Western-style toilet bowl and seat device

Abstract

To provide a western style toilet bowl device and a toilet seat device capable of easily confirming the inside of a bowl after washing is performed in a closed state of a toilet cover.SOLUTION: When a change from a seated to an unseated state is detected by a seating detection part 28, a control part 5 of a western style toilet bowl device 1 controls a toilet cover drive part 22 to close a toilet cover 20 and then performs an opening operation. After the lapse of a predetermined time since an open state was achieved, it performs a closing operation on the opened toilet cover 20 to bring the opened toilet cover into a closed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a Western-style toilet apparatus equipped with a toilet lid and a toilet seat apparatus used therewith. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, in order to prevent the spread of contaminants contained in human excrement when flushing the toilet, it has become recommended that when defecating in a Western-style toilet system, the excrement in the bowl be flushed with the toilet lid closed, so that droplets containing contaminants do not spread outside the toilet.

[0003] In order to ensure that the bowl flush is performed reliably with the toilet lid closed, a system has been proposed in which, when a flush command is given by operating an operating section, the toilet lid is first automatically closed electrically, and then the toilet bowl is flushed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The system in Patent Document 1 performs the closing operation unless a person is seated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-200198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when flushing with the toilet lid closed, if you want to check the bowl after flushing to see if all the waste has been removed and the toilet has been properly cleaned, you have to open the toilet lid after flushing, which is time-consuming.

[0006] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a Western-style toilet apparatus and toilet seat apparatus that allows the user to easily check the inside of the bowl after flushing with the toilet lid closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the Western-style toilet device of the present invention is a Western-style toilet device comprising a bowl, a toilet flushing unit that supplies flushing water to the bowl to flush the inside of the bowl, a toilet seat, a toilet lid, a toilet lid opening / closing detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the toilet lid, a toilet lid drive unit that opens and closes the toilet lid, a seating detection unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit Basic operation When the seating detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, the toilet lid drive unit is controlled to close the toilet lid and then open it, and after a certain time has passed since the toilet lid was opened, the toilet lid is closed to return to the closed state. 。

[0008] The toilet seat device of the present invention comprises a toilet seat, a toilet lid, a toilet lid open / close detector that detects the opening and closing of the toilet lid, a toilet lid drive unit that opens and closes the toilet lid, a seat detector, and a toilet seat side controller, and is attached to a Western-style toilet body for use, Basic operation When the seating detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, the toilet lid drive unit is controlled to close the toilet lid and then open it, and after a certain time has passed since the toilet lid was opened, the toilet lid is closed to return to the closed state. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] Since the Western-style toilet apparatus and toilet seat apparatus of the present invention are each configured as described above, the inside of the bowl can be checked without hassle after flushing with the toilet lid closed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a basic block diagram of a Western-style toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic side view showing the interior of the same Western-style toilet device, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view showing the interior of another example of a Western-style toilet device. [Figure 3]2 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of one aspect of the Western-style toilet device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of another aspect of the Western-style toilet device. [Figure 5] FIG. 1(a) is a basic block diagram of a Western-style toilet device and a toilet seat device used therein according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view showing the interior of the Western-style toilet device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the basic configuration of the Western-style toilet device 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0012] The Western-style toilet device 1 comprises a bowl 12, a toilet flushing unit 13 that supplies flushing water to the bowl 12 to flush the inside of the bowl 12, a toilet lid 20, a toilet lid open / close detection unit 21 that detects whether the toilet lid 20 is open or closed, and a toilet lid drive unit 22 that opens and closes the toilet lid 20. The Western-style toilet device 1 further comprises flushing instruction means that outputs flushing instructions to the toilet flushing unit 13, and a control unit 5. This Western-style toilet device 1 is configured so that when a flushing instruction is received from the flushing instruction means, if the toilet lid open / close detection unit 21 subsequently determines that the toilet lid 20 is closed, flushing by the toilet flushing unit 13 will begin.

[0013] After the start of flushing by the toilet bowl flushing unit 13, when the control unit 5 determines that flushing has finished, it controls the toilet lid opening / closing drive unit 22 to open the toilet lid 20. There are various definitions of "finishing finished," but details will be provided later.

