Sanitary cleaning equipment

Abstract

This sanitary washing apparatus comprises a washing nozzle that ejects washing water to wash a human body, a washing water flow path provided between a supply source and the washing nozzle to cause the washing water from the supply source to flow to the washing nozzle, and a flow rate switching mechanism that supplies the washing water from the supply source to the washing water path. The sanitary washing apparatus further comprises a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate of the washing water through the washing water path, a heat exchanger provided upstream of the washing nozzle to heat the washing water, and a control unit that controls the flow rate switching mechanism, the flow rate sensor, and the heat exchanger. The control unit controls the flow rate switching mechanism such that the flow rate is reduced as the washing water begins to hit the human body and is then gradually increased. Consequently, it is possible to provide a sanitary washing apparatus capable of achieving washing without causing discomfort to the user.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a sanitary cleaning device. [Background technology]

[0002] This type of sanitary cleaning equipment heats the cleaning water used to wash the human body to an appropriate temperature using a heat exchanger.

[0003] Conventionally, a hot water tank was installed in the flow path of the cleaning water, the water stored in the hot water tank was heated to a suitable temperature with an electric heater, and kept warm in the hot water tank. When the sanitary cleaning device was used, the warm water in the warmed hot water tank was supplied to the cleaning nozzle and sprayed.

[0004] However, this method had the drawback of consuming a large amount of electrical energy to maintain the temperature of the hot water in the tank.

[0005] Therefore, in recent years, a method has been adopted in which the supplied cleaning water is instantly heated to a target temperature (set temperature) by a heater in a heat exchanger, and the heated cleaning water is supplied to the cleaning nozzle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0006] This system does not involve preheating the cleaning water and storing it in a hot water tank, then releasing it from the tank for cleaning. Instead, it heats the cleaning water passing through the heat exchanger to a predetermined temperature, and then sprays out the heated cleaning water. This configuration allows for energy savings. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-303181 [Overview of the Initiative]

[0008] However, depending on the user's preference for cleaning strength, the initial flow rate applied to the body may result in a cleaning strength that is unintended by some users.

[0009] This disclosure provides a sanitary cleaning device that can achieve cleaning without causing discomfort to the user.

[0010] The sanitary cleaning device in this disclosure includes a cleaning nozzle that discharges cleaning water to clean the human body, a cleaning water channel provided between the supply source and the cleaning nozzle to circulate the cleaning water from the supply source to the cleaning nozzle, and a supply water channel that supplies cleaning water from the supply source to the cleaning water channel. Flow rate switching mechanism It is equipped with a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the cleaning water in the cleaning water channel, and a heat exchanger provided upstream of the cleaning nozzle for heating the cleaning water. Flow rate switching mechanism It comprises a flow sensor, a heat exchanger, and a control unit that controls them. The control unit reduces the initial flow rate of the washing water when it comes into contact with the human body and gradually increases the flow rate. Flow rate switching mechanism The control unit controls the flow rate switching mechanism. Furthermore, the flow rate switching mechanism uses a stepping motor. In addition, when the control unit rotates the flow rate switching mechanism in the same direction as the rotational drive, the drive standby time T is set. stpm When a flow rate switching mechanism is reversed, the drive standby time T stpm Reduced drive standby time T stpm(diff) This will be set.

[0011] The sanitary cleaning device described in this disclosure can provide a sanitary cleaning device that can achieve cleaning without causing discomfort to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] External perspective view of the sanitary cleaning device in Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] External perspective view of the main components of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 3] Plan view of the main body of the sanitary cleaning device with the front and rear covers removed. [Figure 4] Perspective view of the main body of the sanitary cleaning device with the front cover removed. [Figure 5]Perspective view of the main body of the sanitary cleaning device with the rear cover removed [Figure 6] Perspective view of the base part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 11] Perspective view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 12] Perspective view of the main part showing the damper mechanism of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 13] Perspective view of the main part showing the damper mechanism of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 14] Cross-sectional view of the main part showing the damper mechanism of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 15] Perspective view of the main part showing the seating detection part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 16] Perspective view of the main part showing the seating detection part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 17] Perspective view of the main part showing the seating detection part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 18] Perspective view of the back of the main body of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 19] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 20] Perspective view of the main part in the state where the toilet lid is open of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 21] Perspective view of the main part in the state where the toilet lid is open of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 22] Perspective view of the main part with the front cover removed of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 23] Cross-sectional view of the main part around the sleeve operation part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 24] Perspective view of the sleeve operation part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 25] Exploded perspective view of the sleeve operation part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 26] Cross-sectional view of the sleeve operation part of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 27] Cross-sectional view around the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device [Figure 28] Perspective view of the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 29] Cross-sectional view of the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 30] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 31] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 32] Cross-sectional view of the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 33] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 34] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 35] Cross-sectional view of the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 36] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 37] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum breaker in the water supply unit of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 38] Perspective view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 39] Perspective view of the heat exchanger with the hot water outlet block of the sanitary cleaning device removed. [Figure 40] Disassembled perspective view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 41] Disassembled perspective view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 42] Perspective view of the flow sensor for the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 43] Cross-sectional view of the flow sensor of the heat exchanger in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 44] Cross-sectional view of the flow sensor of the heat exchanger in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 45] Disassembled perspective view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 46] Disassembled perspective view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 47] Cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 48] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 49] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 50] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the heat exchanger of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 51] Perspective view of the water pump for the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 52] Perspective view of the water pump for the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 53] Disassembled perspective view of the water pump in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 54] Perspective view of the water pump for the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 55] Perspective view of the water pump for the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 56] Disassembled perspective view of the water pump in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 57] Cross-sectional view of the water pump in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 58] Perspective view of the nozzle device of the sanitary cleaning device, seen from the right side. [Figure 59] Perspective view of the nozzle device of the sanitary cleaning device, seen from the left side. [Figure 60] An exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly of the sanitary cleaning device, with the cleaning nozzle removed, as seen from the front right. [Figure 61] Exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly of the sanitary cleaning device, viewed from the front right. [Figure 62] Plan view of the nozzle device of the sanitary cleaning device, seen from the right. [Figure 63] Plan view of the nozzle device of the sanitary cleaning system, seen from the rear. [Figure 64] Exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly of the sanitary cleaning device, viewed from the right rear. [Figure 65] Exploded perspective view of the cleaning nozzle of the sanitary cleaning device, viewed from the front left. [Figure 66] Perspective view of the cleaning nozzle of the sanitary cleaning device, seen from the front left. [Figure 67] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the nozzle device of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 68] Cross-sectional view of the holding part of the sanitary washing device. [Figure 69] External perspective view of the pipe section of the nozzle body of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 70] Cross-sectional view of the main pipe section of the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 71] External perspective view of the holding section of the sanitary washing device. [Figure 72] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the holding section of the sanitary washing device. [Figure 73] Cross-sectional view of the main part of the holding section of the sanitary washing device. [Figure 74] This chart shows the behavior of the predicted flow rate when changing the cleaning strength of the cleaning water used in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 75] This chart shows the behavior of the predicted flow rate when changing the cleaning strength of the cleaning water used in the sanitary cleaning device. [Figure 76] This timing chart explains the operation to synchronize the timing of fluctuations in the flow rate of the cleaning water in the sanitary cleaning device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable a person skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0015] (Embodiment 1) As shown in Figure 1, the sanitary washing device 100 is composed mainly of a main body 200, a toilet seat 300, and a toilet lid 320. The main body 200, the toilet seat 300, and the toilet lid 320 are integrally formed and installed on the top surface of the toilet bowl 110.

[0016] On the right side of the main body 200, a sleeve operation section 210 is provided so as to protrude forward, and multiple switches and indicator lights for operating and setting the various functions of the sanitary cleaning device 100 are installed therein.

[0017] In this embodiment, the installation side of the main body 200 of the sanitary washing device 100 is the rear, the installation side of the toilet seat 300 is the front, and the arrangement of each component is described with the right side facing forward being the right direction and the left side facing forward being the left direction.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the main body 200 is equipped with, from right to left, a water supply unit 400, a heat exchanger 500, a water pump 600, a nozzle device 700, a drying device 220 for drying local areas, a deodorizing device 230 for deodorizing odors during defecation, and a control unit for controlling each function of the sanitary washing device 100 is located above the heat exchanger 500.

[0019] In this embodiment, the water supply unit 400, heat exchanger 500, water pump 600, nozzle device 700, drying device 220, deodorizing device 230, and control unit are hereinafter referred to as various functional components.

[0020] Furthermore, various functional components can be added or removed as needed.

[0021] <Main Unit Configuration> The main body 200 consists of a base 250 that forms the bottom surface, a rear case 270 that forms the rear and part of the side, and a front case 290 that forms the front, top and part of the side.

[0022] The base portion 250 has a protrusion 251 that gradually narrows in width from the side to the back. The rear case 270 has a groove 271 that gradually narrows in width from the side to the back.

[0023] The rear case 270 is mounted on the base portion 250 by sliding it from the rear to the front of the base portion 250. When mounting the rear case 270 by sliding it, the groove portion 271 and the insertion portion of the protrusion 251 are inserted into the groove portion 271, and the groove portion 271 and the insertion portion of the protrusion 251 are used as guides for sliding.

[0024] This improves the ease of attaching the rear case 270 to the base portion 250. Furthermore, when the rear case 270 is attached to the base portion 250, the groove portion 271 and the protrusion portion 251 create a meandering gap between the inside and outside of the main body portion 200, which helps to suppress the ingress of liquid into the inside of the main body portion 200.

[0025] A portion of the bottom of the rear case 270 extends below the base portion 250, and is fixed with screws from the rear case 270 side at the point where the bottom of the base portion 250 and the bottom of the rear case 270 overlap.

[0026] The front case 290 is mounted on the front side of the base 250. When the front case 290 is mounted on the base 250, the side of the front case 290 abuts against the outside of the side of the rear case 270, preventing gaps from forming between the sides of the front case 290 and the rear case 270.

[0027] As shown in Figure 10, the base portion 250 has a groove 252 that gradually narrows in width from the side to the front. The front case 290 has a protrusion 291 that gradually narrows in width from the side to the front.

[0028] The front case 290 is mounted on the base portion 250 by sliding it from the front to the rear of the base portion 250. When mounting the front case 290 by sliding it, the groove portion 252 and the insertion portion of the protrusion 291 are used as guides for sliding with the protrusion 291 inserted into the groove portion 252.

[0029] This improves the ease of attaching the front case 290 to the base portion 250. Furthermore, when the front case 290 is attached to the base portion 250, the groove portion 252 and the protrusion portion 291 create a meandering gap between the inside and outside of the main body portion 200, which helps to suppress the ingress of liquid into the inside of the main body portion 200.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the front end surface 270a of the rear case 270 is formed to extend horizontally toward the front. The rear end of the front case 290 has a U-shaped clamping portion 290a that clamps the front end surface 270a of the rear case 270, clamping the front case 290 from the front. This prevents a gap from forming between the front case 290 and the rear case 270 by the clamping portion 290a clamping the front end surface 270a of the rear case 270. The upper surface of the front case 290 is formed to curve toward the rear surface of the rear case 270, and when the front case 290 is installed, the upper surface of the front case 290 smoothly connects toward the rear surface of the rear case 270, forming part of the rear of the main body 200. The front case 290 is screw-fixed to the rear case 270 from the rear side.

[0031] This makes the seam between the front case 290 and the rear case 270 less noticeable when viewed from the front, thus preventing any deterioration in aesthetics. Furthermore, even when liquid is dripped onto the top surface of the main body 200, the liquid can be directed to the rear case side without seeping in through the seam between the front case 290 and the rear case 270.

[0032] As shown in Figure 10, the inclined surface 240 that forms the lower part of the nozzle device 700 is configured to have an incline that matches the inclination of the nozzle device 700, and is composed of a front case 290 and a base portion 250, which fit together at the inclined surface 240. The fitting portion of the inclined surface 240 is configured to be located in an upper position inside the toilet bowl 110.

