Flush toilet

Abstract

A siphon jet-type flush toilet includes a toilet main body including a bowl portion configured to receive waste, a drain trap conduit connected to a lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to discharge waste, a jet water spout port at the lower portion configured to eject flush water toward an inlet of the drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit configured to guide the flush water to the spout port; a flush water tank configured to store the flush water for the toilet main body and having a drain port configured to discharge the flush water to the toilet main body; a drain valve device configured to open and close the drain port; and a water guide member provided below the drain port and configured to guide at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port toward the jet water conduit.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-058438 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Mar. 31, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a flush toilet and, more particularly, to a siphon jet-type flush toilet.2. Description of the Related Art

[0003] In the related art, as described in International Publication No. 2005 / 085538, a siphon jet-type flush toilet is known that induces siphonage by jet water ejection to discharge waste. Such a flush toilet has a jet water spout port that is provided at a lower portion of a bowl portion and that ejects flush water toward an inlet of a drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit that is connected to a flush water tank and that supplies flush water to the jet water spout port. When flush water is supplied from the flush water tank to the jet water conduit, the flush water flows through the jet water conduit and is ejected from the jet water spout port. The flush water ejected from the jet water spout port flows into the drain trap conduit so as to induce siphonage.

[0004] However, in the flush toilet described in International Publication No. 2005 / 085538 mentioned above, since the jet water conduit is made of a ceramic, there is a possibility that manufacturing variations will occur in the shape of the jet water conduit. When manufacturing variations occur in the shape of the jet water conduit, there is a problem in that the flush water cannot be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and thereby, there is a possibility that waste cannot be discharged.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flush toilet capable of stably supplying flush water to a jet water spout port and capable of reliably discharging waste.

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a siphon jet-type flush toilet including: a toilet main body including a bowl portion configured to receive waste, a drain trap conduit connected to a lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to discharge waste, a jet water spout port provided at the lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to eject flush water toward an inlet of the drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit configured to guide the flush water to the jet water spout port; a flush water tank configured to store the flush water to be supplied to the toilet main body, the flush water tank having a drain port configured to discharge the flush water stored in the flush water tank to the toilet main body; a drain valve device configured to open and close the drain port of the flush water tank; and a water guide member provided below the drain port of the flush water tank and configured to guide at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port toward the jet water conduit.

[0007] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member for guiding at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank toward the jet water conduit is provided below the drain port, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank colliding with a bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified. As a result, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and waste can be reliably discharged.

[0008] In the present invention, the water guide member preferably has a spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, and an opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening is preferably set to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the drain port.

[0009] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member has the spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, and the opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area of the drain port, generation of turbulence due to expansion of a drainage flow path through which the flush water flows can be prevented.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, the water guide member preferably includes a receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, and the receiving surface portion preferably includes an inclined surface portion inclined downward in a direction in which the flush water flows.

[0011] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member includes the receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, and the receiving surface portion includes the inclined surface portion inclined downward in the direction in which the flush water flows, the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank flows along the inclined surface portion, so that the flush water can be allowed to flow while being further rectified.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, a receiving surface portion of the water guide member is preferably disposed in such a manner as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion and a bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

[0013] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is disposed in such a manner as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion and the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, the water guide member can be provided inside the jet water conduit regardless of manufacturing variations in the shape of the jet water conduit.

[0014] In addition, in the present invention, the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is preferably formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

[0015] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, the gap between the receiving surface portion of the water guide member and the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit can be reduced, so that the flush water can flow smoothly from the spout opening of the water guide member to the jet water conduit.

[0016] In addition, in the present invention, a spout opening of the water guide member is preferably formed in such a manner as to be open in a flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit.

[0017] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the spout opening of the water guide member is formed in such a manner as to be open in the flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit, the flush water ejected from the spout opening can be allowed to smoothly merge with the flush water inside the jet water conduit.

[0018] In addition, in the present invention, the water guide member is preferably disposed inside an opening edge of the drain port of the flush water tank in a plan view.

[0019] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member is disposed inside the opening edge of the drain port of the flush water tank in a plan view, the water guide member can be easily installed through the drain port of the flush water tank.

[0020] According to the flush toilet of the present invention, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and waste can be reliably discharged.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view enlarging the vicinity of a water guide member of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0026] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA of FIG. 5.

[0027] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of FIG. 5.

[0028] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC of FIG. 5.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of flush water in an initial stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a middle stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a final stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] A flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034] First, a basic structure of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a rim water conduit and a jet water conduit are each indicated by a broken line.

[0036] Note that, in the present specification, when viewed from the front of the flush toilet, the near side is referred to as a front side, the far side is referred to as a rear side, the right side is referred to as a right side, and the left side is referred to as a left side. When viewed from above the flush toilet, the center side of a toilet is referred to as an inner side, and the outline side of the toilet is referred to as an outer side.

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a siphon jet-type flush toilet that induces siphonage by jet water ejection to discharge waste.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flush toilet 1 includes a toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank 4 disposed on a rear upper portion of the toilet main body 2. The toilet main body 2 and the flush water tank 4 are integrally made of a ceramic. The flush water tank 4 is provided with a lever handle (not illustrated), and toilet flushing is performed in response to a user operating the lever handle.

[0039] The toilet main body 2 includes a bowl portion 6 that receives waste, a drain trap conduit 8 that is provided at a bottom portion of the bowl portion 6 for discharging waste by siphonage, a rim water spout port 10 that performs rim water ejection, a rim water conduit 12 that supplies flush water to the rim water spout port 10, a jet water spout port 14 that performs jet water ejection, and a jet water conduit 16 that supplies flush water to the jet water spout port 14. The rim water conduit 12 and the jet water conduit 16 are each provided independently. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the rim water conduit 12 and the jet water conduit 16 are each provided independently, they may be constituted by a single common water conduit.