[0014] Next, the detailed configuration, structure and operation of the Western-style toilet device 1 will be described. Figures 1 to 4 are explanatory diagrams of a Western-style toilet device 1 according to one embodiment. Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic side views showing the interior of the Western-style toilet device 1, each showing two different flushing modes, both of which are applicable to the Western-style toilet device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0015] The Western-style toilet device 1 is a seat-type toilet device that is fixed to the floor or wall of a toilet space. The toilet body 10 of this Western-style toilet device 1 is built so that the bowl 12, which opens upward, is surrounded by a skirt part 11, and above the bowl 12, it is equipped with a toilet seat 24 and a toilet lid 20, which are mutually arranged on the same rotation axis and can be raised or lowered relative to the opening of the bowl 12.

[0016] A toilet flushing unit 13 is disposed in the internal space of the skirt unit 11. This toilet flushing unit 13 supplies flush water from a water supply port 14 into the bowl 12 to clean the inside of the bowl 12. The toilet flushing unit 13 has a water supply mechanism and a drainage mechanism.

[0017] The water supply mechanism includes a water inlet 14, a flushing water supply path 15 that supplies flushing water from a water pipe (not shown) into the bowl 12 through the water inlet 14, and a water supply valve 16 located midway along the flushing water supply path 15 that supplies or cuts off the water supply to the bowl 12.

[0018] The drainage mechanism shown in Figure 2(a) has a cylindrical, curved trap 17 that is connected to extend rearward from the bottom of bowl 12, and trap 17 extends further downward and connects to drain port 18. This type of drainage mechanism includes the siphon type, siphon jet type, and siphon vortex type, and is a mechanism that creates a drainage state or a water-sealed state by the siphon action.

[0019] The drainage mechanism may also have a structure having a movable trap 17A as shown in Figure 2(b). This trap 17A is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive unit (not shown) to set the drainage state or the water-sealing state. In the illustrated example, trap 17A is in the water-sealing state, and in the drainage state, it rotates so that the open end of trap 17A faces drain outlet 18. Trap 17A is enclosed in a trap case (not shown) to prevent sewage and odors from leaking to the outside.

[0020] Furthermore, a drainage mechanism that is neither a siphon type nor a movable type, such as a wash-down type drainage mechanism, can also be applied to the Western-style toilet device 1.

[0021] In addition, in the illustrated example, the Western-style toilet device 1 is shown as a tankless type that is directly connected to the water supply and does not have a flush tank (low tank), but it may also be configured to have a flush tank.

[0022] The Western-style toilet apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with flushing completion detection means 19 that detects the completion of flushing of the bowl 12 by the toilet flushing unit 13. Depending on the definition of the end of flushing, this flushing completion detection means 19 may be a sensor that detects the completion of the supply of flush water, a control instruction-based detection means, or a sensor that detects when the seal-breaking level has been exceeded by the water supply. In this embodiment, the flushing completion detection means 19 is a sensor that detects when the accumulated water level has exceeded the seal-breaking level.

[0023] 1, the Western-style toilet device 1 is equipped with a toilet lid open / close detection unit 21, a toilet lid drive unit 22, and a toilet lid operation unit 23 that receives open / close commands to the toilet lid drive unit 22. The Western-style toilet device 1 is also equipped with a toilet seat open / close detection unit 25 that detects whether the toilet seat 24 is open or closed, a toilet seat drive unit 26 that opens and closes the toilet seat 24, and a toilet seat operation unit 27 that receives open / close commands to the toilet seat drive unit 26, and is also equipped with a seating detection unit 28.

[0024] The seating detection unit 28 may be, for example, a load sensor that is built into the toilet seat 24 and detects whether the user is sitting or leaving the seat, or an infrared sensor that detects whether the user is sitting or leaving the seat near the rotation axis of the toilet seat 24. The toilet lid open / close detection unit 21 and the toilet seat open / close detection unit 25 may be configured to detect the open / closed state based on the opening angle.

