Water-washable toilet

Abstract

To provide a flush toilet bowl which can facilitate positioning by sliding a panel member, while suppressing fall of the panel member mounted on a toilet bowl body.SOLUTION: A flush toilet bowl includes a toilet bowl body, a function part, a panel member and a holding part. The function part is provided at the back of the toilet bowl body. The panel member covers a side surface of the function part. The holding part adsorbs and holds the toilet bowl body and a side surface of the panel member by a magnetic force. The panel member is formed so as to curb to the toilet bowl body side in a state of being mounted on the toilet bowl body. The holding part is formed in such a manner that an adsorption surface of a panel side magnetic body provided on the panel member and an adsorption surface of a body side magnetic body provided on the toilet bowl body become a flat surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The disclosed embodiments relate to a flush toilet. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In the past, in flush toilets in which a functional section is covered by a panel member, a technique has been known in which magnetic force is used to attach and hold the panel member to the toilet body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-165173 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the flush toilets described above, the side surfaces of the panel members are sometimes curved, for example, to improve design and ease of use. However, in conventional technology, when the panel member is curved, the magnetic attraction surface of the panel member is also curved, which prevents proper contact with the magnetic attraction surface of the toilet body, reducing the holding force on the panel member and causing the panel member to fall. Furthermore, when the magnetic attraction surface is curved as described above, it becomes difficult to slide the panel member while it is held to the toilet body, making it difficult to position the panel member.

[0005] One aspect of the embodiment aims to provide a flush toilet that can easily position a panel member by sliding it, while preventing the panel member attached to the toilet body from falling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A flush toilet according to one aspect of the embodiment comprises a toilet body, a functional part provided at the rear of the toilet body, a panel member covering the side of the functional part, and a holding part that magnetically attracts and holds the toilet body and the side of the panel member, wherein the panel member is formed so as to curve toward the toilet body when attached to the toilet body, and the holding part is formed so that the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body provided on the panel member and the attracting surface of the body-side magnetic body provided on the toilet body are flat.

[0007] This makes it possible to prevent the panel member attached to the toilet body from falling, while making it easy to slide the panel member and position it.

[0008] That is, in the holding portion, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body (e.g., a magnet) and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body (e.g., a metal plate) are configured as described above, so that the attracting surfaces of the panel-side magnetic body and the main body-side magnetic body come into surface contact, ensuring a sufficient contact area. Therefore, even if the panel member is curved, the holding force of the holding portion on the panel member is unlikely to decrease. Therefore, even if a load (force) that moves the panel member is applied to the panel member, such as when the panel member is wiped during cleaning, the panel member can be prevented from falling.

[0009] Furthermore, in the holding portion, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are in planar contact, so the panel member can be easily slid in a direction parallel to the attracting surface (for example, forward / backward or up / down). Therefore, for example, while the panel member is held on the toilet body, the installer can slide the panel member forward / backward or up / down relative to the toilet body, easily adjusting the panel member to the appropriate position. In other words, the positioning of the panel member can be easily determined.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that there are multiple holding portions, each of which comprises the panel-side magnetic body and the main body-side magnetic body, and which is formed so that the adsorption surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the adsorption surface of the main body-side magnetic body are flat.

[0011] This means that even if there are multiple holding parts, the adhesive surface of each panel-side magnetic body comes into surface contact with the adhesive surface of the main body-side magnetic body, which makes it possible to better prevent the panel member from falling and also makes it easier to position the panel member by sliding it.

[0012] The holding portion is characterized by including a protruding portion formed so as to protrude from the panel member toward the toilet body side.

[0013] In this way, because the holding portion is equipped with a protrusion, even if the panel member is formed to be curved, it is possible to attach the panel-side magnetic material so that the adsorption surface is flat by using a simple configuration such as forming the tip surface of the protrusion into a flat shape.

[0014] Furthermore, the retaining portion includes an upper retaining portion located above the panel member when the panel member is attached to the toilet body, and a lower retaining portion located below the upper retaining portion, and the difference between the widthwise length of the upper surface and the widthwise length of the lower surface of the protrusion of the lower retaining portion is set to be greater than the difference between the widthwise length of the upper surface and the widthwise length of the lower surface of the protrusion of the upper retaining portion.

[0015] In this way, by configuring the protrusion as described above, it is possible to accurately assemble the panel member to the toilet body even if the panel member has a curved shape in which the curvature at the bottom is greater than the curvature at the top.

[0016] The holding portion is characterized in that the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed parallel to each other.

[0017] As a result, even if the panel member is formed to be curved, for example, the adsorption surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the adsorption surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed to be parallel to each other, so that the adsorption surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the adsorption surface of the main body-side magnetic body are in reliable surface contact, which further prevents the panel member from falling and makes it easier to position the panel member by sliding it.

[0018] The holding portion is characterized in that the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed along a vertical plane in the front-rear direction.

[0019] As a result, in the holding portion, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are in surface contact along the vertical direction, so the panel member can be slid more easily in a direction parallel to the attracting surface (for example, forward / backward or up / down). Therefore, for example, an installer can slide the panel member in the forward / backward or up / down direction while the panel member is held on the toilet body, etc., and more easily adjust the panel member to the appropriate position.

