Flush toilet
The flushing toilet's rim portion with a larger rounded inner corner compared to the outer corner addresses the inefficiencies in cleaning conventional toilets, allowing for effective cleaning of the rim's surfaces with ease and sufficient force.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022045866
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-14
AI Technical Summary
Conventional flushing toilets have a rim portion with small radius inner and outer corners, making it difficult for users to efficiently clean the upper surface, inner corners, and inner wall of the rim portion without forcing their fingers, which limits cleaning effectiveness.
The design features a rim portion with a rounded inner corner that is larger than the outer corner, allowing users to easily wipe the rim portion from the top surface to the inner wall, following the natural curvature, and apply sufficient cleaning force without straining.
This design enables efficient cleaning of the upper surface, inner corners, and inner wall of the rim portion, improving cleaning performance by allowing users to apply a strong, even force across the entire rim portion.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a flush toilet, and more particularly to a flush toilet that flushes the toilet bowl with flush water supplied from a flush water source and expels waste. [Background technology]
[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a water conduit is formed at the upper rear part of the toilet body to discharge flush water supplied from a water tank into the bowl part, and a rim part is formed above this water conduit along the upper edge of the bowl part. In this rim part, the radius of the inner corner part formed on the inside of the toilet body and the radius of the outer corner part formed on the outside of the toilet body are formed to be approximately the same size and very small. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4941796 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in the flush toilet of Patent Document 1 and a conventional flush toilet 101 as shown in Figure 7, when a user cleans the rim portion 116 while placing the palm Ha and / or palm side portion Hb of the user's fingers H in contact with the rim upper surface portion 116c, because the rim upper inside corner portion 116d forms an arc with a relatively small radius (an arc with roughly the same radius as the rim upper outside corner portion 116e), it is not possible to position the curved part of the finger, such as the second joint portion Hc, along the arc of the rim upper inside corner portion 116d. Therefore, there was an issue in that it was not possible to efficiently clean the rim upper surface portion 116c, the rim upper inside corner portion 116d, and the inner circumferential wall surface 116a. Furthermore, when a user tries to clean these surfaces by forcibly bending his or her fingers, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult for the user to exert the force required for cleaning on the fingers H.
[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the problems with the prior art mentioned above, and has the object of providing a flush toilet that, when wiping the rim portion, allows a user to efficiently clean the top surface of the rim portion, the upper inside corners of the rim and the inside wall by placing their fingers from the top surface of the rim portion to the inside wall along the roundness of the upper inside corners of the rim, and further allows the user to easily apply a relatively strong force when wiping to the entire rim portion, thereby improving cleanability. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a flush toilet that flushes the toilet bowl with flush water supplied from a flush water source and discharges waste, the bowl portion having a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface and a rim portion formed above and outside the waste receiving surface to form the upper edge of the toilet bowl, a drainage channel whose inlet is connected to the lower part of the bowl portion and discharges waste, a water outlet portion that discharges flush water into the bowl portion to form a swirling flow, and a water conduit that supplies flush water to the water outlet portion, the rim portion having an upper rim inner corner portion formed between the upper surface of the rim portion and the inner wall, and an upper rim outer corner portion formed between the upper surface of the rim portion and the outer wall, and is characterized in that for at least a part of the entire circumference of the rim portion, the roundness of the upper rim inner corner portion is greater than the roundness of the upper rim outer corner portion. In the present invention configured in this manner, the roundness of the upper rim inner corners is greater than the roundness of the upper rim outer corners over at least a portion of the entire circumference of the rim. Therefore, when a user wipes the rim, the user can efficiently clean the upper surface of the rim, the upper rim inner corners and the inner wall with their fingers running from the upper surface of the rim to the inner wall along the roundness of the upper rim inner corners. Furthermore, because the user can wipe while applying a relatively even force from the upper surface of the rim to the upper rim inner corners and the inner wall, the user can easily apply a relatively strong force to the entire rim when wiping, improving cleaning performance.