[0025] The toilet lid drive unit 22 and the toilet seat drive unit 26 are each composed of a motor, etc. The toilet lid drive unit 22 electrically opens and closes (raises and lowers) the toilet lid 20 when instructed to do so by the toilet lid operation unit 23, and the toilet seat drive unit 26 electrically opens and closes (raises and lowers) the toilet seat 24 when instructed to do so by the toilet seat operation unit 27, etc.

[0026] In this specification, for both the toilet lid 20 and the toilet seat 24, a state in which they are upright in an approximately vertical position is referred to as the open state, and a state in which they are tilted approximately horizontally and approximately parallel to the opening surface of the bowl 12 is referred to as the closed state.

[0027] In this Western-style toilet device 1, if the toilet lid 20 and toilet seat 24 are both in the open position when a command to close the toilet lid 20 is received, the toilet seat 24 will first perform the closing operation, and after it has closed (stopped in the closed position), the toilet lid 20 will perform the closing operation in conjunction with the closing operation of the toilet seat 24. Also, if the toilet seat 24 and toilet lid 20 are both in the closed position when a command to open the toilet seat 24 is received, the toilet lid 20 will first perform the opening operation, and after it has opened (stopped in the open position), the toilet seat 24 will perform the opening operation in conjunction with the opening operation of the toilet lid 20.

[0028] The Western-style toilet device 1 may further be configured with various functional devices such as a deodorizing device that deodorizes the inside of the bowl 12, a heating device that warms the toilet seat 24, and a private parts washing device that cleanses the private parts.

[0029] The Western-style toilet device 1 further includes a flushing operation unit 29. This flushing operation unit 29 includes a defecation flush button 29a and a urination flush button 29b that output flushing instructions to the toilet flushing unit 13 via the control unit 5, which will be described later.

[0030] It is desirable that the flushing operation unit 29 be provided on both the main body operation unit (not shown) and the remote control (not shown). These are provided with operation switches and operation buttons for various operations and settings. An infrared communication type is preferably used as the remote control. It goes without saying that the remote control is provided with a transmitting unit (not shown) and the toilet main body 10 is provided with a receiving unit (not shown).

[0031] The operation of the flush operating unit 29 acts as a flush instruction means, but the change in state from seated to up, detected by the seat detection unit 28, also acts as a flush instruction means. In other words, when the user stands up from the toilet seat 24 while seated, an automatic flush is performed instead of operating the flush button.

[0032] Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which a flush command is output by a single flush button, without providing both the stool flush button 29a and the urination flush button 29b. In other words, in this case, the amount of flush water into the bowl 12 is not differentiated between a large volume for stool and a small volume for urination, but is limited to only one type, a large volume for stool.

[0033] The Western-style toilet device 1 is equipped with a control unit 5 that controls the controlled objects (such as the water supply valve 16 of the toilet flushing unit 13, the toilet lid drive unit 22, and the toilet seat drive unit 26), while also receiving output signals from the flushing operation unit 29, the toilet lid open / close detection unit 21, the toilet seat open / close detection unit 25, and the seating detection unit 28. This control unit 5 is composed of a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and various programs. The Western-style toilet device 1 also has a power supply unit (not shown) and a timer (not shown).

[0034] The Western-style toilet device 1 according to this embodiment may also include a notification unit that includes a speaker or the like that notifies the user of device abnormalities, status, and guidance using sound or voice synthesis. The notification unit may also include a display such as an LED instead of or in addition to a sound output device.

[0035] Next, the basic operations of this Western-style toilet device 1 will be explained based on the flowcharts in Figures 3 and 4. All of these operations are performed by the control unit 5 when a flush command is issued by the flush command means. The Western-style toilet device 1 may simply execute either of the operations shown in Figures 3 and 4 when a flush command is issued, or the settings may be changed so that either operation is executed. Furthermore, if a flush command is issued by the flush operating unit 29 while the user is seated, this Western-style toilet device 1 will not accept that flush command.

[0036] In the following explanation of operation, the open / closed state of the toilet lid 20 and the open / closed state of the toilet seat 24 are detected by the various detectors, but the explanation of the operation of these detectors will be omitted. Also, the opening and closing operations of the toilet lid 20 and the toilet seat 24 are performed by the various drive units, but the explanation of the operation of these drive units will be omitted.