[0020] The holding portion includes a first holding portion that magnetically attracts and holds the side of the toilet body and the side of the panel member, and a second holding portion that magnetically attracts and holds the side of the functional portion and the side of the panel member, and the second holding portion is formed so that the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body provided on the panel member and the attracting surface of the functional portion-side magnetic body provided on the functional portion are flat, and the functional portion is formed so that the surface on which the functional portion-side magnetic body is provided is aligned with a vertical plane in the front-to-back direction.

[0021] This makes it possible to prevent the panel member attached to the functional part from falling, while also making it easy to slide and position the panel member.

[0022] That is, in the second holding portion, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body (e.g., a magnet) and the attracting surface of the function-unit-side magnetic body (e.g., a metal plate) are configured as described above, so that the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the function-unit-side magnetic body come into surface contact, ensuring a sufficient contact area. Therefore, even if the panel member is curved, the second holding portion is less likely to lose its holding force on the panel member. Therefore, even if a load (force) that moves the panel member is applied to the panel member, such as when the panel member is wiped during cleaning, the panel member can be prevented from falling.

[0023] Furthermore, in the second holding portion, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the functional-part-side magnetic body are in planar surface contact, so the panel member can be easily slid in a direction parallel to the attracting surface (for example, the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction). Therefore, for example, while the panel member is held by the functional part, etc., an installer can slide the panel member in the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction relative to the functional part, etc., to easily adjust the panel member to the appropriate position. In other words, the positioning of the panel member can be easily determined.

[0024] Furthermore, since the surface on which the functional unit-side magnetic body is provided in the functional unit is formed to be along a vertical plane in the front-to-back direction, the functional unit-side magnetic body is attached to the functional unit so as to be along the vertical plane. As a result, in the second holding unit, the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the functional unit-side magnetic body are in surface contact along the vertical direction, so the panel member can be more easily slid in a direction parallel to the attracting surface (for example, in the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction). Therefore, for example, an installer can more easily adjust the panel member to the appropriate position by sliding the panel member in the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction while the panel member is held by the functional unit, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the panel member attached to the toilet body can be prevented from falling, while the panel member can be slid to facilitate positioning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a flush toilet according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the flush toilet with some of the panel members and the like omitted. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the panel member according to the first embodiment as viewed from the inside. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an end view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view of the vicinity of the first holding portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first holding portion according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an end view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the molding of the functional portion according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the molding of a functional portion according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Below, embodiments of the flush toilet disclosed in this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. It should also be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element may differ from reality. There may also be parts in which the dimensional relationships and ratios differ between the drawings.

[0028] (First embodiment) First, the overall structure of a flush toilet 1 according to the first embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a side view of a flush toilet 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a side view of the flush toilet 1 with some of the panel member 9 and other elements omitted.

[0029] 1 and 2, for ease of understanding, a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system including a Z-axis with the vertically upward (upward) direction as the positive direction is shown. Such Cartesian coordinate systems may also be shown in other figures. In such Cartesian coordinate systems, the positive direction of the Y-axis is defined as the forward direction, the negative direction of the Y-axis as the backward direction, the positive direction of the X-axis as the leftward direction, and the negative direction of the X-axis as the rightward direction. For this reason, in the following description, the X-axis direction may be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction.

[0030] Furthermore, the flush toilet 1 according to this embodiment is a so-called floor-standing flush toilet, which is installed on the floor surface 100. However, the flush toilet 1 may also be a so-called wall-hung flush toilet, which is attached to a wall surface (not shown).

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flush toilet 1 comprises a toilet body 3, a functional part 5, a sanitary washing device 7, and a panel member 9. The toilet body 3 is made of, for example, ceramic. However, the toilet body 3 is not limited to being made of ceramic, and could be made of, for example, resin, or a combination of ceramic and resin.

[0032] The toilet body 3 comprises a bowl portion (not shown) and a drain trap pipe 10 (see Figure 2). The bowl portion is formed in a bowl shape that can receive waste. A rim portion is formed on the upper edge of the bowl portion, and flush water is discharged from a rim spout of the rim portion (neither of which is shown) to clean the bowl portion. The flush water that has cleaned the bowl portion is discharged through the drain trap pipe 10.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the functional unit 5 is provided at the rear of the toilet body 3. The functional unit 5 has functions such as supplying water to the bowl portion of the toilet body 3 and the sanitary flushing device 7. For example, the functional unit 5 includes a water storage tank and a pressure pump (neither of which are shown), and uses the pressure pump to pressurize flush water stored in the water storage tank, causing it to be discharged at a high flow rate from a jet water outlet (not shown) into the bowl portion.

[0034] The sanitary washing device 7 is provided above the toilet bowl body 3 and includes a toilet seat 8a, a lid 8b that covers the toilet seat 8a, and a nozzle device (not shown). The sanitary washing device 7 can spray wash water from the nozzle device onto the user's body to cleanse their private parts. While the sanitary washing device 7 has been described above as having a sanitary washing function, it is not limited to this and may also have, for example, a drying function that blows warm air onto the buttocks of a user sitting on the toilet seat 8a to dry them, or a toilet seat heating function that warms the seating surface of the toilet seat 8a to an appropriate temperature.