[0007] In the present invention, the lower end of the rim upper inside corner portion is preferably located above the water spout portion. In the present invention configured in this way, flushing water discharged from the water discharge section swirls along the area below the lower end of the rim upper inside corner section, preventing the flushing water from splashing over the rim upper inside corner section and out of the toilet bowl. Also, because the flushing water swirls along the area below the lower end of the rim upper inside corner section, the width of the rim upper inside corner section can be made relatively large.
[0008] In the present invention, the ratio between the radius of the arc that forms the rim upper outer corner portion and the radius of the arc that forms the rim upper inner corner portion is preferably within the range of 1:2 to 1:5. In the present invention configured in this way, the radius of the arc that forms the upper inside corner of the rim is sized to be easy to grip with the curved fingers of a user, making it easy for the user to curve their fingers along the arc shape that forms the upper inside corner of the rim when wiping the rim.
[0009] In the present invention, the rim portion is preferably formed so that at least a part of its inner wall overhangs inwardly. In the present invention configured in this manner, when an installer, manufacturer, etc. transports the toilet, they can hook their fingers around the rim portion, which is formed in an overhanging shape, allowing them to easily transport the toilet with their fingers hooked.
[0010] In the present invention, the water discharge portion is preferably formed so as to discharge water forward from a front region of the bowl portion, and forms a swirling flow that flows rearward from the front end of the bowl portion. In the present invention configured in this manner, the water outlet can form a swirling flow that flows from the front end of the bowl portion toward the rear, thereby allowing the bowl portion to be thoroughly cleaned while saving water.
[0011] In the present invention, the rim portion is preferably formed in a shape such that an upper portion thereof overhangs inwardly forward from the water discharge portion of the bowl portion. In the present invention configured in this manner, in the area forward of the water outlet of the bowl section, where cleaning water discharged from the water outlet is likely to overflow the rim and splash outside the toilet, the upper part of the rim is formed in a shape that overhangs inward, thereby preventing cleaning water from splashing outside the toilet.
[0012] In the present invention, the flush toilet is preferably a flush toilet that flushes the toilet and expels waste with flush water supplied by a direct water pressure water supply device that directly utilizes the water supply pressure of the water supply from a flush water source. In the present invention configured in this way, the force of the flush water supplied by the water supply device with direct water pressure is relatively suppressed when the water is discharged. Therefore, the flush water discharged from the water discharge section is less likely to splash over the bowl and the rim section, and the width of the inner corner of the upper rim can be made large. Effect of the Invention
[0013] With the flush toilet of the present invention, when a user wipes the rim portion, they can efficiently clean the top surface of the rim portion, the upper inside corners of the rim and the inside wall by placing their fingers from the top surface of the rim portion along the roundness of the upper inside corners of the rim to the inside wall, and furthermore, the user can easily apply a relatively strong force when wiping to the entire rim portion, improving cleaning performance. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a toilet body and a water supply device of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a central cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a user's fingers are placed along the inside corner portion of the upper rim of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a user's fingers are placed on the inside corner of the upper part of the rim of a conventional flush toilet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The configuration of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the toilet body and water supply system of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a central cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.
[0016] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the flush toilet 1 is a so-called wash-down type flush toilet in which waste is flushed away by the flowing water caused by the difference in height of the water in the bowl section, and this flush toilet 1 is equipped with a ceramic toilet body 2, and a bowl section 4 is formed on the front side of the upper part of this toilet body 2, a water conduit 6 is formed on the upper left side when viewed from the front of the toilet body 2, and a drain trap pipe 8 that communicates with the bowl section 4 is formed on the lower part of the central rear side of the toilet body 2. Note that the flush toilet 1 can also be applied to siphon type toilets and siphon jet type toilets other than wash-down type toilets. Furthermore, the toilet body 2 can also be applied to toilets made of resin other than ceramic toilets, toilets that use distributors, etc.
