means 54, and two or more UFB nozzles 77 as fine bubble generating means, which can further subdivide the fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water outlet 66 and the fine bubbles contained in the mist M sprayed out from the spraying portion 57, and can also increase the concentration of the fine bubbles. EXAMPLES

[0102] FIG. 23 shows a toilet seat device 10 according to the present invention. III 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a microbubble generating means 54 is provided in each of the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2. Referring to the figure, the toilet seat device 10 of the present invention III In the present embodiment, a fine bubble generating means 54 is provided in a first flow path 51-1, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the jetting portion 57, and a fine bubble generating means 54 is also provided in a second flow path 51-2, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the nozzle assembly 59, downstream of the heating unit 58 in this embodiment. Note that the fine bubble generating means 54 may be provided upstream of the heating unit 58 in the second flow path 51-2.

[0103] By configuring in this way, it is possible to create a micro-bubble generating means 54, i.e., a UFB nozzle 77, with different performance such as the size, amount, and concentration of the generated micro-bubbles. For example, it is possible to configure the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water of the mist M sprayed from the spraying portion 57 to be different from the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water discharge portion 66, for example, since the spraying portion 57 sprays water into the bowl portion 2 of the toilet 1, the concentration of micro-bubbles can be increased to improve the cleaning effect, and since the water discharged from the water discharge portion 66 is sprayed onto the user's private parts, the concentration of micro-bubbles can be lowered to provide a milder cleaning effect.

[0104] As described above, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment IIIIn the configuration, a flow path 51 is formed for supplying water to a nozzle assembly 59 and a jetting portion 57, a branching portion 56 is provided for branching the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 for supplying water to the nozzle assembly 59 and a second flow path 51-2 for supplying water to the jetting portion 57, and a UFB nozzle 77 of the fine-bubble generating means 54 is provided in the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2. Therefore, the fine-bubble generating means 54, i.e., the UFB nozzle 77, can be configured to have different performance such as the size, amount, and concentration of the fine bubbles generated, and for example, the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water of the mist M jetted from the jetting portion 57 can be configured to be different from the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water discharge portion 66. EXAMPLES

[0105] FIG. 24 shows a fifth embodiment of the toilet seat unit 100' of the present invention. In this embodiment, a UFB nozzle 77 is provided on the branch fitting 33' used in the toilet seat unit 100'. Referring to the figure, a fitting that connects to the stop valve WV of the branch fitting 33' is provided with a housing that houses the UFB nozzle 77, and by connecting the branch fitting 33' housing the UFB nozzle 77 to the stop valve WV, water is prevented from leaking between the fitting and the stop valve WV. This configuration can improve the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water flowing through the flow path 51 of the toilet seat device 10 connected to the branch fitting 33', and can further improve the cleaning effect. In addition, since the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33' through the tank water supply hose also contains fine bubbles, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use can be improved. Therefore, the UFB nozzle 77 of the branch fitting 33' functions as a fine bubble generating means for external installation. It is also possible to accommodate a UFB nozzle 77 in the joint that connects the branch fitting 33' to the water supply hose 32, thereby achieving the same effect as the toilet seat apparatus 10' of the second embodiment.

[0106] As described above, the toilet seat unit 100' of this embodiment includes the toilet seat device 10 and the branch fitting 33', which branches the water flow into the water supply hose 32 that supplies water to the toilet seat device 10 and the tank water supply hose R that supplies water to the storage tank that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl 1, and the branch fitting 33' is configured to be provided with a UFB nozzle 77 as a micro-bubble generating means for external attachment. This makes it possible to improve the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water flowing through the flow path 51 of the toilet seat device 10 connected to the branch fitting 33', and further improve the cleaning effect. In addition, the cleaning effect of the water flowing from the storage tank after use can be improved. EXAMPLES