[0040] The bowl portion 6 includes a waste receiving surface 18, a rim portion 20, a shelf surface 22, and a well portion 24. The waste receiving surface 18 is bowl-shaped and receives waste. The rim portion 20 is formed along an upper edge portion of the bowl portion 6 and has an inner peripheral surface 20a that overhangs toward the inside of the bowl portion 6. The shelf surface 22 is formed between the waste receiving surface 18 and the rim portion 20. The well portion 24 is formed below the waste receiving surface 18, and retained water W is formed in the well portion 24. The water level of the retained water W is at an initial water level WL0 in a standby state before the start of flushing.

[0041] The drain trap conduit 8 has an inlet 8a, an ascending conduit 8b that extends upward from the inlet 8a, a descending conduit 8c that extends downward from the ascending conduit 8b, and an apex 8d that is located between the descending conduit 8c and the ascending conduit 8b and that defines the initial water level WL0 of the retained water W. A lower end of the descending conduit 8c of the drain trap conduit 8 is connected to a drain pipe (not illustrated) on a building side via a drain socket (not illustrated).

[0042] The rim water spout port 10 is formed at the rim portion 20 and is located on the right side of the bowl portion 6 and in the vicinity of the center of the bowl portion 6 in the front-rear direction. The rim water spout port 10 is formed so as to be open forward. Flush water ejected from the rim water spout port 10 swirls clockwise on the shelf surface 22 along the inner peripheral surface 20a of the rim portion 20. The flush water swirls on the shelf surface 22 in this manner, so that the flush water flows down from the shelf surface 22 to the waste receiving surface 18 to wash the waste receiving surface 18. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although only the single rim water spout port 10 is provided, two or more rim water spout ports may be provided.

[0043] The rim water conduit 12 has an upstream end that is connected to a rim drain port 4b formed in a bottom surface portion 4a of the flush water tank 4, and a downstream end that is connected to the rim water spout port 10. When viewed in plan view, the rim water conduit 12 extends substantially linearly forward from the rim drain port 4b of the flush water tank 4 (see FIG. 1). Flush water is supplied from the flush water tank 4 to the rim water conduit 12, and the flush water is ejected from the rim water spout port 10 by a head pressure of the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although flush water from the flush water tank 4 is supplied to the rim water conduit 12, the rim water conduit 12 may be directly connected to a water supply source such as a water supply system, and flush water from the water supply source, such as a water supply system, may be directly supplied to the rim water conduit 12.

[0044] The jet water spout port 14 is formed at the bottom portion of the bowl portion 6. The jet water spout port 14 is disposed so as to face the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8 and directed toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8. Flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8 so as to induce siphonage at an early stage.

[0045] The jet water conduit 16 has an upstream end that is connected to a jet drain port 4c formed in the bottom surface portion 4a of the flush water tank 4, and a downstream end that is connected to the jet water spout port 14. The jet water conduit 16 includes a main water conduit 16a, a left curved flow path 16b, a right curved flow path 16c, and an outlet flow path 16d. The main water conduit 16a extends linearly forward from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4. The left curved flow path 16b branches from a downstream end of the main water conduit 16a, curves to the left side, and extends forward. The right curved flow path 16c branches from the downstream end of the main water conduit 16a, curves to the right side, and extends forward. The outlet flow path 16d extends linearly rearward and is connected to the jet water spout port 14, and a downstream end of the left curved flow path 16b and a downstream end of the right curved flow path 16c merge at the outlet flow path 16d (see FIG. 1). The flush water is supplied from the flush water tank 4 to the jet water conduit 16, and the flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 by a head pressure of the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4.

[0046] The flush water tank4 is a tank that stores flush water supplied from a water supply source (not illustrated) such as a water supply system. In addition, the flush water tank 4 is a gravity-fed tank that supplies the stored flush water to the toilet main body 2 by using gravity. The flush water tank 4 includes an outer tank 26 that is made of a ceramic and an inner tank 28 that is made of a resin and disposed inside the outer tank 26. A jet drain port 26b and a rim drain port 26c are provided at a bottom surface portion 26a of the outer tank 26. In addition, a jet drain port 28b is provided in a bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. Furthermore, the inner tank 28 includes a fixing screw and a fixing metal fitting (not illustrated) at the bottom surface portion 28a, and the bottom surface portion 26a of the outer tank 26 is sandwiched between the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28 and the fixing metal fitting, so that the inner tank 28 is fixed to the toilet main body 2. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the flush water tank 4 includes the outer tank 26 and the inner tank 28, the flush water tank 4 may include only the outer tank 26 without the inner tank 28 or may include only the inner tank 28 without the outer tank 26.

[0047] The flush water stored in the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28) flows into the rim water conduit 12 through the rim drain port 26c of the outer tank 26. In addition, flush water stored in the inner tank 28 flows into the jet water conduit 16 through the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28 and through the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the rim drain port 4b and the jet drain port 4c are provided separately from each other, the rim drain port 4b and the jet drain port 4c may be constituted by a single drain port.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an outer wall portion 30 that extends upward in the vertical direction from the outer periphery of the jet drain port 28b is formed on the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. The outer wall portion 30 is formed integrally with the inner tank 28. The outer wall portion 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape and disposed so as to surround the jet drain port 28b. An overflow pipe 32 is integrally formed on the outer wall portion 30 on a front-right side. The overflow pipe 32 is formed so as to extend in the horizontal direction from the outer wall portion 30, bend at a right angle, and then extend upward in the vertical direction. An upper end of the overflow pipe 32 is open to the atmosphere, and the overflow pipe 32 is configured to drain overflowed flush water in the flush water tank 4 into the toilet main body 2. In addition, an overflow cap 31 is attached to the upper end of the overflow pipe 32 so that foreign matter or the like does not flow into the overflow pipe 32.

