Wastewater recycling toilet system

Abstract

To provide a wastewater recycling toilet system that can prevent toilets from becoming unusable even when toilet usage exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity. The wastewater reuse toilet system S comprises toilets 10a and 10b, corresponding flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and drainage pipes F2a and F2b, a first line L1 having a processing unit L10 for processing wastewater and a pump L11 for supplying treated water produced by processing L10 to the toilets, a second line L2 having a sewer pipe F22 for distributing wastewater to the sewer and a water supply pipe F21 for distributing water from the water supply as flushing water to the toilets 10a and 10b, a switching unit 20 capable of switching the connection destination of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b between the pump L11 and the water supply pipe F21, and switching the connection destination of the drainage pipe between the processing unit L10 and the sewer pipe F22, and a control unit 310 for controlling the switching unit 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet system for reusing drainage water.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a toilet system for purifying and reusing toilet drainage water has been known. As an example of this type of technology, Patent Document 1 can be cited. In Patent Document 1, a first unit having a sewage generation source, a second unit having at least one of a septic tank, a solid-liquid separation tank, and an oil separation tank for the purpose of water purification and performing temporary treatment of the received sewage, a sewage inlet, and a third unit having a primary water receiving tank, an intermediate treatment tank, a reserve treatment tank, a circulation treatment tank, a concentrated drainage impurity reserve tank, and a sterile drainage tank is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, there is an upper limit to the amount of drainage water that a toilet system for reusing drainage water can handle, and the amount of drainage water that the toilet system for reusing drainage water can handle is set in advance assuming the number of toilet users, etc. However, there are cases where many people use the toilet beyond the assumption during a temporary event or the like. In this case, the amount of toilet use exceeds the amount of drainage water that the toilet system for reusing drainage water can handle, and there is a risk that the drainage water cannot be reused and the toilet cannot be used.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet system for reusing drainage water that can suppress the toilet from becoming unusable even when the toilet is used more than the treatment capacity of the drainage water reuse.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) The wastewater recycling toilet system according to the present invention comprises a first line having a plurality of toilets, a plurality of flushing water pipes connected to each of the plurality of toilets for distributing flushing water to each of the plurality of toilets, a plurality of drainage pipes corresponding to each of the plurality of toilets for distributing wastewater discharged from the toilets, a processing unit that can be connected to the plurality of drainage pipes for processing the wastewater, and a supply unit that can be connected to the plurality of flushing water pipes for supplying treated water produced by the processing of the processing unit to the toilets as flushing water; a second line having a sewer pipe that can be connected to the plurality of drainage pipes for distributing wastewater to the sewer, and a water supply pipe that can be connected to the plurality of flushing water pipes for distributing water from the water supply to the toilets as flushing water; a switching unit that can switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe between the supply unit and the water supply pipe for each of the plurality of toilets, and can switch the connection destination of the drainage pipe between the processing unit and the sewer pipe; and a control unit that controls the switching operation of the switching unit.

[0007] The wastewater recycling toilet system described in (1) can prevent toilets from becoming unusable even if the number of toilet users exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity.

[0008] (2) In the wastewater recycling toilet system described in (1), the control unit controls the switching operation of the switching unit based on event planning information around the toilet installation location.

[0009] (2) The wastewater recycling toilet system can automatically control the switching operation of the switching unit based on event planning information, thus more reliably preventing toilets from becoming unusable even if the number of toilet users exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity.

[0010] (3) The wastewater recycling toilet system described in (1) includes a detection unit capable of detecting the usage status of the toilet, and the control unit controls the switching operation of the switching unit based on the detection result from the detection unit.

[0011] The wastewater recycling toilet system in (3) can automatically control the switching operation of the switching unit even if event planning information etc. cannot be obtained in advance and the number of toilet users exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity, thereby more reliably preventing toilets from becoming unusable.

[0012] (4)(3) The wastewater reuse toilet system described above includes a control unit capable of calculating the cumulative number of toilet uses based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit, and when the cumulative number of toilet uses based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a first reference value, the switching unit controls the connection destinations of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line, and when the cumulative number of toilet uses based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a second reference value, the switching unit controls the connection destinations of all of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

[0013] The wastewater recycling toilet system in (4) can automatically control the switching operation of the switching unit with simpler control even if event planning information etc. cannot be obtained in advance and the number of toilet users exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity, thereby more reliably preventing toilets from becoming unusable.