[0107] FIG. 25 shows a sixth embodiment of a toilet seat unit 100″ of the present invention. In this embodiment, a UFB nozzle 77 is provided only on the branch fitting 33′, and the toilet seat device 10 IV Explaining with reference to the same figure, the joint that connects to the stop valve WV of the branch fitting 33' is provided with a housing portion that houses the UFB nozzle 77, as in the fifth embodiment, and the UFB nozzle 77 is housed in the housing portion. IV In the embodiment, the flow path 51 is not provided with the fine bubble generating means 54 or the UFB nozzle 77 serving as the fine bubble generating portion, and thus the UFB nozzle 77 is not provided. Even with this configuration, water containing fine bubbles generated by the branch fitting 33' can be supplied to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57, and can be used not only for washing the bowl portion 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59. Furthermore, since the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33' via the tank water supply hose also contains fine bubbles, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use can be improved. Normally, the branch fitting is integrated with the toilet seat device and sold, distributed, etc. as a toilet seat unit product, so that the toilet seat device 100" can be provided with the branch fitting 33' provided with the UFB nozzle 77, and the toilet seat device 100" can be provided with the UFB nozzle 77. IVThe toilet seat device 10 of the conventional configuration does not have the fine bubble generating means 54, i.e., the UFB nozzle 77. IV Even so, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0108] As described above, in the toilet seat unit 100″ of the present embodiment, the toilet seat device 10 IV and a branch fitting 33', which is connected to the toilet seat device 10. IV The toilet seat device 10 is provided with a UFB nozzle 77 which divides the flow of water into a storage tank that stores water to be discharged into the toilet bowl 1 and generates fine bubbles in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77. IV The toilet comprises a nozzle assembly 59 provided with a water discharge portion 66 for squirting water onto the private parts, and a spray portion 57 for releasing water into the toilet bowl, and is configured so that water containing fine bubbles is supplied to the nozzle assembly 59 and the spray portion 57.

[0109] With this configuration, the water containing fine bubbles can be used not only for washing the bowl portion 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59 provided with the water discharge portion 66 for discharging the water, and thus the toilet seat device 10 can be used. IV The multi-purpose water used in the process can contain microbubbles. EXAMPLES

[0110] FIG. 26 shows a toilet seat unit 100 according to the present invention. III In this embodiment, the seventh embodiment of the hot water storage type toilet seat device 10 V The present invention is applied to the above. The configuration of the flow path 51 will be described with reference to the figure. The flow path 51' is mainly formed by the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the fine bubble generating means 54, the tank 96, the motor-operated valve 97, the jetting part 57, the heating unit 58, and the nozzle assembly 59'. As will be described later, the flow path 51' has a fifth flow path 51-5, a sixth flow path 51-6, and a seventh flow path 51-7. Specifically, the flow path 51' is formed so as to branch into the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, and the seventh flow path 51-7 by the motor-operated valve 97.

[0111] The tank 96 stores water flowing from the microbubble generating means 54 in advance, heats the stored water to increase the water temperature, and supplies the water with the increased water temperature to the motor-operated valve 97, and functions as a heating unit that heats the water flowing through the flow path 51'. The tank 96 in this embodiment also has a valve that starts / stops the flow of stored water into the flow path 51', and functions as a water stop means that starts / stops the flow of water into the flow path 51'. In this embodiment, this valve is configured as an electric valve and is controlled by an electric signal from the control unit 91, but this is just one example. Water that cannot be contained in the tank 96, such as water that overflows when the tank 96 is full, is configured to be sent to the drain pipe 96A, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A via the drain pipe 96A into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1. The tank 96 may be configured to have a pump that sends water from the tank 96 to the motor-operated valve 97.

[0112] The motor-operated valve 97 branches the flow path 51' into a fifth flow path 51-5 leading to the jetting portion 57, a sixth flow path 51-6 leading to the water discharge portion 66 of the nozzle assembly 59', and a seventh flow path 51-7 leading to the nozzle cleaning port 67b of the nozzle assembly 59', and sends the water that has flowed into the motor-operated valve 97 selectively to the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, or the seventh flow path 51-7. Therefore, the motor-operated valve 97 has the same function as the branching portion 56. The motor-operated valve 97 in this embodiment is configured as a motor-driven valve driven by a stepping motor, but this is just one example. In this embodiment, the fine-bubble generating means 54 is provided upstream of the tank 96 in the flow path 51', but this is not limited to this and may be provided upstream of the electric valve 97 downstream of the tank 96. As explained in the previous embodiments, the fine-bubble generating means 54 may be provided in the water guide unit 110 or the branch fitting 33, or multiple fine-bubble generating means 54 may be provided.