[0049] A water guide member 34 that extends downward in the vertical direction from the jet drain port 28b is provided at the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. The water guide member 34 is made of a resin material and formed integrally with the inner tank 28 (see FIG. 3). When the inner tank 28 is attached to the outer tank 26, the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the jet water conduit 16. In addition, a drain flow path for guiding flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 to the jet water conduit 16 is formed inside the water guide member 34 (see FIG. 5). Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the water guide member 34 is integrated with the inner tank 28, the water guide member 34 may be provided separately from the inner tank 28.

[0050] A seal member 35 that seals between a jet drain valve device 33 and the toilet main body 2 in a watertight manner is provided therebetween. Specifically, the seal member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28 and seals between the inner tank 28 and the toilet main body 2 in a watertight manner. The seal member 35 is a ring-shaped rubber packing member. Note that, in the embodiment of the present invention, although the seal member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28, the seal member 35 may be provided at the jet drain valve device 33 or at the water guide member 34.

[0051] The jet drain valve device 33 is provided at the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28. The jet drain valve device 33 includes a drain flow path member 36 forming a drain flow path, a valve body (not illustrated) that opens and closes a drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36, and a drive mechanism (not illustrated) that drives the valve body in response to a user operating the lever handle.

[0052] The drain flow path member 36 is made of a resin material and includes an inner wall portion 36b, a valve seat 36c, and a communication port 36d. The inner wall portion 36b forms the drain flow path. The valve seat 36c protrudes upward from an upper surface of the inner wall portion 36b, and the valve body is seated on or unseated from the valve seat 36c. The communication port 36d allows the flush water in the inner tank 28 to flow into the drain flow path of the inner wall portion 36b. The inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends downward in the vertical direction through the inside of the jet drain port 28b and through the inside of the water guide member 34.

[0053] The valve body of the jet drain valve device 33 is configured to move up and down in the vertical direction to open and close the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The drive mechanism is, for example, a water-pressure drive mechanism that is driven by a water supply pressure of flush water supplied from the water supply source. The drive mechanism is configured such that, when a user operates the lever handle, the water supply pressure of the flush water acts to pull up the valve body of the jet drain valve device 33, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the water supply pressure of the flush water stops acting, causing the valve body of the jet drain valve device 33 to descend.

[0054] A rim drain valve device (not illustrated) is provided at the rim drain port 26c of the outer tank 26. The rim drain valve device is disposed above the rim drain port 26c and configured such that a valve body thereof moves up and down in the vertical direction in response to a user operating the lever handle to open and close the rim drain port 4b.

[0055] A water supply valve device (not illustrated) for supplying flush water is provided inside the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28). The water supply valve device is configured to switch between supplying and stopping flush water to the outer tank 26 and the inner tank 28. The water supply valve device includes a float (not illustrated) that opens and closes a valve body in accordance with the water level in the outer tank 26, and is configured to open the valve body when the water level in the outer tank 26 drops below a full water level and to close the valve body when the water level in the outer tank 26 reaches the full water level.

[0056] The water guide member 34 of the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5, FIGS. 6A to 6C, and FIG. 7.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view enlarging the vicinity of the water guide member of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA of FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of FIG. 5. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5.

[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the water guide member 34 is a member for guiding the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 to the jet water conduit 16 while rectifying the flush water. The water guide member 34 is made of a resin material and extends from the jet drain port 4c into the jet water conduit 16. Thus, the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 can be prevented from colliding with a bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, thereby avoiding generation of turbulence, and the flush water can flow while being rectified.

[0059] The water guide member 34 includes a vertically extending wall portion 34a, a spout opening 34b, and a receiving surface portion 34c that are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The vertically extending wall portion 34a extends downward in the vertical direction from the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28. The spout opening 34b is formed in a front portion of the vertically extending wall portion 34a. The receiving surface portion 34c is bent and extends forward from the lower end of a rear portion of the vertically extending wall portion 34a. In addition, an inclined surface portion 34d that is inclined downward in a direction in which the flush water flows is provided at a rear portion of the receiving surface portion 34c. The inclined surface portion 34d is set such that an inclination angle at which the inclined surface portion 34d is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of a front portion of the receiving surface portion 34c.

[0060] The vertically extending wall portion 34a of the water guide member 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends through the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 to be inserted into the jet water conduit 16. The lower end of the vertically extending wall portion 34a is located below an upper surface portion 16f of the jet water conduit 16.

[0061] The spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 is open laterally toward the front. In addition, the spout opening 34b is formed so as to be open in a flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit 16. Furthermore, the spout opening 34b is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is flat and long in the lateral direction when viewed from the front (see FIG. 6A). An opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 (see FIG. 5). The upper end of the spout opening 34b is located below the upper surface portion 16f of the jet water conduit 16, and the lower end of the spout opening 34b is located above the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. The flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 is ejected from the spout opening 34b into the jet water conduit 16.

[0062] The receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is inclined downward toward the front at a gentle inclination angle and extends substantially linearly. In addition, the receiving surface portion 34c is disposed in an entire region into which the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is projected downward in the vertical direction (see FIG. 7). In other words, the receiving surface portion 34c is configured to receive all the flush water discharged from the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The receiving surface portion 34c is disposed so as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion 34c and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 and disposed so as not to come into contact with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. The receiving surface portion 34c is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. In addition, the receiving surface portion 34c is inclined along the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 in a side cross-sectional view (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, the receiving surface portion 34c is formed along the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 in a front cross-sectional view, and is formed in a V-shape such that both left and right ends thereof are high and such that the center thereof is lowest (see FIGS. 6B and 6C). A front end of the receiving surface portion 34c is located rearward of and above an upper end 8e of the drain trap conduit 8. The inclined surface portion 34d of the water guide member 34 is inclined downward toward the front at a steep inclination angle and extends substantially linearly. The inclined surface portion 34d is located rearward of the center in the front-rear direction of the receiving surface portion 34c. The inclined surface portion 34d is disposed inside a region into which the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is projected downward in the vertical direction (see FIG. 7). An inclination angle at which the inclined surface portion 34d is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction is set to be larger than that of a front portion of the receiving surface portion 34c. Although the inclined surface portion 34d extends substantially linearly in the embodiment of the present invention, it may be formed so as to be curved with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 5, a cross-sectional area of a flow path cross section (a cross section perpendicular to a flow direction of the flush water) inside the water guide member 34 is set so as to gradually decrease toward the downstream side. Specifically, a cross-sectional area S2 of the flow path cross section passing through a front lower end of the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. In addition, the opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area S2 of the flow path cross section passing through the front lower end of the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36. The opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is set to be approximately twice the opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the opening edge of the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 in a plan view. In other words, when the inner tank 28 is attached to the outer tank 26, the water guide member 34 formed integrally with the inner tank 28 passes through the inside of the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 (see FIG. 3).

