Toilet bowl device

Abstract

Provided is a toilet bowl device that performs a proper operation during lift-up of a functional unit. The toilet bowl device comprises: a functional unit that is disposed at a rear part of a toilet bowl body and includes a sanitary washing device for washing a human body; a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers at least a portion of the functional unit; and a control unit that controls the operation of the sanitary washing device. The sanitary washing device includes: a washing nozzle that discharges washing water for washing the human body; and a shutter unit that opens and closes an open part of the functional unit from / into which the washing nozzle advances and retreats. The control unit prohibits shutter washing for washing the shutter unit from being executed while a portion of the functional unit is in an elevated position.

Description

Toilet equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet apparatus.

[0002] It is known that a toilet apparatus is provided with a sanitary washing device for washing the private parts of the human body, and a shutter opens and closes the opening through which a washing nozzle advances and retreats. In a toilet apparatus provided with a shutter, shutter washing is performed by discharging washing water into the shutter. It has been disclosed that shutter washing is performed after nozzle washing so that the shutter can be kept clean even if waste is scattered and adheres to the shutter during nozzle washing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2023-145085 A

[0004] It is necessary to set detailed controls so that shutter cleaning can be performed appropriately depending on the situation in which shutter cleaning is performed.

[0005] (1) The present invention relates to a toilet apparatus that includes a functional unit disposed at the rear of a toilet body and having a sanitary washing device for washing the human body, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering at least a portion of the functional unit, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the sanitary washing device, wherein the sanitary washing device has a washing nozzle that ejects washing water for washing the human body, and a shutter unit that opens and closes an open portion of the functional unit through which the washing nozzle moves back and forth, and the control unit prohibits the execution of shutter washing, which washes the shutter unit, while a portion of the functional unit is in a raised position.

[0006] (2) It is preferable that the lifting mechanism performs lifting operation under the control of the control unit.

[0007] (3) It is preferable that the control unit prohibits the execution of a lift-up operation that raises the functional unit during the shutter cleaning operation.

[0008] (4) It is preferable that the control unit performs the shutter flush when the user is not seated on the toilet body.

[0009] (5) The control unit preferably performs cleaning mode control to clean the sanitary cleaning device when the user is not seated on the toilet body, and in the cleaning mode control, after the shutter cleaning, it preferably performs nozzle cleaning to clean the cleaning nozzle.

[0010] 1 is a perspective view of a toilet device of the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a side view of a toilet device of the present embodiment in a fixed position; FIG. 3 is a side view of a toilet device of the present embodiment in a raised position; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a functional part of the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a nozzle unit, a shutter part, and a shutter washing part of the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of a washing nozzle of the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the front side of the functional part of the present embodiment, seen from the back; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a water discharge part in a shutter washing part of the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a water circuit in a toilet device of the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flow chart explaining the operation of the toilet device of the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a water discharge part in a shutter washing part of another embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-to-back direction as seen by a user seated on the toilet seat 21 will be referred to as the front-to-back direction Y. The left-to-right direction as seen by a user seated on the toilet seat 21 will be referred to as the left-to-right direction X. The up-to-down direction along the vertical direction relative to the floor surface on which the toilet device 1 is installed will be referred to as the up-to-down direction Z.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the toilet device 1 of this embodiment comprises a toilet body 2, a toilet seat 21, a toilet lid 22, a functional unit 3, a sanitary washing device 4 (see Figures 4 and 5), a lifting mechanism 5 (see Figures 2 and 3), a control unit 6, a seating sensor 7, and a lifting sensor 8.

[0013] The toilet body 2 has a bowl portion 20a that opens upward at the front side, and a flat upper surface 20b at the rear. A toilet flush tank 111 that stores toilet flush water for cleaning the toilet body 2 is located inside the lower rear portion of the toilet body 2.

[0014] The toilet seat 21 is disposed on the upper surface of the periphery of the bowl portion 20a. The toilet lid 22 is disposed so as to cover the toilet seat 21 and the upper surface of the bowl portion 20a. The toilet seat 21 and the toilet lid 22 are each rotatably connected to the functional portion 3 described below, and are opened and closed.

[0015] The functional section 3 is disposed on the upper surface 20b of the rear of the toilet body 2. The functional section 3 has a plurality of devices, such as the sanitary washing device 4, that perform the functions of the toilet device 1, and these devices are disposed therein. The functional section 3 has a base section 30 and a cover section 35.

[0016] 2 and 3, the functional unit 3 is configured so that a portion of it can move up and down. As shown in Fig. 4, the base unit 30 has a predetermined area and forms the bottom surface on which the components of the functional unit 3 are arranged. The base unit 30 has a movable base unit 31 that can move up and down, and a fixed base unit 32 that is fixed to the toilet body 2 and does not move.

