Toilet seat unit

Abstract

To provide a toilet seat unit equipped with easily usable micro bubble generation means.SOLUTION: A toilet seat unit 100" in this invention comprises a toilet seat device 10VI and a branch metal fitting 33. The branch metal fitting 33 comprises a branch part for the water flow to branch to the toilet seat device 10VI and to a reservoir tank for reserving the water to be supplied to the toilet bowl 1, a housing part arranged at a joint on the side connected to a stop valve, and a micro bubble generation means 77 that is housed in the housing part and generates micro bubbles in the passing water. The toilet seat device 10VI comprises a nozzle assembly 59 that has a water discharge port 66 to shoot the water to the private part and an air pump 60 for further injecting bubbles into the water that contains the aforesaid micro bubbles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technique for improving the cleaning ability of a toilet bowl by generating fine bubbles in the water supplied to the toilet bowl in, for example, a flush toilet facility. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fine-bubble-containing water supply system in which a supply pipe that supplies water to the toilet bowl is branched, a fine-bubble generating means is attached that generates fine bubbles in the water, and the water from this fine-bubble generating means is used as water for flushing the toilet bowl. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

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

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a toilet seat unit equipped with an easily usable microbubble generating means. The purpose is to provide knitwear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The toilet seat unit of the present invention comprises a toilet seat device and a branch fitting, wherein the branch fitting comprises a branch section that branches the flow of water to the toilet seat device and a storage tank that stores water to be supplied to the toilet bowl, a storage section that is provided in the joint that is connected to the stop valve, and a micro-bubble generating means that is contained in the storage section and generates micro-bubbles in the water that passes through, and the toilet seat device comprises a nozzle that is provided with a water outlet for discharging water to the private parts, and a bubble containing means that further contains air bubbles in the water that has contained the micro-bubbles. [Effects of the Invention]

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

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a toilet seat unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet seat device as viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the process of attaching the main body to the toilet seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view of the main body with the upper casing removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the nozzle assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the upper part of the nozzle holder. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the microbubble generating means. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the outlet of the UFB nozzle. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the outlet of a modified UFB nozzle. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the outlet portion showing the vicinity of the protrusion. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path through which water flows in the toilet seat unit. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram comparing the results of cleaning using mist sprayed from the spray section in a toilet seat device configured with a micro-bubble generating means and a toilet seat device configured without a micro-bubble generating means. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram comparing the results of cleaning the nozzle body with water sprayed from the nozzle cleaning port in a toilet seat device configured with a micro-bubble generating means and a toilet seat device configured without a micro-bubble generating means. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a water conveying unit of a toilet seat unit showing a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the main body and the main body water supply port. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional schematic view of the main body water supply port and the water guide unit. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows in a toilet seat unit according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27]FIG. 13 is an enlarged top view of the main body of the toilet seat unit according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, with the upper part of the casing of the toilet seat device removed. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a water flow path diagram showing the path along which water flows. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A preferred embodiment of the toilet seat device of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

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

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

[0012] A plurality of convex seat legs 18 are arranged at intervals on the underside of the toilet seat 12. These legs come into direct contact with the upper surface of the toilet bowl 1 when the toilet seat 12 is tilted toward the toilet bowl 1, which is the in-use position. In this embodiment, the legs are arranged at four locations, on the front left and right and the rear left and right, as shown in FIG. 2, but this is just an example and the present invention is not limited to this. One of the seat legs 18 has a built-in mechanical seat switch 19 that serves as a seat occupancy detection means. When the seat leg 18 comes into contact with and is pressed against the toilet bowl 1, the seat switch 19 turns on, thereby detecting that the user is seated on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, the seat switch 19 is provided on one of the center front left and right seat legs 18 as shown in FIG. 2, but this is just an example and the present invention is not limited to this.

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

[0014] A so-called movable cleaning nozzle 25 is provided at the lower front of the casing 15. The cleaning nozzle 25, which corresponds to a nozzle device, is cylindrical and extends linearly along the front-rear direction of the main body 11, and is arranged to be reciprocally movable along the front-rear direction of the main body 11. One or more water discharge sections 66 (see FIG. 5) that discharge water as a cleaning liquid are provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the cleaning nozzle 25, and when the cleaning nozzle 25 is advanced to a position protruding from below the toilet seat 12, water is efficiently sprayed toward the private parts of a user seated on the toilet seat 12. In addition, a nozzle guard 26 that protrudes downward from the main body 11 is integrally formed on the main body underside 16, which forms the bottom of the casing 15, to protect the cleaning nozzle 25 housed within the casing 15 when the cleaning nozzle 25 is retracted to a position below the toilet seat 12. The cleaning nozzle 25 is preferably made of stainless steel to maintain cleanliness, but other materials may be used. In this embodiment, the water discharge section 66 is provided with a posterior cleansing water outlet 66a that sprays water onto a first private part of the user, and a bidet cleansing water outlet 66b that sprays water onto a second private part different from the first private part of the user, and these posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and bidet cleansing water outlet 66b are provided on the same cleansing nozzle 25. Note that the configuration of the cleansing nozzle 25 is one example, and the posterior cleansing water outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing water outlet 66b may each be provided on a dedicated cleansing nozzle 25, and multiple cleansing nozzles 25 may each be configured to be movable.

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

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, a mounting recess 41 is recessed upward in the main body underside 16. This mounting recess 41 has a front edge 41A that protrudes rearward so that a center portion 41T is positioned rearward compared to the left and right sides, and left and right edges 41L, 41R that extend rearward from the left and right ends of this front edge 41A. A rear opening 42 is formed between the rear ends of these left and right edges 41L, 41R. As shown in FIG. 3, a fixing plate 43 for fixing the main body 11 is fixed to the upper surface of the toilet rear section 3. The main body 11 is fixed to the toilet rear section 3 by aligning the rear opening 42 of the mounting recess 41 with this fixing plate 43 and sliding the main body 11 rearward to fit the fixing plate 43 into the mounting recess 41. Conversely, the main body 11 can be removed from the toilet rear section 3 by sliding the main body 11 forward and removing the fixing plate 43 from the mounting recess 41. In this way, the toilet rear section 3 is the mounting portion for the toilet 1 to which the main body 11 is attached.