[0065] A flushing operation of the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8A to 8C.

[0066] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of flush water in an initial stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a middle stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a final stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] First, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a standby state before the start of flushing, retained water W is stored in the well portion 24 of the bowl portion 6 and in the drain trap conduit 8 at an initial water level WL0. In addition, the flush water is stored in the jet water conduit 16 also at the initial water level WL0. In the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16, air is accumulated above the retained water W.

[0068] Next, when a user operates the lever handle, the rim drain valve device (not illustrated) opens, and the flush water inside the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28) is ejected from the rim water spout port 10. Subsequently, the jet drain valve device 33 opens, and the flush water inside the inner tank 28 is ejected from the jet water spout port 14.

[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 8A, when the jet drain valve device 33 opens, the flush water inside the inner tank 28 is discharged from the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The flush water discharged from the drain port 36a passes through the drain flow path inside the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 and flows into the water guide member 34. The flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 flows along the inclined surface portion 34d of the water guide member 34. Subsequently, the flush water flows along the receiving surface portion 34c that is formed in a V-shape and located on the front side, and is ejected from the spout opening 34b in a state of being collected at the center of the receiving surface portion 34c in the lateral direction. In this manner, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 colliding with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified.

[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the air accumulated in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16 escapes as time elapses, the flow rate of the flush water passing through the spout opening 34b increases, and the spout opening 34b is sealed by the flush water. At this point, the air cannot enter or exit from the spout opening 34b. Therefore, the air accumulated in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16 is trapped inside the jet water conduit 16 and is retained in an air retention space S (a portion indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 8B) located above the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16. As a result, in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16, the flush water and the air are separated from each other, and the air is prevented from being discharged from the jet water spout port 14 together with the flush water. When the flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8, the drain trap conduit 8 becomes full of water, causing a siphon action to occur, so that waste is discharged.

[0071] As illustrated in FIG. 8C, when the retained water W drops to a lowest water level WL1 and the siphon action ends, the jet drain valve device 33 closes, and jet water ejection is stopped. Then, the flush water is continuously ejected from the rim water spout port 10, and the retained water W rises to the initial water level WL0. After that, the rim drain valve device closes, water supply from the water supply valve device to the flush water tank 4 is performed, and toilet flushing is completed.

[0072] Operational effects according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0073] First, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 for guiding at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c toward the jet water conduit 16 is provided below the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 colliding with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified. As a result, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port 14, and waste can be reliably discharged.

[0074] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 has the spout opening 34b that ejects the flush water toward the jet water conduit 16, and the opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36, generation of turbulence due to expansion of the drain flow path through which the flush water flows can be prevented.

[0075] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 includes the receiving surface portion 34c that receives at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c, and the receiving surface portion 34c includes the inclined surface portion 34d that is inclined downward in the direction in which the flush water flows, the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 flows along the inclined surface portion 34d, so that the flush water can flow while being further rectified.

[0076] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is disposed so as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion 34c and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, the water guide member 34 can be provided inside the jet water conduit 16 regardless of manufacturing variations in the shape of the jet water conduit 16.

[0077] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, the gap between the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 can be reduced, so that the flush water can flow smoothly from the spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 to the jet water conduit 16.

[0078] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 is formed so as to be open in the flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit 16, the flush water ejected from the spout opening 34b can smoothly merge with the flush water inside the jet water conduit 16.

[0079] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the opening edge of the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 in a plan view, the water guide member 34 can be easily installed through the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4.

[0080] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0033]A flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034]First, a basic structure of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0035]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a rim water conduit and a jet water conduit are each indicated by a broken line.

[0036]Note that, in the present specification, when viewed from the front of the flush toilet, the near side is referred to as a front side, the far side is referred to as a rear ...

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-058438 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Mar. 31, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a flush toilet and, more particularly, to a siphon jet-type flush toilet.2. Description of the Related Art

[0003] In the related art, as described in International Publication No. 2005 / 085538, a siphon jet-type flush toilet is known that induces siphonage by jet water ejection to discharge waste. Such a flush toilet has a jet water spout port that is provided at a lower portion of a bowl portion and that ejects flush water toward an inlet of a drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit that is connected to a flush water tank and that supplies flush water to the jet water spout port. When flush water is supplied from the flush water tank to the jet water conduit, the flush water flows through the jet water conduit and is ejected from the jet water spout port. The flush water ejected from the jet water spout port flows into the drain trap conduit so as to induce siphonage.

[0004] However, in the flush toilet described in International Publication No. 2005 / 085538 mentioned above, since the jet water conduit is made of a ceramic, there is a possibility that manufacturing variations will occur in the shape of the jet water conduit. When manufacturing variations occur in the shape of the jet water conduit, there is a problem in that the flush water cannot be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and thereby, there is a possibility that waste cannot be discharged.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flush toilet capable of stably supplying flush water to a jet water spout port and capable of reliably discharging waste.