[0113] Next, the toilet seat device 10 VThe operation of the above will be described. When the control unit 91 controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51', the water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the micro-bubble generating means 54 in this order, and flows into the tank 96. Since the valve of the tank 96 is not opened here, the tank 96 is configured so that water containing micro-bubbles is stored in advance through the UFB nozzle 77 in the tank 96. When water is stored in the tank 96, the tank 96 heats the water to increase the water temperature to a predetermined temperature. In this way, water containing micro-bubbles is stored in the tank 96 in advance, and the water is increased to a predetermined temperature. The water that cannot be stored in the tank 96 is sent to the drain pipe 96A, and is discharged from the drain hole 16A via the drain pipe 96A into the bowl part 2 of the toilet 1.

[0114] The control unit 91 may store in the storage unit 92 the timing setting for starting the inflow of water into the flow path 51', such as a predetermined time or an interval setting since the water stop mechanism 52 last stopped the inflow of water into the flow path 51', or the setting of the time from when the inflow of water into the flow path 51' is started to when it is stopped, and control the water stop mechanism 52 to automatically start / stop the inflow of water into the flow path 51' based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and a timing signal from the timing means 93. The water stop mechanism 52 may also be configured so that the inflow of water into the flow path 51' can be started / stopped by a user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The water stop mechanism 52 may also be configured to inflow water into the flow path 51' when the valve of the tank 96 is opened, and in this case, the control unit 91 may control the water stop mechanism 52 so that the time when the valve of the tank 96 was open corresponds to the time when the water stop mechanism 52 inflows water into the flow path 51' and the amount of water flowing out of the tank 96 corresponds to the amount of water flowing into the flow path 51' by the water stop mechanism 52.

[0115] Thereafter, the control unit 91 controls each component to release water containing fine bubbles from the jetting unit 57, the water discharge unit 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b at the timing described above in the first embodiment. For example, when the toilet seat lid 13 is in a closed state, the control unit 91 determines based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal of the timing means 93 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous time mist M was sprayed and no water has been sprayed from the jetting unit 57, and there has been an interval, and controls the motor-operated valve 97 to select the fifth flow path 51-5, and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96.

[0116] Water that flows into motor-operated valve 97 from within tank 96 flows into the selected fifth flow path 51-5. Thereafter, water that flows into jetting portion 57 through fifth flow path 51-5 is turned into mist M at jetting portion 57 and jetted into bowl portion 2 of toilet 1. In this way, water at a predetermined temperature containing fine bubbles is discharged into bowl portion 2.

[0117] Also, for example, when the toilet seat cover 13 is closed, if the control unit 91 determines that water has not been sprayed from the nozzle flushing port 67b for a predetermined period of time based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and the timing signal of the timing unit 93, it controls the motor valve 97 to select the seventh flow path 51-7 and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96. Then, the water that flows into the motor valve 97 from inside the tank 96 flows into the selected seventh flow path 51-7. After that, the water that flows into the nozzle flushing port 67b of the nozzle assembly 59 through the seventh flow path 51-7 is sprayed from the nozzle flushing port 67b toward the rear washing water outlet 66a and the bidet washing water outlet 66b, flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and falls into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles at a predetermined temperature is sprayed onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0118] Also, for example, when the user sits on the toilet seat 12 with the toilet seat cover 13 open, the toilet seat legs 18 come into contact with the toilet bowl 1 and are pressed down, turning on the seat switch 19. Then, when the user selects and operates, for example, the "butt button" or "bidet button" on the main body operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main body operation unit 21 is sent to the control unit 91. When the control unit 91 receives the operation signal, it drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position. Then, the control unit 91 controls the motorized valve 97 to select the sixth flow path 51-6, and also controls the tank 96 to open the valve of the tank 96. Then, the water that flows into the motorized valve 97 from inside the tank 96 flows into the selected sixth flow path 51-6. Then, the water that flows into the water discharge unit 66 through the water supply cylinder 63 of the nozzle assembly 59 through the sixth flow path 51-6 is discharged from the water discharge unit 66. In this manner, water containing fine air bubbles at a predetermined temperature is discharged from the water discharge portion 66.