[0017] The flush toilet 1 in this embodiment is a direct water pressure type flush toilet in which flush water is supplied directly from the water supply, and is equipped with a direct water pressure type water supply device 10 that supplies water using the water pressure of the water supply. This water supply device 10 is configured to supply flush water to the water conduit 6 through a water supply pipe 12 by opening and closing the flush valve. When the direct water pressure type water supply device 10 is applied, the strength of the water force when flush water is discharged from the discharge port (discharge section) 20, which will be described later, is relatively suppressed compared to when a conventional gravity type water storage tank is used. The water supply device 10 of the flush toilet 1 can be applied to other types of water supply devices besides those that use direct water supply pressure. For example, the flush toilet 1 can be applied to a water supply device that includes a water storage tank, which is a gravity-feed type flush water supply means that stores and supplies flush water and is attached to the rear of the toilet body 2, and this water storage tank is provided with a drain valve, so that the drain valve opens when the user operates an operating lever or the like, and flush water is supplied to the water conduit 6 of the toilet body 2.
[0018] The bowl portion 4 is provided with a waste receiving surface 14 formed in a bowl shape, and a rim portion 16 formed on the upper outer side of the entire circumference of the bowl portion 4 to form the upper edge of the toilet. A water pool portion 18 is formed below the bowl portion 4. A predetermined amount of flush water is pooled in this water pool portion 18 after each flush, forming a pooled water surface W0. An inlet 8a of the above-mentioned drain trap pipe 8 opens below this water pool portion 18, and the lower end of the descending passage 8b of the drain trap pipe 8 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) under the floor via a drain socket (not shown).
[0019] Incidentally, in the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, a floor-drain type toilet in which the lower end of the descending passage 8b of the drain trap pipe 8 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) under the floor is described as an example, but it is not limited to this form and can also be applied to an above-floor-drain type toilet in which the end of the descending passage 8b is positioned on the rear wall side of the flush toilet and connected to a drain pipe above the floor.
[0020] The water conduit 6 extends forward from an inlet 6a that is connected to a water supply pipe 12 extending from the water supply device 10, and communicates with a water outlet 20 that opens forward in the front region on the left side of the toilet. The water outlet 20 spouts flush water forward from the front region of the bowl portion 4, forming a flow toward the front end of the bowl portion 4, and then turns back from the front end 4a of the bowl portion 4 to form a flow toward the rear side.
[0021] Flushing water supplied from the water supply device 10 passes through the water supply pipe 12 and the water conduit 6 and is discharged from the water outlet 20 toward the front of the toilet bowl onto the surface between the rim portion 16 and the waste receiving surface 14 and onto the inner wall surface (inner side wall) 16a of the rim portion 16, forming a swirling flow.This swirling flow then forms a downward flow that flows down from the inner wall surface 16a of the rim portion 16 over the waste receiving surface 14 while swirling in the direction of the pool portion 18.
[0022] Next, the above-mentioned rim portion 16 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.
[0023] The rim portion 16 comprises an inner peripheral wall surface 16a which forms the innermost peripheral surface of the rim portion 16 and is formed as a vertical wall rising from the upper end 14a of the waste receiving surface 14 to the top of the toilet body 2, an outer peripheral wall surface (outer wall) 16b which forms the outermost peripheral surface of the rim portion 16 and is formed as a vertical wall rising above the outer surface of the toilet body 2 to the top, a rim upper surface portion 16c which forms the top surface of the rim portion 16, a rim upper inner corner portion 16d which forms the inner edge of the upper part of the rim portion 16 (the side of the waste receiving surface 14) between the rim upper surface portion 16c and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a, and a rim upper outer corner portion 16e which forms the outer edge of the upper part of the rim portion 16 (outside the toilet body 2) between the rim upper surface portion 16c and the outer peripheral wall surface 16b.