[0014] In the wastewater reuse toilet system described in (5)(3), the control unit can calculate the frequency of toilet use based on the detection result of the detection unit's detection of the toilet's usage status, and when the frequency of toilet use based on the detection result of the detection unit's detection of the toilet's usage status is equal to or greater than the first frequency, the switching unit controls the connection destination of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line, and when the frequency of toilet use based on the detection result of the detection unit's detection of the toilet's usage status is equal to or greater than the second frequency, the switching unit controls the connection destination of all of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

[0015] The wastewater recycling toilet system in (5) can automatically control the switching operation of the switching unit with simpler control even if it is not possible to obtain event planning information in advance and toilet usage exceeds the wastewater recycling capacity, thereby more reliably preventing toilets from becoming unusable. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of a wastewater recycling toilet system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of switching control by a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating another example of switching control by a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] <Wastewater Reuse Toilet System> The following describes a wastewater recycling toilet system S according to one embodiment of the present invention, using Figures 1 to 3. In Figure 1, the arrows displayed between the blocks indicate the flow of water. Also in Figure 1, the dotted lines displayed between the blocks indicate that they are connected in a communicative manner.

[0018] The water recycling toilet system S is a system that uses water within the system, purifies the water after use, and circulates and reuses the water. The water recycling toilet system S includes a public toilet 10, a switching unit 20, a control device 30, a treatment unit L10, a pump L11 as a supply unit, a circulation channel F1c as a first line L1, a water supply pipe F21 and a sewer pipe F22 as a second line, a washing water pipe F1a, a washing water pipe F1b, a drain pipe F2a, and a drain pipe F2b.

[0019] The first line L1 is a channel for reusing the drainage in the water recycling toilet system. The first line L1 includes a treatment unit L10 and a pump L11. The second line L2 is a channel for connecting the water recycling toilet system S to at least one of a water supply system and a sewer system.

[0020] The public toilet 10 has known toilets 10a and 10b as a plurality of toilets. Further, the water recycling toilet system S may include a detection unit 40 that detects information capable of detecting the usage status of the toilets within the public toilet 10. More specifically, the detection unit 40 may include a sensor such as an infrared sensor, and the sensor may detect information capable of grasping the number of users of the toilets 10a and 10b.

[0021] For example, the detection unit 40 includes a sensor 40a and a sensor 40b. The sensors 40a and 40b are, for example, infrared sensors that detect infrared rays. However, the sensors 40a and 40b are not limited to non-contact sensors such as infrared sensors. For example, a contact sensor such as a touch sensor may also be used.

[0022] Sensors 40a and 40b are arranged at locations where users of toilet 10a or toilet 10b can be detected. For example, when sensors 40a and 40b are infrared sensors, sensors 40a and 40b may be arranged around toilet 10a or toilet 10b. Also, when sensors 40a and 40b are touch sensors and toilet 10a or toilet 10b is arranged in a private room, opening and closing of the door may be detected by contact of the private room door, and use of toilet 10a or toilet 10b may be detected.

[0023] Switching unit 20 can switch the connection destinations of washing water pipes F1a and F1b between pump L11 and water supply pipe F21, and can switch the connection destinations of drain pipes F2a and F2b between treatment unit L10 and sewer pipe F22.

[0024] That is, switching unit 20 can switch the connection destination of washing water pipe F1a and washing water pipe F1b between pump L11 and water supply pipe F21 for each of toilet 10a or toilet 10b. Also, switching unit 20 can switch the connection destination of drain pipe F2a and drain pipe F2b between treatment unit L10 and sewer pipe F22 for each of toilet 10a or toilet 10b.

[0025] Switching unit 20 includes switching device 21a, switching device 21b, switching device 22a, and switching device 22b. Switching device 21a can switch the connection destination of washing water pipe F1a between pump L11 and water supply pipe F21. Switching device 21b can switch the connection destination of washing water pipe F1b between pump L11 and water supply pipe F21. Switching device 22a can switch the connection destination of drain pipe F2a between treatment unit L10 and sewer pipe F22. Switching device 22b can switch the connection destination of drain pipe F2b between treatment unit L10 and sewer pipe F22.