[0033] One possible configuration for the inclined surface 240 is to form it on the front case 290. However, in this configuration, the mating portion between the front case 290 and the base portion 250 would be located above the toilet bowl 110. If water enters the mating portion, there is a risk of soiling the top surface of the toilet bowl 110. Furthermore, if a waterproof structure is not provided at the mating portion, the risk of soiling the top surface of the toilet bowl 110 increases even more.

[0034] In this embodiment, if water leaks from the nozzle device 700 within the main body 200, it is drained into the toilet bowl 110 via the inclined surface 240. Even if water enters the mating portion between the front case 290 and the base 250, the mating portion is located inside the toilet bowl 110, so it does not soil the surrounding area. The mating portion is achieved by the mating of a groove 252 formed in the base 250 and a protrusion 291 formed in the front case 290, making it difficult for water to enter and improving ease of cleaning.

[0035] Similar effects can be expected even if the main body 200 is mounted at an angle towards the rear.

[0036] Since the front lower part of the main body 200 is formed by the front case 290, it is possible to improve the ease of cleaning even if wastewater adheres to it. Furthermore, by forming drainage ribs on the front case 290 to drain the wastewater that adheres to it, it is possible to further improve the drainage into the toilet bowl 110.

[0037] A rib 253 is formed on the bottom surface of the base 250, projecting upward from the front end to the right of the nozzle device 700, in front of the water supply unit 400 and the heat exchanger 500. In the event of a water leak in the water circuit component to the right of the nozzle device 700, the rib 253 guides the leaked water to the inclined surface 240 and drains it into the toilet bowl 110.

[0038] The front of the inclined surface 240 is covered by a nozzle cover (not shown), but any leaked water is drained from around the nozzle cover, eliminating the need for a dedicated drain port. By providing the nozzle cover, the unevenness at the front of the main body 200, where the most wastewater splashes occur, can be eliminated, thereby improving ease of cleaning.

[0039] <Damper mechanism> In this embodiment, the toilet seat 300 and toilet lid 320 are configured to be opened and closed manually, and a damper mechanism is provided so that the toilet seat 300 and toilet lid 320 close slowly.

[0040] Figures 12 to 14 show the damper mechanism. The damper mechanism 241 includes a toilet seat damper 242 and a toilet lid damper 243. The toilet seat 300 is attached to the toilet seat damper 242, and the toilet lid 320 is attached to the toilet lid damper 243.

[0041] The toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243 are fixed by engaging multiple locking claws 245 provided on the damper mounting portion 244. The damper mounting portion 244 is fixed to the upper left side of the rear case 270.

[0042] The toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243 are configured to engage with the damper mounting portion 244 by a locking claw 245. However, it is anticipated that during prolonged use, either the toilet seat damper 242 or the toilet lid damper 243 may detach from the locking claw and fall off the damper mounting portion 244.

[0043] In this embodiment, a fall prevention boss 246 is provided projecting from the rear case 270 toward the toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243, and contacts the toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243. Even if the toilet seat damper 242 or the toilet lid damper 243 disengages from the locking claw 245, the fall prevention boss 246 contacts the toilet seat damper 242 or the toilet lid damper 243, thus preventing the toilet seat damper 242 or the toilet lid damper 243 from falling off.

[0044] In this embodiment, the toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243 are fixed to the damper mounting portion 244 by locking claws, improving ease of installation and reducing material costs by eliminating fixing members such as screws.

[0045] Of course, if you want to firmly fix the toilet seat damper 242 and the toilet lid damper 243 to the damper mounting part 244, you may use fixing methods such as screw fixing.

[0046] In the above embodiment, a damper mechanism is provided so that the toilet seat 300 and toilet lid 320 close slowly, but the toilet seat 300 and toilet lid 320 may also be opened and closed by an electric motor.

[0047] <Detailed configuration of the main body> As shown in Figures 15 to 17, a seating detection unit 272 is positioned on the toilet seat support portion 276 of the rear case 270. The seating detection unit 272 detects when a person sits on the toilet seat 300.

[0048] The seat detection unit 272 receives the seat axis 301 of the toilet seat 300 at the toilet seat support unit 276. When a person sits on the toilet seat 300, the seat detection unit 272 detects that the seat axis 301 moves downward due to the weight of the person's body, and that the seat detection unit 272 also moves downward, thereby detecting that a person is seated.

[0049] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, a through-hole 273 is formed on the right side of the rear of the rear case 270, and a filter 274 for removing foreign matter from the water supply is provided inside the through-hole 273. The filter 274 can be removed from the through-hole 273 on the rear of the rear case 270, making it possible to clean any foreign matter attached to the filter 274.

[0050] As shown in Figures 20 and 21, stoppers 275 are provided on both sides of the rear case 270 near the toilet lid pivot axis 321 to restrict the opening angle of the toilet lid 320 when it is opened. The stoppers 275 are formed to extend from the side to the horizontal part so that they can be easily wiped clean even if they become dirty with dust, and the structure is designed so that no minute gaps are created. In addition, the stoppers 275 are connected to the vertical and horizontal parts with an R shape, and the structure is designed with ease of cleaning in mind.

[0051] Based on Figures 22 to 26, the configuration of the sleeve operating section 210 and the mounting structure for attaching the sleeve operating section 210 to the main body section 200 will be explained.

[0052] On the right side of the main body 200, a mounting portion 211 is formed between the base portion 250 and the front case 290. The sleeve operating portion 210 is attached to the mounting portion 211.

[0053] The sleeve operation unit 210 comprises a lower case 212, an upper case 213, an operation board unit 214, and an operation nameplate 215. The operation board unit 214 comprises an operation board 216 and an operation board unit case 217, and the operation board 216 and the main board (not shown) are connected by lead wires 218.

[0054] The control board section 214 is screw-fastened to the upper case 213, and a sealing material (not shown) is provided between the control board section case 217 and the upper case 213. The lead wires 218 of the control board section 214 are wired to the base section 250 through a cavity 219 formed by the lower case 212. The lower case 212 is provided with ribs (not shown) to secure the lead wires 218, preventing the lead wires from getting pinched during assembly.

[0055] The upper case 213 and the lower case 212 are fastened together with screws from above the upper case 213 after the claws are engaged (not shown), and the operating nameplate 215 is attached to cover the screws. At the joint between the lower case 212 and the upper case 213, a peripheral wall 225 is formed on the upper case 213 so as to cover the mating surface of the lower case 212 and the upper case 213 from the outer circumference. This prevents liquid from entering the interior even if liquid spills on the sleeve operating part 210.

[0056] A mounting portion 221 for attaching to the mounting portion 211 is integrally formed with the lower case 212. A groove 222 is formed on the base portion 250 side of the mounting portion 221, which engages with a protrusion 251 of the base portion 250. A groove 223 is formed on the front case 290 side of the mounting portion 221, which engages with a protrusion 292 formed on the front case 290.

[0057] The mounting portion 221 is larger in the vertical and front-to-back directions than the extension portion 224 that extends from the lower case 212 toward the mounting portion 221. It engages with the base portion 250 and the front case 290 at a more peripheral position than the extension portion 224, and forms part of the side wall of the main body portion 200. Because it engages at a more peripheral position than the extension portion 224, even if liquid spills from above, it can prevent liquid from entering the main body portion 200 from the engaging portion. The area between the extension portion 224 and the mounting portion 221 is formed as a curved surface, improving the ease of cleaning.

[0058] When the mounting portion 221 is attached to the mounting portion 211, the interlocking of the groove portion 222 and the protrusion portion 251, and the interlocking of the groove portion 223 and the protrusion portion 292, causes the gap between the inside and outside to become meandering, which can suppress the intrusion of liquid into the inside of the mounting portion 221.

[0059] In this embodiment, various functions are operated by the sleeve operation unit 210, but they may also be operated by a remote control device. In this configuration, a mounting plate equipped with a receiver and a minimum number of operation switches can be attached to the mounting unit 211 using the same mounting configuration as the mounting unit 221. This allows for compatibility with multiple models.

[0060] <Base section configuration> Various functional components that perform the functions of the sanitary cleaning device 100 are mounted on the base portion 250. The base portion 250 is provided with mounting portions 254 for mounting the various functional components.

[0061] Figure 27 shows a mounting portion 254 of the heat exchanger 500 as an example of a mounting portion. The mounting portion 254 of the heat exchanger 500 is just one example, and of course, other configurations are possible.

[0062] The mounting portion 254 is formed by a locking piece 255 that rises from the base portion 250 and an engaging claw 256 formed on the side surface of the heat exchanger 500.

[0063] Since the various functional components differ in shape, center of gravity height, etc., the mounting portion 254 can be appropriately selected in shape, etc., depending on the various functional components.

[0064] Various functional components are transported on a belt conveyor and attached to the base section 250 by an automated machine. The locking piece 255 and the engaging claw 256 then engage to fix or temporarily secure them, preventing misalignment.

[0065] During manufacturing, the base unit 250 is placed on a pallet on a belt conveyor and moved, and various functional components are fixed or temporarily fastened to the base unit 250 by an automated machine using the mounting parts 254 for the various functional components. Once the various functional components are placed on the base unit 250, the base unit 250 on the pallet moves to a predetermined position, and the various functional components are screw-fixed to the base unit 250 by an automated machine as needed.

[0066] The base portion 250 is formed in a flat plate shape, and since there is no member covering the base portion 250, the attachment and screwing of various functional components can be easily performed by automated machinery.

[0067] The various functional components are fixed or temporarily fastened to the mounting portion 254 on the base portion 250, preventing their movement. This prevents them from being affected by vibrations during movement by the belt conveyor, and allows for screw fastening by automated machinery.

[0068] In this embodiment, various functional components that are attached to the base unit 250 by an automatic machine include a sleeve operating unit 210, a water supply unit 400, a heat exchanger 500, a nozzle device 700, a drying device 220, a deodorizing device 230, and the like.

[0069] In this embodiment, various functional components are provided from the right side of the main body 200, including a sleeve operating unit 210, a water supply unit 400, a heat exchanger 500, a nozzle device 700, a drying device 220, and a deodorizing device 230, which are fixed in that order.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the locking piece 255 is erected vertically upward from the base portion 250.

[0071] However, depending on the structure and shape of the various functional components, the locking piece 255 may be configured to stand upright and inclined relative to the base portion 250. In this configuration, when assembling by an automated machine, it is preferable to incline the pallet on which the base portion 250 is placed when attaching the various functional components.

[0072] In addition, although a locking piece 255 is formed on the base portion 250 and engaging claws 256 are formed on various functional components as mounting portion 254, engaging claws 256 may be formed on the base portion 250 and engaging claws 256 may be formed on various functional components.

[0073] The mounting portion 254 only needs to be configured to fix or temporarily fix various functional components to the base portion 250, and it is also possible to select a configuration other than the locking piece 255 and engaging claw 256.

[0074] Furthermore, various functional components have retaining parts to hold lead wires so as not to interfere with assembly. The lead wires are held in the retaining parts before assembly work begins to prevent them from interfering with the assembly process.

[0075] Furthermore, with the control unit (not shown) located to the right of the nozzle device 700, and the drying device 220 and deodorizing device 230 located to the left, a wiring member (not shown) is provided to support the lead wires above the nozzle device 700 so that they do not come into contact with the drive unit of the nozzle device 700. The wiring member is fixed to the case of the control unit and the drying device 220. This allows for easy assembly without the lead wires coming into contact with the nozzle device 700 while it is in operation.

[0076] <Water supply unit> A water supply unit 400 is positioned at the far right of the base unit 250. The water supply unit 400 is connected to a water supply that constitutes the source of washing water via a hose (not shown) outside the main body unit 200.

[0077] The water supply unit shown in Figures 28 to 31 is equipped with a water pump 600 and has an open water channel 405A, and will be described below as water supply unit 400A.

[0078] The water supply unit 400A includes a strainer 401A, a constant flow valve 402A, a shut-off solenoid valve 403A, a vacuum breaker 404A, and an open water channel 405A.