[0024] The inner peripheral wall surface 16a is formed around the entire inner circumference of the rim portion 16. The inner peripheral wall surface 16a may be formed to rise almost vertically, or may be formed to slope inward as it rises from the bottom to the top. In other words, the inner peripheral wall surface 16a can be formed in a shape in which at least a part of the inner wall overhangs inward around the entire circumference or part of the rim portion 16. Furthermore, the rim portion 16 may be formed in a shape that overhangs inwardly around the entire circumference or part of the rim portion 16, with the inner circumferential wall surface 16a and the rim upper inner corner portion 16d combined. In particular, the rim portion 16 is formed in a shape in front of the spout 20 of the bowl portion 4, with the upper portion of the inner circumferential wall surface 16a and the rim upper inner corner portion 16d overhanging inwardly of the bowl portion 4.
[0025] Additionally, rim portion 16 has a shape that combines inner peripheral wall surface 16a and rim upper inner corner portion 16d, and is formed so that its upper portion overhangs inward forward from spout portion 20 of bowl portion 4. In the area forward from spout portion 20 of bowl portion 4, flush water is discharged from spout portion 20 and changes direction from forward to backward under high water pressure, so this is generally an area where splashing is likely to occur, but the overhanging shape of rim portion 16 in this area makes it possible to prevent flush water from splashing outside the toilet bowl.
[0026] The rim upper surface portion 16c forms a flat surface extending horizontally and forms the top surface of the toilet body 2. When cleaning the rim portion 16 of the toilet body 2, the user needs to place the palm or the like horizontally along the rim upper surface portion 16c and bend the fingers to clean the rim upper inner corner portion and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a. The rim upper surface portion 16C is not limited to a horizontal surface, and may be formed as a surface that slopes downward or upward toward the bowl portion 4. The rim upper surface portion 16c may also be formed as a curved surface. Furthermore, the rim upper surface portion 16c may be formed as a part of a curved surface extending from the outer end of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d to the outside, or the rim upper surface portion 16c may be formed as a part of a curved surface extending from the inner end of the rim upper outer corner portion 16e to the inside. For example, if the rim top surface portion 16c is formed as part of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, it is also possible to form the top surface of the rim portion 16 by connecting the outer end of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d and the inner end of the rim upper outer corner portion 16e relatively smoothly.
[0027] The rim upper inner corner portion 16d forms a curved portion that smoothly connects the horizontal rim top surface portion 16c and the vertical inner peripheral wall surface 16a. The rim upper inner corner portion 16d forms an outwardly protruding R shape. In other words, it forms an arc shape that connects the rim top surface portion 16c and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a. The rim upper inner corner portion 16d is formed in an arc shape in which the inclination of the tangent on its surface changes continuously depending on the position. Therefore, when a user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a space between the user's fingers and the surface of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, and to naturally place the fingers along the overall curved surface. The rim upper inner corner portion 16d may be formed by a curved surface of another shape that matches the bending of a person's fingers.
[0028] In addition, when the user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, this includes not only the entire hand and fingers, but also the palm and fingers alone. Furthermore, when the user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, this includes the case where the user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d via a cleaning cloth, toilet paper, or other paper when cleaning the toilet. Furthermore, when the user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, this includes the case where the user places his / her fingers along the rim upper inner corner portion 16d via the cleaning cloth or other paper when wearing gloves or the like.
[0029] When viewed from above, the waste receiving surface 14 is disposed in the center of the left and right of the toilet body 2, forming a curved surface that curves downward toward the center, and the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, which similarly forms a curved surface that curves downward inward, is disposed on the outer periphery of the waste receiving surface 14. Therefore, when viewed from above, it is possible to give the user the impression that the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, which has a curved surface that gradually descends toward the inside, similar to the waste receiving surface 14, forms a continuous curved surface on the outside of the waste receiving surface 14. In other words, the user can get the impression that the waste receiving surface 14 is further expanded outward by the rim upper inner corner portion 16d. For example, when a male user urinates while standing in front of the toilet body 2, giving the user the impression that the waste receiving surface 14 is expanding can suppress the anxiety of urine falling off the waste receiving surface 14, and give the user a sense of security that he or she can urinate with peace of mind. Furthermore, for example, even in cases where a user relieves themselves while sitting on the valve seat (not shown) on the toilet body 2, giving the user the impression that the waste receiving surface 14 is expanded before the valve seat (not shown) is lowered onto the toilet body 2 reduces the anxiety that the waste will come off the waste receiving surface 14, and gives the user a sense of security that they can relieve themselves in peace.