[0026] Switching device 21a, switching device 21b, switching device 22a, and switching device 22b have a known switching mechanism such as a known electric three-way valve. Therefore, the switching operations of switching device 21a, switching device 21b, switching device 22a, and switching device 22b can be controlled by control device 30.

[0027] The control device 30 is configured to control various operations of the wastewater recycling toilet system S. Details of the control device 30 will be described later.

[0028] The processing unit L10 is configured for treating wastewater and can be connected to multiple wastewater pipes F2a and F2b. The processing unit L10 may include, for example, a sedimentation separation chamber, an aeration treatment chamber, a first shell contact aeration chamber, a second shell contact aeration chamber, a sedimentation filtration chamber, and an activated carbon adsorption chamber.

[0029] In the sedimentation chamber, solid components are separated from the wastewater. In the aeration chamber, the separated water discharged from the sedimentation chamber is aerated. In the first and second shell-contact aeration chambers, the treated water discharged from the aeration chamber is further aerated. In the sedimentation filtration chamber, the treated water discharged from the second shell-contact aeration chamber is filtered by sedimentation. In the activated carbon adsorption chamber, the supernatant treated water discharged from the sedimentation filtration chamber is decolorized.

[0030] The circulation channel F1c connects the processing unit L10 and the pump L11, and is a channel for circulating water from the processing unit L10 to the pump L11. As shown in Figure 1, the circulation channel F1c is a channel between the switching devices 22a and 22b and the switching devices 21a and 22b. The circulation channel F1c is, for example, a known pipe or other piping. The pump L11 is configured to supply treated water generated by the processing of the processing unit L10 as washing water to toilets 10a and 10b, and is connectable to the washing water piping F1a and washing water piping F1b.

[0031] The flushing water pipes F1a and F1b are connected to toilets 10a and 10b respectively and are passages for distributing flushing water to each of the multiple toilets 10a and 10b. The drainage pipes F2a and F2b are connected to toilets 10a and 10b respectively and are passages for distributing wastewater discharged from toilets 10a and 10b. The flushing water pipes F1a, F1b, drainage pipes F2a and F2b are, for example, known pipes or the like.

[0032] Next, the details of the control device 30 will be explained using Figures 2 and 3. An example of the hardware configuration of the control device 30 will be explained using Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 30 includes a processor 300, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 301, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 302, a bus 303, an input / output interface 304, an input unit 305, an output unit 306, an auxiliary storage device 307, a communication unit 308, and a power supply 309.

[0033] The processor 300 is the central part of the computer that performs calculations and control processes necessary for the operation of the control device 30, and performs various calculations and processes. The processor 300 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, the processor 300 may be a combination of several of these. Furthermore, the processor 300 may also be a combination of these with hardware accelerators, etc.

[0034] The processor 300 controls various parts of the control device 30 to realize various functions of the control device 30 based on programs such as firmware, system software, and application software stored in ROM 301 or RAM 302, etc. The processor 300 executes processing based on the program. Note that some or all of the program may be incorporated into the circuit of the processor 300.

[0035] The processor 300, ROM 301, and RAM 302 are interconnected via a bus 303. An input / output interface 304 is also connected to this bus 303. An input unit 305, an output unit 306, an auxiliary storage device 307, a communication unit 308, and a power supply 309 are connected to the input / output interface 304.

[0036] The input unit 305 and output unit 306 are user interfaces electrically connected to the input / output interface 304 by wire or wireless connection. The input unit 305 consists of, for example, operation buttons, and inputs various information such as control commands to the wastewater recycling toilet system S in response to user instructions. The output unit 306 consists of a display for displaying images and a speaker for amplifying sound, and outputs images and sound. The output unit 306 may also display the cumulative number of toilet users and the amount of wastewater that can be processed in the wastewater recycling toilet system S. In this case, management by the administrator of the wastewater recycling toilet system S can be made easier.

[0037] The auxiliary storage device 307 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The auxiliary storage device 307 stores various information such as programs and settings related to various processes. For example, the auxiliary storage device 307 stores various information such as log information of detection results by the detection unit 40, judgment criterion information, and programs. Details of the judgment criterion information will be described later.