[0079] Water flowing through a water supply pipe (not shown) is supplied to the strainer 401A as cleaning water. The strainer 401A removes dirt, impurities, and other contaminants from the cleaning water.

[0080] The cleaning water, from which dirt and impurities have been removed by the strainer 401A, is supplied to the shut-off solenoid valve 403A. The shut-off solenoid valve 403A switches the supply state of the cleaning water to the downstream side. The operation of the shut-off solenoid valve 403A is controlled by a control unit (not shown). When cleaning water is supplied from the shut-off solenoid valve 403A to the constant flow valve 402A, the cleaning water is supplied to the vacuum breaker 404A. The constant flow valve 402A controls the flow rate of the cleaning water flowing through the water supply unit 400A to a constant level.

[0081] The vacuum breaker 404A comprises a vacuum adapter 406A, a vacuum cover 407A covering the vacuum adapter 406A, and a vacuum breaker valve 408A supported between the vacuum adapter 406A and the vacuum cover 407A.

[0082] The vacuum adapter 406A has an inlet 409A into which cleaning water from the constant flow valve 402A flows, an outlet 410A to the main waterway, and an outlet 411A to the open waterway 405A. The vacuum cover 407A is equipped with an air intake port 412A.

[0083] The water supply unit 400A distributes the flushing water supplied from the inlet 409A to the outlet 410A leading to the main waterway and to the outlet 411A leading to the open waterway 405A. The flushing water supplied to the outlet 410A leading to the main waterway flows downstream due to the output of the water pump 600 located downstream. The flushing water that is not supplied to the outlet 410A is guided from the outlet 411A to the open waterway 405A and drained into the toilet bowl.

[0084] Upstream of the main water channel's water pump 600, components such as a flow sensor 570 and a heat exchanger 500 are positioned. These components, including the flow sensor 570 and heat exchanger 500, have significant flow resistance. Therefore, in a configuration where the cleaning water is moved downstream solely by the output of the water pump 600, the load on the water pump 600 is substantial.

[0085] In this embodiment, by providing a fixed orifice 413C on the open channel side, a water pressure equivalent to the flow resistance of the flow sensor 570 and heat exchanger 500 can be applied to the outlet 410A to the main channel, thereby suppressing the load on the water pump 600.

[0086] Furthermore, the lower the flow rate of the cleaning water set by the user, the greater the flow rate passing through the fixed orifice 413C, resulting in higher water pressure at the outlet 410 to the main waterway and higher water pressure at the inlet of the water pump 600. This cancels out the pulsation of the cleaning water coming out of the nozzle device 700, providing gentler cleaning water. Conversely, the higher the flow rate of the cleaning water set by the user, the less the flow rate passing through the fixed orifice 413C, resulting in lower water pressure at the outlet 410A to the main waterway and lower water pressure at the inlet of the water pump 600. This does not suppress the pulsation of the cleaning water coming out of the nozzle device 700, providing stronger cleaning water.

[0087] Under normal circumstances, the vacuum breaker 404A is closed to the air intake port 412A because the cleaning water pushes up the vacuum breaker valve 408A due to water pressure. However, if negative pressure develops on the upstream side, the vacuum breaker valve 408A lowers, drawing in outside air through the air intake port 412A to release the negative pressure on the upstream side and prevent the risk of wastewater backflowing from the nozzle device 700 or the open channel.

[0088] In the above embodiment of the water supply unit, it is conceivable to omit the water pump 600.

[0089] The water supply unit shown in Figures 32 to 34 is a water supply unit without the water pump 600, and is referred to as the water supply unit 400, which will be explained below as an example of water supply unit 400B.

[0090] The water supply unit 400B includes a strainer 401B, a water shut-off solenoid valve 403B, a pressure reducing valve 402B, a vacuum breaker 404B, and an open water channel 405B.

[0091] Water flowing through a water supply pipe (not shown) is supplied to the strainer 401B as cleaning water. The strainer 401B removes dirt, impurities, and other contaminants from the cleaning water.

[0092] The cleaning water, from which dirt and impurities have been removed by the strainer 401B, is supplied to the shut-off solenoid valve 403B. The shut-off solenoid valve 403B switches the supply state of the cleaning water to the downstream side. The operation of the shut-off solenoid valve 403B is controlled by a control unit (not shown). When cleaning water is supplied from the shut-off solenoid valve 403B to the pressure reducing valve 402B, the pressure reducing valve 402B reduces the pressure of the cleaning water flowing through the water supply unit 400B to a constant pressure.

[0093] The vacuum breaker 404B comprises a vacuum adapter 406B, a vacuum cover 407B that covers the vacuum adapter 406B, and a vacuum breaker valve 408B supported between the vacuum adapter 406B and the vacuum cover 407B.

[0094] The vacuum adapter 406B has an inlet 409B into which cleaning water from the pressure reducing valve 402B flows, an outlet 410B to the main waterway, and an outlet 411B to the open waterway. The vacuum cover 407B is equipped with an air intake port 412B.

[0095] The vacuum breaker 404B is located downstream of the pressure reducing valve 402B. Cleaning water, which has been reduced to a constant pressure by the pressure reducing valve 402B, is supplied into the vacuum breaker 404B from the inlet 409B and flows out to the outlet 410B.

[0096] Under normal circumstances, the vacuum breaker 404B is closed to the intake port 412B because the water pressure from the washing water pushes up the vacuum breaker valve 408B. When negative pressure occurs on the upstream side, the vacuum breaker valve 408B lowers, drawing in outside air through the intake port 412B to release the negative pressure on the upstream side and prevent the risk of wastewater backflowing from the nozzle device 700 or the open channel.

[0097] In the above embodiment of the water supply unit, it is conceivable to add a water pump and a pressure reducing valve.

[0098] The water supply unit shown in Figures 35 to 37 is an additional water pump 600 and pressure reducing valve 402C, and the water supply unit 400C will be used as an example to explain the water supply unit 400 below.

[0099] The water supply unit 400C includes a strainer 401C, a water shut-off solenoid valve 403C, a pressure reducing valve 402C, a vacuum breaker 404C, and an open water channel 405C.

[0100] Water flowing through a water supply pipe (not shown) is supplied to the strainer 401C as cleaning water. The strainer 401C removes dirt, impurities, and other contaminants from the cleaning water.

[0101] The cleaning water, from which dirt and impurities have been removed by the strainer 401C, is supplied to the shut-off solenoid valve 403C. The shut-off solenoid valve 403C switches the supply state of the cleaning water to the downstream side. The operation of the shut-off solenoid valve 403C is controlled by a control unit (not shown). When cleaning water is supplied from the shut-off solenoid valve 403C to the pressure reducing valve 402C, the pressure reducing valve 402C reduces the pressure of the cleaning water flowing through the water supply unit 400C to a constant pressure.

[0102] The vacuum breaker 404C comprises a vacuum adapter 406C, a vacuum cover 407C that covers the vacuum adapter 406C, and a vacuum breaker valve 408C supported between the vacuum adapter 406C and the vacuum cover 407C.

[0103] The vacuum adapter 406C has an inlet 409C into which cleaning water from the pressure reducing valve 402C flows, an outlet 410C to the main waterway, and an outlet 411C to the open waterway. The vacuum cover 407C is equipped with an air intake port 412C.

[0104] The vacuum breaker 404C is located downstream of the pressure reducing valve 402C. The cleaning water is reduced to a constant pressure by the pressure reducing valve 402C and supplied into the vacuum breaker 404C from the inlet 409C. It is further reduced in pressure as it passes through the fixed orifice 413C and flows out to the outlet 410C.

[0105] The lower the cleaning flow rate set by the user, the less water flows through the fixed orifice 413C, resulting in higher water pressure at the outlet 410C and higher water pressure at the inlet of the water pump 600. This cancels out the pulsation of the cleaning water coming out of the nozzle device 700, providing gentler cleaning water. Conversely, the higher the cleaning flow rate set by the user, the more water flows through the fixed orifice 413C, resulting in lower water pressure at the outlet 410C and lower water pressure at the inlet of the water pump 600. This does not suppress the pulsation of the cleaning water coming out of the nozzle device 700, providing stronger cleaning water.

[0106] Under normal circumstances, the vacuum breaker 404C is closed to the air intake port 412C because the water pressure from the washing water pushes up the vacuum breaker valve 408C. When negative pressure occurs on the upstream side, the vacuum breaker valve 408C lowers, drawing in outside air through the air intake port 412C to release the negative pressure on the upstream side and prevent the risk of wastewater backflow from the nozzle device 700 or the open channel.

[0107] Even if wastewater attempts to flow back from the nozzle device 700, the flow path of wastewater entering from outlet 410C is reduced by the fixed orifice 413C, thereby suppressing the backflow of wastewater. Hereafter, outlets 410A, 410B, and 410C will be collectively referred to as outlet 410. Furthermore, vacuum breakers, vacuum breaker valves, intake ports, and fixed orifices will also be collectively referred to in the same way as outlet 410.

[0108] <Heat exchanger> A heat exchanger 500 is installed to the left of the water supply unit 400 on the base unit 250. The outlet 410 of the water supply unit 400 and the heat exchanger 500 are connected by a flexible hose (not shown).

[0109] Based on Figures 38 to 50, the heat exchanger 500 will be described in detail below.

[0110] The heat exchanger 500 is formed in a low-profile rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its wide surface is placed on and fixed to the base portion 250.

[0111] The heat exchanger 500 comprises a lower case 510, an upper case 520, and a front component 530, all made of heat-resistant resin. The lower case 510 and the upper case 520 are integrally formed by welding or the like, and the front component 530 is integrally formed at their front by welding or the like.

[0112] The front component 530 has an inlet cylindrical portion 532 that protrudes vertically upward from the right side of its upper surface, providing an inlet 531 for cleaning water into the internal space of the heat exchanger 500. The front component 530 also has an outlet cylindrical portion 534 that protrudes vertically upward from the left side of its upper surface, providing an outlet 533 for cleaning water from the internal space of the heat exchanger 500.

[0113] By positioning the inlet pipe 532 to the right of the heat exchanger 500, the distance between it and the water supply unit 400 can be shortened, the piping connecting the water supply unit 400 and the inlet pipe 532 can be shortened, and the piping workability can be improved.

[0114] On the upper surface of the upper case 520, a temperature detection unit mounting section 521, which is the mounting section for the temperature detection unit that detects dry heating of the heat exchanger 500, is partitioned by ribs. In this embodiment, the temperature detection unit uses a thermal fuse 522, and the thermal fuse 522 and wiring 523 to the thermal fuse 522 are arranged in the temperature detection unit mounting section 521. Since the heater component 580 of the heat exchanger 500 has a higher temperature set on the inlet 531 side than on the outlet 533 side, the thermal fuse 522 is installed in a position corresponding to the flow path on the inlet 531 side. The portion of the temperature detection unit mounting section 521 where the thermal fuse 522 is installed is made thinner to ensure more reliable detection of dry heating of the heat exchanger 500. The temperature detection unit mounting section 521 is covered by a temperature detection unit cover 540 fixed to the upper case 520. The thermal fuse 522 has a circuit configuration that only cuts off the power supply to the heat exchanger 500.

[0115] A flow sensor 550 is attached to the inlet cylinder 532 of the heat exchanger 500, and a hot water outlet block 560 is attached to the outlet cylinder 534, both via a common grounding terminal board 565.

[0116] The terminal board 565 consists of a single metal plate and is connected to an earth terminal (not shown) that is connected to the power supply earth. The terminal board 565 is in constant contact with the cleaning water at the inlet 531 and outlet 533. This prevents leakage of electricity to the user or water pipes via the cleaning water even if the basic insulation of the heater component 580 is destroyed.

[0117] As shown in Figures 42 to 44, the flow sensor 570 comprises a flow sensor case 571, a flow sensor case cover 572, an inlet water temperature sensor 573, an inlet water temperature sensor fixing device 574, a flow sensor shaft 575, an impeller 576, and a detection unit 577 for detecting the rotational speed of the impeller 576.

[0118] The flow sensor case 571 includes an inlet 578 from the water supply unit 400 and an outlet 579 to the heat exchanger 500.