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

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

[0019] The water stop mechanism 52 starts and stops the flow of water from the main body water inlet 31 to the flow path 51. In this embodiment, it is configured as an electromagnetic valve and can be turned on and off by an electrical signal. The pressure reduction mechanism 53 reduces and stabilizes the pressure of the passing water to a predetermined pressure, such as 0.1 to 0.15 MPa, and is provided so that water with stabilized water pressure can be supplied to the micro-bubble generating means 54. In this embodiment, the main body water inlet 31, water stop mechanism 52, and pressure reduction mechanism 53 are integrally formed into a unitized water conveyance unit 110, which is configured as the aforementioned electromagnetic valve. This allows the water stop mechanism 52 and pressure reduction mechanism 53 to be miniaturized and facilitates the attachment and replacement of the main body water inlet 31, water stop mechanism 52, and pressure reduction mechanism 53 to the main body 11. Therefore, the water conveyance unit 110 also functions as a valve device. This is just one example, and the water conveying unit 110 may be configured with, for example, a motor-driven valve, i.e., an electric valve whose power source is an electric valve such as a solenoid valve or a motor-driven valve. Also, the main body water inlet 31, the water stop mechanism 52, and the pressure reduction mechanism 53 may be formed separately, or the water conveying unit 110 may be configured with only one of the water stop mechanism 52 and the pressure reduction mechanism 53.

[0020] Switching valve 55 controls the water pressure of water flowing through flow path 51 to below a predetermined value, and includes inlet 55A for receiving water, outlet 55B for discharging water, overflow drain 55C, and drain pipe 55D connected to drain hole 16A provided in underside 16 of main body. When water flows into switching valve 55 from inlet 55A, if the pressure of the inflowing water is below a predetermined value, an overflow drain valve (not shown) built into switching valve 55 does not open, and the inflowing water is discharged directly from outlet 55B. On the other hand, if the pressure of the inflowing water exceeds the predetermined value, the overflow drain valve opens, and some of the water and gas that flowed into switching valve 55 is discharged from overflow drain 55C to drain pipe 55D and then discharged through drain hole 16A into bowl 2 of toilet 1. Thereafter, when the water pressure falls below a predetermined value, the overflow drain valve is closed, and the water that flowed in from inlet port 55A is again sent out directly from outlet port 55B. Switching valve 55 may be configured so that the overflow drain valve opens not only when the pressure of the water that has flowed into switching valve 55 exceeds a predetermined value, but also when the flow rate of the water exceeds a predetermined value.

[0021] Branching section 56 branches flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 that leads to jetting section 57 and a second flow path 51-2 that leads to nozzle assembly 59, and selectively sends water that has flowed into branching section 56 to either first flow path 51-1 or second flow path 51-2. In this embodiment, branching section 56 is configured with a solenoid valve, and has an inlet section 56A into which water flows, a first outlet section 56B that sends water to first flow path 51-1, a second outlet section 56C that sends water to second flow path 51-2, and a branching section main body 56D. The branching unit main body 56D is configured to selectively open / close the first delivery port 56B or the second delivery port 56C using an electrical signal, so that water flowing into the branching unit main body 56D from the inlet port 56A passes through the open first delivery port 56B or second delivery port 56C and is delivered to the first flow path 51-1 or the second flow path 51-2. Therefore, the branching unit 56 functions as a valve device. The branching unit 56 may be configured with an electrically operated valve, and either the first delivery port 56B or the second delivery port 56C may be configured to open / close, or both may be configured to open / close simultaneously.

[0022] Spout portion 57 discharges water flowing in from first flow path 51-1 into bowl portion 2 of toilet 1, causing the water to adhere to the inner wall, which is the inside surface of bowl portion 2, improving the removal of dirt during toilet flushing, and functions as a water outlet. In this embodiment, spout portion 57 has an atomization function that sprays the inflowing water as a mist M, and by atomizing the water, the mist M from spout portion 57 can be adhered to a wide area of ​​the inner wall of bowl portion 2. In this embodiment, spout portion 57 is fixed, but spout portion 57 may also be configured to oscillate so that it can spray water over an even wider area.

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

[0024] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a nozzle assembly 59 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, the configuration of the nozzle assembly 59 will be described. The nozzle assembly 59 includes a nozzle main body 62, a water supply cylinder 63, a nozzle motor 64, a water supply cylinder motor 65, and a nozzle holder 67. The nozzle main body 62 constitutes the main body of the nozzle assembly 59 and is formed in a linear cylindrical shape. A water supply cylinder storage section 62a extending linearly along the axial direction of the nozzle main body 62 is provided in the radial center of the nozzle main body 62. The nozzle main body 62 is also configured to be inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal, with the base end of the nozzle main body 62 positioned above and the tip end positioned below. Therefore, the nozzle main body 62 reciprocates along the front-to-rear direction at an angle with the base end positioned above and the tip end positioned below.

[0025] The tip surface of the nozzle main body 62 is closed. A water discharge portion 66 is provided on the peripheral surface of the tip of the nozzle main body 62, in this case, on the upper surface facing the buttocks of the user who will be resting on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, two water discharge portions 66 are provided: a posterior cleansing water discharge port 66a and a bidet cleansing water discharge port 66b, but the water discharge portion 66 may be provided with more than two discharge ports, or may be provided with only one. The posterior cleansing water discharge port 66a and the bidet cleansing water discharge port 66b each communicate with the tip of the water supply cylinder storage portion 62a.