[0017] The movable base 31 is disposed in front of the functional unit 3. The movable base 31 includes a front frame 33 and a base back projection 34 (see FIG. 7). The front frame 33 is a peripheral edge extending vertically at the front end of the movable base 31. The central portion of the front frame 33 in the left-right direction X accommodates the front end of a cleaning nozzle 41 and a shutter unit 42 (described later), so the peripheral edge is recessed upward to form an open portion 33a (see FIG. 7). The cleaning nozzle 41 (described later) moves forward and backward through this open portion 33a. The base back projection 34 is disposed at a position recessed from the central portion of the front frame 33 in the left-right direction X, and the back surface of the movable base 31 is formed by a downward bulge.

[0018] The fixed base part 32 is disposed behind the movable base part 31. The fixed base part 32 is fixed to the upper rear surface of the toilet body 2 by inserting a pair of shaft members 321 extending from the underside into mounting holes (not shown) in the toilet body 2.

[0019] The cover portion 35 is a member that covers the base portion 30, and has a side cover 351 that covers the sides of the base portion 30 and an upper cover 352 that covers the upper rear portion.

[0020] The seat sensor 7 is, for example, an electrostatic sensor incorporated inside the toilet seat 21, and detects whether or not a user is seated. The type and arrangement of the seat sensor 7 may be changed as appropriate.

[0021] 4, the control unit 6 is a computing device mounted on an electronic board 60 arranged in the functional unit 3. The control unit 6 is connected to each device in the functional unit 3, and controls the operation of various devices such as raising and lowering the lifting mechanism 5 (described later), operating the sanitary washing device 4, and flushing the toilet bowl and detecting a human body.

[0022] 2 and 3, the lifting mechanism 5 has an extendable lifting shaft 51, a lifting lever (not shown), an upper mounting plate 52, and a lower mounting plate 53. The lifting mechanism 5 raises and lowers the movable base unit 31, which is at least a part of the functional unit 3, between a home position shown in Fig. 2 and an elevated position higher than the home position shown in Fig. 3.

[0023] The lower mounting plate 53 is a metal plate that is attached to the toilet body 2 and the fixed base part 32. The lower mounting plate 53 is a vertically long plate that is arranged with its longitudinal direction aligned with the width direction of the toilet body 2, and has through holes formed on one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] The telescopic lifting shafts 51 are connected to the toilet body 2 and the underside of the movable base 31 and are movable up and down. Two telescopic lifting shafts 51 are attached to the movable base 31 at a distance from each other in the center of the width of the toilet device 1. The telescopic lifting shafts 51 pass through through holes in the lower mounting plate 53 and are attached to the inside of the toilet body 2. The telescopic lifting shafts can be extended and retracted up and down by the expansion and contraction force of a spring (not shown).

[0025] The upper mounting plate 52 is a metal plate supported on the upper end of the telescopic lifting shaft 51 and has approximately the same width and length as the lower mounting plate 53. By fixing the upper mounting plate 52 to the underside of the movable base 31, the up and down movement of the telescopic lifting shaft 51 is linked to the movable base 31.

[0026] The lifting lever is attached to protrude from the side of the toilet body 2. The lifting lever is connected to the upper mounting plate and the telescopic lifting shaft 51, and operating the lifting lever enables engagement and disengagement of the spring, allowing the movable base unit 31 to move between its home position and its raised position. In this specification, lifting up the movable base unit 31, which is part of the functional unit 3, is referred to as "lifting up." Lifting the movable base unit 31 forms a gap between the bottom surface of the movable base unit 31 and the upper surface 20b of the toilet body 2, making cleaning easier.

[0027] The lifting mechanism 5 may be configured to perform lifting and lowering operations electrically under the control of the control unit 6, rather than by manual operation of a lifting lever. In this case, the lifting mechanism 5 is equipped with a motor (not shown), and the toilet apparatus 1 or a remote controller is provided with, for example, buttons or an operation screen for giving instructions, and a signal instructing the lifting and lowering operation is sent to the control unit 6 by operation by the user. The lifting mechanism 5 is driven and raised and lowered in accordance with instructions from the control unit 6. The lifting mechanism 5 may also be configured to be switchable between manual and electric operation.

[0028] The lifting sensor 8 is a sensor that detects the lifting state of the movable base part 31. The lifting sensor 8 may be a distance measuring sensor or the like, and detects the distance between the bottom surface of the movable base part 31 and the upper surface 20b of the toilet body 2 to detect whether the movable base part 31 is in a lifted position or a fixed position. The lifting sensor 8 transmits the detection result to the control part 6.