[0035] The panel member 9 is provided at the rear of the toilet body 3, covering the side of the functional part 5 (see Figure 2). This panel member 9 makes it possible to prevent external obstacles and the intrusion of sewage into the functional part 5. The panel member 9 is made of, for example, resin, but is not limited to this.

[0036] The panel member 9 is attached and held to the toilet body 3 using magnetic force. The panel member 9 according to this embodiment is configured so that when it is attached to the toilet body 3 and when it is positioned (adjusted) relative to the toilet body 3, the panel member 9 can slide relative to the toilet body 3 and the functional part 5, for example, in the front-to-rear direction indicated by arrow D1 in Fig. 1 and the up-to-down direction indicated by arrow D2, but this will be described later.

[0037] Next, the structure for attaching the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 will be described in detail.

[0038] The flush toilet 1 is equipped with a first holding part 21 and a second holding part 23. The first and second holding parts 21, 23 use magnetic force to attract and hold the side of the toilet body 3 and the side of the panel member 9 together. Specifically, the first holding part 21 uses magnetic force to attract and hold the side of the toilet body 3 and the side of the panel member 9 together. Additionally, the second holding part 23 uses magnetic force to attract and hold the side of the function part 5 located at the rear of the toilet body 3 and the side of the panel member 9 together.

[0039] First, the first retaining portion 21 will be described. The first retaining portion 21 is provided at the boundary A (see Figure 2) between the toilet body 3 and the panel member 9. The boundary A is the area where the toilet body 3 and the panel member 9 overlap when the panel member 9 is properly installed on the toilet body 3.

[0040] 1, the first retaining portion 21 includes an upper retaining portion 21a and a lower retaining portion 21b. When the panel member 9 is attached to the toilet body 3, the upper retaining portion 21a is located above, and the lower retaining portion 21b is located below the upper retaining portion 21a.

[0041] In the following description, when the upper holding portion 21a and the lower holding portion 21b are not particularly distinguished from each other, they may be referred to as "first holding portion 21." The first holding portion 21 is an example of a holding portion.

[0042] Here, the first holding portion 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side view of the panel member 9 according to the first embodiment as seen from the inside.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the first holding portion 21 includes a panel-side magnetic body 25 and a main body-side magnetic body 27. The panel-side magnetic body 25 is a magnetic body provided on the panel member 9, such as a magnet. Below, the panel-side magnetic body 25 may be referred to as the "magnet 25." The main body-side magnetic body 27 is a magnetic body provided on the toilet body 3, such as a metal plate, i.e., a metal plate. Below, the main body-side magnetic body 27 may be referred to as the "metal plate 27."

[0044] In the above example, the panel-side magnetic body 25 is a magnet and the main body-side magnetic body 27 is a metal plate, but the present invention is not limited to this example and may be configured such that the panel-side magnetic body 25 is a metal plate and the main body-side magnetic body 27 is a magnet. Also, a magnet may be used instead of the metal plate 27.

[0045] In the following description, the magnet 25 of the upper holding portion 21a may be referred to as the "upper magnet 25a," and the magnet 25 of the lower holding portion 21b may be referred to as the "lower magnet 25b." The metal plate 27 of the upper holding portion 21a may be referred to as the "upper metal plate 27a," and the metal plate 27 of the lower holding portion 21b may be referred to as the "lower metal plate 27b."

[0046] The upper magnet 25a and the lower magnet 25b are provided on the front end side of the inner surface of the panel member 9, that is, near the boundary between the toilet body 3 and the panel member 9. For example, the upper magnet 25a is provided in the section between the upper end and the center of the panel member 9, and the lower magnet 25b is provided in the section between the lower end and the center of the panel member 9.

[0047] 1 and 2, the metal sheets 27 are provided in positions on the toilet body 3 corresponding to the magnets 25. That is, the upper metal sheet 27a is provided in a position corresponding to the upper magnet 25a, and the lower metal sheet 27b is provided in a position corresponding to the lower magnet 25b. The detailed configurations of the magnets 25 and metal sheets 27 will be described later using Figure 4 and subsequent figures.

[0048] The first holding portion 21 can hold the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 by the magnet 25 and the metal plate 27 being attracted to each other by magnetic force.

[0049] Next, we will explain the second holding portion 23. As shown in Figure 1, the second holding portion 23 is provided in the upper region of the panel member 9 when the panel member 9 is properly installed on the toilet body 3. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second holding portion 23 includes a magnet 29, which is a magnetic body, and a metal plate material, i.e., a metal plate 31, which is also a magnetic body.

[0050] Magnet 29 is provided on the upper end side of the inner surface of panel member 9 and behind panel member 9. Magnet 29 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and is, for example, adhered to panel member 9. Note that magnet 29 is formed in a shape such that its short sides extend in the up-down direction and its long sides extend in the front-to-rear direction, but the shape of magnet 29 is not limited to this and can be set to any shape.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the metal plate 31 is provided in a position corresponding to the magnet 29 on the toilet body 3 (more precisely, on the functional part 5 at the rear of the toilet body 3). The metal plate 31 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and is, for example, adhered to the functional part 5. Note that the metal plate 31 is formed in a shape such that its short sides extend in the front-to-rear direction and its long sides extend in the up-down direction, but the shape of the metal plate 31 is not limited to this and can be set to any shape.

[0052] The second holding portion 23 can hold the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 by the magnet 29 and the metal plate 31 being attracted to each other by magnetic force.