[0119] A flow sensor shaft 575 with an impeller 576 attached is mounted between the flow sensor case 571 and the flow sensor case cover 572. The inlet 578 is positioned so that cleaning water is supplied from the front lower part in a tangential direction to the impeller 576, and the impeller 576 rotates around the flow sensor shaft 575 due to the supplied cleaning water. The detection unit 577 is positioned above the flow sensor 570 and detects the rotation speed of the impeller 576, outputting the measured flow rate value to the control unit. This prevents the detection unit 577 from being unable to detect the rotation speed of the impeller 576 because dirt and debris tend to accumulate at the bottom.

[0120] The inlet water temperature sensor 573 is fixed to the flow sensor case 571 by an inlet water temperature sensor fixing device 574. The inlet water temperature sensor 573 is mounted so that its metal part is covered by the inlet water temperature sensor fixing device 574 and is not exposed to the outside of the flow sensor 570. This prevents leakage of electricity to the washing water through the metal part of the inlet water temperature sensor 573 even if the insulation of the lead wires around it is destroyed.

[0121] The washing water that flows around the impeller 576 flows out from the front upper left, passes through the inlet water temperature sensor 573, and flows to the outlet 579.

[0122] In this embodiment, the flow sensor 570 is attached to the inlet 531, but it may also be attached downstream of the outlet 533. In this configuration, the cleaning water heated by the heat exchanger 500 is supplied to the flow sensor 570, which increases the risk of scale adhering to the inside of the flow sensor 570. Therefore, this embodiment is superior in terms of quality.

[0123] The internal structure of the heat exchanger 500 will be explained based on Figures 45 to 50. Note that the lower heater component 580 in Figure 46 is shown in a state rotated 180 degrees.

[0124] A heater component 580 is arranged horizontally within the internal space of the heat exchanger 500 and is clamped and fixed by the upper case 520 and the lower case 510 via a lower seal 581 and an upper seal 582.

[0125] The heater component 580 has a terminal portion 583 in the center of the side end of the front component 530. The terminal portion 583 connects a lead wire (not shown) to the heater of the heater component 580 via the front component 530. The lead wire connected to the terminal portion 583 is led out through a lead passage (not shown) formed in the front component 530. The heater component 580 has a plurality of through holes 584 formed on the end opposite to the end where the terminal portion 583 is provided, which form part of the flow path.

[0126] The internal space of the heat exchanger 500 is divided vertically by the heater component 580, and the divided upper and lower spaces are formed to have approximately equal volumes. Upper seals 582 and lower seals 581, made of silicone rubber, are provided in the upper and lower spaces, respectively.

[0127] The upper seal body 582 has a perimeter seal body 582a and three compartment seal bodies 582b, 582c, and 582d that extend in the front-rear direction and connect to the perimeter seal body 582a. The perimeter seal body 582a and the compartment seal bodies 582b, 582c, and 582d seal tightly in contact with the inner surface of the upper case 520 and the upper surface of the heater component 580, forming a flow path (upper flow path) between the inner surface of the upper case 520 and the heater component 580.

[0128] The upper seal body 582 includes a connecting seal body 582e that connects the left and right partition seal bodies 582b and partition seal bodies 582d to the front component 530 side and connects to the central partition seal body 582c. The connecting seal body 582e is formed with a lower surface on the heater component 580 side than the other parts of the upper seal body 582, thereby forming a flow path between the connecting seal body 582e and the heater component 580.

[0129] The lower seal body 581 has a peripheral seal body 581a and three compartment seal bodies 581b, 581c, and 581d that extend in the front-rear direction and connect to the peripheral seal body 581a. The peripheral seal body 581a and the compartment seal bodies 581b, 581c, and 581d seal tightly in contact with the inner surface of the lower case 510 and the upper surface of the heater component 580, forming a flow path (lower flow path) between the inner surface of the lower case 510 and the heater component 580.

[0130] The lower seal body 581 includes a right connecting seal body 581e on the front component 530 side, which connects the right peripheral seal body 581a and the central compartment seal body 581c, and a left connecting seal body 581f, which connects the left peripheral seal body 581a and the central compartment seal body 581c. The right connecting seal body 581e and the left connecting seal body 581f are formed with the surface facing the heater component 580 lower than the rest of the lower seal body 581. This creates a flow path (upper flow path) between the right connecting seal body 581e and the heater component 580, and between the left connecting seal body 581f and the heater component 580.

[0131] The heater component 580 includes a heater (not shown), which is positioned a small distance from the periphery seal 582a and compartment seals 581b, 581c, and 581d of the upper seal 582. The heater is also positioned a small distance from the periphery seal 581a and compartment seals 581b, 581c, and 581d of the lower seal 581. This prevents localized overheating of the heater and suppresses a decrease in durability.

[0132] The heater is configured such that the ratio of power on the inlet side 531 to the power on the outlet side 533 is such that the power on the inlet side 531 is higher. In this embodiment, the ratio of power on the inlet side 531 to the power on the outlet side 533 is set to 3:2.

[0133] The cleaning water supplied from the inlet 531 flows into the flow path between the right-side compartment seal 582b and the surrounding seal 581a in the upper space. The cleaning water flows towards the rear while being heated by the heater component 580, and flows through the through hole 584 into the flow path between the right-side compartment seal 581b and the surrounding seal 581a in the lower space. It flows towards the front while being heated by the heater component 580, passes over the right connecting seal 581e, and flows into the flow path between the right-side compartment seal 581b and the central compartment seal 581c.

[0134] The cleaning water flows towards the rear while being heated by the heater component 580, and flows from the through hole 584 into the flow path between the right-side compartment seal 582b and the central compartment seal 582c in the upper space. The cleaning water flows towards the front while being heated by the heater component 580, passes over the connecting seal 582e, and flows into the flow path between the central compartment seal 582c and the left-side compartment seal 582d. The cleaning water flows towards the rear while being heated by the heater component 580, and flows from the through hole 584 into the flow path between the central compartment seal 581c and the left-side compartment seal 581d in the lower space.

[0135] The cleaning water flows forward while being heated by the heater component 580, overflowing the left connecting seal body 581f and flowing into the flow path between the periphery seal body 581a and the left compartment seal body 581d. The cleaning water flows backward while being heated by the heater component 580 and flows through the through hole 584 into the flow path between the periphery seal body 582a and the left compartment seal body 582d in the upper space. The cleaning water flows forward while being heated by the heater component 580 and is supplied from the outlet 533 to the nozzle device 700 via a hose (not shown).

[0136] One possible configuration is to form the inlet 531 on the upper case 520 side and the outlet 533 on the lower case 510 side, so that the cleaning water flows through the upper channel before flowing through the lower channel. It is presumed that this configuration would reduce the amount of flow movement in the vertical direction and thus reduce flow resistance.

[0137] However, this configuration requires piping space for the outlet 533 below the lower case 510, resulting in a larger installation space. Furthermore, the piping work for the outlet 533 must be performed in the gap between the lower case 510 and the base section 250, making the work difficult.

[0138] In this embodiment, the washing water flows alternately through the upper flow paths (corresponding to, for example, "1", "2", "3", and "4" shown in Figure 46) and the lower flow paths (corresponding to, for example, "1'", "2'", "3'", and "4'" shown in Figure 46), forming multiple flow paths both vertically and horizontally.

[0139] In this embodiment, four flow paths are formed both above and below. This allows the inlet 531 and outlet 533 to be formed on the upper case 520 side. As a result, the space for piping to the inlet 531 and outlet 533 can be formed only on the upper case 520 side, eliminating the problem of requiring a large installation space.

[0140] Furthermore, although four flow channels are formed both above and below, there may be two flow channels, or six or more flow channels. By configuring multiple flow channels above and below, the inlet 531 and outlet 533 can be formed on the upper case 520 side.

[0141] The inner surface of the upper case 520, which constitutes the flow path, is formed with convex portions 524 to create an uneven shape. The convex portions 524 are formed in a continuous mountain shape, with a steep slope on the upstream side and a gentle slope on the downstream side.

[0142] The inner surface of the lower case 510, which constitutes the flow path, is formed with convex portions 514 to create an uneven shape. The convex portions 514 are formed in a continuous mountain shape, with a steep slope on the upstream side and a gentle slope on the downstream side.

[0143] As shown in Figure 50, the protrusions 514 and 524 are shaped to be close to the heater component 580 on the upstream side. Therefore, the cleaning water flowing through the channel is guided towards the heater component 580 on the upstream side of the protrusions 514 and 524, and flows over the tops of the protrusions 514 and 524 onto the gentle slope on the downstream side. Once the water overflows the tops of the protrusions 514 and 524, the channel volume widens, causing the cleaning water to become turbulent and its temperature to become uniform. By narrowing and widening the channel with the protrusions 514 and 524, the thermal conductivity can be improved and the temperature of the cleaning water can be made uniform.

[0144] By improving the thermal conductivity of the heater component 580, the surface temperature of the heater component 580 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the adhesion of scale to the heater component 580.

[0145] The heater component 580 includes a heater (not shown), which is positioned a small distance from the upper seal body 582 and the lower seal body 581 to prevent the heater from overheating and to suppress the adhesion of scale to the heater component 580.

[0146] When bubbles enter the heat exchanger 500, they tend to remain downstream of the protrusions 514 and 524, as shown in Figure 49.

[0147] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 50, the protrusions 514 and 524 are formed with a gentle slope on the downstream side, so bubbles flow downstream along the slope of the protrusions 514 and 524 and are discharged from the heat exchanger 500.

[0148] A nozzle device 700 is located to the left of the heat exchanger 500. The detailed configuration of the nozzle device 700 will be described later.

[0149] <Water pump> A water pump 600, which is a variable water discharge volume unit, is installed to the right of the nozzle device 700. In this embodiment, a diaphragm pump is used for the water pump 600.

[0150] It is also possible to configure the system without using the 600 water pump.

[0151] As shown in Figures 51 to 55, the water pump 600 comprises a pump mechanism 610 and a motor 620, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The pump mechanism 610 has an elastic member A630 attached to cover the entire circumference of the end side. The motor 620 has an elastic member B640 attached to cover the entire circumference of the end side opposite to the elastic member A630. The elastic members A630 and B640 are formed from an elastic material such as foamed resin.

[0152] The water pump 600 is mounted in the recess 605a of the pump case 605 with the elastic members A630 and B640 attached. The motor section 620 of the water pump 600 is fixed by the pump fixing device 606 engaging its claw portion 606a with the fixing claw 605b of the pump case 605.

[0153] The water pump 600 is formed in a cylindrical shape, with a water supply pipe 600b having a water inlet 600a and a discharge pipe 600d having a discharge port 600c projecting perpendicularly from one end face. The water pump 600 is installed horizontally with the end face having the water supply pipe 600b and the discharge pipe 600d facing forward.

[0154] The pump case 605 is fixed to a predetermined position on the base portion 250 via the elastic member C650.

[0155] The water pump 600 absorbs vibrations of a wide range of frequencies through elastic members A630, B640, and C650, effectively suppressing the transmission of vibrations to the main body 200.

[0156] The lead wire 607 of the water pump 600 is restricted in its movement by the fixing claw 606b and the locking claw 605c.

[0157] Since the water pump 600 is fixed to the base unit 250 by screws or by claw fitting, the water pump 600 can be removed independently of the nozzle device 700, improving maintenance workability. In addition, vibrations from the water pump 600 are suppressed from being directly transmitted to the nozzle device 700.

[0158] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 55, a drain port 608 is formed in the pump case 605. If the pump mechanism 610 of the water pump 600 is damaged and water leaks occur, the water can be drained through the drain port 608. The water drained from the drain port 608 is discharged into the toilet bowl 110 via the inclined surface 240 from the base portion 250.

[0159] In this embodiment, a detection unit (not shown) is provided to detect water being drained from the drain port 608. The detection unit detects when a water leak occurs in the pump mechanism 610 and notifies of the malfunction.