[0038] The communication unit 308 is a device for the processor 300 to communicate with the pump L11 of the wastewater recycling toilet system S, sensors 40a and 40b, switching devices 21a, 21b, 22a and 22b via a network (not shown).

[0039] The power supply 309 is connected to an external power source, for example, and supplies power to the control device 30. However, the configuration of the power supply 309 is not limited to this; the power supply 309 may also have a battery and be configured to supply power to various parts of the control device 30.

[0040] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 30 will be explained using Figure 3. The control unit 310, which is the functional configuration of the control device 30 that performs various controls of the control device 30, is realized by the processor 300 that performs arithmetic processing executing programs stored in ROM 301, RAM 302, auxiliary storage device 307, etc.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 310 of this embodiment includes a determination information acquisition unit 311, a determination criterion information acquisition unit 312, a determination unit 313, a switching control unit 314, and a pump control unit 315.

[0042] The determination information acquisition unit 311 acquires information for determining whether or not to switch the switching unit 20. For example, the determination information acquisition unit 311 performs a process to acquire today's date information from a clock function (not shown) of the control unit 310. Also, if the wastewater reuse toilet system S has a detection unit 40 that can detect the usage status of at least one of toilets 10a and 10b, the determination information acquisition unit 311 performs a process to acquire the detection result acquired by the detection unit 40 as information for determination.

[0043] The judgment criterion information acquisition unit 312 executes a process to acquire judgment criterion information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307. The judgment criterion information is the information that serves as the basis for the judgment unit 313's judgment that the connection destinations of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be switched to the second line L2. The judgment criterion information may also be, for example, event plan information that serves as the judgment criterion for the switching judgment. The event plan information is, for example, information on the date of an event that requires the switching unit 20 to perform a switching operation. Therefore, the judgment unit 313 determines whether or not there is an event today based on the event plan information.

[0044] Furthermore, depending on the scale of the event, it may be possible to switch some of the connections among the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b, or to switch all of the connections.

[0045] Specifically, for the first event of the first scale, the connections to some of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b may be switched according to the scale of the event. For the second event of the second scale, the connections to some of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b may be switched. Examples of event scales include large-scale events such as expositions that are expected to attract visitors from all over the country, and relatively small-scale events such as Bon Odori festivals that are expected to attract visitors from the local area.

[0046] Furthermore, the scale of the event is not limited to two types, but may include three or more types. In that case, the targets for switching among the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b can be further subdivided.

[0047] The judgment criteria information may also be the criteria information that serves as the judgment criteria for the switching judgment of the switching unit 20. The criteria information is the information that serves as the criteria for the judgment unit 313 to decide whether the connection destinations of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be switched to the second line L2, and is determined by the cumulative number of toilet users, the frequency of toilet use, etc.

[0048] If the switching unit 20 is switched in multiple stages based on different criteria, the criteria information may have multiple different criteria. For example, in this embodiment, the criteria information includes a first criterion and a second criterion that is different from the first criterion.

[0049] In this case, the first criterion information is a threshold used to determine whether to switch only a portion of toilets 10a and 10b to the water and sewage system. The second criterion information is a threshold used to determine whether to switch all of toilets 10a and 10b to the water and sewage system.

[0050] The first and second reference values ​​are set according to the information acquired by the judgment information acquisition unit. For example, if the judgment information acquisition unit acquires the cumulative number of toilet usages, the first and second reference values ​​will be set to the cumulative number of toilet usages at the time when the toilet switch is desired.

[0051] Furthermore, when the judgment information acquisition unit acquires the frequency of toilet use, the first and second reference values ​​are set to the frequency of use at the time when the toilet needs to be switched.

[0052] Thus, when switching toilets 10a and 10b to the water and sewage system in stages, multiple different criteria are established. For this reason, the wastewater reuse toilet system S according to this embodiment can switch the switching unit 20 in two stages based on different judgment criteria.

[0053] The judgment criteria information is not limited to this; it may consist of only one criterion or include three or more criteria. Therefore, the wastewater reuse toilet system S may switch the switching unit 20 in one stage based on one judgment criterion, or it may switch the switching unit 20 in three or more stages based on three or more different judgment criteria.