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

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

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

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

[0030] The nozzle holder 67 holds the nozzle main body 62 so that it can move back and forth. As shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle holder 67 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than the outer periphery of the nozzle main body 62, and the nozzle main body 62 is configured to slide along an inner wall 67a of the nozzle holder 67 and move back and forth. A nozzle cleansing port 67b is provided in the inner wall 67a, and is configured to spray water onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the nozzle cleansing port 67b is provided at a position facing the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b, and in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the nozzle cleansing ports 67b are provided at positions on the inner wall 67a facing the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b, respectively. The length L3 between the nozzle cleansing ports 67b is formed to be substantially the same as the length L2 between the centers of the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b. Therefore, the water from the two nozzle cleansing ports 67b can efficiently remove dirt adhering to the periphery of the rear cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b. Also, like the nozzle main body 62, the nozzle holder 67 is configured to be angled obliquely with respect to the horizontal, with the base end of the nozzle main body 62 facing upward and the tip end facing downward, so that water sprayed from the nozzle cleansing port 67b flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip end of the nozzle main body 62 and down into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. Note that this configuration is one example, and the number and arrangement of the nozzle cleansing ports 67b are not limited to this configuration.

[0031] The nozzle assembly 59 is formed with a third flow path 51-3 that connects the water supply port 72 to the water discharge port 66 via the water supply cylinder 63, and a fourth flow path 51-4 that connects to the nozzle cleaning port 67b via the nozzle holder 67. A solenoid valve 95 (see FIG. 13) branches the second flow path 51-2 into the third flow path 51-3 and the fourth flow path 51-4. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 is configured to selectively send water flowing into the solenoid valve 95 to either the third flow path 51-3 or the fourth flow path 51-4 via an electric signal. Therefore, the solenoid valve 95 functions as a valve device. The solenoid valve 95 may also be configured as an electrically operated valve.

[0032] The air pump 60 injects gas into the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water flowing therein to contain air bubbles. When the water contains air bubbles due to the gas injection, the pressure inside the water supply cylinder 63 increases, which in turn increases the pressure of the water flowing through the third flow path 51-3, thereby increasing the force of the water discharged from the rear-cleaning water outlet 66a and the bidet-cleaning water outlet 66b. The outlet of the air pump 60 and the inside of the water supply cylinder 63 are connected via piping (not shown), which is configured to be connected approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the water supply cylinder 63. Therefore, when the air pump 60 is operating, gas is injected from the air pump 60 from a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow of water in the water supply cylinder 63, efficiently injecting gas into the water, allowing the water to contain air bubbles. Therefore, the air pump 60 functions as a bubble-injecting means for further incorporating air bubbles into the water flowing through the water supply cylinder 63, which already contains fine air bubbles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0039] Fine bubbles, such as microbubbles and ultrafine bubbles, are negatively charged. Therefore, they do not bond with each other but instead adsorb positively charged substances such as dirt. This reduces the surface tension of liquids containing the fine bubbles, such as water, improving cleaning effectiveness. When the fine bubbles are ultrafine, they can also adsorb odors because they are positively charged, improving deodorizing effectiveness. Furthermore, when the fine bubbles collapse on the surface of a solid, such as a contaminated surface, they generate a tiny jet stream, further improving cleaning effectiveness. For example, the calculated internal pressure of a fine bubble with a diameter of 100 nm is approximately 30 atm (30 atmospheres). Furthermore, because the specific surface area of ​​fine bubbles is very large, they also have the function of promoting fluidity and chemical reactions at the interface. When the fine bubbles collapse rapidly due to shock waves, energy is generated, generating free radicals and ozone. These free radicals and ozone attack bacteria and viruses in the water containing the fine bubbles, thereby sterilizing and disinfecting them. This effect is more pronounced as the diameter of the fine bubbles becomes smaller, and for example, ultra-fine ozone bubble water is particularly effective.

[0040] Ultrafine bubbles have a small particle size, allowing them to penetrate into intricate areas, and are effective in cleaning objects that cannot be removed by other fine bubbles such as microbubbles. Furthermore, ultrafine bubbles have nanometer-order particle sizes, which give them low buoyancy, and they are highly hydrophobic and difficult to dissolve in water, allowing them to remain in liquid for a long time.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the UFB nozzle 77 is provided downstream of the UFB lower case 76, inside the storage section 75a of the UFB upper case 75. The UFB nozzle 77 is attached while being sandwiched between the UFB lower case 76 and the UFB upper case 75. A seal member 78 is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner circumferential surface of the storage section 75a. The seal member 78 is formed, for example, by an O-ring made of synthetic resin. The outer circumferential surface of the UFB nozzle 77 and the inner circumferential surface of the storage section 75a press the seal member 78, thereby connecting the UFB nozzle 77 and the storage section 75a in a watertight manner.

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

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

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

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

[0046] As shown in Fig. 9, the collision portion 88 divides the hollow portion 87 into a plurality of portions (three in Fig. 9) in the radial direction relative to the center of the hollow portion 87 along the direction in which water flows. In other words, the hollow portion 87 is divided into three hollow portions 87d as the water passes through the collision portion 88. The collision portion 88 is composed of, for example, three rod-shaped protrusions 89, which protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the straight portion 87b toward the inside of the hollow portion 87. In this embodiment, the protrusions 89 protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the straight portion 87b toward the center of the cross section of the hollow portion 87. The protrusions 89 are connected at their tips to form a generally Y-shape.

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

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

[0049] The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the upstream wall portion 89a may be a triangle that is pointed toward the upstream side. The expanded diameter portion 89b is connected to the upstream wall portion 89a and is formed so as to expand in a substantially linear manner from the upstream side to the downstream side. The expanded diameter portion 89b is not limited to a linear expansion, but may also be configured so as to expand in a curved manner. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 is smaller on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the direction of water flow within the hollow portion 87. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 89 changes smoothly in the direction of water flow within the hollow portion 87.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0059] Water flowing into the micro-bubble generating means 54 flows into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77 via the case body 76a of the UFB lower case 76. When water flows into the upstream side of the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is narrowed by the throttle portion 87a, which is formed to gradually reduce the inner diameter. This narrows the flow path based on the so-called Bernoulli's principle of fluid dynamics. This increases the water flow velocity and reduces the pressure around the water, resulting in cavitation. The high-speed water then collides with the collision portion 88, generating a shear force. This, along with the negative pressure generated in a negative-pressure region (e.g., −1.0 MPa or less) near the downstream end face of the collision portion 88, breaks down the gas contained in the water, generating micro-bubbles. As a result, the UFB nozzle 77 precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as micro-bubbles, thereby supplying water containing a larger amount of micro-bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77. In this embodiment, when water with a water pressure of 0.15 MPa flows into the UFB nozzle 77, the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 is doped with UFB for 10 minutes. 5 / ml or more.