[0037] First, the operation of Fig. 3 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in steps S101 to S112. In the following explanation, the operation steps of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 will be abbreviated as "SXXX" instead of "Step SXXX".

[0038] If the toilet lid 20 is not open (closed) when a flushing command is received, flushing begins immediately thereafter and the system waits for the flush to finish (N in S101, S104, S105). Also, if the toilet lid 20 is open and the toilet seat 24 is closed, flushing begins after the toilet lid 20 is closed and the system waits for the flush to finish (Y in S101, N in S102, S103, S104, S105).

[0039] Here, various definitions of the end of cleaning are possible. Specifically, cleaning may be completed when the supply of cleaning water into the bowl 12 is completed, or when a water seal is established before that. In this embodiment, the latter definition is used.

[0040] The end of cleaning due to the end of the supply of cleaning water is determined, for example, by closing water supply valve 16 under the control of control unit 5, or by stopping the water supply at water supply port 14 (detected, for example, by a flow meter, etc.). In the case of a movable trap 17A, the end of cleaning may also be determined by trap 17A returning to the water sealing position. In other words, cleaning end detection means 19 may be configured to detect at the control timing of control unit 5, or may be configured to detect based on the amount of water supplied at water supply port 14.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the flush is completed because the water seal is established, the water seal breaks after the flush starts, and water accumulates in the bowl 12. The flush completion detection means 19 determines that the flush is completed when the accumulated water level exceeds the seal-breaking level. In other words, in this case, the supply of flush water has not ended, but the flush is completed when the water seal is established. In this way, the fact that the accumulated water level has exceeded the seal-breaking level can be determined by the water level measured by the flush completion detection means 19, such as a capacitance sensor or radio wave sensor.

[0042] The timing for the end of such cleaning can also be determined by a timer, for example, 9 to 10 seconds after the start of cleaning if the accumulated water level exceeds the seal-breaking level, or 15 to 20 seconds after the start of cleaning if the cleaning water supply has stopped.

[0043] In this embodiment, the toilet lid 20 is opened after flushing is completed, as shown in S104 to S107 in Fig. 3. Even if water is being supplied while the toilet lid 20 is open, it is sufficient that contaminants do not scatter to the outside from the bowl 12. Therefore, as in this embodiment, if flushing is completed when waste has already been discharged and the accumulated water level exceeds the seal-breaking level, this is sufficient to prevent contaminants from scattering.

[0044] After the flush is completed, the flush instruction is checked to see if it is for defecation or urination using the defecation flush button 29a and the urination flush button 29b of the flush operation unit 29 (S105Y, S106). If the flush instruction is for defecation, the toilet lid 20 opens, and after a certain time has passed since it was opened, the open toilet lid 20 closes and enters a standby state (toilet lid 20 closed) (Y in S106, S107-S109). If the flush instruction is for urination, the toilet lid 20 does not operate and the process ends (N in S106).

[0045] Instead of delaying for a certain period of time, the toilet may return to the standby state when the motion sensor no longer detects a person. Of course, the toilet lid 20 can be closed by the user using the toilet lid operating unit 23, so it is not necessary to automatically return to the standby state.

[0046] In this way, when a stool flushing command is issued, the toilet lid 20 automatically opens and remains open for a certain period of time, during which the user can see inside the bowl 12 and check whether all waste, including stool and paper, has been removed and whether the toilet has been properly flushed.

[0047] In the case of wash-down and siphon-type drainage mechanisms, there is a possibility that waste may not be able to get over the top (highest part) of the trap 17, so visual inspection is often carried out to check for remaining waste, and this act of opening the toilet lid 20 is extremely effective. Also, in the siphon-type, the siphon effect is generated, so although there is a large suction force in the direction of drainage, in order to generate the siphon effect, the inside of the trap 17 must be temporarily filled with water. To fill the trap with water, the diameter inside the trap 17 is narrowed, the flow path is made complex, or the flow is temporarily slowed down so that water can be flushed all at once, which can result in clogging.