[0119] As described above, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment V Now, the toilet seat device 10 V A flow path 51' is formed to supply water from the main body water inlet 31 to the nozzle assembly 59' and the spraying portion 57, and an electric valve 97 is provided as a third valve device that branches the flow path 51' into a fifth flow path 51-5 that supplies water to the spraying portion 57, a sixth flow path 51-6 that supplies water to the water outlet 66, and a seventh flow path 51-7 through which water flows to clean the nozzle assembly 59'.In the flow path 51', a tank 96 as a heating means for heating the water is provided upstream of the electric valve 97, and the UFB nozzle 77 of the fine bubble generating means 54 is provided upstream of the tank 96 in the flow path 51'.

[0120] By configuring in this way, the user can operate the hot water storage type toilet seat device 10 without the need for special piping work to attach the fine bubble generating means to the flush water supply pipe as in the conventional case. VEven if the toilet seat device 10 is used without a water supply, the toilet seat device 10 can be easily equipped with the micro-bubble generating means. Furthermore, the water containing micro-bubbles can be used not only for washing the bowl portion 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59 provided with the water discharge portion 66 for discharging the water. V The multi-purpose water used in the process can contain microbubbles.

[0121] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the first to seventh embodiments and their modifications, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the first flow path 51-1 of the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment may be further provided with a fine bubble generating means 54, or the cleaning effect may be improved by increasing only the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water passing through the first flow path 51-1. Furthermore, the parts and numerical values ​​used in the first to seventh embodiments and their modifications may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 10 IV Toilet seat device 33' Branch fitting 51 Flow Path 51-1 First channel 51-2 Second Channel 51-3 Third Stream 51-4 The fourth stream 56 Branch 57 Spout part (water outlet) 59 Nozzle assembly (nozzle) 66a Rear-cleaning water outlet 66b Bidet flushing outlet 67b Nozzle cleaning port (cleaning port) 77 UFB nozzle (means for generating fine bubbles) 85 Entrance 86 Exit section 87 Hollow part 88 Collision part 89 Protrusion 100” toilet seat unit

Claims

1. The toilet seat device includes a branch metal fitting, The branch fitting is A branching portion that branches a flow of water to the toilet seat device and a storage tank that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl; A housing portion is provided on a joint connected to the stop valve; a microbubble generating means that is accommodated in the accommodation portion and generates microbubbles in the water passing through the accommodation portion, A toilet seat unit, characterized in that the fine bubble generating means is provided upstream of the branching portion.

2. The fine bubble generating means comprises a hollow portion connecting an inlet portion and an outlet portion and through which water can pass; a collision portion provided on the outlet side and having a plurality of protrusions that divide the hollow portion into a plurality of portions in a radial direction with respect to a center of the hollow portion, The toilet seat unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the upstream side of the protrusion along the direction in which liquid flows within the hollow portion is smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the downstream side and is formed in a shape that is convex from the downstream side to the upstream side.

3. The toilet seat device comprises: A water outlet for discharging water so that the water adheres to an inner wall that is an inner surface of the toilet bowl; A nozzle having a water outlet for discharging water to the private parts; a flow path for supplying water from a water supply port of the toilet seat device to the water outlet and the nozzle; a branching portion that branches the flow path into a first flow path that supplies water to the water outlet and a second flow path that supplies water to the nozzle, The toilet seat unit according to claim 1, wherein water containing the fine bubbles is supplied to the nozzle and the water outlet.

4. In the nozzle, A third flow path that supplies water to the water outlet; The toilet seat unit according to claim 3, further comprising a fourth flow path through which water for washing the nozzle flows.

5. The water outlet has a bottom cleansing water outlet and a bidet cleansing water outlet, The toilet seat unit according to claim 4, wherein the fourth flow path branches off to jet water toward the rear cleansing water outlet and the bidet cleansing water outlet.

6. A branch fitting of a toilet seat unit including a toilet seat device and a branch fitting, A branching portion that branches a flow of water to the toilet seat device and a storage tank that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl; A housing portion is provided on a joint connected to the stop valve; a microbubble generating means that is accommodated in the accommodation portion and generates microbubbles in the water passing through the accommodation portion, A branch fitting, characterized in that the microbubble generating means is provided upstream of the branching portion.

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