[0160] In this embodiment, the detection unit is configured to detect water from the drain port 608, but it is not limited to this, and any unit that detects water leakage from the pump mechanism 610 is acceptable. Furthermore, the detection unit may be configured, for example, to detect when an electric current is generated between a pair of terminals due to water leakage, and other well-known configurations can also be used.

[0161] The water inlet 600a of the water pump 600 is connected to the outlet 533 of the heat exchanger 500 by a connecting tube made of flexible resin.

[0162] The configuration of the water pump 600 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 56 and 57.

[0163] Figure 56 is an exploded perspective view showing a diaphragm pump for liquids according to the present invention. Figure 57 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the diaphragm pump.

[0164] The lid 1 of the diaphragm pump is a thin cylindrical shape and is attached to the surface 3a side of the inner lid 3 via a packing 2 made of an elastic material. The lid 1 has a through hole 1c in its center through which the chimney-shaped discharge hole 37 of the inner lid 3 can be inserted. The lid 1 also has a protruding suction hole 12 through which liquid can be drawn in, and a lid suction chamber 38 is provided on the back surface 1b of the lid, which is part of the suction passage 30 through which the drawn-in liquid flows. The lid suction chamber 38 is in communication with the suction hole 12.

[0165] The inner lid 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape from resin, with a discharge hole 37 protruding from the center of its surface 3a. The inner lid 3 has a groove (not shown) on its back surface for discharging liquid outward from the discharge hole 37, and the groove is in communication with the discharge hole 37. The inner lid 3 also has a valve seat 34 at the bottom of the groove. There are a total of three valve seats arranged at equal intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction with the discharge hole 37 as the center. In addition, on the surface 3a side of the inner lid 3, a circular grooved intake chamber 33 is formed corresponding to the three valve seats 34. The intake chamber 33 constitutes part of the intake passage 30 through which the inhaled liquid flows.

[0166] The valve seat portion 34 is short cylindrical in shape, and a mounting hole (not shown) for attaching the suction valve body 4 is formed in the center of the tip wall portion 35, penetrating into the suction chamber 33. Near this mounting hole, an suction hole 32 of the suction passage 30 into which liquid can be drawn is formed in the tip wall portion 35 of the valve seat portion 34.

[0167] The discharge valve diaphragm 52 of the diaphragm assembly 5 contacts the valve seat portion 34 so as to cover it in a tightly sealed and separable manner. The tip wall portion 35 of the valve seat portion 34 is configured such that the valve portion 4a of the suction valve body 4 can contact and separate from it to open and close the suction hole 32. The suction valve body 4 has three valve seat portions 34 formed therein, but only two are provided, and one valve seat portion 34 is not covered by the suction valve body 4.

[0168] The diaphragm assembly 5 consists of three bowl-shaped diaphragms 50 arranged equally at 120-degree intervals in the circumferential direction and connected by a diaphragm 54 formed at the axis. A packing edge 53 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm 54, and a discharge valve diaphragm 52 protrudes from the diaphragm 54 toward the outer circumference. The diaphragm 50 is provided with a drive unit 51 that causes the diaphragm 50 to reciprocate.

[0169] The packing edge 53 of the diaphragm assembly 5 is sandwiched between the inner cover 3 and the retainer member 6, and the retainer member 6 has a hole (not shown) through which the drive unit 51 of the diaphragm 50 can be inserted. The drive unit 51 of the diaphragm 50 inserted through the retainer member 6 is supported by a locking hole 71 of the oscillating plate 7. The oscillating plate 7 is disposed inside a bottomed cylindrical box 13, and the end of the cylindrical box 13 abuts against the retainer member 6.

[0170] A small DC motor 11 is mounted on the outside of the cylindrical box 13, and the output shaft 11a of the motor 11 extends into the cylindrical box 13, with an eccentric rotating body 9 attached to the output shaft 11a. The eccentric rotating body 9 has a shaft mounting hole 91 into which the output shaft 11a is inserted, and an eccentric hole 92 that is eccentrically positioned from the shaft mounting hole 91, and a crankshaft 8 is inserted inclined through the eccentric hole 92.

[0171] The diaphragm pump is configured such that the diaphragm assembly 5 is sandwiched between the inner cover 3 and the retainer member 6, thereby forming a pump chamber 25 on the inner surface side of the discharge valve 52, and a common discharge space 36 is formed on the outer surface side of the discharge valve 52, which has a discharge hole 37 consisting of a groove 39 and a diaphragm 54.

[0172] The cylindrical box 13 is fixed to the motor 11 with screws 14. The lid 1, packing 2, inner lid 3, diaphragm assembly 5, and retainer member 6 are sequentially stacked on the cylindrical box 13 and fixed to the cylindrical box 13 with long screws 15 to form the casing 10.

[0173] In this disclosure, three valve seat portions 34 and two suction valve bodies 4 are provided, but for example, a configuration with four valve seat portions 34 and three suction valve bodies 4 may also be used.

[0174] The operation of the diaphragm pump for liquids with the above configuration will now be explained.

[0175] When the output shaft 11a of the motor 11 is rotated, the eccentric rotating body 9 attached to the output shaft 11a rotates, causing the oscillating plate 7 to oscillate via the crankshaft 8, and causing the drive unit 51 of the diaphragm 50 to reciprocate. The reciprocating motion of the drive unit 51 causes the diaphragm 50 to repeatedly expand and contract. As a result, the pump chamber 25 formed by the valve seat portion 34 of the inner cover 3 and the diaphragm 50 is compressed and expanded.

[0176] When the pump chamber 25 expands, it becomes a negative pressure chamber, and the valve portion 4a of the suction valve body 4 is pulled away from the suction valve seat portion 35a. The suction hole 32 of the suction passage 30 formed in the tip wall portion 35 of the valve seat portion 34 opens to the pump chamber 25. As a result, liquid flows from the suction hole 12 through the suction passage 30, which consists of the lid suction chamber 38 of the lid 1 and the suction chamber 33 of the inner lid 3, and into the pump chamber 25.

[0177] Furthermore, when the pump chamber 25 becomes negatively pressurized, the discharge valve membrane 52 of the diaphragm 50 comes into close contact with the valve seat 34. This prevents liquid from flowing out into the common discharge space 36 formed by the outer surface of the discharge valve membrane 52, the diaphragm 54, and the groove 39 of the inner cover 3, or from flowing back out of the common discharge space 36.

[0178] When the pump chamber 25 is compressed, the valve portion 4a of the suction valve body 4 is pressed against the suction valve seat portion 35a. The suction hole 32 of the suction passage 30 formed in the tip wall portion 35 of the valve seat portion 34 is blocked by the valve portion 4a. As a result, the suction valve body 4 prevents liquid from flowing in or out of the suction hole 32. In addition, the compression of the pump chamber 25 causes the discharge valve diaphragm 52 to expand in diameter and move away from the valve seat portion 34, and the liquid in the pump chamber 25 is pumped into the common discharge space 36.

[0179] Furthermore, when the pump chamber 25 is compressed, the discharge valve diaphragm 52 expands in diameter towards the common discharge space 36, compressing the liquid in the common discharge space 36 and pushing it out to the discharge hole 37. In this way, the outer surface of the discharge valve diaphragm 52 functions to pump the liquid.

[0180] When the pump chamber 25 in a position where the valve 4a is not installed is compressed, the suction port 32 remains open. Therefore, when the pump chamber 25 is compressed, a larger amount of liquid is pushed back from the pump chamber 25 towards the suction passage 30. The liquid pushed back into the suction passage 30 is then pumped into the pump chamber 25 where the valve 4a is installed.

[0181] On the other hand, the discharge valve diaphragm 52 expands in diameter towards the common discharge space 36, but the pressure applied to the discharge valve diaphragm 52 decreases, resulting in a small amount of discharge into the common discharge space 36, and thus the cleaning water pressure sprayed onto the local area of ​​the human body by the sanitary cleaning device becomes lower. In other words, the spraying onto the local area of ​​the human body is temporarily interrupted, or becomes a low-pressure spray.

[0182] At the location where the valve 4a is located, a normal amount of water is ejected to a specific part of the human body, generating a cleaning force. As a result, the water pressure at the location where the valve 4a is located and the water pressure at locations where the valve 4a is not located change, causing pulsation of the cleaning water pressure.

[0183] At the location where the valve 4a is positioned, the liquid pushed back into the suction passage 30 is pumped to the pump chamber 25 where the valve 4a is installed, and acts between the pump chambers 25 to generate the cleaning water pressure when the diaphragm is compressed sequentially in the rotational direction of the actuator.

[0184] When a diaphragm pump with two valve sections 4a of the present disclosure and a diaphragm pump with three valve sections 4a were manufactured and their performance was compared, the diaphragm pump with two valve sections 4a of the present disclosure was able to generate a cleaning water pressure approximately twice that of the diaphragm pump with three valve sections 4a.

[0185] A drying device 220 is positioned to the left of the nozzle device 700. The drying device 220 uses the generated hot air to dry any water adhering to the area after cleaning.

[0186] A deodorizing device 230 is installed to the left of the drying device 220 to deodorize the odor inside the toilet bowl 110.

[0187] <Nozzle device> To the left of the heat exchanger 500, the nozzle device 700, which is the main component of the cleaning unit, is installed in the center of the main body 200.

[0188] Figure 58 is a perspective view of the nozzle device 700 from the right side, and Figure 59 is a perspective view of the nozzle device 700 from the left side. Note that Figure 58 shows the nozzle device 700 with the water pump 600 attached.

[0189] As shown in Figures 58 and 59, the nozzle device 700 comprises a support unit 710, a drive unit 730, a nozzle body 750, and a flow path switching mechanism 780.

[0190] The support portion 710 is molded from a resin material such as POM (polyoxymethylene: generally polyacetal, acetal resin). The nozzle body 750 moves back and forth along the support portion 710. The drive unit 730 moves the nozzle body 750 in the forward and backward directions.

[0191] In this embodiment, the arrangement of each component of the nozzle device 700 will be described with the nozzle body 750 being positioned rearward when stored and forward when extended, and the right side being defined as the right and the left side as the left when viewed from rearward to front.

[0192] The following describes in detail each component of the nozzle device 700.

[0193] Figure 60 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly with the cleaning nozzle removed, viewed from the front right. Figure 61 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly viewed from the front right. Figure 62 is a plan view of the nozzle assembly viewed from the right. Figure 63 is a plan view of the nozzle assembly viewed from the rear. Figure 64 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly viewed from the rear right.

[0194] The support portion 710 comprises an inclined portion 711, an arc portion 712 provided at the lower rear of the inclined portion 711, a guide rack 713 provided parallel to the inclined portion 711 at a position below the inclined portion 711, and a substantially cylindrical holding portion 714 provided at the front end of the inclined portion 711. The inclined portion 711 slopes downward from the rear towards the front. The arc portion 712 has a base portion 715 that is substantially horizontal (including horizontal) and is connected to the guide rack 713. The holding portion 714 is integrally formed in a substantially cylindrical shape at the front end of the support portion 710 and supports the nozzle portion 760 by embracing it.

[0195] On the left side of the support portion 710, a second inclined portion 716 is formed parallel to the inclined portion 711 and positioned below it. The inclined portion 711 extends from the right side of the support portion 710 in a direction perpendicular to the side, and the second inclined portion 716 extends from the left side of the support portion 710 in a direction perpendicular to the side. The inclined portion 711 and the second inclined portion 716 are formed to protrude in opposite directions relative to the support portion 710. In other words, the inclined portion 711 and the second inclined portion 716 are positioned on the side of the support portion 710 rotated in the left-right direction in a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to a virtual line (not shown) passing through the center in the long axis direction of the nozzle body 750.

[0196] A guide space is formed between the inclined portion 711 of the support portion 710 and the guide rack 713, which guides the flexible rack 731 and the first arm portion 764 of the nozzle body 750. The guide space is open to the right of the support portion 710.