[0048] Furthermore, when a flushing command is issued for urination, the amount of waste is small, there is little chance of it remaining after flushing, and it is generally expelled, so the series of operations for opening and closing the toilet lid 20 (S107-S109) does not need to be performed, and the operation of opening the toilet lid 20 after flushing can be omitted. Note that if there is only one type of flush button that does not distinguish between defecation and urination, the series of operations for opening and closing the toilet lid 20 (S107-S109) should always be performed when a flushing command is issued.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the toilet lid 20 is in the open state after flushing, it will eventually automatically return to the closed state (standby state), so the user does not need to bother with returning it to the standby state.

[0050] Also, if the toilet lid 20 is open and the toilet seat 24 is also open when a flushing command is received, the toilet seat 24 and toilet lid 20 are sequentially closed, and flushing is performed after the toilet lid 20 is closed (Y in S101, Y in S102, S110 to S112).

[0051] In this way, if a flushing command is issued with both the toilet lid 20 and toilet seat 24 in the open position, the command is interpreted as a flushing command for men urinating in a standing position. When men urinate, the possibility of waste remaining is extremely low, so in this case too, the series of steps of opening and closing the toilet lid 20 after flushing is completed does not need to be performed, and unnecessary steps can be omitted.

[0052] As described above, according to the operation shown in Figure 3, after flushing after defecation, the inside of the bowl 12 can be checked without having to open the toilet lid 20. After the toilet lid 20 automatically opens, it also automatically closes after a certain delay, allowing the user to return to the standby state without any operation. In this way, because the toilet lid 20 opens and closes automatically after flushing, the user does not need to operate it with their fingers, which is hygienic.

[0053] Furthermore, when cleaning after urination, the toilet lid 20 is not opened after cleaning while it is in the closed state, but if the user wants to check visually, they can manually open it and then close it if necessary, and there is no problem.

[0054] 3, flushing is performed with the toilet lid 20 closed whether it is for defecation or urination, so there is almost no possibility of water containing contaminants scattering outside the toilet, making it hygienic. As mentioned above, if flushing is determined to be complete when the water level in the bowl 12 exceeds the seal-breaking level during water supply, it is possible to prevent contaminants from scattering outside and save time.

[0055] Next, the operation of FIG. 4 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in S201 to S210.

[0056] If the toilet lid 20 is not open (closed) when a flushing command is received, flushing begins immediately thereafter and the process waits for the flush to finish (N in S201, S204, S205). Also, if the toilet lid 20 is open and the toilet seat 24 is closed, flushing begins after the toilet lid 20 is closed and the process waits for the flush to finish (Y in S201, N in S202, S203, S204, S205). Note that the process for finishing flushing is the same as in Figure 3, so a description will be omitted.

[0057] After the flushing is completed, the toilet lid 20 opens, and after a certain period of time, the toilet lid 20, which was once in the open state, closes and goes into a standby state (S206 to S209).

[0058] In other words, in the operation of Figure 4, whether the instruction is for a stool flush or a urination flush, after flushing, a series of operations are carried out, including an opening operation of the toilet lid 20 to check the inside of the bowl 12, and a closing operation to return to the standby state after a certain period of time.

[0059] Furthermore, if the toilet lid 20 is open and the toilet seat 24 is also open when a flushing command is received, i.e., if the flushing command is for men's standing urination, the toilet seat 24 and toilet lid 20 are successively closed (Y in S201, Y in S202, S209, S210). Then, flushing begins after the toilet lid 20 is closed, and after the flushing is completed, a series of operations to open and close the toilet lid 20 are performed (S210, S205-S208). Note that in the case of men's urination, the waste does not contain paper but is only liquid, so as in Figure 3, flushing may be completed with the toilet lid 20 closed, without performing the series of operations to open and close the toilet lid 20.

[0060] As described above, according to the operation shown in Figure 4, a series of opening and closing operations of the toilet lid 20 are performed after flushing is completed, regardless of whether the toilet has defecate, urinates while sitting, or is standing for men. In other words, regardless of whether the toilet has defecate or urinates, the inside of the bowl 12 can be easily viewed after flushing.