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

[0061] Water that flows from inlet 56A of branch 56 into branch body 56D flows through open first outlet 56B into first flow path 51-1. Thereafter, water that flows through first flow path 51-1 into outlet 57 is converted into atomized mist M by outlet 57 and sprayed into bowl 2 of toilet 1. By releasing water containing fine bubbles into bowl 2 in this way, the inner wall of bowl 2 is wetted, making it less likely for dirt to adhere to the inner wall; further, water containing fine bubbles improves the cleaning effect and can be used to sterilize and disinfect, so the inner wall of bowl 2 can be kept clean.

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

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

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

[0065] Water that flows into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected fourth flow path 51-4, and the water that flows through the fourth flow path 51-4 into the nozzle cleansing outlet 67b is sprayed from the nozzle cleansing outlet 67b toward the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b, flows along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62 toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and falls into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles is sprayed toward the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b, efficiently removing dirt adhering to the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b. Note that the nozzle main body 62 may be moved back and forth at this time to spray water containing fine bubbles onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62, thereby removing dirt from a wide area on the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0066] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory unit 92 and the timing signal from the timer unit 93, that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, such as one minute, it controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51 and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second outlet 56C. When water no longer flows into the flow path 51 from the main body water supply port 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water spraying from the nozzle cleansing outlet 67b also stops. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the settings stored in the memory unit 92, water is sprayed from the nozzle cleansing outlet 67b to the posterior cleansing outlet 66a and the bidet cleansing outlet 66b for a predetermined time a predetermined number of times per predetermined period. Note that the user may be able to set the predetermined number of times per predetermined period for spraying water and the predetermined time for spraying water from the nozzle cleansing outlet 67b, for example, via the main body operation unit 21.

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

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

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

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

[0071] The water flowing into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, pressure reduction mechanism 53, micro-bubble generator 54, and switching valve 55 in this order, flows into the branching unit 56 from the inlet 56A, into the branching unit main body 56D, and then flows through the opened second outlet 56C into the second flow path 51-2. When the water flows into the heating unit 58, the heater 58a is energized and ON. Therefore, the heater 58a heats the water as it passes through the heating unit 58, instantly raising the water temperature. The output setting of the heater 58a may be configured to be user-configurable, for example, via the main body operation unit 21, allowing the user to adjust the water temperature after heating by the heater 58a. The water that has passed through the heating unit 58 flows into the nozzle assembly 59 along the second flow path 51-2.

[0072] The water that flows into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. If the force of the water discharged from the posterior cleansing outlet 66a is set to be increased, gas such as air is discharged from the air pump 60 into the water supply cylinder 63, and the gas is injected into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, causing the water to contain more air bubbles. This increases the water pressure and thus the water force. In this way, the force of the water discharged from the water discharger 66 can be adjusted. The water force is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60. However, the water force may be set by the user via, for example, the main body operation unit 21. Alternatively, the control unit 91 may be configured to repeatedly turn the air pump 60 on and off in short cycles, thereby performing rhythmic cleansing, automatically repeating in short cycles a soft water flow with a gentle impact, without injected air, and a water flow with increased force due to injected air.

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

[0074] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93, that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, it controls the air pump 60 to turn off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water no longer flows into the flow path 51 from the main body water inlet 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51 and water discharge from the posterior washing water discharge outlet 66a also stops. The control unit 91 then drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 to retract the tip of the nozzle main body 62 to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

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

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

[0077] The water that flows into the solenoid valve 95 of the nozzle assembly 59 flows into the selected third flow path 51-3 and into the water supply cylinder 63. If the water pressure from the bidet flush outlet 66b is set to be increased, the air pump 60 discharges gas such as air into the water supply cylinder 63, injects the gas into the water flowing in the water supply cylinder 63, and the water contains more air bubbles. This increases the water pressure, thereby increasing the water pressure. The water pressure is adjusted by the control unit 91 controlling the air pump 60. Alternatively, the water pressure may be set by the user via the main unit operation unit 21. Alternatively, the control unit 91 may control the air pump 60 to repeatedly turn on and off in short cycles, thereby performing a rhythmic flush that automatically and repeatedly alternates between a soft, gentle water flow without injected air and a more powerful water flow with injected air.

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

[0079] Thereafter, when the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93, that water has flowed into the flow path 51 for a predetermined time, it controls the air pump 60 to turn off, controls the water stop mechanism 52 to stop the flow of water into the flow path 51, and controls the branch unit 56 to close the second delivery unit 56C. When water no longer flows into the flow path 51 from the main body water inlet 31, water stops flowing through the flow path 51, and water discharge from the bidet wash water discharge outlet 66b also stops. The control unit 91 then drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 to retract the tip of the nozzle main body 62 to the storage position, which is a position near the nozzle holder 67.

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

[0081] (Comparative Experiment 1) Water containing chlorine was sprayed onto a resin plate and then dried, creating a pseudo-chlorine-containing coating on the resin plate. The resin plate with the chlorine-containing coating was then cleaned (1) with mist M sprayed from the spray unit 57 of the toilet seat device 10, and (2) with mist M sprayed from the spray unit 57 of a toilet seat device not equipped with the microbubble generating means 54, and each resin plate was measured using an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA).