[0053] In the above-described second retaining portion 23, an example has been shown in which the magnet 29 is attached to the panel member 9 and the metal plate 31 is attached to the toilet body 3, but this is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which the metal plate is attached to the panel member 9 and the magnet is attached to the toilet body 3 is also possible. A magnet may also be used instead of the metal plate 31.

[0054] The positions and numbers of the first and second holding portions 21, 23 described above are merely examples and are not limited thereto, and the positions and numbers of the first and second holding portions 21, 23 can be set arbitrarily. That is, although the example above shows a plurality (two) of first holding portions 21, the number may be one or three or more. Furthermore, although the example above shows a single second holding portion 23, the number may be two or more.

[0055] To explain how the panel member 9 is attached to the toilet body 3 in a flush toilet 1 configured as described above, for example, the panel member 9 is first positioned to the side of the toilet body 3 (to be precise, to the side of the functional part 5). Next, the panel member 9 is moved left and right toward the toilet body 3 (in the X-axis direction), and the magnetic forces of the first and second holding parts 21, 23 attach the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3.

[0056] Incidentally, in a flush toilet 1, the side of the panel member 9 may be formed to be curved, for example, to improve design or ease of use. In this way, when the panel member 9 is formed to be curved, in the prior art, the attractive surface of a magnetic body such as a magnet 25 attached to the panel member 9 also becomes curved, preventing proper contact with the attractive surface of a magnetic body such as a metal plate 27 attached to the toilet body 3, thereby reducing the holding force on the panel member 9. As a result, for example, when the panel member 9 is wiped during cleaning, and a load (force) that moves the panel member 9 is applied to the panel member 9, the load exceeds the reduced holding force, making the panel member 9 more likely to fall off the toilet body 3.

[0057] Furthermore, if the attracting surface of a magnetic body such as the magnet 25 is curved, the panel member 9 will be difficult to slide while being held to the toilet body 3, making it difficult to position the panel member 9.

[0058] Therefore, the flush toilet 1 according to this embodiment is configured to prevent the panel member 9 attached to the toilet body 3 from falling, while allowing the panel member 9 to slide and be easily positioned.

[0059] This configuration will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is an end view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 1, and more specifically, an enlarged end view of the vicinity of the first retaining portion 21. Note that for ease of understanding, Figures 4 and subsequent figures exaggerate some of the configuration, such as the curved shape of the panel member 9. Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of the vicinity of the first retaining portion 21, similar to Figure 4. Note that Figure 5 shows the state before the panel member 9 is attached to the toilet body 3 by the first retaining portion 21, etc.

[0060] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the panel member 9 according to this embodiment is formed so as to be curved in a front view seen from the front (or a rear view seen from the rear). For example, the panel member 9 is formed so as to be curved toward the toilet body 3 when attached to the toilet body 3. In other words, the panel member 9 has a curved shape such that the inner surface 9a and the outer surface 9b protrude outward (in the example of Figures 4 and 5, in the negative direction of the X axis).

[0061] The panel member 9 is formed so that the curvature increases downward (in the negative direction of the Z axis). That is, the curvature of the panel member 9 at the portion where the lower holding portion 21b is provided is set to be larger than the curvature of the portion where the upper holding portion 21a is provided.

[0062] The toilet body 3 is formed to have a shape that matches the panel member 9. For example, the toilet body 3 is formed so that the outer surface 3a to which the panel member 9 is attached is curved along the inner surface 9a of the panel member 9.

[0063] Next, we will explain the upper holding portion 21a and the lower holding portion 21b included in the first holding portion 21. The upper holding portion 21a includes the above-mentioned upper magnet 25a, upper metal sheet 27a, upper protrusion 40a, and upper recess 50a. The lower holding portion 21b includes the above-mentioned lower magnet 25b, lower metal sheet 27b, lower protrusion 40b, and lower recess 50b.

[0064] Upper magnet 25a and lower magnet 25b are thin rectangular parallelepipeds. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, upper magnet 25a and lower magnet 25b are formed with their short sides aligned in the front-to-rear direction and their long sides aligned in the up-down direction, but the shapes of upper magnet 25a and lower magnet 25b are not limited to this and can be set to any shape. Note that, while the above example shows upper magnet 25a and lower magnet 25b having the same shape, the present invention is not limited to this and they may have different shapes.

[0065] The upper metal sheet 27a and the upper metal sheet 27a are thin rectangular parallelepipeds. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper metal sheet 27a and the upper metal sheet 27a are formed in a shape in which the short sides are aligned in the front-to-rear direction and the long sides are aligned in the up-down direction, but the shapes of the upper metal sheet 27a and the upper metal sheet 27a are not limited to this and can be set to any shape. Note that, although the above example shows that the upper metal sheet 27a and the upper metal sheet 27a have the same shape, the present invention is not limited to this and the shapes may be different from each other.

[0066] The upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b are formed so as to protrude from the panel member 9 toward the toilet body 3. For example, the upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b are each formed so as to protrude from the inner surface 9a of the panel member 9 toward the toilet body 3 (in the positive direction of the X-axis in the example of Figures 4 and 5).