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a siphon jet-type flush toilet including: a toilet main body including a bowl portion configured to receive waste, a drain trap conduit connected to a lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to discharge waste, a jet water spout port provided at the lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to eject flush water toward an inlet of the drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit configured to guide the flush water to the jet water spout port; a flush water tank configured to store the flush water to be supplied to the toilet main body, the flush water tank having a drain port configured to discharge the flush water stored in the flush water tank to the toilet main body; a drain valve device configured to open and close the drain port of the flush water tank; and a water guide member provided below the drain port of the flush water tank and configured to guide at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port toward the jet water conduit.

[0007] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member for guiding at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank toward the jet water conduit is provided below the drain port, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank colliding with a bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified. As a result, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and waste can be reliably discharged.

[0008] In the present invention, the water guide member preferably has a spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, and an opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening is preferably set to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the drain port.

[0009] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member has the spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, and the opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area of the drain port, generation of turbulence due to expansion of a drainage flow path through which the flush water flows can be prevented.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, the water guide member preferably includes a receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, and the receiving surface portion preferably includes an inclined surface portion inclined downward in a direction in which the flush water flows.

[0011] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member includes the receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, and the receiving surface portion includes the inclined surface portion inclined downward in the direction in which the flush water flows, the flush water discharged from the drain port of the flush water tank flows along the inclined surface portion, so that the flush water can be allowed to flow while being further rectified.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, a receiving surface portion of the water guide member is preferably disposed in such a manner as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion and a bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

[0013] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is disposed in such a manner as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion and the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, the water guide member can be provided inside the jet water conduit regardless of manufacturing variations in the shape of the jet water conduit.

[0014] In addition, in the present invention, the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is preferably formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

[0015] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit, the gap between the receiving surface portion of the water guide member and the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit can be reduced, so that the flush water can flow smoothly from the spout opening of the water guide member to the jet water conduit.

[0016] In addition, in the present invention, a spout opening of the water guide member is preferably formed in such a manner as to be open in a flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit.

[0017] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the spout opening of the water guide member is formed in such a manner as to be open in the flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit, the flush water ejected from the spout opening can be allowed to smoothly merge with the flush water inside the jet water conduit.

[0018] In addition, in the present invention, the water guide member is preferably disposed inside an opening edge of the drain port of the flush water tank in a plan view.

[0019] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the water guide member is disposed inside the opening edge of the drain port of the flush water tank in a plan view, the water guide member can be easily installed through the drain port of the flush water tank.

[0020] According to the flush toilet of the present invention, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port, and waste can be reliably discharged.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view enlarging the vicinity of a water guide member of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0026] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA of FIG. 5.

[0027] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of FIG. 5.

[0028] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC of FIG. 5.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of flush water in an initial stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a middle stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a final stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] A flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034] First, a basic structure of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a rim water conduit and a jet water conduit are each indicated by a broken line.

[0036] Note that, in the present specification, when viewed from the front of the flush toilet, the near side is referred to as a front side, the far side is referred to as a rear side, the right side is referred to as a right side, and the left side is referred to as a left side. When viewed from above the flush toilet, the center side of a toilet is referred to as an inner side, and the outline side of the toilet is referred to as an outer side.

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a siphon jet-type flush toilet that induces siphonage by jet water ejection to discharge waste.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flush toilet 1 includes a toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank 4 disposed on a rear upper portion of the toilet main body 2. The toilet main body 2 and the flush water tank 4 are integrally made of a ceramic. The flush water tank 4 is provided with a lever handle (not illustrated), and toilet flushing is performed in response to a user operating the lever handle.

[0039] The toilet main body 2 includes a bowl portion 6 that receives waste, a drain trap conduit 8 that is provided at a bottom portion of the bowl portion 6 for discharging waste by siphonage, a rim water spout port 10 that performs rim water ejection, a rim water conduit 12 that supplies flush water to the rim water spout port 10, a jet water spout port 14 that performs jet water ejection, and a jet water conduit 16 that supplies flush water to the jet water spout port 14. The rim water conduit 12 and the jet water conduit 16 are each provided independently. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the rim water conduit 12 and the jet water conduit 16 are each provided independently, they may be constituted by a single common water conduit.

[0040] The bowl portion 6 includes a waste receiving surface 18, a rim portion 20, a shelf surface 22, and a well portion 24. The waste receiving surface 18 is bowl-shaped and receives waste. The rim portion 20 is formed along an upper edge portion of the bowl portion 6 and has an inner peripheral surface 20a that overhangs toward the inside of the bowl portion 6. The shelf surface 22 is formed between the waste receiving surface 18 and the rim portion 20. The well portion 24 is formed below the waste receiving surface 18, and retained water W is formed in the well portion 24. The water level of the retained water W is at an initial water level WL0 in a standby state before the start of flushing.

[0041] The drain trap conduit 8 has an inlet 8a, an ascending conduit 8b that extends upward from the inlet 8a, a descending conduit 8c that extends downward from the ascending conduit 8b, and an apex 8d that is located between the descending conduit 8c and the ascending conduit 8b and that defines the initial water level WL0 of the retained water W. A lower end of the descending conduit 8c of the drain trap conduit 8 is connected to a drain pipe (not illustrated) on a building side via a drain socket (not illustrated).

[0042] The rim water spout port 10 is formed at the rim portion 20 and is located on the right side of the bowl portion 6 and in the vicinity of the center of the bowl portion 6 in the front-rear direction. The rim water spout port 10 is formed so as to be open forward. Flush water ejected from the rim water spout port 10 swirls clockwise on the shelf surface 22 along the inner peripheral surface 20a of the rim portion 20. The flush water swirls on the shelf surface 22 in this manner, so that the flush water flows down from the shelf surface 22 to the waste receiving surface 18 to wash the waste receiving surface 18. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although only the single rim water spout port 10 is provided, two or more rim water spout ports may be provided.