[0029] The sanitary washing device 4 has a body washing function and is a device for washing the private parts of a user. As shown in Figure 5, the sanitary washing device 4 is arranged as one device constituting the functional section 3, and has a washing nozzle 41, a nozzle unit 410, a shutter section 42, a nozzle washing section 43, a shutter washing section 44, and a functional section washing water circuit 130.

[0030] 5, the nozzle unit 410 has a support frame 411 that stores a pair of cleaning nozzles 41 therein so that they can be advanced and retreated, and supports the hose 121 and a nozzle drive mechanism (not shown). The support frame 411 has its front end positioned below the movable base 31 and its rear end positioned above it, and is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

[0031] The pair of cleansing nozzles 41 are arranged on the support frame 411 at the center of the front part of the functional part 3 in the left-right direction X, with a gap in the left-right direction X. Each of the pair of cleansing nozzles 41 ejects cleansing water for washing the human body and is used for anal cleansing and bidet cleansing. The cleansing nozzles 41 eject cleansing water toward the human body from nozzle water ejection ports 41a provided at the upper part of the tip side.

[0032] 5 and 6, and an advanced position where the cleaning nozzles 41 protrude forward from the storage position in the front-to-rear direction Y beyond the shutter section 42. The storage position of the cleaning nozzles 41 is a position where the cleaning nozzles 41 are stored inside the shutter section 42. The advanced position of the cleaning nozzles 41 is a position where the cleaning nozzles 41 are advanced forward to clean the private parts of the user.

[0033] A rack of a nozzle drive mechanism (not shown) is provided on the back side of the cleaning nozzle 41. The nozzle drive mechanism (not shown) includes a long rack, a pinion, and a motor. The pinion meshes with the rack and is rotated by the motor. The nozzle drive mechanism (not shown) advances the cleaning nozzle 41 obliquely downward relative to a support frame 412 (see FIG. 6 ) that is united with the cleaning nozzle 41 to form a nozzle unit 410. As a result, the tip of the cleaning nozzle 41 pushes the back surface (inner surface) of the shutter section 42 from rear to front.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 5 , the nozzle cleaning unit 43 is provided as a unit with the cleaning nozzle 41 and cleans the cleaning nozzle 41. As shown in FIG. 6 , the nozzle cleaning unit 43 is formed with a discharge port 431 as a through-hole that constitutes a water discharge hole. The discharge port 431 discharges cleaning water onto the upper surface of the cleaning nozzle 41. Multiple discharge ports 431 are formed. This allows the front side (upper side) of the cleaning nozzle 41 to be cleaned over the width of the cleaning nozzle 41. The nozzle cleaning unit 43 is supplied with cleaning water from a hose 131 a of a nozzle cleaning water circuit 131, which will be described later. The nozzle cleaning unit 43 discharges cleaning water at a concentration of, for example, 2.0 ml / mL or more to powerfully clean the cleaning nozzle 41.

[0035] The shutter section 42 is connected to the nozzle unit 410 and is disposed at the center in the left-right direction X at the front of the movable base section 31. The shutter section 42 opens and closes an opening section 33a formed on the front end side of the movable base section 31. The shutter section 42 has a shutter base 424, a shutter main body 421, a shutter arm 422, and a rotation shaft 423.

[0036] 5, the shutter base 424 is a plate-shaped member provided to cover the support frame 411 of the nozzle unit 410 and the upper part of the pair of cleaning nozzles 41. The shutter main body 421 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the shutter base 424.

[0037] The shutter arm 422 is disposed in front of the shutter base 424 and supports the shutter main body 421. The shutter arm 422 holds a rotation shaft 423 extending in the longitudinal direction of the shutter main body 421, and supports the shutter main body 421 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7 , the shutter body 421 is formed in a plate shape extending in the left-right direction X of the toilet body 2. The shutter body 421 is positioned in the center in the left-right direction X, in front of the base rear convex portion 34. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the shutter section 42 is in the closed position, it is formed in a flat shape that slopes downward from the front to the rear. The shutter body 421 is supported rotatably. When the flushing nozzle 41 advances or retreats, the back surface of the shutter body 421 is pressed by the flushing nozzle 41, thereby opening and closing the opening portion 33 a of the front frame portion 33 formed on the front end side of the movable base portion 31. When the shutter body 421 is in the closed position, it is positioned in the opening portion 33 a of the front frame portion 33. The upper end of the shutter body 421 is formed to have a curved surface that is C-shaped in cross section. Since the upper end of the shutter body 421 has a C-shaped curved surface, water discharged from the water outlet 4412 of the shutter cleaning section 44 described later hits the surface of the upper end of the shutter body 421 and easily spreads out.

[0039] The shutter cleaning unit 44 is connected above the shutter unit 42 and cleans the shutter unit 42. The shutter cleaning unit 44 has a water discharge unit 441 (see FIG. 7), a receiving unit 442 (see FIG. 5), and a cleaning unit fixed unit 443.