[0067] 5, the upper protrusion 40a has a planar (i.e., flat) tip surface 40a1 to which the upper magnet 25a is attached (adhered). The lower protrusion 40b has a planar tip surface 40b1 to which the upper magnet 25a is attached (adhered).

[0068] The upper recess 50a and the lower recess 50b are recesses formed in the toilet body 3. For example, the upper recess 50a is formed in a position corresponding to the upper protrusion 40a and the upper magnet 25a, and is formed so as to be recessed in the positive direction of the X-axis from the outer surface 3a of the toilet body 3. The lower recess 50b is formed in a position corresponding to the lower protrusion 40b and the lower magnet 25b, and is formed so as to be recessed in the positive direction of the X-axis from the outer surface 3a of the toilet body 3.

[0069] 5, the upper recess 50a has a flat (i.e., planar) surface 50a1 facing the tip surface 40a1 of the upper protrusion 40a, and the upper metal sheet 27a is attached (bonded) to this surface 50a1. The lower recess 50b has a flat (i.e., planar) surface 50b1 facing the tip surface 40b1 of the lower protrusion 40b, and the lower metal sheet 27b is attached (bonded) to this surface 50b1.

[0070] The first holding portion 21 is formed so that the attracting surface 26 of the magnet 25 and the attracting surface 28 of the metal plate 27 are flat (in other words, flat).

[0071] As a result, in this embodiment, the panel member 9 attached to the toilet body 3 can be prevented from falling, while the panel member 9 can be slid and easily positioned.

[0072] That is, in first holding portion 21, by configuring attraction surface 26 of magnet 25 and attraction surface 28 of metal sheet 27 as described above, attraction surface 26 of magnet 25 and attraction surface 28 of metal sheet 27 are in surface contact with each other, and a sufficient contact area can be reliably secured. Therefore, even if panel member 9 is formed to be curved, first holding portion 21 is less likely to reduce its holding force on panel member 9. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if panel member 9 is wiped during cleaning, for example, and a load (force) that moves panel member 9 is applied to panel member 9, it is possible to prevent panel member 9 from falling.

[0073] Furthermore, in first holding portion 21, attraction surface 26 of magnet 25 and attraction surface 28 of metal plate 27 are in planar surface contact, so panel member 9 can be easily slid in a direction parallel to attraction surfaces 26, 28 (here, the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction). Therefore, for example, while panel member 9 is held by toilet body 3 or the like, an installer can slide panel member 9 in the front-to-back direction (see arrow D1 in Figure 1) or the up-to-down direction (see arrow D2) relative to toilet body 3 or the like, thereby easily adjusting panel member 9 to an appropriate position; in other words, positioning of panel member 9 can be easily performed.

[0074] To explain first holding portion 21 more specifically, upper holding portion 21a and lower holding portion 21b included in first holding portion 21 are formed so that attracting surface 26 of magnet 25 and attracting surface 28 of metal sheet 27 are flat. More specifically, in upper holding portion 21a, attracting surface 26a of upper magnet 25a and attracting surface 28a of upper metal sheet 27a are flat. Similarly, in lower holding portion 21b, attracting surface 26b of lower magnet 25b and attracting surface 28b of lower metal sheet 27b are flat.

[0075] In this way, even if there are multiple first holding portions 21 (more specifically, even if they include upper holding portions 21a and lower holding portions 21b), the attraction surfaces 26 of each magnet 25 and the attraction surfaces 28 of the metal plate 27 are in surface contact, which makes it possible to better prevent the panel member 9 from falling and also makes it easier to position the panel member 9 by sliding it.

[0076] Furthermore, first retaining portion 21 is formed so that attracting surface 26 of magnet 25 and attracting surface 28 of metal plate 27 are parallel to each other. In other words, first retaining portion 21 is formed so that, when panel member 9 is attached to toilet body 3, attracting surface 26 of magnet 25 and attracting surface 28 of metal plate 27 facing attracting surface 26 are parallel to each other.

[0077] Specifically, in upper holding portion 21a, attracting surface 26a of upper magnet 25a and attracting surface 28a of upper metal sheet 27a are formed parallel to each other. Similarly, in lower holding portion 21b, attracting surface 26b of lower magnet 25b and attracting surface 28b of lower metal sheet 27b are formed parallel to each other.

[0078] As a result, even if the panel member 9 is formed to be curved, for example, the attracting surface 26 of the magnet 25 and the attracting surface 28 of the metal plate 27 are formed to be parallel to each other, so that the attracting surface 26 of the magnet 25 and the attracting surface 28 of the metal plate 27 are in reliable surface contact, which further prevents the panel member 9 from falling and also makes it easier to position the panel member 9 by sliding it.

[0079] Additionally, first retaining portion 21 is formed so that attractive surface 26 of magnet 25 and attractive surface 28 of metal plate 27 are aligned along a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction (YZ plane). In other words, attractive surface 26 of magnet 25 and attractive surface 28 of metal plate 27 are formed so as to be perpendicular to floor surface 100 (see Figure 1) on which flush toilet 1 is installed.

[0080] Specifically, in upper holding portion 21a, attracting surface 26a of upper magnet 25a and attracting surface 28a of upper metal sheet 27a are formed to extend along a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction (YZ plane). Similarly, in lower holding portion 21b, attracting surface 26b of lower magnet 25b and attracting surface 28b of lower metal sheet 27b are formed to extend along a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction (YZ plane).