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

[0083] (Comparative Experiment 2) The nozzle body 62 was cleaned by continuously flowing (1) water containing fine bubbles and (2) tap water from the nozzle flushing port 67, and the degree of sterilization after cleaning was measured. FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of flushing water and the sterilization value, which is a numerical value indicating the sterilization rate. As shown in FIG. 16, both the flushing method (1) and the flushing method (2) were found to be effective at 200 ml or more. Furthermore, the flushing method (2) suppressed more than 99% of bacteria after two minutes of flushing, while the flushing method (1) suppressed more than 99% of bacteria after one minute of flushing. Therefore, while both the flushing method (1) and the flushing method (2) were effective to a certain extent, the flushing method (1) was found to be more effective than the flushing method (2), confirming the superiority of the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment.

[0084] As described above, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a nozzle assembly 59 as a nozzle provided with a water discharge section 66 as a water outlet for spraying water toward the user's private parts, a jet section 57 as a water outlet for releasing water into the bowl section 2 of the toilet 1, a UFB nozzle 77 of the micro-bubble generating means 54 that generates micro-bubbles in the water passing through, and an air pump 60 as a bubble-containing means that further contains air bubbles in the water that has flowed out of the micro-bubble generating means 54.

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

[0086] Furthermore, in the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment, a flow path 51 is formed to supply water to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting portion 57 from the main body water inlet 31, which serves as a water inlet for the toilet seat device 10, and a branching portion 56 is provided to branch the flow path 51 into a first flow path 51-1 that supplies water to the jetting portion 57 and a second flow path 51-2 that supplies water to the nozzle assembly 59, and the UFB nozzle 77 of the micro-bubble generating means 54 is configured to be provided in the flow path 51 upstream of the branching portion 56. Therefore, water in which micro-bubbles have been generated by the UFB nozzle 77 can be made to flow into the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2, and micro-bubbles can be contained in both the nozzle assembly 59 and the water used in the jetting portion 57 without providing UFB nozzles 77 in each of the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2.

[0087] Furthermore, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a control unit 91 as a control means for controlling the air pump 60. Therefore, for example, by controlling the air pump 60 to repeatedly inject and stop gas injection at short intervals when it is operating, and implementing a rhythmic wash that varies the strength of the water ejected from the water ejection unit 66, water can be gently applied to the user's private parts from the water ejection unit 66, and dirt from the user's private parts can be reliably removed.

[0088] 17 and 18 show a modified example of the first embodiment. In this modified example, a water conveying unit 110' is provided with a micro-bubble generating means 54'.

[0089] Referring to Figure 17, the water conveying unit 110' is a unit formed by integrating the main water supply port 31, water stop mechanism 52, pressure reduction mechanism 53 and fine bubble generating means 54', and the water discharge portion of the pressure reduction mechanism 53 of the water conveying unit 110 is pressed into the storage section 75a instead of the UFB lower case 76, and the discharge portion of the pressure reduction mechanism 53, UFB nozzle 77 and UFB upper case 75 are arranged coaxially from upstream of the flow path 51, with each part in tight contact with the others to prevent water from leaking between the parts.

[0090] With this configuration, water can be made to flow from the discharge port of the pressure reducing mechanism 53 into the hollow portion 87 of the UFB nozzle 77, which then precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as fine bubbles, thereby supplying water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the UFB nozzle 77, and the water that has flowed into the hollow portion 82 of the UFB upper case 75 can be discharged from the mounting portion 75c via the case main body 75b. Furthermore, by integrally forming the main body water inlet 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generation means 54' into a unit, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generation means 54' can be made smaller, and the main body water inlet 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, and the fine bubble generation means 54' can be easily attached to and replaced in the main body 11. [Example]

[0091] 19 to 21 show a second embodiment of a toilet seat device 10' of the present invention. This embodiment does not have a fine bubble generating means 54, and has a UFB nozzle 77 provided in a main body water supply port 31'.

[0092] Referring to Figures 19 to 21, the main water supply port 31' is provided with a storage section for accommodating the UFB nozzle 77, and by attaching the main water supply port 31' housing the UFB nozzle 77 to the water intake section of the water stop mechanism 52, i.e., the water intake section of the water conveying unit 110", the main water supply port 31', the UFB nozzle 77, and the water intake section of the water stop mechanism 52 are arranged coaxially from the upstream of the flow path 51 in this order, with each part being in tight contact with the other parts to prevent water from leaking between them. Therefore, the main water supply port 31' also functions as a micro-bubble generating means.

[0093] With this configuration, water at high water pressure before pressure reduction can be supplied to the UFB nozzle 77, and as the water passes through the UFB nozzle 77, the water pressure load on the UFB nozzle 77 can be increased, causing a greater amount of air dissolved in the water to precipitate as fine bubbles, increasing the concentration of fine bubbles. Also, because the UFB nozzle 77 is provided in the main water inlet 31' rather than inside the casing 15, the configuration inside the casing 15 can be simplified and the casing 15 can be made smaller. [Example]

[0094] 22 shows a third embodiment of a toilet seat device 10" of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toilet seat device 10" is configured to be provided with two or more micro-bubble generating means. Referring to this figure, the toilet seat device 10" of this embodiment adopts the main body water inlet 31' of the second embodiment in the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment, and is provided with two or more micro-bubble generating means, the main body water inlet 31' and the micro-bubble generating means 54. As a result, the main body water inlet 31' precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 as micro-bubbles, and the micro-bubble generating means 54 further breaks down the micro-bubbles contained in the water passing through the UFB nozzle 77 through cavitation, and the air dissolved in the water is further precipitated as micro-bubbles. Therefore, with this configuration, the micro-bubbles contained in the water discharged from the water discharger 66 and the micro-bubbles contained in the mist M sprayed out from the spraying portion 57 can be further broken down, and the concentration of micro-bubbles can be increased. [Example]

[0095] FIG. 23 shows the toilet seat device 10 of the present invention. III 1 shows a fourth embodiment of the toilet seat device 10 of the present invention. In this embodiment, a micro-bubble generating means 54 is provided in each of the first flow path 51-1 and the second flow path 51-2. Referring to the same figure, III In this example, a micro-bubble generating means 54 is provided in a first flow path 51-1, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the jetting portion 57, and a micro-bubble generating means 54 is also provided in a second flow path 51-2, which is the flow path 51 between the branching portion 56 and the nozzle assembly 59, downstream of the heating unit 58 in this embodiment. Note that the micro-bubble generating means 54 may also be provided upstream of the heating unit 58 in the second flow path 51-2.