[0040] The water discharge section 441 has a flush water circulation section 4411 and a plurality of water discharge ports 4412. The flush water circulation section 4411 is a cylindrical member that extends in the left-right direction X at the upper front part of the functional section 3, and has a hollow section inside through which flush water flows.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the cleaning water flow section 4411 has a main body section 4410, inlet sections 4411a and 4411b, and a welded section 4411c.

[0042] The main body 4410 has a cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction X, and constitutes the majority of the cleaning water flow section 4411. As shown in Figure 8, the interior of the main body 4410 is partitioned by a partition 4410a located approximately in the center in the left-right direction X.

[0043] The inlets 4411a, 4411b are connected to both ends of the main body 4410 and extend obliquely rearward, intersecting the main body 4410. The inlets 4411a, 4411b have a cylindrical shape that is shorter than the main body 4410, and are connected to hoses 132aR, 132aL of a shutter cleaning water circuit 132, which will be described later. Cleaning water for cleaning the shutters is supplied from the inlets 4411a, 4411b. The water flowing in from the left and right inlets 4411a, 4411b is blocked by the partition 4410a of the main body 4410, so that the water does not mix and cause turbulence, and is stably discharged from the water outlet 4412, which will be described later.

[0044] The welded portion 4411c is the portion where the main body portion 4410 and the inlets 4411a and 4411b are connected by welding. As shown in FIG. 8 , if the side where the spout 4412 (described later) is formed is considered the bottom and the opposite side is considered the top, the welded portion 4411c is formed so that the surface on the lower side of the main body portion 4410 where the spout 4412 is formed and the lower surfaces of the inlets 4411a and 4411b are substantially flush with each other via the welded portion 4411c. This configuration prevents turbulence in the flush water flowing from the inlets 4411a and 4411b, allowing for uniform water discharge. Above the welded portion 4411c, there may be a step on the inner diameter surfaces of the main body portion 4410 and the upper sides of the inlets 4411a and 4411b. If there is a step on the upper side, when inserting and connecting the inlet portions 4411a and 4411b into the main body portion 4410, the insertion position etc. can be easily seen, making the connection easier.

[0045] The multiple water outlets 4412 discharge flush water onto the front surface of the shutter section 42. Water may splash onto the back surface of the shutter section 42, but water is not discharged towards the back surface. The water outlets 4412 are arranged in a row, and multiple water outlets 4412 are arranged at intervals from each other along the longitudinal direction on the underside of the flush water circulation section 4411. The distance D1 between the water outlet 4412 closest to the welded portion 4411c and the welded portion 4411c is longer than the distance D2 between the multiple water outlets 4412, and they are arranged so that the formation of the welded portion 4411c is unlikely to affect the flow of discharged water.

[0046] The receiving portion 442 is a member that connects the shutter portion 42 and the shutter cleaning portion 44. The receiving portion 442 engages with the rotation shaft 423 of the shutter portion 42, and the shutter body 421 and the shutter arm 422 are rotatably supported by the receiving portion 442. The back side of the receiving portion 442 abuts against the support frame 412 that constitutes the nozzle unit 410.

[0047] The cleaning unit fixed portion 443 is integrally formed with the shutter cleaning unit 44 at a position closer to the center of the shutter cleaning unit 44 in the longitudinal direction than the inlet portions 4411a and 4411b of the cleaning water flow portion 4411 of the shutter cleaning unit 44. The cleaning unit fixed portion 443 is fixed to the movable base portion 31 with screws, thereby fixing the shutter cleaning unit 44 to the movable base portion 31. As shown in FIG. 5 , the cleaning unit fixed portion 443 is located on the main body portion 4410 of the water discharge portion 441 closer to the center in the left-right direction X than the welded portion 4411c, i.e., more inward than the welded portion 4411c. By fixing the cleaning unit fixed portion 443 to the movable base portion 31 in this position, it is possible to prevent the weight of the shutter unit 42 from being applied to the welded portion 4411c when assembling the shutter cleaning unit 44 and the shutter unit 42 via the receiving portion 442. This makes it possible to protect the welded portion 4411c that joins the main body portion 4410 and the inflow portions 4411a and 4411b.

[0048] In the above-described toilet apparatus 1, the functional section 3 has a water circuit 100 that supplies flush water to each section of the toilet apparatus, as shown in Figure 9. The water circuit 100 has a toilet flush water circuit 110, a body flush water circuit 120, and a functional section flush water circuit 130.

[0049] The toilet flush water circuit 110 is a circuit that stores flush water supplied from the water supply source 9 in a toilet flush tank 111 and supplies it into the bowl portion 20a of the toilet body 2 by a pump (not shown).