[0081] As a result, in first holding portion 21, attractive surface 26 of magnet 25 and attractive surface 28 of metal plate 27 come into surface contact along the vertical direction, so panel member 9 can be slid more easily in directions parallel to attractive surfaces 26, 28 (here, front-to-back or up-down directions). Therefore, for example, an installer can slide panel member 9 in the front-to-back or up-down directions while panel member 9 is held by toilet body 3 or the like, and adjust panel member 9 to the appropriate position more easily.

[0082] Furthermore, since the first holding portion 21 is equipped with the upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b described above, even if the panel member 9 is formed to be curved, it is possible to attach the magnet 25 so that the adsorption surface 26 is flat with a simple configuration, such as by forming the tip surface 40a1 of the upper protrusion 40a and the tip surface 40b1 of the lower protrusion 40b into a flat shape.

[0083] The shapes of the upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b will now be described. The shapes of the upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b are set according to the curved shape of the panel member 9 on which the upper protrusion 40a and the lower protrusion 40b are formed.

[0084] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, in the first retaining portion 21, the difference Mb between the widthwise (left-right) length Lb1 of the upper surface 41b of the lower protrusion 40b of the lower retaining portion 21b and the widthwise length Lb2 of the lower surface 42b is set to be larger than the difference Ma between the widthwise length La1 of the upper surface 41a of the upper protrusion 40a of the upper retaining portion 21a and the widthwise length La2 of the lower surface 42b (Mb>Ma).

[0085] In this way, by configuring the lower protrusion 40b and the upper protrusion 40a as described above, it is possible to accurately assemble the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 even if the panel member 9 has a curved shape in which the curvature of the lower part is greater than the curvature of the upper part.

[0086] Furthermore, by setting the difference indicated by Mb-Ma to a relatively large value, the workability of the panel member 9 can be further improved. In other words, if the difference indicated by Mb-Ma is set to a large value, for example, when assembling the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 from the width direction or when assembling the panel member 9 to the toilet body 3 by sliding it from below, there is a margin in the lower retaining portion 21b compared to the upper retaining portion 21a before the panel member 9 is completely attached to the toilet body 3 and movement in the vertical direction is restricted. As a result, for example, an installer only needs to pay attention to the upper retaining portion 21a when assembling the panel member 9, thereby further improving the workability of the panel member 9.

[0087] It should be noted that the above-described metal sheets 27 (upper metal sheet 27a and lower metal sheet 27b) may be made of metal sheets whose surfaces are randomly ground, for example. This increases the surface roughness of the metal sheets 27, improving the frictional force and effectively preventing the panel member 9 from falling.

[0088] In the above description, the upper magnet 25a and the lower magnet 25b are magnets of the same size and magnetic force, but this is not limited to this. That is, the upper magnet 25a and the lower magnet 25b may have different sizes and magnetic forces. As an example, the lower magnet 25b may be larger or have stronger magnetic force than the upper magnet 25a. This increases the magnetic force of the lower holder 21b on the lower side of the panel member 9, which has a relatively large curvature and is prone to coming off the toilet body 3, and more effectively prevents the panel member 9 from falling.

[0089] As described above, the flush toilet 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a toilet body 3, a functional part 5, a panel member 9, and a first retaining part 21 (an example of a retaining part). The functional part 5 is located at the rear of the toilet body 3. The panel member 9 covers the side of the functional part 5. The first retaining part 21 magnetically attracts and holds the toilet body 3 and the side of the panel member 9 together. The panel member 9 is formed so that it curves towards the toilet body 3 when attached to the toilet body 3. The first retaining part 21 is formed so that the attracting surface 26 of the panel-side magnetic body 25 attached to the panel member 9 and the attracting surface 28 of the body-side magnetic body 27 attached to the toilet body 3 are flat. This prevents the panel member 9 attached to the toilet body 3 from falling, while making it easy to slide the panel member 9 and position it.

[0090] (Variation) Next, a modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the following description, parts that are similar to parts that have already been described will be assigned the same reference numerals as those already described, and duplicated description may be omitted.

[0091] 6 is a diagram showing a first holding portion 21 according to a modified example. Note that, like FIG. 5, FIG. 6 is an enlarged end view of the vicinity of the first holding portion 21.

[0092] As shown in Figure 6, the side surfaces of the panel member 9 according to this modification are formed in a straight line. In other words, the inner surface 9a and the outer surface 9b of the panel member 9 are formed in a straight line. Furthermore, the outer surface 3a of the toilet body 3, to which the panel member 9 is attached, is also formed in a straight line.

[0093] Here, the panel member 9 is attached to the panel member 9 so that its side surfaces (inner surface 9a and outer surface 9b) are not parallel to the outer surface 3a of the toilet body 3. In the example of Figure 6, the side surfaces of the panel member 9 are inclined relative to a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction, and the toilet body 3 is provided so that the outer surface 3a is aligned with the vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction.

[0094] Even with the panel member 9 and toilet body 3 having such shapes, the first holding portion 21 is formed so that the attraction surface 26 of the magnet 25 and the attraction surface 28 of the metal plate 27 are flat (in other words, flat).

[0095] As a result, in the modified example as well, as in the embodiment, the panel member 9 attached to the toilet body 3 can be prevented from falling, and the panel member 9 can be slid to facilitate positioning.