[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the lower end 16f of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is located above the water outlet portion 20. More specifically, the lower end 16f of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is located above the apex 20a of the water outlet portion 20. In other words, the inner circumferential wall surface 16a is formed to a height higher than the apex 20a of the water outlet portion 20. The water outlet portion 20 is therefore designed to spout flush water so that it comes into contact with the inner circumferential wall surface 16a on the downstream side nearby. The rim upper inside corner portion 16d as described above is formed in a relatively gentle arc shape, and is formed with a relatively large width in the left-right direction. The left-right width between the upper end 16g and the lower end 16f of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is formed to be larger than the left-right width of the opening of the spout portion 20. Because the lower end 16f of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is provided above the spout portion 20, the lateral width of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d can be formed to be relatively large, and the rim upper inside corner portion 16d can be formed to slope downward inward along a gentle arc shape with a large radius.
[0031] The rim upper outer corner portion 16e forms a curved portion that smoothly connects the horizontal rim top surface portion 16c and the vertical outer peripheral wall surface 16b. The rim upper outer corner portion 16e forms a rounded shape that protrudes outward and upward. In other words, it forms an arc shape that connects the rim top surface portion 16c and the outer peripheral wall surface 16b.
[0032] The rim upper outer corner portion 16e is formed by an arc having a radius of 5 mm to 8 mm when viewed in vertical section. The rim upper inner corner portion 16d is formed by an arc having a radius of 10 mm to 25 mm when viewed in vertical section. Therefore, the ratio of the radius of the arc forming the rim upper outer corner portion 16e to the radius of the arc forming the rim upper inner corner portion 16d is formed in a range of 1:2 to 1:5. In addition, the width of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d in the horizontal direction (direction from the inside to the outside of the toilet body) is formed larger than the width of the rim upper outer corner portion 16e in the horizontal direction (direction from the inside to the outside of the toilet body). The rim upper inner corner portion 16d is formed by an arc having a radius of 10 mm to 25 mm, so that when a user places their fingers on the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, the fingers can be positioned naturally along the upper inner corner portion 16d, and it is formed in an easy-to-grip shape without leaving a relatively large space between the fingers and the rim portion 16.
[0033] The rim upper outer corner portion 16e may have a continuously changing roundness of the surface between the rim upper surface portion 16c and the outer peripheral wall surface 16b. In other words, the rim upper outer corner portion 16e may have a continuously changing radius of curvature of the surface between the rim upper surface portion 16c and the outer peripheral wall surface 16b. "The rim upper outer corner portion 16e has a relatively small roundness" means that the smallest radius of curvature of the curved surface connecting the rim upper surface portion 16c and the outer peripheral wall surface 16b is formed to a relatively small radius of curvature, for example a radius of curvature of 5 mm to 8 mm.
[0034] The rim upper inner corner portion 16d may also be formed by a curved surface that changes continuously so that the surface between the rim top surface portion 16c and the inner circumferential wall surface 16a is rounded. In other words, the rim upper inner corner portion 16d may have a continuously changing radius of curvature of the surface between the rim top surface portion 16c and the inner circumferential wall surface 16a. "The rim upper inner corner portion 16d is relatively rounded" means that the minimum radius of curvature of the curved surface connecting the rim top surface portion 16c and the inner circumferential wall surface 16a is relatively large, for example, a radius of curvature between 10 mm and 25 mm. Therefore, the roundness of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d is greater than the roundness of the rim upper outer corner portion 16e, and the minimum radius of curvature of the curved surface of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d is greater than the minimum radius of curvature of the curved surface of the rim upper outer corner portion 16e. The rim upper inner corner portion 16d may be formed into a surface shape that is curved so as to be rounded overall, while including a relatively flat surface in part of the surface between the rim top surface portion 16c and the inner circumferential wall surface 16a.