[0043] The rim water conduit 12 has an upstream end that is connected to a rim drain port 4b formed in a bottom surface portion 4a of the flush water tank 4, and a downstream end that is connected to the rim water spout port 10. When viewed in plan view, the rim water conduit 12 extends substantially linearly forward from the rim drain port 4b of the flush water tank 4 (see FIG. 1). Flush water is supplied from the flush water tank 4 to the rim water conduit 12, and the flush water is ejected from the rim water spout port 10 by a head pressure of the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although flush water from the flush water tank 4 is supplied to the rim water conduit 12, the rim water conduit 12 may be directly connected to a water supply source such as a water supply system, and flush water from the water supply source, such as a water supply system, may be directly supplied to the rim water conduit 12.

[0044] The jet water spout port 14 is formed at the bottom portion of the bowl portion 6. The jet water spout port 14 is disposed so as to face the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8 and directed toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8. Flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8 so as to induce siphonage at an early stage.

[0045] The jet water conduit 16 has an upstream end that is connected to a jet drain port 4c formed in the bottom surface portion 4a of the flush water tank 4, and a downstream end that is connected to the jet water spout port 14. The jet water conduit 16 includes a main water conduit 16a, a left curved flow path 16b, a right curved flow path 16c, and an outlet flow path 16d. The main water conduit 16a extends linearly forward from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4. The left curved flow path 16b branches from a downstream end of the main water conduit 16a, curves to the left side, and extends forward. The right curved flow path 16c branches from the downstream end of the main water conduit 16a, curves to the right side, and extends forward. The outlet flow path 16d extends linearly rearward and is connected to the jet water spout port 14, and a downstream end of the left curved flow path 16b and a downstream end of the right curved flow path 16c merge at the outlet flow path 16d (see FIG. 1). The flush water is supplied from the flush water tank 4 to the jet water conduit 16, and the flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 by a head pressure of the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4.

[0046] The flush water tank4 is a tank that stores flush water supplied from a water supply source (not illustrated) such as a water supply system. In addition, the flush water tank 4 is a gravity-fed tank that supplies the stored flush water to the toilet main body 2 by using gravity. The flush water tank 4 includes an outer tank 26 that is made of a ceramic and an inner tank 28 that is made of a resin and disposed inside the outer tank 26. A jet drain port 26b and a rim drain port 26c are provided at a bottom surface portion 26a of the outer tank 26. In addition, a jet drain port 28b is provided in a bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. Furthermore, the inner tank 28 includes a fixing screw and a fixing metal fitting (not illustrated) at the bottom surface portion 28a, and the bottom surface portion 26a of the outer tank 26 is sandwiched between the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28 and the fixing metal fitting, so that the inner tank 28 is fixed to the toilet main body 2. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the flush water tank 4 includes the outer tank 26 and the inner tank 28, the flush water tank 4 may include only the outer tank 26 without the inner tank 28 or may include only the inner tank 28 without the outer tank 26.

[0047] The flush water stored in the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28) flows into the rim water conduit 12 through the rim drain port 26c of the outer tank 26. In addition, flush water stored in the inner tank 28 flows into the jet water conduit 16 through the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28 and through the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26. Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the rim drain port 4b and the jet drain port 4c are provided separately from each other, the rim drain port 4b and the jet drain port 4c may be constituted by a single drain port.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an outer wall portion 30 that extends upward in the vertical direction from the outer periphery of the jet drain port 28b is formed on the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. The outer wall portion 30 is formed integrally with the inner tank 28. The outer wall portion 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape and disposed so as to surround the jet drain port 28b. An overflow pipe 32 is integrally formed on the outer wall portion 30 on a front-right side. The overflow pipe 32 is formed so as to extend in the horizontal direction from the outer wall portion 30, bend at a right angle, and then extend upward in the vertical direction. An upper end of the overflow pipe 32 is open to the atmosphere, and the overflow pipe 32 is configured to drain overflowed flush water in the flush water tank 4 into the toilet main body 2. In addition, an overflow cap 31 is attached to the upper end of the overflow pipe 32 so that foreign matter or the like does not flow into the overflow pipe 32.

[0049] A water guide member 34 that extends downward in the vertical direction from the jet drain port 28b is provided at the bottom surface portion 28a of the inner tank 28. The water guide member 34 is made of a resin material and formed integrally with the inner tank 28 (see FIG. 3). When the inner tank 28 is attached to the outer tank 26, the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the jet water conduit 16. In addition, a drain flow path for guiding flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 to the jet water conduit 16 is formed inside the water guide member 34 (see FIG. 5). Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the water guide member 34 is integrated with the inner tank 28, the water guide member 34 may be provided separately from the inner tank 28.

[0050] A seal member 35 that seals between a jet drain valve device 33 and the toilet main body 2 in a watertight manner is provided therebetween. Specifically, the seal member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28 and seals between the inner tank 28 and the toilet main body 2 in a watertight manner. The seal member 35 is a ring-shaped rubber packing member. Note that, in the embodiment of the present invention, although the seal member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28, the seal member 35 may be provided at the jet drain valve device 33 or at the water guide member 34.

[0051] The jet drain valve device 33 is provided at the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28. The jet drain valve device 33 includes a drain flow path member 36 forming a drain flow path, a valve body (not illustrated) that opens and closes a drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36, and a drive mechanism (not illustrated) that drives the valve body in response to a user operating the lever handle.

[0052] The drain flow path member 36 is made of a resin material and includes an inner wall portion 36b, a valve seat 36c, and a communication port 36d. The inner wall portion 36b forms the drain flow path. The valve seat 36c protrudes upward from an upper surface of the inner wall portion 36b, and the valve body is seated on or unseated from the valve seat 36c. The communication port 36d allows the flush water in the inner tank 28 to flow into the drain flow path of the inner wall portion 36b. The inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends downward in the vertical direction through the inside of the jet drain port 28b and through the inside of the water guide member 34.