[0096] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the second holding portion 23 and the functional portion 5 are configured to prevent the panel member 9 from falling, while allowing the panel member 9 to slide and be easily positioned.

[0097] This configuration will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 7 etc. Fig. 7 is an end view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 1, and more specifically, an enlarged end view of the vicinity of second holding portion 23. Note that in Fig. 7 etc., for simplification of the illustration, functional portion 5 is shown schematically with diagonal lines.

[0098] The second holding portion 23 includes the above-mentioned magnet 29, the metal plate 31, the panel-side protrusion 60, and the function-unit-side protrusion 70. The magnet 29 is an example of a panel-side magnetic material, and the metal plate 31 is an example of a function-unit-side magnetic material.

[0099] As described above, the magnet 29 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped and is bonded to, for example, the panel member 9 (more precisely, the panel-side protrusion 60 of the panel member 9). As described above, the metal plate 31 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped and is bonded to, for example, the functional part 5 (more precisely, the functional-part-side protrusion 70).

[0100] The panel-side protrusion 60 is formed to protrude from the panel member 9 toward the functional unit 5. For example, the panel-side protrusion 60 is formed to protrude from the inner surface 9a of the panel member 9 toward the functional unit 5 (in the example of FIG. 7 , in the positive direction of the X-axis). The panel-side protrusion 60 has a tip surface 60a formed to be planar (in other words, flat), and the magnet 29 is attached (bonded) to the tip surface 60a.

[0101] The functional unit-side protrusion 70 is formed so as to protrude from the functional unit 5 toward the panel member 9. For example, the functional unit-side protrusion 70 is formed so as to protrude from the side surface 5a of the functional unit 5 toward the panel member 9 (in the example of FIG. 7, in the negative direction of the X-axis). Furthermore, the functional unit-side protrusion 70 has a tip surface 70a formed in a planar shape (in other words, flat), and the metal plate 31 is attached (bonded) to the tip surface 70a.

[0102] Thus, in the second embodiment, the surface of the functional part 5 on which the metal plate 31 is provided, i.e., the tip surface 70a of the functional part-side protrusion 70, is flat and formed to fit along a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction (the YZ plane). In other words, the surface of the functional part 5 on which the metal plate 31 is attached (tip surface 70a) is formed to be perpendicular to the floor surface 100 (see Figure 1) on which the flush toilet 1 is placed.

[0103] Here, the molding of the surface of the functional part 5 on which the metal plate 31 is provided, i.e., the tip surface 70a of the functional part-side protrusion 70, will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the molding of the functional part 5 according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the molding of the functional part 5 according to a comparative example. The functional part 5 is molded in part or in whole using a mold. More specifically, the functional part 5 is molded by pouring molten resin material into a mold.

[0104] First, the comparative example of FIG. 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, in the comparative example, the functional portion 5 is molded using an upper mold 180a and a lower mold 180b. Specifically, the upper mold 180a and the lower mold 180b are assembled, and molten resin material is poured into a space formed by the upper and lower molds 180a and 180b to mold the functional portion 5. The upper and lower molds 180a and 180b are then removed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction; see arrow B) from the molded functional portion 5. However, with the configuration of the comparative example, the side surface 5a of the molded functional portion 5 is inclined in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) due to the draft angle of the upper and lower molds 180a and 180b. Therefore, in the side surface 5a of the functional portion 5 according to the comparative example, the surface on which the metal plate 31 is provided is not formed along a vertical plane (YZ plane), and as a result, there is a risk that the metal plate 31 cannot be provided along a vertical plane.

[0105] Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, a mold is used in which the surface on which the metal plate 31 is provided in the functional part 5, i.e., the tip surface 70a of the functional part side protrusion 70, is formed so as to follow a vertical plane (YZ plane).

[0106] Specifically, in the second embodiment, the functional portion 5 is molded using an upper mold 80a, a lower mold 80b, and a side mold 80c. The upper mold 80a is positioned above the functional portion 5 to be molded, the lower mold 80b is positioned below the functional portion 5 to be molded, and the side mold 80c is positioned on the side of the side surface 5a of the functional portion 5 to be molded, and they are assembled together. Furthermore, a recess 80c1 corresponding to the shape of the functional portion-side protrusion 70 is formed in the assembled upper mold 80a, lower mold 80b, and side mold 80c. In other words, the recess 80c1 is shaped so that the tip surface 70a of the functional portion-side protrusion 70 after molding is formed along a vertical plane.

[0107] In one example of the molding procedure, the upper, lower, and side molds 80a, 80b, and 80c are first assembled, and molten resin material is poured into the space formed by the upper, lower, and side molds 80a, 80b, and 80c to mold the functional portion 5. Next, the side mold 80c is removed in the left-right direction (X-axis direction; see arrow A1) from the molded functional portion 5. Next, the upper and lower molds 80a and 80b are removed in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction; see arrow A2) from the molded functional portion 5. This ensures that the draft angle of each mold 80a, 80b, and 80c is maintained, and the side surface 5a of the functional portion 5 can be molded so that the surface on which the sheet metal 31 is provided (the tip surface 70a of the functional portion-side protrusion 70) is aligned along a vertical plane (the YZ plane).