[0061] As mentioned above, the opening of the toilet lid 20 after flushing is complete, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, is an action that allows the user to check for any waste remaining in the bowl 12. Because this opening of the toilet lid 20 is performed after flushing is complete, it prevents moisture containing contaminants from scattering from within the bowl 12 to the outside when the toilet lid 20 is opened. However, because flushing is performed with the toilet lid 20 closed, there is a risk that droplets may be attached to the underside (inside) of the toilet lid 20, and therefore, when the toilet lid 20 is opened immediately after flushing, there is a risk that moisture attached to the inside of the toilet lid 20 may be splashed out due to the impact of the opening action.

[0062] Therefore, in order to prevent contaminants from scattering from the underside of the toilet lid 20 to the outside during this opening operation, it is desirable that the toilet lid 20 be opened at a slower rotation speed after flushing than a normal opening operation, such as one performed by operating the toilet lid operating unit 23 or an automatic opening operation when entering the room. For example, if a normal toilet lid 20 opening operation is completed in approximately three seconds, it is conceivable that the time required for the toilet lid 20 to be opened after flushing can be set to four or five seconds. This variable rotation speed of the toilet lid 20 is made possible by the toilet lid drive unit 22. It is also desirable that this slow opening operation of the toilet lid 20 after flushing be performed in the toilet seat device 30 (see Figure 5), which will be described later.

[0063] The operations shown in Figures 3 and 4 above are generally contradictory, and by switching the settings of the Western-style toilet device 1, it may be possible to select either operation based on, for example, the user's usage style.

[0064] The Western-style toilet apparatus 1 may be one in which the toilet seat 24 and toilet lid 20 are replaceable as a single unit. In particular, it may be a Western-style toilet apparatus 3 to which a toilet seat apparatus 30 as shown in FIG. 5 has been retrofitted (or replaced). The basic configuration of a Western-style toilet apparatus 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). Note that in this embodiment, a Western-style toilet apparatus 3 with a siphon-type main body is shown as an example in FIG. 5(b), but it is also possible to use one with a movable trap 17A (see FIG. 2(b)) or other types.

[0065] Specifically, the Western-style toilet device 3 comprises a bowl 12, a toilet flushing unit 13 that supplies flushing water to the bowl 12 to clean the inside of the bowl 12, a toilet seat device 30, and a flushing operation unit 29 that outputs flushing instructions to the toilet flushing unit 13.

[0066] The toilet seat device 30 is a separate unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body (portions excluding the toilet seat device 30) of the Western-style toilet device 3. The toilet seat device 30 includes a toilet lid 40, a toilet lid open / close detector 41, a toilet lid drive unit 42, a toilet lid operation unit 43, a toilet seat 44, a toilet seat open / close detector 45, a toilet seat drive unit 46, a toilet seat operation unit 47, and a seating detector 48.

[0067] The configuration of the Western-style toilet device 3 (Western-style toilet body) excluding the toilet seat device 30 is generally the same as that shown in Figure 1, so detailed explanation will be omitted. In addition, the toilet lid 40, toilet lid open / close detector 41, toilet lid drive unit 42, toilet lid operation unit 43, toilet seat 44, toilet seat open / close detector 45, toilet seat drive unit 46, toilet seat operation unit 47, and seating detector 48 provided in the toilet seat device 30 are also generally the same as those shown in Figure 1, so explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0068] The Western-style toilet device 3 in Figure 5 further includes a bowl flush operation unit 49, and is configured so that a command to flush the bowl 12 can be output from the toilet seat device 30 to the toilet flushing unit 13. Specifically, the toilet seat device 30 includes a toilet seat-side control unit 35, and when a flushing command is issued from the bowl flush operation unit 49, the toilet seat-side control unit 35 receives this command and controls the toilet flushing unit 13 via the main body-side control unit 5 to flush the bowl 12. Alternatively, the toilet seat-side control unit 35 may be configured to directly control the toilet flushing unit 13.

[0069] As shown in Figure 5, the Western-style toilet apparatus 3 is configured to include not only the bowl flush operation unit 49 on the toilet seat apparatus 30 side, but also the flush operation unit 29 on the main body side. In other words, the one shown in Figure 5 is configured so that flush commands can be issued using either the flush operation unit 29 or the bowl flush operation unit 49. It is also possible to configure the apparatus so that flush commands can be issued only using the bowl flush operation unit 49, without providing the flush operation unit 29 on the main body side. It is also desirable that the bowl flush operation unit 49 also has a stool flush button 29a and a urination flush button 29b.