[0096] This configuration allows for micro-bubble generating means 54, i.e., UFB nozzle 77, with different performance characteristics, such as the size, amount, and concentration of the generated micro-bubbles. For example, the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water of mist M sprayed from spraying portion 57 can be configured to differ from the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water discharged from water discharge portion 66. For example, since spraying portion 57 sprays water into bowl portion 2 of toilet 1, the concentration of micro-bubbles can be increased to improve the cleaning effect, and since water is discharged from water discharge portion 66 toward the user's private parts, the concentration of micro-bubbles can be lowered to provide a milder cleansing effect. [Example]

[0097] FIG. 24 shows a fifth embodiment of a toilet seat unit 100′ of the present invention. In this embodiment, a UFB nozzle 77 is provided on a branch fitting 33′ used in the toilet seat unit 100′. Referring to FIG. 24, the fitting of the branch fitting 33′ that connects to the stop valve WV is provided with a housing for accommodating the UFB nozzle 77. Connecting the branch fitting 33′ housing the UFB nozzle 77 to the stop valve WV prevents water from leaking between the fitting and the stop valve WV. This configuration increases the concentration of microbubbles contained in the water flowing through the flow path 51 of the toilet seat device 10 connected to the branch fitting 33′, further improving the cleaning effect. Furthermore, because microbubbles are also contained in the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33′ via the tank water supply hose, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use is improved. Therefore, the UFB nozzle 77 on the branch fitting 33′ functions as an externally mounted microbubble generating device. It is also possible to accommodate a UFB nozzle 77 in the joint that connects the branch fitting 33' to the water supply hose 32, thereby achieving the same effect as the toilet seat apparatus 10' of the second embodiment. [Example]

[0098] FIG. 25 shows a sixth embodiment of a toilet seat unit 100″ of the present invention. In this embodiment, only the branch fitting 33′ is provided with a UFB nozzle 77, and the toilet seat device 10 IVExplaining with reference to the same figure, the joint that connects to the stop valve WV of the branch fitting 33' is provided with a housing portion that houses the UFB nozzle 77, as in the fifth embodiment, and the UFB nozzle 77 is housed in the housing portion. On the other hand, the toilet seat device 10 IV In the example shown in FIG. 1, the flow path 51 is not provided with the micro-bubble generating means 54 or the UFB nozzle 77 that serves as the micro-bubble generating section, and the toilet seat 100" does not include the UFB nozzle 77. Even with this configuration, water containing micro-bubbles generated by the branch fitting 33' can be supplied to the nozzle assembly 59 and the jetting section 57, and can be used not only for washing the bowl section 2, but also for washing the user's private parts and for washing the nozzle assembly 59. Furthermore, since micro-bubbles are also contained in the water stored in the storage tank from the branch fitting 33' via the tank water supply hose, the cleaning effect of the water flushed after use can be improved. Normally, branch fittings are sold, distributed, etc. as part of a toilet seat unit integrated with a toilet seat device. Therefore, by using the branch fitting 33' with the UFB nozzle 77 provided as a toilet seat unit 100", the toilet seat device 10 IV The toilet seat device 10 of the conventional configuration does not have the fine bubble generating means 54, i.e., the UFB nozzle 77. IV Even so, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. [Example]

[0099] FIG. 26 shows the toilet seat unit 100 of the present invention. III In this embodiment, the hot water storage type toilet seat device 10 VThe present invention is applied to a water supply system for a water heater. Referring to the same figure, the configuration of the flow path 51 will be described. The flow path 51' is mainly formed by the main water supply port 31, the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reducing mechanism 53, the fine bubble generating means 54, the tank 96, the motor-operated valve 97, the jetting portion 57, the heating unit 58, and the nozzle assembly 59'. As will be described later, the flow path 51' has a fifth flow path 51-5, a sixth flow path 51-6, and a seventh flow path 51-7. Specifically, the flow path 51' is formed so as to branch into the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, and the seventh flow path 51-7 by the motor-operated valve 97.

[0100] The tank 96 stores water flowing in from the micro-bubble generating means 54, heats the stored water to raise its temperature, and supplies the heated water to the motor-operated valve 97. The tank 96 functions as a heating unit that heats the water flowing through the flow path 51'. The tank 96 in this embodiment also has a valve that starts and stops the flow of stored water into the flow path 51', functioning as a water stop device that starts and stops the flow of water into the flow path 51'. In this embodiment, the valve is an electric valve controlled by an electrical signal from the control unit 91, but this is merely an example. Water that cannot be contained in the tank 96, such as water that overflows when the tank 96 is full, is sent to the drain pipe 96A and is discharged via the drain pipe 96A through the drain hole 16A into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. The tank 96 may also be configured with a pump that sends water from the tank 96 to the motor-operated valve 97.

[0101] The motor-operated valve 97 branches the flow path 51' into a fifth flow path 51-5 leading to the jetting portion 57, a sixth flow path 51-6 leading to the water discharge portion 66 of the nozzle assembly 59', and a seventh flow path 51-7 leading to the nozzle cleaning port 67b of the nozzle assembly 59', and selectively sends the water that flows into the motor-operated valve 97 to the fifth flow path 51-5, the sixth flow path 51-6, or the seventh flow path 51-7. Therefore, the motor-operated valve 97 has the same function as the branching portion 56. The motor-operated valve 97 in this embodiment is configured as a motor-driven valve driven by a stepping motor, but this is just one example. In this embodiment, the micro-bubble generating means 54 is provided upstream of the tank 96 in the flow path 51', but this is not limited to this and it may also be provided upstream of the electric valve 97 downstream of the tank 96.As explained in the previous embodiments, the micro-bubble generating means 54 may be provided in the water guide unit 110 or the branch fitting 33, or multiple micro-bubble generating means 54 may be provided.