[0197] The arc portion 712 opens towards the right side of the support portion 710, and a drive unit 730 is disposed in the arc portion 712. The drive unit 730 comprises a motor 732 supported on the side opposite to the arc portion 712, a pinion gear 733 rotationally driven by the motor 732, and a flexible rack 731 that moves between the peripheral edge of the arc portion 712 and the guide space by the pinion gear 733. The motor 732 is mounted on the left side of the support portion 710.

[0198] The configuration of the cleaning nozzle is described below.

[0199] Figure 65 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle body 750 viewed from the front left, Figure 66 is a perspective view of the nozzle body 750 viewed from the front left, and Figure 67 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the nozzle device 700.

[0200] The nozzle body 750 includes a nozzle section 760 having multiple cleaning water channels and a channel switching mechanism 780 that switches the cleaning water channels of the nozzle section 760. The nozzle section 760 includes a pipe section 761A and a nozzle cover 761B that covers the pipe section 761A from the center to the front.

[0201] The flow path switching mechanism 780 is located behind the nozzle section 760 and includes a flow path control valve 781 that switches the flow path and a flow path switching motor 782 that drives the flow path control valve 781.

[0202] A retaining portion 761C is provided at the rear of the nozzle portion 760 to hold the outer circumference of the pipe portion 761A. A first arm portion 764 extends from the retaining portion 761C to the right, from a position above the center of the pipe portion 761A and from a position below the upper edge of the retaining portion 761C. The first arm portion 764 is formed in a U-shape downwards to embrace the inclined portion 711.

[0203] A second arm portion 765 extends downward from the lower part of the holding portion 761C, from a position to the left of the center of the pipe portion 761A. The second arm portion 765 extends to the right and embraces the second inclined portion 716.

[0204] The first arm portion 764 has a protruding portion 766 formed on the sliding contact surface with the inclined portion 711, and the second arm portion 765 has a protruding portion 767 formed on the sliding contact surface with the second inclined portion 716. The protruding portions 766 and 767 reduce frictional resistance with the sliding contact surface and improve the sliding performance of the nozzle body 750.

[0205] The position where the protruding portion 766 and the inclined portion 711 of the first arm portion 764 slide against each other is set to be above the center of the pipe portion 761A. The position where the protruding portion 767 and the second inclined portion 716 of the second arm portion 765 slide against each other is set to be to the left of the center of the pipe portion 761A.

[0206] As a result, the nozzle section 760 can have a lower height relative to the support section 710 in the support direction, allowing the height of the nozzle device 700 to be set lower and supported stably.

[0207] The nozzle section 760 is supported by the first arm section 764 at a position above the center of the pipe section 761A, and by the second arm section 765 at a position to the left of the center of the pipe section 761A. As a result, the nozzle section 760 can be stably supported by the support section 710, and the nozzle section 760 can be supported with good mobility when it moves.

[0208] The nozzle section 760 is moved by the flexible rack 731 of the drive section 730. The flexible rack 731 is guided by the side of the pinion gear 733 that does not have a pinion gear formed on it, into the guide space of the inner peripheral edge of the arc section 712 and the inclined section 711.

[0209] The tip of the flexible rack 731 engages with an engagement portion formed on the first arm portion 764, and in the standby state where the nozzle portion 760 is stored in the storage position, it rotates around almost the entire circumference of the pinion gear 733 and meshes with it. The flexible rack 731 moves the nozzle portion 760 to the cleaning position by the motor 732 of the drive unit 730.

[0210] It is preferable to set the length of the flexible rack 731 to be shorter than the entire circumference of the pinion gear 733. When the nozzle portion 760 extends, the flexible rack 731 slides from the arc portion 712 into the guide space of the periphery of the arc portion 712 and the inclined portion 711, leaving sufficient engagement to prevent it from falling out. When the nozzle portion 760 returns to the retracted position, the flexible rack 731 rotates around the pinion gear 733 along the arc portion 712, so that the gear of the flexible rack 731 does not come off the pinion gear 733.

[0211] When assembling the drive unit 730, with the nozzle unit 760 in its retracted state and the right side of the nozzle device 700 facing upwards, the flexible rack 731 and the pinion gear 733 are fitted in order from the top side, the support cover 717 is fitted onto the support unit 710, and then secured with screws. The flexible rack 731 is made of a resin part molded with a predetermined curvature. The curvature of the flexible rack 731 makes it easier to wrap around the pinion gear 733, simplifying assembly and ensuring secure meshing with the pinion gear 733.

[0212] The movable space of the flexible rack 731 is covered by the support cover 717. Therefore, even if the nozzle section 760 is manually and forcibly returned to the standby position from a protruding state, the flexible rack 731 will not come off, and the flexible rack 731 can stably engage with the pinion gear 733 and guide the forward and backward movement of the nozzle section 760.

[0213] The flexible rack 731 is formed by integrally molding a material such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or TPEE (polyester elastomer). The flexible rack 731 is formed as a slightly curved strip overall. A tooth profile that meshes with the pinion gear 733 of the drive unit 730 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the curved shape of the flexible rack 731, and the outer circumferential surface of the curved shape is formed as a flat surface. The outer circumferential surface of the curved shape of the flexible rack 731 is coated with a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene resin). This reduces the frictional resistance between the flexible rack 731 and the guide rack 713.

[0214] <Movement configuration of the nozzle body> Next, the forward and backward movement of the nozzle section 760 will be explained.

[0215] The nozzle section 760 is moved by the drive section 730 until it is in a predetermined position, and the first arm section 764 moves to the position of the holding section 714. The nozzle section 760 moves while being stably supported by the inclined section 711 and the first arm section 764, and by the second inclined section 716 and the second arm section 765.

[0216] Figure 68 is a cross-sectional view of the holding portion.

[0217] The holding portion 714 has protrusions 718 formed on the left, right, and bottom of its inner circumferential surface, and the protrusions 718 support the nozzle cover 761B of the nozzle portion 760, so that the nozzle portion 760 reaches a predetermined protruding position while maintaining a predetermined angle.

[0218] If it takes a long time for the nozzle portion 760 to protrude to a predetermined position, usability will be impaired. Therefore, to avoid impairing usability, the drive speed of the flexible rack 731 needs to be increased.

[0219] To increase the drive speed of the flexible rack 731, it is conceivable to enlarge the motor 732. However, enlarging the motor 732 would likely increase costs and the height of the product.

[0220] In this embodiment, in order to increase the driving speed of the flexible rack 731 without increasing the size of the motor 732, the diameter of the pinion gear 733 is increased, and the inner peripheral edge of the arc portion 712 and the guide space of the inclined portion 711 are continuously located in the tangential direction of the outer circumference of the pinion gear 733. As a result, the frictional resistance of the flexible rack 731 can be reduced, and the nozzle portion 760 can be driven smoothly between the protruding position and the retracted position.

[0221] In this embodiment, while maintaining a compact configuration, the nozzle section 760 can be quickly extended at an appropriate angle from the standby position to the human body washing position, thereby achieving comfortable washing.

[0222] The nozzle body 750 includes a nozzle section 760 having multiple cleaning water channels and a channel switching mechanism 780 that switches the cleaning water channels of the nozzle section 760. The nozzle section 760 includes a pipe section 761A and a nozzle cover 761B that covers the pipe section 761A from the center to the front.

[0223] <Configuration of the washing water discharge section> Figure 69 is an external perspective view of the pipe section of the nozzle body, and Figure 70 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the pipe section.

[0224] Based on Figures 69 and 70, the configuration of the tip of the nozzle section 760 will be described in detail.

[0225] The tip of the pipe section 761A of the nozzle section 760 is equipped with a first nozzle 762 and a second nozzle 763 for washing the human body. The first nozzle 762 is a nozzle for bidet washing that sprays a wide stream of washing water, and the second nozzle 763 is a nozzle for washing the buttocks.

[0226] The pipe section 761A of the nozzle section 760 is provided with a first flow path 773, a second flow path 774, and a third flow path (not shown), and the flow of cleaning water to these flow paths is switched by a flow path switching mechanism 780. The first flow path 773 is connected to the first nozzle 762. The second flow path 774 and the third flow path are connected to the second nozzle 763, and the cleaning water ejected from the second nozzle 763 is discharged with a straight component in the second flow path 774 and a swirling component in the third flow path.

[0227] The tip of the pipe section 761A includes a first cap 771 and a second cap 772 mounted on top of the first cap 771. The first cap 771 includes a channel that communicates with the first channel 773 and forms part of the first channel 773, a channel that communicates with the second channel 774 and forms part of the second channel 774, and a channel that communicates with the third channel and forms part of the third channel. Each channel of the first cap 771 changes the direction of the cleaning water from the axial direction of the nozzle section 760 towards the human body. The second cap 772 includes a first outlet 762 and a second outlet 763. The first cap 771 and the second cap 772 are made of resin and are integrally formed by ultrasonic welding.

[0228] When washing the buttocks, the washing water flowing through the second channel 774 and the third channel is discharged from the second nozzle 763. By changing the ratio of washing water flowing through the second channel 774 and the third channel, the washing water can be dispensed to suit the user's preference. If a spot cleaning is preferred, the proportion of washing water in the second channel 774 (direct spray channel) is increased, and if a broad, gentle cleaning is preferred, the relative flow rate of washing water in the third channel (swirling channel) is increased, allowing for a broad, gentle washing water to be dispensed in a swirling motion.

[0229] The first nozzle 762 is a nozzle that discharges washing water for the bidet, and is inclined forward with respect to the extension direction of the first flow path 773 of the nozzle section 760, so that the washing water is ejected further forward. The first flow path 773, which communicates with the first nozzle 762, is located at the very bottom of the nozzle section 760, and changes direction towards the human body in the flow path of the second cap 772 before being ejected towards the human body. The first nozzle 762 is composed of four ejection holes. The flow path of the second cap 772 is provided with a roughly triangular flow straightening rib 768.

[0230] In this embodiment, the four ejection holes of the first nozzle 762 are all 0.8 to 1.0 mm in diameter and approximately 3 mm in length, and are tilted forward at a rate of 103.5 degrees to allow for more forward-facing ejection.

[0231] The cleaning water flowing from the first channel 773 into the channel of the second cap 772 becomes turbulent. The turbulent jet of cleaning water is ejected in multiple directions, and when it hits a localized area of ​​the human body, it becomes a dispersed jet, making effective cleaning impossible.

[0232] In this embodiment, a flow straightening rib 768 is provided so that the washing water ejected from the four nozzles reaches the body parts in a straight line. Preferably, the angle of the longer side of the roughly triangular flow straightening rib 768 is set to be approximately parallel to the inclination of the nozzles. With this configuration, the washing water ejected from the four nozzles does not disperse but comes into contact with the body in a bundle, enabling comfortable bidet washing.

[0233] The second nozzle 763 is a nozzle that discharges cleansing water for the buttocks and is located behind the first nozzle 762. The second nozzle 763 is connected to the second flow path 774 and the third flow path via the second flow path 774 and the third flow path of the first cap 771.

[0234] At the confluence portion 769 of the first cap 771, the cleaning water of the DC component in the second flow path 774 merges on the side of the second ejection port 763 closer than the cleaning water of the swirling component in the third flow path. The cleaning water of the swirling component in the third flow path flows in from the tangential direction at a position below the second flow path 774 at the confluence portion 769.

[0235] A guide portion 770 is extended into the confluence portion 769 from the back side of the second ejection port 763 of the second cap 772 at the confluence portion 769, and the cleaning water is discharged through the guide portion 770. The second ejection port 763 has a diameter of 1.0 to 1.1 mm and a length of about 4 mm. The guide portion 770 has a shape obtained by cutting a cylinder obliquely, and is configured such that the longer cylindrical portion is located on the tip side of the nozzle portion 760, and the shorter portion is located on the side of the second flow path 774 and the third flow path.

[0236] The cleaning water of the direct injection flow of the second flow path 774 flowing in the axial direction enters the confluence portion 769 and is ejected from the second ejection port 763 toward the human body along the guide portion 770. The cleaning water of the swirling component of the third flow path flows in from below at the confluence portion 769 at a position lower than the position where the second flow path 774 flows in, and merges and ejects with the cleaning water of the direct injection component of the second flow path 774 at the confluence portion 769.