[0035] Also, as described above, at least part of the inner peripheral wall surface 16a and the rim upper inside corner portion 16d are formed in a shape that overhangs inward, making it easy for an installer, manufacturer, etc. to grasp the rim portion 16 by hanging their fingers on the inside of the overhanging shape of the rim portion 16 and lifting it up. Therefore, when an installer, manufacturer, etc. transports the toilet, by hanging their fingers on the rim portion 16 that is formed in an overhanging shape, it becomes easier to apply an upward pulling load to the rim portion 16 with the tips of their fingers hooked on the lower side of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d, making it easier to transport the toilet.
[0036] Next, the above-mentioned state in which the user attempts to clean the rim portion 16 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. Figure 6 shows a user's fingers placed along the upper inside corner of the rim of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 shows a user's fingers placed over the upper inside corner of the rim of a conventional flush toilet. The user's fingers will be given the reference symbol H for explanation.
[0037] In an embodiment of the present invention, when a user is about to clean the rim portion 16, the user cleans while placing the palm Ha and / or palm side portion Hb of the user's fingers H in contact with the rim top surface portion 16c, and cleans the inner circumferential wall surface 16a side with the fingertips Hd side. Here, since the rim top surface portion 16c forms a substantially horizontal plane and the inner circumferential wall surface 16a forms a substantially vertical wall surface, the user bends the joints of the fingers to clean the inner circumferential wall surface 16a side. At this time, since the rim upper inner corner portion 16d forms an arc with a relatively large radius, the bending parts of the fingers (e.g. Hc, Hd) can be made gentle and the bending parts of the fingers (e.g. Hc) can be positioned along the arc of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d. Therefore, the user can, for example, bring the palm side part Hb of the user's finger H at the base of the finger into contact with the rim top surface part 16c, bring the second joint part Hc of the finger into contact with the rim upper inner corner part 16d, and bring the tip part Hd of the finger into contact with the inner peripheral wall surface 16a, and at the same time efficiently clean the rim top surface part 16c, the rim upper inner corner part 16d, and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a. Furthermore, since the user can bring the rim top surface part 16c, the rim upper inner corner part 16d, and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a into contact without forcibly bending the finger H, the user can easily apply the force required for cleaning to the finger H. This also improves the cleaning ability of the rim top surface part 16c, the rim upper inner corner part 16d, and the inner peripheral wall surface 16a. Furthermore, when a user attempts to clean the inner wall surface 16a from the rim top surface 16c side, over the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, the cleaning force cannot be sufficiently applied to the rim upper inner corner portion 16d, resulting in problems with cleaning of the rim upper inner corner portion 16d and the need for further cleaning effort.