[0102] Next, the toilet seat device 10 V The operation of the flow path 51' will now be described. When the control unit 91 controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51', the water that has flowed into the flow path 51 passes through the water stop mechanism 52, the pressure reduction mechanism 53, and the micro-bubble generating means 54, in that order, before flowing into the tank 96. Because the valve of the tank 96 is not open, water containing micro-bubbles is stored in the tank 96 through the UFB nozzle 77. The tank 96 also heats the water while storing it, raising its temperature to a predetermined level. In this way, water containing micro-bubbles is stored in the tank 96 and raised to a predetermined level. Any water that cannot be accommodated in the tank 96 is sent to the drain pipe 96A and discharged through the drain hole 16A into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1.

[0103] The control unit 91 may store in the storage unit 92 settings for the timing at which water is to start flowing into the flow path 51', such as a predetermined time or an interval since the water stop mechanism 52 last stopped water flowing into the flow path 51', and settings for the time from when the water stop mechanism 52 started to flow into the flow path 51' to when it stopped, and control the water stop mechanism 52 to automatically start / stop the flow of water into the flow path 51' based on the settings stored in the storage unit 92 and a timing signal from the timing unit 93. The control unit 91 may also be configured so that the start / stop of water flowing into the flow path 51' can be set and operated by a user, for example, via the main body operation unit 21. The water stop mechanism 52 may also be configured to start water flowing into the flow path 51' when the valve of the tank 96 is opened. In this case, the control unit 91 may correspond the time at which the water stop mechanism 52 starts to flow water into the flow path 51' to the time the valve of the tank 96 was open, and control the water stop mechanism 52 so that the amount of water flowing into the flow path 51' by the water stop mechanism 52 corresponds to the amount of water flowing out of the tank 96.

[0104] Thereafter, the control unit 91 controls each component to release water containing fine bubbles from the jetting unit 57, the water discharge unit 66, and the nozzle cleaning port 67b at the timing described above in the first embodiment. For example, when the toilet seat lid 13 is closed, the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory means 92 and the timing signal from the timing means 93, that a predetermined time has passed since the previous mist M was sprayed and no water has been sprayed from the jetting unit 57, and there has been an interval, and controls the motor-operated valve 97 to select the fifth flow path 51-5, and also controls the tank 96 to open its valve.

[0105] Water that flows from inside tank 96 into motor-operated valve 97 flows into the selected fifth flow path 51-5. The water then flows through fifth flow path 51-5 into jetting portion 57, where it is turned into atomized mist M and jetted into bowl portion 2 of toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles at a predetermined temperature is released into bowl portion 2.

[0106] Furthermore, for example, when the toilet seat lid 13 is closed, if the control unit 91 determines, based on the settings stored in the memory unit 92 and the timing signal from the timer unit 93, that water has not been sprayed from the nozzle flushing outlet 67b for a predetermined period of time, it controls the motor-operated valve 97 to select the seventh flow path 51-7 and also controls the tank 96 to open its valve. Water flowing from the tank 96 into the motor-operated valve 97 flows into the selected seventh flow path 51-7. The water then flows through the seventh flow path 51-7 into the nozzle flushing outlet 67b of the nozzle assembly 59. The water is then sprayed from the nozzle flushing outlet 67b toward the rear-cleaning outlet 66a and the bidet-cleaning outlet 66b, along the inner wall 67a and the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62, toward the tip of the nozzle main body 62, and down into the bowl 2 of the toilet 1. In this way, water containing fine bubbles at a predetermined temperature is sprayed onto the outer surface of the nozzle main body 62.

[0107] Furthermore, for example, when the toilet seat cover 13 is open and the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the seat legs 18 come into contact with and are pressed against the toilet bowl 1, turning on the seat switch 19. Then, when the user selects, for example, the "butt button" or "bidet button" on the main unit operation unit 21, an operation signal from the main unit operation unit 21 is sent to the control unit 91. Upon receiving this operation signal, the control unit 91 drives and controls the nozzle motor 64 so that the nozzle main body 62 advances to a set position. The control unit 91 then controls the motor-operated valve 97 to select the sixth flow path 51-6 and controls the tank 96 to open its valve. Water flowing from the tank 96 into the motor-operated valve 97 flows into the selected sixth flow path 51-6. The water then flows through the sixth flow path 51-6 into the water discharger 66 via the water supply cylinder 63 of the nozzle assembly 59 and is discharged from the water discharger 66. In this way, water containing fine bubbles at a predetermined temperature is discharged from the water discharger 66. [Example]

[0108] 27 and 28 show the toilet seat device 10 of the present invention. VI 8 shows the eighth embodiment of the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment. VIThe water purifier is configured to further incorporate air bubbles into the water containing fine air bubbles flowing through the first flow path 51-1, and is equipped with a deodorizing function adding mechanism 111 that adds aromatic components and / or deodorizing components to the incorporated air bubbles.

[0109] FIG. 27 shows an enlarged top view of the main body 11 with the upper casing portion 17 removed. Referring to FIG. 27, the deodorizing function adding mechanism 111 injects gas containing aromatic and / or deodorizing components into the first flow path 51-1 to further incorporate air bubbles. The mechanism 111 includes an air pump 112, a component adding section 113, and a pipe 114 that connects the air pump 112 to the first flow path 51-1. The air pump 112 sends gas into the first flow path 51-1. The air pump 112 is electrically connected to the output port of the control section 91, which has the function of outputting a control signal to the air pump 112. While the air pump 112 in this embodiment is a diaphragm pump, this is merely an example, and other types of pumps may be used. The air pump 112 may also be configured to draw in air from outside the casing 15. For this purpose, the air pump 112 may have an intake section provided in the casing 15. In this embodiment, the air pump 112 is provided separately from the air pump 60, but the air pump 112 and the air pump 60 may be configured as an integrated unit, or the air pump 112 and the air pump 60 may be configured as the same air pump, with the piping 114 branched and connected to the first flow path 51-1 and the third flow path 51-3, respectively.