[0070] Like the Western-style toilet apparatus 1 in Fig. 1, this Western-style toilet apparatus 3 is capable of operating as shown in Fig. 3 and / or Fig. 4. When a flush command is received from the flush command means, the toilet flushing unit 13 operates to flush the bowl 12 with the toilet lid 40 closed, in principle, and after flushing is complete, to open the toilet lid 20 and then close it after a delay.

[0071] As described above, the toilet seat device 30 comprises the toilet seat 44, the toilet lid 40, the toilet lid open / close detection unit 41 that detects whether the toilet lid 40 is open or closed, and the toilet lid drive unit 42 that opens and closes the toilet lid 40. The toilet seat device 30 is also equipped with a bowl flush operation unit 49 that receives flush commands for the toilet body, and the toilet seat-side control unit 35, and is a device that is attached to the toilet body. When a flush command is received from the bowl flush operation unit 49, the toilet seat device 30 is configured to output a flush command to the toilet body if the toilet lid open / close detection unit 41 subsequently determines that the toilet lid 40 is closed.

[0072] After outputting a flush command from bowl flush operation unit 49, toilet seat-side control unit 35 controls toilet lid drive unit 42 to open toilet lid 40 when it determines that flushing has ended.

[0073] As described above, the toilet seat device 30 according to this embodiment further includes the toilet seat open / close detection unit 45, the toilet seat drive unit 46, and the toilet seat operation unit 47.

[0074] Furthermore, the toilet seat device 30 may also be configured to perform the same operation as the operation in response to a flush command from the bowl flush operation unit 49 when a flush command is received from the flush operation unit 29 of the Western-style toilet body.

[0075] The toilet seat device 30 is not limited to the one shown in Figure 5. For example, the toilet seat device 30 may be configured to include a private parts washing device and a toilet seat side notification unit, or may be configured to include a toilet seat side operating unit that can perform various operations and settings (for example, the private parts washing device). [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1, 3 Western-style toilet equipment 5. Control section 12 bowls 13 Toilet flushing section 20 toilet lid 21 Toilet lid opening / closing detector 22 Toilet lid drive unit 23 Toilet lid operation part 24 toilet seats 25 Toilet seat opening / closing detector 26 Toilet seat drive unit 27 Toilet seat control unit 28 Sitting detection unit 29 Cleaning operation unit 30 Toilet seat device 35 Toilet seat side control unit 40 toilet lid 41 Toilet lid opening / closing detector 42 Toilet lid drive unit 43 Toilet lid operation part 44 Toilet Seat 45 Toilet seat opening / closing detector 46 Toilet seat drive unit 47 Toilet seat control unit 48 Seating detection unit 49 Bowl cleaning operation unit

Claims

1. A western-style toilet device comprising a bowl, a toilet flushing unit that supplies flushing water to the bowl to flush the inside of the bowl, a toilet seat, a toilet lid, a toilet lid open / close detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the toilet lid, a toilet lid drive unit that opens and closes the toilet lid, a seating detection unit, and a control unit, The basic operation of the control unit is as follows: When the seating detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, the toilet lid drive unit is controlled to close the toilet lid and then open it, and after a certain period of time has passed since the toilet lid was opened, the toilet lid is closed to return it to the closed state.

2. In claim 1, The control unit A Western-style toilet apparatus characterized in that when the seating detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, automatic flushing is performed.

3. A toilet seat device comprising a toilet seat, a toilet lid, a toilet lid open / close detector that detects the opening and closing of the toilet lid, a toilet lid drive unit that opens and closes the toilet lid, a seat detector, and a toilet seat side controller, and which is attached to a Western-style toilet body for use, The basic operation of the toilet seat side control unit is as follows: When the seat detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, the toilet seat device controls the toilet lid drive unit to close the toilet lid and then open it, and after a certain period of time has passed since it became open, it closes the toilet lid, returning it to the closed state.

4. In claim 3, The toilet seat side control unit A toilet seat device characterized in that when the seat detection unit detects a change in state from seated to up, a flush command is output to the toilet body.

Images