[0050] The body cleansing water circuit 120 is a flow path that supplies cleansing water from the water supply source 9 to the cleansing nozzle 41, and causes the water to be discharged from the cleansing nozzle 41 toward the human body and into the bowl portion 20a of the toilet body 2. The body cleansing water circuit 120 is made up of, for example, a rubber hose 121. As shown in Figure 4, the hose 121 is routed from the rear of the shutter arm 422 along the outer periphery of the movable base portion 31 and is connected to the cleansing nozzle 41 located in the center of the movable base portion 31 in the left-right direction X.

[0051] The functional unit cleaning water circuit 130 is disposed on the base part 30 of the functional unit 3, and is a flow path for cleaning the cleaning nozzle 41 and the shutter part 42 of the sanitary cleaning device 4. As shown in Fig. 9 , the functional unit cleaning water circuit 130 has a cleaning water supply path 133, a nozzle cleaning water circuit 131, a shutter cleaning water circuit 132 (a left shutter cleaning water circuit 132L and a right shutter cleaning water circuit 132R), and a drainage path 138.

[0052] The functional unit cleaning water circuit 130 includes a nozzle cleaning unit 43, a shutter cleaning unit 44, an electromagnetic valve 134, a pressure reducing valve 135, a vacuum breaker 136, and a switching valve 137, and performs each cleaning operation of the sanitary cleaning device 4.

[0053] The flow rate of wash water in the wash water supply path 133 is greater than the flow rate of wash water in the body wash water circuit 120. This makes it possible to wash the wash nozzle 41 and the shutter section 42 with a sufficient flow rate of wash water. The flow rates of wash water discharged from the nozzle washing section 43 and the shutter washing section 44 are each greater than the flow rate of wash water discharged from the wash nozzle 41. This makes it possible to wash the wash nozzle 41 with a sufficient flow rate of discharged water. The above-mentioned "flow rate" in all cases means the instantaneous flow rate (flow rate per unit time).

[0054] That is, in the water circuit 100, the body cleansing water circuit 120, toilet flushing water circuit 110, and functional section flushing water circuit 130 are not opened and closed by a common water supply valve, but each water circuit has its own water supply valve that can be opened and closed independently. The functional section flushing water circuit 130 is configured to include a solenoid valve 134, but the body cleansing water circuit 120 is provided with another water supply valve (a water supply valve for the flushing nozzle 41) that can be opened and closed independently of the solenoid valve 134.

[0055] The cleaning water supply path 133 is a flow path upstream of the functional portion cleaning water circuit 130 before it branches into the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132, and supplies cleaning water to the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132. The cleaning water supply path 133 has a hose 133a with a larger diameter than the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132, and is connected to a solenoid valve 134, a pressure reducing valve 135, a vacuum breaker 136, and a switching valve 137 in this order. The hose 133a of the cleaning water supply path 133 is arranged along the bottom surface of the fixed base portion 32. The cleaning water supply path 133 terminates in a switching valve 137.

[0056] The solenoid valve 134 opens and closes the flow path that supplies cleaning water from the water supply source 9 to the functional section cleaning water circuit 130. The pressure reducing valve 135 reduces the pressure to the required level in the flow path that provides the supplied cleaning water. As shown in Figure 9, the switching valve 137 is a valve that switches the flow path that supplies cleaning water from the cleaning water supply path 133 to the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132 (left shutter cleaning water circuit 132L, right shutter cleaning water circuit 132R).

[0057] The vacuum breaker 136 prevents backflow of cleaning water in the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132 when negative pressure occurs in the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132. By making the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132 dedicated water circuits separate from the body cleaning water circuit 120, the flow rate of cleaning water used for nozzle cleaning and shutter cleaning can be increased to improve cleaning power. In this case, the diameter of the hoses constituting each water circuit becomes larger, and the vacuum breaker 136 also needs to be larger. Therefore, the vacuum breaker 136 of the functional unit cleaning water circuit 130 is located on the fixed base part 32 behind the rear end of the cleaning nozzle 41 and higher than the other components constituting the functional unit cleaning water circuit 130.

[0058] The drain channel 138 is connected to the vacuum breaker 136. The drain channel 138 is a drain hose 138a that drains backflowing water if backflow occurs in the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and / or the shutter cleaning water circuit 132. As shown in FIG. 4 , the drain channel 138 passes over the hose 133a of the flush water supply channel 133, and its downstream end is located on the back surface of the fixed base part 32. The drain hose 138a is connected to the toilet flush tank 111 that is located below the base part 30. As a result, if backflow occurs in the nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132, the water that has backflowed from the vacuum breaker 136 to the toilet flush tank 111 is drained.