[0108] 7, in the functional part 5 molded as described above, the metal plate 31 is attached to the tip surface 70a of the functional part-side protrusion 70. The second holding part 23 is formed so that the attracting surface 30 of the magnet 29 and the attracting surface 32 of the metal plate 31 are planar (in other words, flat).

[0109] As a result, in the second embodiment, the panel member 9 attached to the functional section 5 can be prevented from falling, and the panel member 9 can be slid to facilitate positioning.

[0110] That is, in the second holding portion 23, the attracting surface 30 of the magnet 29 and the attracting surface 32 of the metal sheet 31 are configured as described above, so that the attracting surface 30 of the magnet 29 and the attracting surface 32 of the metal sheet 31 come into surface contact with each other, and a sufficient contact area can be reliably secured. Therefore, even if the panel member 9 is formed to be curved, the holding force of the second holding portion 23 on the panel member 9 is unlikely to decrease. Therefore, in the second embodiment, even if a load (force) that moves the panel member 9 is applied to the panel member 9 when the panel member 9 is wiped during cleaning, for example, the panel member 9 can be prevented from falling.

[0111] Furthermore, in the second holding portion 23, the attraction surface 30 of the magnet 29 and the attraction surface 32 of the metal plate 31 are in planar surface contact, so the panel member 9 can be easily slid in a direction parallel to the attraction surfaces 30, 32 (here, the front-to-back direction or the up-to-down direction). Therefore, for example, while the panel member 9 is held by the functional portion 5 or the like, an installer can slide the panel member 9 in the front-to-back direction (see arrow D1 in FIG. 1) or the up-to-down direction (see arrow D2) relative to the functional portion 5 or the like to easily adjust the panel member 9 to an appropriate position; in other words, the positioning of the panel member 9 can be easily determined.

[0112] Furthermore, since the surface (tip surface 70a) on which the metal plate 31 is provided in the functional unit 5 is formed to extend along a vertical plane in the front-to-rear direction, the metal plate 31 is attached to the functional unit 5 so as to extend along the vertical plane. As a result, in the second holding unit 23, the attraction surface 30 of the magnet 29 and the attraction surface 32 of the metal plate 31 are in surface contact along the vertical direction, so that the panel member 9 can be more easily slid in directions parallel to the attraction surfaces 30, 32 (here, the front-to-rear direction or the up-and-down direction). Therefore, for example, an installer can slide the panel member 9 in the front-to-rear direction or the up-and-down direction while the panel member 9 is held by the functional unit 5 or the like, and more easily adjust the panel member 9 to the appropriate position.

[0113] The above-described first and second embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0114] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 flush toilet 3 Toilet bowl 5 Functional section 9 Panel members 21 1st holding part 25 Magnet 27 Sheet Metal

Claims

1. The toilet bowl body, A functional part provided at the rear of the toilet body; a panel member covering a side surface of the functional portion; a holding portion that magnetically attracts and holds the toilet body and the side surface of the panel member; Equipped with The panel member is When attached to the toilet body, the inner and outer surfaces are formed to protrude outward and curved in a front view, The holding portion is The attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body provided on the panel member and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body provided on the toilet main body are formed to be flat, The holding portion includes a protruding portion formed to protrude from the panel member toward the toilet body. A flush toilet characterized by:

2. There are a plurality of the holding portions, Each of the plurality of holding portions is The panel-side magnetic body and the main body-side magnetic body are provided, and the attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed to be flat. The flush toilet according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. The holding portion is When the panel member is attached to the toilet body, an upper holding portion is located above the panel member, and a lower holding portion is located below the upper holding portion. Including, The difference between the width direction length of the upper surface and the width direction length of the lower surface of the protrusion of the lower holding portion is The length is set to be larger than the difference between the width direction length of the upper surface and the width direction length of the lower surface of the protrusion of the upper holding part.

3. The flush toilet according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

4. The holding portion is The attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed so as to be parallel to each other. The flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:

5. The holding portion is The attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed so as to be perpendicular to the floor surface on which the flush toilet is installed. The flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:

6. The holding portion is a first holding portion that magnetically attracts and holds the side surface of the toilet body and the side surface of the panel member; a second holding portion that attracts and holds a side surface of the functional portion and a side surface of the panel member by magnetic force; Including, The second holding portion is an attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body provided on the panel member and an attracting surface of the function-part-side magnetic body provided on the function part are formed to be flat, The functional unit includes: The surface on which the functional part-side magnetic body is provided is formed so as to be perpendicular to the floor surface on which the flush toilet is installed. The flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:

7. The toilet bowl body, A functional part provided at the rear of the toilet body; a panel member covering a side surface of the functional portion; a holding portion that magnetically attracts and holds the toilet body and the side surface of the panel member; Equipped with The panel member is When attached to the toilet body, the inner and outer surfaces are formed to protrude and curve outward, The holding portion is The panel member has a plurality of attraction surfaces on the inner surface thereof, and the toilet body has a plurality of attraction surfaces on the side surface thereof. The attracting surface of the panel-side magnetic body and the attracting surface of the main body-side magnetic body are formed to be flat, The plurality of attraction surfaces of the main body side magnetic body provided on the side surface of the toilet main body are formed so as to be parallel to each other. A flush toilet characterized by:

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