[0054] The determination unit 313 makes a switching determination based on the determination information and the determination criteria information to determine whether or not to control the switching unit 20 to switch. If the determination information is not information that can be compared with the determination criteria, the determination unit 313 may perform a calculation process to calculate a numerical value that can be compared with the determination criteria information based on the determination information. For example, if the determination information is detection information of toilet users acquired by the detection unit 40, the determination unit 313 performs a calculation process to calculate the cumulative number of toilet users and the frequency of toilet use based on the log, which is time-series data of the detection information.

[0055] Specifically, when the calculation process is executed, the determination unit 313 calculates the cumulative number of uses and usage frequency of toilets 10a and 10b based on the detection results of the usage status of toilets 10a and 10b by the detection unit 40. Alternatively, the determination unit 313 may calculate the number of users within one hour of the switching determination timing of the switching unit 20 and calculate the number of users per hour as the toilet usage frequency.

[0056] If the determination information is today's date, the determination unit 313 compares the event plan information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307 with today's date information to determine whether or not the switching unit 20 needs to be switched.

[0057] Specifically, the determination unit 313 determines that if today's date in the event plan information is the first event, it will instruct the switching unit 20 to switch some of the connections among the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2. The determination unit 313 determines that if today's date in the event plan information is the second event, it will instruct the switching unit 20 to switch all of the connections among the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0058] When the determination unit 313 determines that the determination information is the result of detection by the detection unit 40, and in the calculation process the cumulative number of toilet users is calculated based on the detection result of toilet usage status, the determination unit 313 compares the first reference information and second reference information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307 with the calculated cumulative number of users to determine whether or not it is necessary to switch the switching unit 20.

[0059] Specifically, the determination unit 313 determines, based on the detection results from the detection unit 40, that if the cumulative number of uses of toilets 10a and 10b is equal to or greater than the first reference value, it will instruct the switching unit 20 to switch a portion of the piping for toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0060] Furthermore, the determination unit 313 determines, based on the detection results from the detection unit 40, that if the cumulative number of uses of toilets 10a and 10b is equal to or greater than the second reference value, it will instruct the switching unit 20 to switch all the piping for toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0061] When the determination unit 313 determines that the determination information is the result of detection by the detection unit 40, and in the calculation process the frequency of toilet use is calculated based on the detection result of toilet use status, it compares the first reference information and second reference information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307 with the calculated frequency of use to determine whether or not the switching unit 20 needs to be switched.

[0062] Specifically, the determination unit 313 determines, based on the detection results from the detection unit 40, that the usage frequency of toilets 10a and 10b is equal to or greater than the first criterion information, and instructs the switching unit 20 to switch a portion of the piping for toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0063] Furthermore, the determination unit 313, when the usage frequency of toilets 10a and 10b based on the detection results from the detection unit 40 is equal to or greater than the second criterion information, makes a determination to switch a portion of the piping of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2 to the switching unit 20.

[0064] When the determination unit 313 makes a switching determination based on the second reference information, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch all connections among the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0065] When the determination unit 313 makes a switching determination based on the first reference information, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch some of the connection destinations of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of the toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2.

[0066] The switching control unit 314 controls the switching operation of the switching unit 20. Specifically, when the determination unit 313 determines that it is time to switch to the water supply and sewage system, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destinations of the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b of toilets 10a and 10b to the water supply pipe F21 and the sewage pipe F22.

[0067] The pump control unit 315 controls the operation of the pump L11. For example, when the pump L11 is connected to the flushing water piping F1a of the toilet 10a, the pump control unit 315 controls the pump L11 to send the water processed by the processing unit L10 to the toilet 10a when it receives a detection result from a sensor (not shown) indicating that flushing water has been used in the toilet 10a. When the pump L11 is connected to the flushing water piping F1b of the toilet 10b, the pump control unit 315 controls the pump L11 to send the water processed by the processing unit L10 to the toilet 10a when it receives a detection result from a sensor (not shown) indicating that flushing water has been used in the toilet 10b.