[0038] In contrast, in a conventional flush toilet 101, when a user attempts to clean the rim portion 116, when the user cleans while placing the palm Ha and / or palm side portion Hb of the user's fingers H in contact with the rim upper surface portion 116c, the rim upper inside corner portion 116d forms an arc with a relatively small radius (an arc with roughly the same radius as the rim upper outside corner portion 116e), so the user is unable to position the curved portion of the finger, such as the second joint portion Hc, along the arc of the rim upper inside corner portion 116d. In other words, the second joint portion Hc of the user's finger H is spaced apart from the rim upper inside corner portion 116d, and the fingertip portion Hd of the finger is spaced apart from the inner circumferential wall surface 116a. In order to bring the fingertip portion Hd of the finger into contact with the inner circumferential wall surface 116a from this state, it is necessary to lift the palm Ha and the palm side portion Hb of the finger slightly away from the rim upper surface portion 116c. Furthermore, in conventional flush toilets 101, because the range of motion of the joints of a person's fingers is limited, even if the user forcibly bends the finger so that the base side portion Hb of the user's finger H comes into contact with the rim upper surface portion 116c and the second joint portion Hc of the finger comes into contact with a part of the upper portion of the rim upper inside corner portion 116d, not only will the second joint portion Hc of the finger be unable to come into contact with the lower portion of the rim upper inside corner portion 116d, but the fingertip portion Hd of the finger will also be unable to come into contact with the inner circumferential wall surface 116a. This causes problems in cleaning the rim upper inside corner portion 116d and the inner circumferential wall surface 116a, resulting in further cleaning work. Furthermore, in conventional flush toilets 101, because the range of motion of the joints of a person's fingers is limited, even if the user forcibly bends the finger so that the base side portion Hb of the user's finger H comes into contact with the rim upper surface portion 116c and the fingertip portion Hd comes into contact with the inner circumferential wall surface 116a, it is not possible to simultaneously bring the second joint portion Hc of the finger into contact with the rim upper inside corner portion 116d. This causes problems with cleaning of the rim upper inside corner portion 116d, resulting in further cleaning work. Furthermore, unless the user forcibly bends his or her fingers H, the rim top surface 116c and some of the other curved surfaces cannot be brought into contact at the same time, making it difficult for the user to apply the force required for cleaning to the fingers H. This causes problems with the cleanability of the rim top surface 116c, the rim upper inside corner portion 116d and the inner circumferential wall surface 116a.
[0039] According to the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the roundness of the rim upper inner corners 16d is greater than the roundness of the rim upper outer corners 16e in at least a portion of the entire circumference of the rim portion 16. Therefore, when a user wipes the rim portion 16, the user can efficiently clean the rim upper surface 16c, rim upper inner corners 16d, and inner wall surface 16a of the rim portion 16 with the user's fingers extending from the top surface of the rim portion 16 to the inner wall surface 16a along the roundness of the rim upper inner corners 16d. Furthermore, because the user can wipe while applying a relatively even force from the rim upper surface 16c of the rim portion 16 to the rim upper inner corners 16d and inner wall surface 16a, the user can easily apply a relatively strong force to the entire rim portion when attempting to wipe, improving cleaning performance. In addition, the roundness of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is made greater than the roundness of the rim upper outside corner portion 16e. Therefore, the rim upper inside corner portion 16d formed on the upper outside of the waste receiving surface 14 gives the user the impression that the waste receiving surface 14 spreads further outward, making the bowl portion 4 appear relatively larger than before and providing the user with a sense of security that urine will be easily discharged into the bowl portion 4 during use.
[0040] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, flush water discharged from the spout 20 swirls along the area below the lower end 16f of the rim upper inner corner 16d, so that it is possible to prevent the flush water from splashing over the rim upper inner corner 16d and outside the toilet bowl. Furthermore, because the flush water swirls along the area below the lower end 16f of the rim upper inner corner 16d, the width of the rim upper inner corner 16d can be made relatively large. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and a similar effect can be obtained, for example, if the position of the lower end of the rim upper inner corner is higher than the maximum height that the flush water discharged from the spout 20 is expected to reach. For example, if the flush water discharged from the spout 20 only reaches the height of the center of the spout 20, the lower end 16f of the rim upper inner corner 16d can be set to be higher than the height of the center of the spout 20.
[0041] Furthermore, in the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the radius of the arc that forms the rim upper inside corner portion 16d is designed to be easy to grip with the curved fingers of the user. Therefore, when wiping the rim portion 16, the user can easily move their fingers along the arc shape that forms the rim upper inside corner portion 16d.
[0042] Furthermore, with the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, when an installer, manufacturer, etc. transports the toilet during installation, manufacturing, etc., they can place their fingers on rim portion 16, which is formed in an overhanging shape, allowing the toilet to be transported easily with their fingers hooked.