[0059] The nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 and the shutter cleaning water circuit 132 are formed, for example, from rubber hoses, and constitute a water circuit separate from the body cleaning water circuit 120, which sprays water toward the human body from the nozzle water outlet 41a of the cleaning nozzle 41. The nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 constitutes a dedicated water circuit that supplies cleaning water only to the nozzle cleaning unit 43. The shutter cleaning water circuit 132 constitutes a dedicated water circuit that supplies cleaning water only to the shutter cleaning unit 44. This allows cleaning by the nozzle cleaning unit 43 to be performed simultaneously with the cleaning operation of the cleaning nozzle 41 without reducing the flow rate of each. This allows the order of nozzle cleaning and shutter cleaning to be changed as needed. For example, while the user is seated, nozzle cleaning can be performed first and shutter cleaning can be performed later, allowing dirt generated during nozzle cleaning to be washed away from the functional unit 3 by the shutter cleaning. Furthermore, when cleaning while the user is not seated, shutter cleaning can be performed first to wet the shutter unit 42 and the area around the cleaning nozzle 41 before cleaning.

[0060] The nozzle cleaning water circuit 131 has a hose 131a extending from the switching valve 137 of the fixed base part 32, and after being routed to the right side in Figure 4, extends to the front of the movable base part 31 and is connected to the nozzle cleaning part 43 located at the front end of the cleaning nozzle 41.

[0061] The shutter cleaning water circuit 132 has a right shutter cleaning water circuit 132R that supplies cleaning water from the right side of the shutter cleaning section 44, and a left shutter cleaning water circuit 132L that supplies cleaning water from the left side of the shutter cleaning section 44.

[0062] The shutter cleaning right water circuit 132R includes a hose 132aR. The hose 132aR extends from the switching valve 137 of the fixed base part 32, is routed to the right side in FIG. 5 , extends to the front of the movable base part 31 adjacent to the hose 131a, and is connected to the inlet part 4411a of the shutter cleaning part 44.

[0063] The shutter cleaning left water circuit 132L has a hose 132aL. The hose 132aL extends from the switching valve 137 of the fixed base part 32, passes over the nozzle unit 410, is routed to the left side in Figure 5, extends to the front of the movable base part 31, and is connected to the inlet part 4411b of the shutter cleaning part 44.

[0064] Next, the operation of the toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Each procedure is counted as a "step (process)," and each step is indicated by "S." When a user sits on the toilet seat 21 and uses the toilet apparatus 1, the toilet apparatus 1 operates in the steps S1 to S5 in Figure 10. That is, when the seat sensor 7 detects the user (S1), the user activates the sanitary washing device 4 at the desired timing, for example, by pressing a button on a remote controller. The control unit 6 then receives an instruction to have the sanitary washing device 4 wash the person's body (S2), and controls the sanitary washing device 4 to discharge wash water from the washing nozzle 41 and wash the person's body (S3).

[0065] After washing the human body, the control unit 6 continues the operation of the sanitary washing device 4. First, nozzle washing is performed by discharging washing water into the washing nozzle 41 to prevent dirt from adhering to the washing nozzle 41 (S4). Next, after the washing nozzle 41 retracts to the storage position (see FIG. 6), shutter washing is performed by cleaning the shutter part 42 that opens and closes the open part 33a of the movable base part 31 through which the washing nozzle 41 advances and retreats (S5). After shutter washing, warm air drying is performed to complete the washing operation.

[0066] On the other hand, even if the user is not seated on the toilet seat 21 and using the toilet apparatus 1, the toilet apparatus 1 may be cleaned. When the user is not seated on the toilet seat 21 of the toilet body 2 and the seating sensor 7 does not detect the user, the state is considered to be an "off-seat" state (S11). When the user cleans the shutter portion 42 and cleaning nozzle 41 of the sanitary washing device 4 while off-seat, this is called a "cleaning mode" for the nozzle, etc. When the user presses a button to start the "cleaning mode" on, for example, a remote controller, the control unit 6 performs cleaning mode control (control of the cleaning mode). In the cleaning mode, nozzle cleaning is preset to be performed after shutter cleaning. That is, the control unit 6 starts cleaning mode control by receiving a shutter cleaning instruction signal (S12), performing shutter cleaning (S14), and then nozzle cleaning (S15).

[0067] While the user is out of the seat, the user may not only clean around the cleaning nozzle 41 in cleaning mode, but also use the lifting mechanism 5 to raise and lower part of the functional part 3, specifically the movable base part 31 and the functional components arranged on the movable base part 31, to clean the gap between the movable base part 31 and the upper surface 20b at the rear of the toilet body 2.