[0068] <Switching control> Next, the switching control of the switching unit 20 performed by the control unit 310 of the wastewater reuse toilet system S according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the processor 300 functions as a judgment criterion information acquisition unit 312, a judgment unit 313, and a switching control unit 314. The switching control performed by the control unit 310 is started when the judgment information acquisition unit 311 acquires judgment information.

[0069] The switching control for an example with one judgment criterion information and an example with two judgment criterion information will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. First, the switching control for an example with one judgment criterion information will be explained using Figure 4.

[0070] First, the judgment criteria information acquisition unit 312 acquires the judgment criteria information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307 (step S10). Next, the judgment unit 313 determines, based on the acquired judgment information and judgment criteria information, whether or not to connect the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line (step S11).

[0071] If the control unit 310 determines that the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should not be set to the second line (step S11: NO), the control unit 310 moves the process to step S13. In step S13, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch all the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the first line L1 (step S13), and then terminates the switching control.

[0072] Specifically, the switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a is the pump L11 of the first line L1. If the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a is not the pump L11 of the first line L1, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 21a of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a to the pump L11 of the first line L1.

[0073] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b is the pump L11 of the first line L1. If the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b is not the pump L11 of the first line L1, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 21b of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b to the pump L11 of the first line L1.

[0074] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a is connected to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1. If the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a is not connected to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 22a of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1.

[0075] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the drain pipe F2b of toilet 10b is connected to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1. If the drain pipe F2b of toilet 10b is not connected to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 22b of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the drain pipe F2b of toilet 10b to the processing unit L10 of the first line L1, and then terminates the switching control.

[0076] If the control unit 310 determines that all connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be set to the second line L2 (step S11: YES), the control unit 310 moves the process to step S12. In step S12, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch all connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2 (step S12), and then terminates the switching control.

[0077] Specifically, the switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a is the second line L2's water supply pipe F21. If the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a is not the second line L2's water supply pipe F21, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 21a of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the toilet 10a's flushing water pipe F1a to the second line L2's water supply pipe F21.

[0078] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b is the water supply pipe F21 of the second line L2. If the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b is not the water supply pipe F21 of the second line L2, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 21b of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe F1b of the toilet 10b to the water supply pipe F21 of the second line L2.

[0079] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a is the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2. If the connection destination of the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a is not the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 22a of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the drain pipe F2a of the toilet 10a to the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2.

[0080] The switching control unit 314 checks whether the connection destination of the drain pipe F2b of the toilet 10b is the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2. If the connection destination of the drain pipe F2b of the toilet 10b is not the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching device 22b of the switching unit 20 to switch the connection destination of the drain pipe F2b of the toilet 10b to the sewer pipe F22 of the second line L2, and terminates the switching control.

[0081] Next, the switching control in the example where there are two sets of judgment criterion information will be explained using Figure 5. First, the judgment criterion information acquisition unit 312 acquires the judgment criterion information stored in the auxiliary storage device 307 (step S20). Next, the judgment unit 313 determines whether or not to set all of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2 based on the acquired judgment information and judgment criterion information (step S21).

[0082] If the control unit 310 determines that all connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be set to the second line L2 (step S21: YES), the control unit 310 moves the process to step S22. In step S22, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch all connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2 (step S22), and then terminates the switching control. The specific details of the process in step S22 are the same as the specific details of the process in step 12 described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0083] If the control unit 310 determines that not all connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be made to the second line L2 (step S21: NO), the control unit 310 moves the process to step S23. In step S23, the determination unit 313 determines, based on the acquired determination information and determination criteria information, whether or not to make some of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the second line L2 (step S23).

[0084] If the control unit 310 determines that some of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should be made into a second line (step S23: YES), the control unit 310 proceeds to step S25. In step S25, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch some of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to a second line.

[0085] Some of the connections between the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b, and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b may also be the connections between the flushing water pipes F1a and F2b of toilet 10a. Also, some of the connections between the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b, and the drainage pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b may also be the connections between the flushing water pipes F1b and F2b of toilet 10b.

[0086] For example, if toilet 10a is a general-use toilet and toilet 10b is a multi-purpose toilet, it is preferable to switch only the general-use toilet, which is used relatively frequently, to the second line. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable for the switching control unit 314 to control the switching unit 20 so that the connection destinations of the flushing water pipe F1a and drain pipe F2a of toilet 10a are switched to the second line.