[0043] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the spout portion 20 can form a swirling flow that flows from the front end of the bowl portion 4 toward the rear, allowing the bowl portion 4 to be thoroughly cleaned while saving water.
[0044] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet of the embodiment of the present invention described above, in the area forward of the spout 20 of the bowl portion 4, where flush water spouted from the spout 20 is likely to overflow over the rim 16 and splash outside the toilet, the upper part of the rim 16 is formed in a shape that overhangs inward, thereby preventing flush water from splashing outside the toilet.
[0045] Furthermore, with the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the strength of the water force when the flush water is discharged is relatively suppressed when it is supplied by the direct water supply pressure type water supply device 10. Therefore, flush water discharged from the water outlet 20 is less likely to splash over the bowl portion 4 and over the rim portion 16, and the width of the rim upper inside corner portion 16d can be made large. [Explanation of symbols]
[0046] 1 flush toilet 2 Toilet bowl body 4 Bowl section 4a front end 6. Waterway 6a Entrance 8 Drain trap line 8a entrance 8b Descending path 10 Water supply device 12 Water supply pipe 14 Waste receiving surface 14a top end 16 Rim section 16a Inner wall surface 16b Outer wall surface 16c Rim top 16d Upper inner corner of rim 16e Upper outer corner of rim 16f bottom end 16g top end 18 Reservoir 20 Water outlet 20a top 101 Flush toilet 116 Rim section 116a Inner wall surface 116c Rim top 116d Upper inner corner of rim 116e Upper outer corner of rim H Finger Ha palm Hb Palmar part of finger Hc: Second joint of the finger Hd Finger Tips W0 Reservoir surface
Claims
1. A flush toilet that flushes the toilet bowl with flush water supplied from a flush water source and expels waste, a bowl portion having a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface and a rim portion formed on the upper outer side of the waste receiving surface to form an upper edge of the toilet bowl; a drainage channel whose inlet is connected to a lower portion of the bowl portion and through which waste is discharged; a water discharge section that discharges wash water into the bowl section to form a swirling flow; A water channel for supplying flush water to the water discharge portion, The rim portion is an inner wall extending upwardly in a substantially straight line from an upper end of the waste receiving surface; a rim upper inner corner portion formed between a top surface of the rim portion and the inner wall; a rim upper outer corner formed between a top surface of the rim portion and an outer wall, the rim upper inner corner portion forms an arc shape connecting the upper surface of the rim portion and the upper end of the inner wall, When viewed from above, the waste receiving surface is disposed in the left-right center of the bowl portion, forming a curved surface that curves downward toward the center, and in the rim portion at least on the outer periphery side of the curved surface of the waste receiving surface, the roundness of the inner corner portion of the upper rim is greater than the roundness of the outer corner portion of the upper rim, An upper portion of the inner wall and an inner corner portion of the upper rim are formed in an overhanging shape toward the inside of the bowl portion on the downstream side from the water discharge portion, A flush toilet characterized in that the upper part of the inner wall and the inner corner part of the upper rim part are not formed in an overhanging shape toward the inside of the bowl part on the upstream side from the water discharge part.
2. 2. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the inner corner portion of the upper rim is located above the water spout portion.
3. 3. The flush toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio between the radius of the arc that forms the rim upper outer corner portion and the radius of the arc that forms the rim upper inner corner portion is within the range of 1:2 to 1:
5.
4. 4. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the water spouting section is formed so as to spout water forward from a front region of the bowl section, forming a swirling flow that flows rearward from the front end of the bowl section.
5. 5. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the rim portion is formed in a shape such that an upper portion thereof overhangs inwardly, forward of the water spout portion of the bowl portion.
6. The flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flush toilet is a flush toilet that flushes the toilet and expels waste with flush water supplied by a direct water pressure type water supply device that directly utilizes the water supply pressure of the water supply from a flush water source.
Citation Information
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