[0110] Component addition section 113 adds aromatic components and / or deodorizing components to the gas flowing through air pump 112. In this embodiment, component addition section 113 is formed integrally with air pump 112, but air pump 112 and component addition section 113 may be formed separately. Alternatively, a lid that can be opened and closed may be provided on the storage section for aromatic components and / or deodorizing components in component addition section 113, and this lid may be configured to be attached to casing 15, allowing the user to replenish or replace the aromatic components or deodorizing components themselves.

[0111] The piping 114 is connected between the discharge portion of the air pump 112 and the first flow path 51-1, and guides the gas discharged from the discharge portion of the air pump 112 into the first flow path 51-1. The piping 114 is configured to be connected approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the first flow path 51-1, and when the air pump 112 is operating, the gas from the air pump 112 is injected from a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow of water in the first flow path 51-1, so that the gas is efficiently injected into the water and the water can contain air bubbles. In the first flow path 51-1, the piping 114 is preferably connected near the ejection portion 57.

[0112] FIG. 28 shows the toilet seat unit 100 of this embodiment. IV 1 is a flow path diagram showing the main paths along which water flows in the toilet seat device 10. VI To explain the operation of the control unit 91, when water is to be sprayed from the spray unit 57, as described above in the first embodiment, the control unit 91 controls the branch unit 56 to open the first delivery unit 56B, and also controls the water stop mechanism 52 to start the inflow of water into the flow path 51. The control unit 91 also controls the air pump 112 to be driven.

[0113] When air pump 112 is driven and gas is taken into air pump 112 from the intake section, component addition section 113 adds aromatic components and deodorizing components to this gas. The gas to which aromatic components and deodorizing components have been added then flows from the discharge section of air pump 112 through piping 114 into first flow path 51-1. Note that deodorizing function adding mechanism 111 may be configured so that component addition section 113 can be set to add / not add aromatic components and deodorizing components to the gas, and may also be configured so that this setting can be performed by the user.

[0114] The water that flows into flow path 51 passes through water stop mechanism 52, pressure reducing mechanism 53, fine-bubble generating means 54, and switching valve 55 in this order, flows from inlet 56A of branching section 56 into branching section main body 56D, and then flows through the opened first outlet 56B into first flow path 51-1. Then, the gas containing the aromatic and / or deodorizing components that has flowed into first flow path 51-1 is injected into the water containing fine bubbles flowing through first flow path 51-1, causing the water to contain bubbles of the gas containing the aromatic and / or deodorizing components. The water containing the fine bubbles and the gas containing the aromatic and / or deodorizing components then flows into jetting section 57, where it is converted into mist M and sprayed into bowl 2 of toilet 1. In this way, the mist M can be given a cleaning effect due to the fine bubbles, as well as a fragrance effect and a deodorizing effect due to the fragrance components and deodorizing components, and after the fine bubbles of the mist M adsorb and deodorize the odor inside the bowl section 2, the fragrance effect and the deodorizing components of the mist M can be given.

[0115] As described above, the toilet seat device 10 of this embodiment VI In the present invention, deodorizing function adding mechanism 111 as a bubble containing means has component adding section 113 as a deodorizing function adding means that adds fragrant components and / or deodorizing components to the contained bubbles. Therefore, mist M sprayed from spraying section 57 can be imparted with the fragrant effect and deodorizing effect of the fragrant components and deodorizing components in addition to the cleaning effect of the fine bubbles.

[0116] In addition, the deodorizing function adding mechanism 111 of this embodiment is configured to contain gas to which aromatic components and deodorizing components have been added in the first flow path 51-1 that supplies water to the spraying portion 57, and after the fine bubbles of the mist M adsorb and deodorize the odor in the bowl portion 2, the aromatic components and deodorizing components of the mist M can impart an aromatic effect and a deodorizing effect.

[0117] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the first to eighth embodiments and their modifications, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the first flow path 51-1 of the toilet seat device 10 of the first embodiment may be further configured to include a micro-bubble generating means 54, or the cleaning effect may be improved by increasing only the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water passing through the first flow path 51-1. Furthermore, the components and numerical values ​​used in the first to eighth embodiments and their modifications may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1 toilet 10 VI Toilet seat device 31 Main body water inlet (water inlet) 33 Branch fitting 51 Flow path 51-1 First channel 51-2 Second Channel 56 Branch 57 Spout part (water outlet) 59 Nozzle assembly (nozzle) 60 Air pump (air bubble containing means) 66 Water outlet (water outlet) 77 UFB nozzle (means for generating fine bubbles) 85 Entrance 86 Exit section 87 Hollow part 88 Collision part 89 Protrusion 91 Control unit (control means) 100" toilet seat unit 111 Deodorizing function adding mechanism (bubble containing means) 113 Component adding unit (deodorizing function adding means)

Claims

1. A toilet seat device and a branch fitting are provided, The branch fitting is a branching section for branching the flow of water to the toilet seat device and a storage tank for storing water to be supplied to the toilet bowl; A housing portion provided on a joint connected to the stop valve; a microbubble generating means accommodated in the accommodation portion and generating microbubbles in the water passing through the accommodation portion, The toilet seat device is a nozzle provided with a water outlet for discharging water to the private parts; A toilet seat unit comprising: a bubble-containing means for further adding bubbles to the water containing the fine bubbles.

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

3. a flow path is formed for supplying water from a water supply port to the toilet seat device to the nozzle and a water outlet for discharging water into the toilet bowl; 2. The toilet seat unit according to claim 1, further comprising a branching portion that branches the flow path into a first flow path that supplies the water to the water outlet and a second flow path that supplies the water to the nozzle.

4. The toilet seat unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bubble-containing means has a deodorizing function-adding means for adding an aromatic component and / or a deodorizing component to the contained bubbles.

5. 4. The toilet seat unit according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling the air bubble containing means.

6. 4. The toilet seat unit according to claim 3, wherein the air bubble containing means contains the air bubbles in the water flowing through a first flow path that supplies the water to the water outlet.

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