[0087] If the control unit 310 determines that some of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b should not be set to the second line (step S23: NO), the control unit 310 moves the process to step S24. In step S24, the switching control unit 314 controls the switching unit 20 to switch all of the connections to the flushing water pipes F1a and F1b and the drain pipes F2a and F2b of toilets 10a and 10b to the first line L1 (step S24), and then terminates the switching control. The specific details of the process in step S24 are the same as the specific details of the process in step 13 described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0088] The wastewater recycling toilet system S according to this embodiment, as described above, provides the following benefits. Public toilets employing the wastewater recycling toilet system S, which purifies and reuses toilet wastewater, are known. Because the wastewater recycling toilet system S makes effective use of water, it is environmentally friendly and can be used independently of infrastructure such as water and sewage systems, making it a disaster-resistant system that can be used even when infrastructure is damaged.

[0089] By the way, the wastewater recycling toilet system S has an upper limit on the amount of wastewater it can process. If the amount exceeds this limit, and pumping is not performed, untreated water may mix with the cleaned water in the central tank, contaminating it and potentially preventing the use of purified water for toilet flushing. Therefore, it is necessary to set toilet capacity and maintenance plans based on the expected number of toilet users.

[0090] However, the number of visitors to parks and other areas where toilets equipped with the wastewater recycling toilet system S are located may not be constant throughout the year. For example, when events are held in or around the park, a large number of people may visit temporarily and use the toilets.

[0091] Considering the temporary increase in usage due to events, etc., it was necessary to set a larger capacity for processing wastewater in the wastewater recycling toilet system S, and to configure a certain number of toilets to receive flushing water from the water supply and discharge wastewater into the sewer system, just like regular toilets. Consequently, there were challenges such as the processing capacity of the wastewater recycling toilet system S becoming excessive and the inability to reuse wastewater from all toilets.

[0092] Here, the wastewater reuse toilet system S includes a toilet and toilet piping, a first line that reuses treated wastewater as flushing water, a second line that flushes the toilet using water from the water supply and discharges the flushed wastewater into the sewer, a switching device that switches between a valve connecting the toilet to the first line and a valve connecting the toilet to the second line, and a control device that controls the switching device. As a result, when usage is low during normal times, wastewater is reused as flushing water, and before or after exceeding the treatment capacity during events, water is supplied from the water supply or sewer. Therefore, the wastewater reuse toilet system S can handle the wastewater generated by use while suppressing the mixing of untreated wastewater with purified water from a reclaimed water tank, etc., making it a more environmentally friendly system.

[0093] Furthermore, the wastewater recycling toilet system may have multiple toilets, in which case the control device may use a switching device to switch some of the toilets to the first line and the rest to the second line.

[0094] The wastewater recycling toilet system may have detection means such as a motion sensor to detect people using the toilet, in which case the control device may control the switching device based on the number of times the toilet has been used.

[0095] For example, the switching device can be controlled to switch all toilets to line 1 if the toilets are used infrequently, and to switch all toilets to line 2 if the toilets are used frequently.

[0096] The control device may control the switching device based on usage frequency. For example, if toilets are used infrequently, the switching device can be controlled to switch all toilets to line 1, and if toilets are used frequently, it can be controlled to switch all toilets to line 2.

[0097] [Other variations] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various other embodiments, and furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention as described herein, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] 10a Toilet 10b Toilet 20 Switching section 310 Control Unit F1a Cleaning water piping F1b Cleaning water piping F21 Water supply piping F22 Sewer Piping F2a Drainage Piping F2b Drainage Piping L1 Line 1 L10 Processing Unit L2 2nd Line P Pump (supply unit) S Wastewater Reuse Toilet System

Claims

1. Multiple toilets, Multiple flushing water pipes connected to each of the multiple toilets for distributing flushing water to each of the multiple toilets, The wastewater discharged from the aforementioned toilets is routed through multiple drainage pipes, each corresponding to one of the multiple aforementioned toilets. A first line having a processing unit for processing the wastewater, which can be connected to a plurality of drainage pipes, and a supply unit for supplying the treated water generated by the processing of the processing unit to the toilet as washing water, A second line having a sewage pipe that can be connected to multiple drainage pipes and allows wastewater to flow into the sewer system, and a water supply pipe that can be connected to multiple flushing water pipes and allows water from the water supply to flow to the toilet as flushing water, Each of the multiple toilets is provided with a switching unit that can switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe between the supply unit and the water supply pipe, and the connection destination of the drainage pipe between the processing unit and the sewage pipe, The system comprises a control unit that controls the switching operation of the switching unit, A wastewater reuse toilet system in which the control unit controls the switching operation of the switching unit based on event planning information around the toilet installation location.