[0237] Inside the nozzle portion 760, the second flow path 774 and the third flow path, which are the flow paths for the buttocks, are located above the first flow path 773, which is the flow path for the back.

[0238] In this configuration, when the cleaning water flowing through the flow path for the buttocks changes the flow path direction toward the second ejection port 763 at the confluence portion 769, the rectification length in the human body direction becomes short. After the direction change, if the length of the second ejection port 763 is increased to rectify the cleaning water of the direct injection component of the second flow path 774, the cleaning water of the swirling component of the third flow path may also be rectified and become a direct injection, resulting in a possible decrease in the sensation when contacting the human body. On the other hand, if the configuration is such that the length of the second ejection port 763 is short, there is a possibility that the cleaning water of the direct injection component of the second flow path 774 may not be sufficiently rectified.

[0239] In this embodiment, a guide section 770 is provided. By providing the guide section 770, the direct injection component can be ejected while maintaining its direct injection component, and the swirling component can be ejected while maintaining its swirling component. Therefore, the user can achieve their preferred jet flow by combining the direct injection component and the swirling component.

[0240] Furthermore, for spot cleaning water, it is desirable for the jet to pulsate. For broad, soft cleaning water that mainly consists of swirling components, it is desirable for the jet to not pulsate.

[0241] Therefore, by providing a guide section 770 at the confluence section 769, it is possible to rectify only the direct injection component while leaving pulsation due to the swirling component when spraying the cleaning water.

[0242] By adopting the above configuration, it becomes possible to enable comfortable body washing.

[0243] In this embodiment, the water pump 600 generates pulsation in the washing water, but other methods may be used as long as the pulsation is generated in the flow path before the second nozzle 763. The configuration is effective not limited to this embodiment, as long as the generated pulsation is not attenuated by providing the guide section 770.

[0244] As shown in Figure 59, an inlet port 751 and an outlet port 752 connected to a flow path switching mechanism 780 are provided on the left side of the nozzle section 760, and a double hose 753, which serves as a flow path for inlet and outlet water, is provided connected to the inlet port 751 and the outlet port 752. The double hose 753 is constructed by connecting a first pipe 754 and a second pipe 755 in parallel, and by integrally connecting the first pipe 754 and the second pipe 755.

[0245] The first pipe 754 carries the cleaning water, which has been supplied via the heat exchanger 500 and water pump 600, through the flow path in the second connection 757 to the first connection 756. The second pipe 755 carries the cleaning water that has been switched from the first pipe 754 via the flow path switching mechanism 780.

[0246] The double hose 753 is bent at the rear end of the nozzle body 750 and is movable in the section from the first connection part 756 to the second connection part 757. At the position of the second connection part 757, the second pipe 755, which is a cleaning flow path, is held and extended at the second connection part 757 and connected to the cleaning port 758 of the holding part 714 provided at the tip of the support part 710.

[0247] A recess is formed in the double hose 753 between the first pipe 754 and the second pipe 755. The lead wire 759 of the motor that drives the flow control valve 781 is laid flat in the recess, running from the first connection point 756 to the second connection point 757. The lead wire 759 moves together with the double hose 753 in conjunction with the movement of the nozzle body 750.

[0248] The twin hose 753 and the flat lead wire 759 are fixed by a locking clamp 759A near the center between the first connection point 756 and the second connection point 757. The twin hose 753 and the lead wire 759 are not fixed along their entire length because they move by different amounts between the extended position and the standby position of the nozzle body 750. Partial fixing allows each to bend with a natural curvature and is not subjected to stress, thus enabling stable operation of the nozzle body 750. It also improves workability during maintenance. In this embodiment, a locking clamp is used as the method of partial fixing, but it is not limited to this.

[0249] Next, I will explain the cleaning function of the nozzle unit 750.

[0250] Figure 71 is an external perspective view of the holding part, and Figure 72 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the holding part.

[0251] A holding portion 714 is provided at the tip of the support portion 710 to hold the tip of the nozzle portion 760. A nozzle shutter 728 is provided in front of the holding portion 714, with its upper ends held on both sides, and is designed to open and close freely. The nozzle shutter 728 conceals the tip of the nozzle cover 761B and the relief water drain 719 that drains into the toilet bowl when the internal water pressure rises, preventing contamination by feces, etc. A cleaning port 758 for nozzle cleaning is integrally formed with the holding portion 714 at the tip of the holding portion 714, and a second cleaning pipe 755 is connected to it.

[0252] A relief water port 721 is provided at the front right position of the support portion 710, and is connected via a hose to a nozzle relief valve (not shown) that operates when the internal water pressure rises.

[0253] The relief water port 721 and the relief water drain 719 are integrally formed in a roughly L-shape on the holding portion 714, and the relief water is drained into the toilet bowl through the relief water port 721 and the relief water drain 719.

[0254] The nozzle relief valve prevents damage to the flow path by releasing the cleaning water in the drain direction when pressure exceeding a predetermined level is applied inside the nozzle section 760. The nozzle relief valve drains the relief water from around the nozzle section 760 towards the toilet bowl, similar to when functions such as nozzle cleaning and nozzle disinfection are activated, thus preventing misinterpretation as a water leak due to a malfunction.

[0255] In this embodiment, the nozzle cover 761B and the tip of the nozzle portion 760 are configured to be cleaned while in standby mode.

[0256] As shown in Figure 70, a cleaning hole 722 is provided on the upper surface of the holding portion 714. The cleaning hole 722 is positioned facing between the first nozzle 762 for the bidet and the second nozzle 763 for the buttocks, and is positioned so as not to face the first nozzle 762 and the second nozzle 763, so that the cleaning water from the cleaning hole 722 is not directly discharged to the first nozzle 762 and the second nozzle 763.

[0257] This can suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by the cleaning water from the cleaning holes 722 colliding with the first ejection port 762 and the second ejection port 763.

[0258] The present embodiment is not limited thereto. As long as the ejection direction of the cleaning water from the cleaning holes 722 is not directly ejected to the first ejection port 762 and the second ejection port 763, the positional relationship between the first ejection port 762 and the second ejection port 763 may be different from this. The ejection ports may be singular or provided with three or more.

[0259] As shown in FIGS. 68 and 72, a plurality of ridges 718 are formed inside the holding portion 714 of the support portion 710 in the inner circumferential direction. The ridges 718 form a gap 723 between the inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 714 of the support portion 710 and the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle cover 761B of the nozzle body 750.

[0260] In the stored state of the nozzle portion 760, the cleaning water ejected from the nozzle portion 760 flows into the gap 723 formed between the inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 714 and the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle cover 761B of the nozzle portion 760. Thereby, the cleaning water cleans the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle cover 761B of the nozzle portion 760 and is discharged into the toilet bowl. [[ID=I3]]

[0261] [[ID=I5]] FIG. 73 is a cross-sectional view of the holding portion 714. As shown in FIGS. 68 and 73, a folded-back portion 724 is provided at the tip portion of the holding portion 714 along the outer circumference of the nozzle cover 761B between the ridges 718.

[0262] This can suppress the cleaning water from flowing into the device interior from behind the holding portion 714 during cleaning of the nozzle cover 761B, and can clean and make clean the periphery of the first ejection port 762 and the second ejection port 763 with emphasis.

[0263] The protruding height of the ridges 718 from the inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 714 is set higher than the height of the folded-back portion 724, and the ridges 718 abut against the nozzle cover 761B to slide the nozzle portion 760.

[0264] The protrusion 718 is formed along the entire length of the nozzle portion 760's movement, and even if a step is created at the joint between the nozzle cover 761B and the nozzle portion 760 as the nozzle portion 760 moves back and forth along the protrusion 718, the nozzle portion 760 can slide smoothly without getting stuck during its movement.

[0265] <Control> The sanitary cleaning device 100 of this embodiment includes a control device.

[0266] The control device controls the water supply unit 400 that supplies water, the heater component 580 of the heat exchanger 500, the flow sensor 570 that measures the amount of water supplied, the flow path switching mechanism 780 that switches the water channels, and the motor 732 that controls the extension and retraction of the cleaning nozzle.

[0267] <Flow path switching mechanism control> The control device switches the waterway using the flow path switching mechanism 780, thereby changing the flow rate.

[0268] When the wash button on the sleeve control unit 210 is operated, the control unit opens the shut-off solenoid valve 403 to supply wash water. It is necessary to minimize the time between the operation of the wash button and the wash water coming into contact with the human body, so the shut-off solenoid valve 403 supplies an appropriate amount of wash water to the heat exchanger 500.

[0269] The heat exchanger 500 needs to ensure the water temperature is optimal when it first comes into contact with the human body. To achieve this, the heat exchanger 500 heats the supplied washing water simultaneously with the operation of the washing button.

[0270] More specifically, when the user operates the wash button, the control device switches the flow path switching mechanism 780 to the second flow path 774, which is the water channel for the buttocks, and drives the water shut-off solenoid valve 403. The flow sensor 550 detects that wash water is flowing and starts supplying power to the heater component 580 of the heat exchanger 500.

[0271] In this embodiment, cleaning water is supplied to the second flow path 774 for 2.4 seconds. Then, the flow path switching mechanism 780 is switched to the second pipe 755, which is a cleaning waterway. After the switch, the motor 732 is driven to move the nozzle body 750 forward. When the nozzle body 750 moves, cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning hole 722 of the second flow path 774 to clean the nozzle body 750. The cleaning water that has cleaned the nozzle body 750 is not sprayed from the nozzle body 750 toward the human body, and is drained into the toilet bowl through the drainage path.

[0272] When the nozzle body 750 moves to the predetermined position, the flow path switching mechanism 780 switches from the second pipe 755 to the second flow path 774 for the buttocks. The body is then cleaned by the washing water from the second flow path 774.

[0273] The flow rate of the second pipe 755, which is the cleaning water channel, and the minimum flow rate of the second flow path 774, which is the anal water channel, are controlled to be approximately equal. This enables stable control and suppresses temperature fluctuations at the beginning of the cleaning water contact with the human body.

[0274] In this embodiment, the flow rate is changed by switching between the second pipe 755, which is the cleaning waterway, and the second flow path 774, which is the anal waterway, using the flow path switching mechanism 780, and therefore time is required for the change to occur. The flow path switching mechanism 780 is configured to set the flow rate of the cleaning water to the second flow path 774, which is the anal waterway, to a low level when it first comes into contact with the human body, and to gradually increase the flow rate from when it first comes into contact with the human body until it reaches a predetermined flow rate. This makes it possible to supply cleaning water of various cleaning intensities, and to achieve cleaning that does not cause discomfort to the user.

[0275] Conversely, if the water flow rate is high at the beginning of contact with the human body and then gradually decreases after contact, this configuration is not adopted in this embodiment because it would result in unintended operation for users who prefer a weaker washing strength.

[0276] During cleaning, if the cleaning button is pressed, the drive of the water shut-off solenoid valve 403 is stopped, and the supply of cleaning water is stopped. The flow path switching mechanism 780 switches to the second pipe 755, which is the cleaning water channel, and retracts the nozzle body 750. After the nozzle body 750 is retracted, the flow path switching mechanism 780 switches to the second flow path 774, which is the rear water channel, and drives the water shut-off solenoid valve 403 for a predetermined time to clean the tip of the nozzle body 750. After the cleaning of the nozzle body 750 is completed, the water shut-off solenoid valve 403 is stopped, and the flow path switching mechanism 780 is switched to the stop position.

[0277] Since bidet washing uses the same control system as posterior washing, we will omit the explanation.

[0278] <Heat exchanger control> Next, we will explain the control of the heater component 580 of the heat exchanger 500.

[0279] As described above, the water circuit of this embodiment is configured to change the flow rate by switching the water channels using the flow path switching mechanism 780. Therefore, it takes time for the flow rate to change, and the flow rate is low when it first hits the human body, and then gradually increases to a predetermined flow rate after it hits the human body.