[0053] The valve body of the jet drain valve device 33 is configured to move up and down in the vertical direction to open and close the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The drive mechanism is, for example, a water-pressure drive mechanism that is driven by a water supply pressure of flush water supplied from the water supply source. The drive mechanism is configured such that, when a user operates the lever handle, the water supply pressure of the flush water acts to pull up the valve body of the jet drain valve device 33, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the water supply pressure of the flush water stops acting, causing the valve body of the jet drain valve device 33 to descend.

[0054] A rim drain valve device (not illustrated) is provided at the rim drain port 26c of the outer tank 26. The rim drain valve device is disposed above the rim drain port 26c and configured such that a valve body thereof moves up and down in the vertical direction in response to a user operating the lever handle to open and close the rim drain port 4b.

[0055] A water supply valve device (not illustrated) for supplying flush water is provided inside the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28). The water supply valve device is configured to switch between supplying and stopping flush water to the outer tank 26 and the inner tank 28. The water supply valve device includes a float (not illustrated) that opens and closes a valve body in accordance with the water level in the outer tank 26, and is configured to open the valve body when the water level in the outer tank 26 drops below a full water level and to close the valve body when the water level in the outer tank 26 reaches the full water level.

[0056] The water guide member 34 of the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5, FIGS. 6A to 6C, and FIG. 7.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view enlarging the vicinity of the water guide member of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA of FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of FIG. 5. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5.

[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the water guide member 34 is a member for guiding the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 to the jet water conduit 16 while rectifying the flush water. The water guide member 34 is made of a resin material and extends from the jet drain port 4c into the jet water conduit 16. Thus, the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 can be prevented from colliding with a bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, thereby avoiding generation of turbulence, and the flush water can flow while being rectified.

[0059] The water guide member 34 includes a vertically extending wall portion 34a, a spout opening 34b, and a receiving surface portion 34c that are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The vertically extending wall portion 34a extends downward in the vertical direction from the jet drain port 28b of the inner tank 28. The spout opening 34b is formed in a front portion of the vertically extending wall portion 34a. The receiving surface portion 34c is bent and extends forward from the lower end of a rear portion of the vertically extending wall portion 34a. In addition, an inclined surface portion 34d that is inclined downward in a direction in which the flush water flows is provided at a rear portion of the receiving surface portion 34c. The inclined surface portion 34d is set such that an inclination angle at which the inclined surface portion 34d is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of a front portion of the receiving surface portion 34c.

[0060] The vertically extending wall portion 34a of the water guide member 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends through the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 to be inserted into the jet water conduit 16. The lower end of the vertically extending wall portion 34a is located below an upper surface portion 16f of the jet water conduit 16.

[0061] The spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 is open laterally toward the front. In addition, the spout opening 34b is formed so as to be open in a flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit 16. Furthermore, the spout opening 34b is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is flat and long in the lateral direction when viewed from the front (see FIG. 6A). An opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 (see FIG. 5). The upper end of the spout opening 34b is located below the upper surface portion 16f of the jet water conduit 16, and the lower end of the spout opening 34b is located above the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. The flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 is ejected from the spout opening 34b into the jet water conduit 16.

[0062] The receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is inclined downward toward the front at a gentle inclination angle and extends substantially linearly. In addition, the receiving surface portion 34c is disposed in an entire region into which the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is projected downward in the vertical direction (see FIG. 7). In other words, the receiving surface portion 34c is configured to receive all the flush water discharged from the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The receiving surface portion 34c is disposed so as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion 34c and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 and disposed so as not to come into contact with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. The receiving surface portion 34c is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16. In addition, the receiving surface portion 34c is inclined along the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 in a side cross-sectional view (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, the receiving surface portion 34c is formed along the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 in a front cross-sectional view, and is formed in a V-shape such that both left and right ends thereof are high and such that the center thereof is lowest (see FIGS. 6B and 6C). A front end of the receiving surface portion 34c is located rearward of and above an upper end 8e of the drain trap conduit 8. The inclined surface portion 34d of the water guide member 34 is inclined downward toward the front at a steep inclination angle and extends substantially linearly. The inclined surface portion 34d is located rearward of the center in the front-rear direction of the receiving surface portion 34c. The inclined surface portion 34d is disposed inside a region into which the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is projected downward in the vertical direction (see FIG. 7). An inclination angle at which the inclined surface portion 34d is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction is set to be larger than that of a front portion of the receiving surface portion 34c. Although the inclined surface portion 34d extends substantially linearly in the embodiment of the present invention, it may be formed so as to be curved with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 5, a cross-sectional area of a flow path cross section (a cross section perpendicular to a flow direction of the flush water) inside the water guide member 34 is set so as to gradually decrease toward the downstream side. Specifically, a cross-sectional area S2 of the flow path cross section passing through a front lower end of the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. In addition, the opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area S2 of the flow path cross section passing through the front lower end of the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36. The opening cross-sectional area S3 of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36 is set to be approximately twice the opening cross-sectional area S1 of the spout opening 34b.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the opening edge of the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 in a plan view. In other words, when the inner tank 28 is attached to the outer tank 26, the water guide member 34 formed integrally with the inner tank 28 passes through the inside of the jet drain port 26b of the outer tank 26 (see FIG. 3).

[0065] A flushing operation of the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8A to 8C.

[0066] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of flush water in an initial stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a middle stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of flush water in a final stage of flushing performed by the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] First, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a standby state before the start of flushing, retained water W is stored in the well portion 24 of the bowl portion 6 and in the drain trap conduit 8 at an initial water level WL0. In addition, the flush water is stored in the jet water conduit 16 also at the initial water level WL0. In the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16, air is accumulated above the retained water W.