2. Multiple toilets, Multiple flushing water pipes connected to each of the multiple toilets for distributing flushing water to each of the multiple toilets, The wastewater discharged from the aforementioned toilets is routed through multiple drainage pipes, each corresponding to one of the multiple aforementioned toilets. A first line having a processing unit for processing the wastewater, which can be connected to a plurality of drainage pipes, and a supply unit for supplying the treated water generated by the processing of the processing unit to the toilet as washing water, A second line having a sewage pipe that can be connected to multiple drainage pipes and allows wastewater to flow into the sewer system, and a water supply pipe that can be connected to multiple flushing water pipes and allows water from the water supply to flow to the toilet as flushing water, Each of the multiple toilets is provided with a switching unit that can switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe between the supply unit and the water supply pipe, and the connection destination of the drainage pipe between the processing unit and the sewage pipe, A control unit that controls the switching operation of the switching unit, The system includes a detection unit capable of detecting the toilet usage status, The control unit, Based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit, the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used can be calculated. When the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used, based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit, exceeds a first reference value, the switching unit controls the connection destination of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line. A wastewater reuse toilet system in which, when the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a second reference value, the switching unit controls all connections of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

3. Multiple toilets, Multiple flushing water pipes connected to each of the multiple toilets for distributing flushing water to each of the multiple toilets, The wastewater discharged from the aforementioned toilets is routed through multiple drainage pipes, each corresponding to one of the multiple aforementioned toilets. A first line having a processing unit for processing the wastewater, which can be connected to a plurality of drainage pipes, and a supply unit for supplying the treated water generated by the processing of the processing unit to the toilet as washing water, A second line having a sewage pipe that can be connected to multiple drainage pipes and allows wastewater to flow into the sewer system, and a water supply pipe that can be connected to multiple flushing water pipes and allows water from the water supply to flow to the toilet as flushing water, Each of the multiple toilets is provided with a switching unit that can switch the connection destination of the flushing water pipe between the supply unit and the water supply pipe, and the connection destination of the drainage pipe between the processing unit and the sewage pipe, A control unit that controls the switching operation of the switching unit, The system includes a detection unit capable of detecting the toilet usage status, The control unit, Based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit, the frequency of toilet use can be calculated. When the frequency of use of the toilet, based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit, is equal to or greater than the first frequency, the switching unit controls the connection destination of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line. A wastewater reuse toilet system in which, when the frequency of use of the toilet, based on the detection result of the detection unit, is equal to or greater than the second frequency, the switching unit controls all connections of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

4. The wastewater recycling toilet system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit controls the switching operation of the switching unit based on event planning information around the toilet installation location.

5. The system includes a detection unit capable of detecting the toilet usage status, The wastewater recycling toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the switching operation of the switching unit based on the detection result from the detection unit.

6. The control unit, Based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit, the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used can be calculated. When the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used, based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit, exceeds a first reference value, the switching unit controls the connection destination of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line. The wastewater reuse toilet system according to claim 3, wherein when the cumulative number of times the toilet has been used based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a second reference value, the switching unit controls all connections of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

7. The control unit, Based on the detection results of the toilet usage status by the detection unit, the frequency of toilet use can be calculated. When the frequency of use of the toilet, based on the detection results of the toilet usage status detected by the detection unit, is equal to or greater than the first frequency, the switching unit controls the connection destination of some of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line. The wastewater reuse toilet system according to claim 2, wherein when the frequency of use of the toilet, based on the detection result of the detection unit, is equal to or greater than the second frequency, the switching unit controls all connections of the flushing water pipes and drainage pipes of the multiple toilets to be switched to the second line.

Images