[0068] Here, we will explain a case where the lifting mechanism 5 is electrically raised and lowered under the control of the control unit 6 by the user operating the remote controller or operation screen. When the control unit 6 receives a shutter flush instruction, it stops receiving the lift-up instruction signal sent by the user's operation while the shutter flush operation is being performed, thereby prohibiting the lifting mechanism 5 from lifting up (S13). Stopping reception means ignoring and not responding to the signal input, even if a user issues an instruction. This is because if a part of the functional unit 3 rises while flushing the shutter unit 42, flush water may splash, preventing proper flushing. When the control unit 6 stops receiving the lift-up instruction signal, the toilet apparatus 1 may be configured to notify the user of the stoppage. The toilet apparatus 1 may have an alarm unit (not shown). The alarm unit may be configured as appropriate, for example, a display on the remote controller, a blinking display window, or a buzzer, and the control unit 6 controls the alarm unit to activate.

[0069] When water is discharged onto the shutter portion 42 during shutter cleaning (S14), the cleaning water also falls on the cleaning nozzle 41. After shutter cleaning is completed, the control unit 6 advances the cleaning nozzle 41 forward and discharges water onto the cleaning nozzle 41 to perform nozzle cleaning (S15). With the cleaning nozzle 41 advanced forward, the user can clean the tip of the cleaning nozzle 41 by wiping it or removing the tip member and cleaning it separately, and then dry it with warm air, completing the cleaning.

[0070] If the user wishes to clean the area between the functional unit 3 and the toilet body 2 rather than the area around the flushing nozzle 41, the lifting mechanism 5 is activated to issue a command to lift the functional unit 3 from the rear of the toilet body 2, a so-called lift-up command. When the control unit 6 receives a lift-up command from the user while the user is away from the toilet (S11) (S21), it stops accepting shutter flush commands (S22). That is, the control unit 6 prohibits shutter flushing while the functional unit 3 is in the raised position. "While in the raised position" does not only include when the movable base unit 31 is at the highest position within its range of motion, but also when it is in any position between its home position and its highest position. It also includes when the movable base unit 31 is stationary and in the middle of its lifting / lowering motion. The control unit 6 then executes the lift-up command with the shutter flush command stopped (S23). With part of the functional unit 3 lifted up, the user cleans the gap between the functional unit 3 and the upper surface 20b of the toilet body 2. Next, when the user issues an instruction to lower a part of the functional part 3 and return it to its original position (S24), the control part 6 lowers a part of the functional part 3 (S25) and ends the lift-up.

[0071] If the lifting mechanism 5 is configured to be manually raised and lowered using a lifting lever, the lifting sensor 8 transmits the detection result of the position of the movable base unit 31 to the control unit 6. When a shutter cleaning command is received (S12), the control unit 6 uses the lifting sensor 8 to detect the position of the lifting mechanism 5. If the control unit 6 determines as a result of this detection that the movable base unit 31 is in the raised position, the control unit 6 prohibits the lifting mechanism 5 from performing lift-up (S13). If the lifting sensor 8 detects that the movable base unit 31 has been returned to its home position and the control unit 6 determines that the movable base unit 31 is in its home position, the control unit 6 lifts the prohibition on lift-up. If it is detected that the movable base unit 31 is in its home position, shutter cleaning is performed (S14).

[0072] This embodiment provides the following advantages. (1) The toilet apparatus 1 is configured to include a functional unit 3 disposed at the rear of the toilet body 2 and having a sanitary washing device 4 for washing the human body, a lifting mechanism 5 for raising and lowering at least a portion of the functional unit 3, and a control unit 6 for controlling the operation of the sanitary washing device 4. The sanitary washing device 4 is configured to include a washing nozzle 41 for discharging wash water for washing the human body, and a shutter unit 42 for opening and closing an opening portion 33a of the functional unit 3 through which the wash nozzle 41 advances and retreats. The control unit 6 prohibits shutter washing, which cleans the shutter unit 42, while a portion of the functional unit 3 is in a raised position. By prohibiting shutter washing while a portion of the functional unit 3 is in a raised position by the lifting mechanism 5, it is possible to prevent water from being discharged from the sanitary washing device 4 while the functional unit 3 is being lifted up, preventing the toilet apparatus 1 or the toilet room from unintentionally getting wet due to splashing of wash water.

[0073] (2) The lifting mechanism 5 is configured to perform the lifting operation under the control of the control unit 6. This allows the lifting operation to be performed by a simple operation such as pressing a button on a remote controller.

[0074] (3) The control unit 6 is configured to prohibit lift-up, which raises the functional unit 3, during shutter cleaning operation. By prohibiting lift-up during shutter cleaning operation, the water discharge position is prevented from rising while the wash water is being discharged. This prevents unintended splashing of wash water, achieving the same effect as above.