[0068] Next, when a user operates the lever handle, the rim drain valve device (not illustrated) opens, and the flush water inside the outer tank 26 (and outside the inner tank 28) is ejected from the rim water spout port 10. Subsequently, the jet drain valve device 33 opens, and the flush water inside the inner tank 28 is ejected from the jet water spout port 14.

[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 8A, when the jet drain valve device 33 opens, the flush water inside the inner tank 28 is discharged from the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36. The flush water discharged from the drain port 36a passes through the drain flow path inside the inner wall portion 36b of the drain flow path member 36 and flows into the water guide member 34. The flush water that has flowed into the water guide member 34 flows along the inclined surface portion 34d of the water guide member 34. Subsequently, the flush water flows along the receiving surface portion 34c that is formed in a V-shape and located on the front side, and is ejected from the spout opening 34b in a state of being collected at the center of the receiving surface portion 34c in the lateral direction. In this manner, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 colliding with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified.

[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the air accumulated in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16 escapes as time elapses, the flow rate of the flush water passing through the spout opening 34b increases, and the spout opening 34b is sealed by the flush water. At this point, the air cannot enter or exit from the spout opening 34b. Therefore, the air accumulated in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16 is trapped inside the jet water conduit 16 and is retained in an air retention space S (a portion indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 8B) located above the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16. As a result, in the main water conduit 16a of the jet water conduit 16, the flush water and the air are separated from each other, and the air is prevented from being discharged from the jet water spout port 14 together with the flush water. When the flush water is ejected from the jet water spout port 14 toward the inlet 8a of the drain trap conduit 8, the drain trap conduit 8 becomes full of water, causing a siphon action to occur, so that waste is discharged.

[0071] As illustrated in FIG. 8C, when the retained water W drops to a lowest water level WL1 and the siphon action ends, the jet drain valve device 33 closes, and jet water ejection is stopped. Then, the flush water is continuously ejected from the rim water spout port 10, and the retained water W rises to the initial water level WL0. After that, the rim drain valve device closes, water supply from the water supply valve device to the flush water tank 4 is performed, and toilet flushing is completed.

[0072] Operational effects according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0073] First, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 for guiding at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c toward the jet water conduit 16 is provided below the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4, it is possible to prevent turbulence from being generated due to the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 colliding with the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, and to allow the flush water to flow while being rectified. As a result, the flush water can be stably supplied to the jet water spout port 14, and waste can be reliably discharged.

[0074] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 has the spout opening 34b that ejects the flush water toward the jet water conduit 16, and the opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening 34b is set to be smaller than the opening cross-sectional area of the drain port 36a of the drain flow path member 36, generation of turbulence due to expansion of the drain flow path through which the flush water flows can be prevented.

[0075] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 includes the receiving surface portion 34c that receives at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c, and the receiving surface portion 34c includes the inclined surface portion 34d that is inclined downward in the direction in which the flush water flows, the flush water discharged from the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 flows along the inclined surface portion 34d, so that the flush water can flow while being further rectified.

[0076] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is disposed so as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion 34c and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, the water guide member 34 can be provided inside the jet water conduit 16 regardless of manufacturing variations in the shape of the jet water conduit 16.

[0077] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 is formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16, the gap between the receiving surface portion 34c of the water guide member 34 and the bottom surface portion 16e of the jet water conduit 16 can be reduced, so that the flush water can flow smoothly from the spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 to the jet water conduit 16.

[0078] In addition, according to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the spout opening 34b of the water guide member 34 is formed so as to be open in the flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit 16, the flush water ejected from the spout opening 34b can smoothly merge with the flush water inside the jet water conduit 16.

[0079] According to the flush toilet 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the water guide member 34 is disposed inside the opening edge of the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4 in a plan view, the water guide member 34 can be easily installed through the jet drain port 4c of the flush water tank 4.

[0080] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0033]A flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034]First, a basic structure of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0035]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flush water tank of the flush toilet according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above on a front side. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a rim water conduit and a jet water conduit are each indicated by a broken line.

[0036]Note that, in the present specification, when viewed from the front of the flush toilet, the near side is referred to as a front side, the far side is referred to as a rear ...

Claims

1. A siphon jet-type flush toilet comprising:a toilet main body including a bowl portion configured to receive waste, a drain trap conduit connected to a lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to discharge waste, a jet water spout port provided at the lower portion of the bowl portion and configured to eject flush water toward an inlet of the drain trap conduit, and a jet water conduit configured to guide the flush water to the jet water spout port;a flush water tank configured to store the flush water to be supplied to the toilet main body, the flush water tank having a drain port configured to discharge the flush water stored in the flush water tank to the toilet main body;a drain valve device configured to open and close the drain port of the flush water tank; anda water guide member provided below the drain port of the flush water tank and configured to guide at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port toward the jet water conduit.

2. The flush toilet according to claim 1,wherein the water guide member has a spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, andwherein an opening cross-sectional area of the spout opening is set to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the drain port.

3. The flush toilet according to claim 2,wherein the water guide member includes a receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, andwherein the receiving surface portion includes an inclined surface portion inclined downward in a direction in which the flush water flows.

4. The flush toilet according to claim 1,wherein the water guide member includes a receiving surface portion configured to receive at least a portion of the flush water discharged from the drain port, andwherein the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is disposed in such a manner as to form a gap between the receiving surface portion and a bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

5. The flush toilet according to claim 4,wherein the receiving surface portion of the water guide member is formed substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the jet water conduit.

6. The flush toilet according to claim 1,wherein the water guide member has a spout opening configured to eject the flush water toward the jet water conduit, andwherein the spout opening of the water guide member is formed in such a manner as to be open in a flow direction of the flush water flowing through the jet water conduit.

7. The flush toilet according to claim 1,wherein the water guide member is disposed inside an opening edge of the drain port of the flush water tank in a plan view.

Images