[0280] Therefore, the flow rate changes significantly when the heater begins to hit the human body. Controlling the heater component 580 at this time is extremely important to prevent discomfort to the user.

[0281] In this embodiment, a stepping motor is used in the flow path switching mechanism 780, and the flow rate is changed by moving the stepping motor to a predetermined position. Therefore, the flow rate of the washing water does not change instantaneously to the target flow rate, but rather changes in stages due to the operation of the stepping motor.

[0282] If the flow rate of the washing water and the rate of change of the amount of electricity supplied to the heater component 580 of the heat exchanger 500 differ, the hot water output may be either too hot or too cold.

[0283] In this embodiment, the flow rate of the washing water is measured by the flow sensor 570, and the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580 is controlled according to the flow rate measured by the flow sensor 570.

[0284] If the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580 is controlled according to the flow rate measured by the flow sensor 570, the hot water temperature may fluctuate due to the delay in heat transfer from the heater component 580 to the heat exchanger 500 and the detection delay of the flow sensor 570.

[0285] To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the amount of current supplied to the heater component 580 is changed in advance by predicting the change in the flow rate of the washing water. The basic amount of current supplied to the heater component 580 is expressed by (Equation 1) shown below.

[0286]

number

[0287] In (Equation 1), Q is the flow rate detected by the flow sensor 570. However, when the flow rate changes, the change in the amount of current supplied to the heater component 580 is delayed. To suppress this, a predicted flow rate Q' is used instead of the flow rate Q, as shown in (Equation 2) below.

[0288]

number

[0289] The predicted flow rate Q' is the flow rate obtained by adding a predetermined flow rate to the flow rate of the washing water detected by the flow sensor 570, and is the flow rate predicted to flow at a predetermined time advanced by a predetermined time from the time when the flow sensor 570 measured the flow.

[0290] As an example, Figure 74 shows the behavior of the predicted flow rate when the washing strength of the washing water is changed. The shift amount T heater This value is determined by the heat exchange performance of the heat exchanger 500, particularly its responsiveness.

[0291] In Figure 74, "flow rate" is Q in (Equation 1), and "predicted flow rate" is Q' in (Equation 2). The predicted flow rate Q' is equal to the time quantity T. heater Quickly increase the amount of current supplied to the heater component 580.

[0292] In this way, the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580 is changed in advance of the change in the flow rate of the cleaning water. This suppresses the delay in the change in the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580, and makes it possible to suppress fluctuations in the hot water temperature when the flow rate of the cleaning water is changed.

[0293] In practice, equation (2) is only used when the flow rate of the washing water changes.

[0294] The flow rate of the cleaning water constantly changes slowly due to factors such as the water pressure and temperature of the tap water, and does not take a constant value.

[0295] Therefore, it is difficult to constantly predict and forecast changes in the flow rate of the cleaning water. Basically, the flow rate measured by the flow sensor 570 is used.

[0296] The flow path switching mechanism 780 is configured so that the flow rate of the washing water changes linearly in the areas used for posterior washing and bidet washing. Therefore, the rate of change in the flow rate of the washing water is always constant.

[0297] As shown in Figure 75, when the flow rate is changed by the flow path switching mechanism 780, first, in (Equation 2), the flow rate Q measured by the current flow sensor 570 is substituted into the predicted flow rate Q', and then the predicted flow rate Q' is increased (or decreased) at a constant rate of change. When the predicted flow rate Q' reaches the flow rate used in the previous use, the flow rate change is terminated and it is set to a constant value.

[0298] This control allows for stabilization of the hot water temperature when the flow rate of the cleaning water changes. Due to the structure of the flow path switching mechanism 780, the flow rate of the cleaning water also changes when cleaning is started, but even in cases where it changes, the temperature fluctuations of the cleaning water can be reduced by changing the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580 in advance.

[0299] Due to the influence of hysteresis, the timing of the flow rate change may differ for the flow rate of the washing water. Hysteresis is the amount of backlash generated by packing the play in the clearance of the reduction gear when the stepping motor of the flow path switching mechanism 780 reverses the driving direction. Therefore, when driving the flow path switching mechanism 780 in a direction different from the previous time, a delay due to hysteresis occurs, but no delay occurs when rotating in the same direction as the previous time.

[0300] While the stepping motor drives the amount corresponding to hysteresis, the flow rate of the washing water does not change in the flow path switching mechanism 780. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the influence of hysteresis when controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater assembly 580.

[0301] As shown in FIG. 76, in order to align the timing of the flow rate fluctuation of the washing water, when the flow path switching mechanism 780 is rotated in the same direction as during the previous drive (hereinafter referred to as "forward rotation"), a drive standby time T stpm is provided. The drive standby time T stpm is the standby time based on the case where hysteresis becomes maximum when rotating in a direction different from the previous time (hereinafter referred to as "reverse rotation"). The drive standby time T stpm is a predetermined value.

[0302] When the flow path switching mechanism 780 is reversed, the standby time is decreased according to the amount of hysteresis compared to the case of maximum hysteresis, and the drive standby time T stpm(diff) is set.

[0303] Thereby, similar to the case of forward rotation of the flow path switching mechanism 780, the flow rate of the washing water can be changed at the same timing even in the case of reverse rotation.

[0304] The standby time when the flow path switching mechanism 780 is reversed is represented by (Equation 3) shown below.

[0305]

Equation

[0306] In (Equation 3), the hysteresis amount H of the flow path switching mechanism 780 ys The hysteresis amount H will take on a different value for each stepping motor due to variations in the components. ys By setting the value to match each individual machine, variations in stepping motor components can be absorbed, making it possible to always control the flow rate at the same timing.

[0307] Furthermore, in order to stabilize the temperature of the washing water, it is necessary to change the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580 in advance when the flow rate of the washing water is changed by the flow path switching mechanism 780. In other words, the operation of the flow path switching mechanism 780 must be delayed compared to the operation of the amount of power supplied to the heater component 580. The waiting time T for driving the flow path switching mechanism 780 in this control is necessary. stpm This not only synchronizes the operating timing of the flow path switching mechanism 780, but also contributes to creating time to preemptively control the amount of current supplied to the heater component 580.

[0308] <Control via learning function> In the water circuit of this embodiment, the flow rate of the cleaning water changes depending on the position of the stepping motor of the flow path switching mechanism 780. Therefore, the precision of the position of the stepping motor of the flow path switching mechanism 780 is important.

[0309] The flow rate of the cleaning water is measured using the flow sensor 570. If the measured flow rate deviates from the target flow rate, the position of the flow path switching mechanism 780 is corrected to bring the cleaning water flow rate closer to the target flow rate. This control is performed continuously during cleaning to adjust the cleaning water flow rate to the target flow rate.

[0310] For flow rate correction, a small amount of time is required between operating the flow path switching mechanism 780 and receiving flow rate feedback from the flow sensor 570. Therefore, when correcting the position of the flow path switching mechanism 780, it is operated intermittently little by little by increasing the stepping motor's steps.

[0311] If the flow rate measured by the flow sensor 570 deviates from the target flow rate by a certain amount or more, the counter for intermittent operation is incremented by 1. When the counter value exceeds a certain value, the flow path switching mechanism 780 is operated to bring the flow rate of the cleaning water closer to the target flow rate. By repeating this process, the flow rate of the cleaning water is brought closer to the target flow rate.

[0312] When the deviation of the cleaning water flow rate from the target flow rate decreases and falls below a threshold, the counter is reset to 0 (zero). This process aims to allow a certain range of variation in the flow path switching mechanism 780, rather than operating it until the cleaning water flow rate perfectly matches the target flow rate. This prevents the flow path switching mechanism 780 from constantly adjusting the flow rate due to an unstable position, even when fine flow rate adjustment is difficult due to component variations.

[0313] The position control of the aforementioned flow path switching mechanism 780 is performed during cleaning, and it is expected that the flow rate of the cleaning water immediately after the start of cleaning will not match the target flow rate. One of the reasons for this is the variation in the hysteresis of the flow path switching mechanism 780. In other words, when using the equipment for the first time, the hysteresis of the flow path switching mechanism 780 may be off, and the flow rate of the cleaning water may not match the target flow rate.

[0314] Therefore, in the water circuit of this embodiment, the hysteresis of the flow path switching mechanism 780 is stored before the equipment is shipped. Because the hysteresis of the flow path switching mechanism 780 varies with mass production, the flow path switching mechanism 780 is operated while water is flowing through it and the flow rate is measured before shipment. This allows the hysteresis to be measured and stored.

[0315] The flow path switching mechanism 780 has a region where the flow rate changes when the position of the stepping motor is changed. By reversing the stepping motor's operation within this region, the amount of hysteresis can be measured.

[0316] With the cleaning water flowing, the flow path switching mechanism 780 is driven in one direction and stopped, and then driven in the reverse direction by a fixed amount at a time. Initially, when rotating in the reverse direction, there is a hysteresis amount due to gear play, etc., so no change in flow rate is observed. However, when the amount of reversal exceeds the hysteresis amount, a change in flow rate occurs. By detecting this change in flow rate with the flow sensor 570, it becomes possible to measure the amount of hysteresis. [Industrial applicability]

[0317] The sanitary cleaning device of this disclosure can be applied to sanitary cleaning devices that do not have a toilet lid, as it improves the ease of attaching various functional components to the base. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0318] 100 Sanitary cleaning equipment 110 toilet bowl 200 Main body 220 Drying equipment 230 Deodorizing device 250 Base section 270 Rear Case 290 Previous Case 300 toilet seats 320 Toilet lid 400 Water supply unit 500 heat exchanger 600 Water Pump 700 Nozzle Device 710 Support part 711 Slope 712 Arc section 713 Guide Rack 714 Holding part 730 Drive Unit 750 Nozzle Body 754 First piping 755 Second piping 759 Lead wire 760 Nozzle section 761A Pipe section 761B Nozzle Cover 761C Holding part 762 No.1 spout 763 2nd spout 764 First Arm Section 765 Second Arm Section

Claims

1. A sanitary cleaning device that supplies cleaning water supplied from a supply source to the human body by water pressure from the supply source, A washing nozzle that discharges the aforementioned washing water to wash the human body, A water flow path is provided between the supply source and the cleaning nozzle, which allows the cleaning water from the supply source to flow to the cleaning nozzle. A flow rate switching mechanism that supplies the cleaning water from the supply source to the cleaning water channel, A flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the cleaning water in the cleaning water channel, A heat exchanger is provided upstream of the aforementioned cleaning nozzle and heats the cleaning water. The system comprises the flow rate switching mechanism, the flow rate sensor, the heat exchanger, and a control unit for controlling them. The control unit controls the flow rate switching mechanism to reduce the initial flow rate of the washing water applied to the human body and gradually increase the flow rate, in a sanitary washing device. The flow rate switching mechanism uses a stepping motor, The control unit, when rotating the flow rate switching mechanism in the same direction as the previous drive, sets a drive standby time T. ｓｔｐｍ We have established When the flow rate switching mechanism is reversed, the drive standby time T ｓｔｐｍ Reduced drive standby time T ｓｔｐｍ（ｄｉｆｆ） A sanitary cleaning device in which the following is set.

2. The control unit operates the flow rate switching mechanism while flowing water and measuring the flow rate, measures and stores the hysteresis, and determines the drive standby time T according to the hysteresis. ｓｔｐｍ（ｄｉｆｆ） A sanitary cleaning device according to claim 1, which sets up the following:

3. The flow rate switching mechanism uses a stepping motor, The control unit stores the amount of hysteresis of the stepping motor, and controls the power supplied to the heat exchanger using the flow rate of the cleaning water detected by the flow sensor and the calculated amount of hysteresis as the flow rate of the cleaning water.

4. The control unit controls the power supplied to the heat exchanger by adding a predetermined flow rate to the flow rate of the washing water detected by the flow sensor, using this value as the flow rate of the washing water. Purification device.

5. The sanitary cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit advances the time measured by the flow sensor by a predetermined time, and controls the power supplied to the heat exchanger by using the flow rate predicted to flow at the advanced time as the flow rate of the cleaning water.

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