[0075] (4) The control unit 6 is configured to perform shutter flushing when the user is not seated on the toilet body 2. Because shutter flushing can be performed even when the user is not seated, when cleaning the flushing nozzle 41, if water used to wash away waste from the flushing nozzle 41 gets on the shutter part 42, the shutter part 42 can also be cleaned as part of the cleaning process. This makes it possible to keep the toilet apparatus 1 cleaner and more comfortable.

[0076] (5) The control unit 6 is configured to perform cleaning mode control, which cleans the sanitary washing device 4 while the user is not seated on the toilet body 2. In cleaning mode control, shutter washing is performed first, followed by nozzle washing, which cleans the washing nozzle. By performing nozzle washing after shutter washing, water can be sprayed around the shutter unit 42 at the beginning of cleaning, so that the shutter body 421 of the shutter unit 42 and its surroundings are wet with washing water. This makes it easier to clean away any dirt that has accumulated.

[0077] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the base unit 30 is divided into the fixed base unit 32 and the movable base unit 31, but the base unit 30 does not have to be divided. The lifting mechanism 5 may raise and lower the undivided base unit.

[0078] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a water discharger 441 of a shutter cleaning unit 44 according to another embodiment. This embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment in that a step 4410b is formed on the inner wall surface of the main body 4410A in the flush water circulation section 4411A of the water discharger 441A. When the side of the main body 4410A where the water outlet 4412 is formed is considered the bottom and the opposite side is considered the top, the upper inner wall surface of the main body 4410A has three steps 4410b formed so that it becomes downwardly convex toward the center of the flush water circulation section 4411A in the left-right direction X, with the partition 4410a at the center. In other words, the inner diameter of the main body 4410A is largest at the outermost side in the left-right direction X and gradually decreases in three steps toward the partition 4410a. Flushing water flows into the flush water circulation section 4411A through inflow sections 4411a and 4411b provided at both ends, and the volume becomes smaller toward the back in the inflow direction. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to change the water pressure between the inlet sections 4411a, 4411b side of the long flush water circulation section 4411A and the rear side and the partition section 4410a, making it easier to evenly discharge water from the water discharge port 4412. Note that instead of the step 4410b, a tapered inclined surface may be formed that descends from the inlet sections 4411a, 4411b side towards the partition section 4410a.

[0079] In addition to cleaning mode control, the control unit may perform other controls depending on the region and environment in which the toilet apparatus 1 is installed. For example, in cold regions, water drainage control may be performed to prevent flush water remaining in the flush nozzle 41 and the shutter unit 42 from freezing. Water drainage control is configured to supply air through a valve provided at a predetermined position in the water circuit 100, and to use the air to push out and remove water remaining in the nozzle outlet 41a of the flush nozzle 41, the outlet 431 of the shutter flush unit 44, etc. Water drainage control may be performed during cleaning mode control not only to prevent freezing but also for component maintenance.

[0080] The control unit may also perform intermittent flow control, rather than water drainage control, to intermittently discharge water from the flushing nozzle 41 and the shutter cleaning unit 44. Intermittent flow control is a control that periodically discharges water while the toilet apparatus 1 is not in use, particularly for cold climates. Intermittent flow operation also prevents the flushing nozzle 41 and the shutter cleaning unit 44 from drying out, thereby preventing limescale from adhering to the nozzle water outlet 41a and the discharge port 431, etc. Intermittent flow control may be set to discharge water from the flushing nozzle 41 and the shutter cleaning unit 44 for approximately four seconds, for example, once every six minutes while the user is not sitting.

[0081] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 toilet device, 2 toilet body, 3 functional part, 4 sanitary washing device, 5 lifting mechanism, 6 control part, 41 washing nozzle, 42 shutter part, 33a opening part

Claims

1. A toilet apparatus comprising: a functional unit arranged at the rear of the toilet body and having a sanitary washing device for washing the human body; a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering at least a part of the functional unit; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the sanitary washing device, wherein the sanitary washing device has a washing nozzle that ejects washing water for washing the human body, and a shutter unit that opens and closes an open part of the functional unit through which the washing nozzle advances and retreats, and wherein the control unit prohibits the execution of shutter washing, which washes the shutter unit, while a part of the functional unit is in a raised position.

2. The toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism is controlled by the control unit to perform the lifting operation.

3. The toilet apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit prohibits the execution of a lift-up operation that raises the functional unit during the shutter cleaning operation.

4. A toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit performs the shutter flush when the user is not seated on the toilet body.

5. The toilet device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit performs cleaning mode control to clean the sanitary cleaning device when the user is not seated on the toilet body, and in the cleaning mode control, after the shutter cleaning, performs nozzle cleaning to clean the cleaning nozzle.

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