JP2010180665A - Sanitary washing toilet seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify a structure by effectively suppressing an increase in the manufacturing process and the number of members associated with installation of a seating sensor, and further, a sanitary washing toilet seat capable of increasing the degree of freedom of a position where the seating sensor is installed provide.
A seating sensor 10a includes an antenna electrode whose capacitance changes when a human body approaches, and a detection IC that detects a change in capacitance at the antenna electrode, and preferably on a support substrate. It is integrated. This seating sensor 10a is inside the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat, and at a position above the seating surface of the toilet seat 53 in a state where the toilet seat 53 is closed, for example, an upper part of the washing unit 61, It is attached to the inner surface of the casing 57 which is the upper side.
[Selection] Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a sanitary washing toilet seat, and more particularly to a sanitary washing toilet seat equipped with a capacitive sensor as a seating sensor.

  In the field of toilet devices, conventionally, a seating sensor that detects a user's seating on a toilet seat has been used in order to consume a large amount of electric power for heating the toilet seat or heating cleaning water for cleaning a local part or the like. . As this type of seating sensor, an optical sensor is usually used. As this optical sensor, a configuration is generally employed in which detection light such as infrared rays is irradiated from behind a user seated on a toilet seat to the waist of the user and the reflected light is detected.

  As an example of a toilet device in which an optical sensor is used, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seating sensor including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit as a seating detection device for a sanitary washing device, and a functional unit of the sanitary washing device. The structure which arrange | positions in the casing to perform and is made to oppose the window hole opened to the front wall surface of this casing is proposed. In this technique, a certain amount of space is provided between the seating sensor and the front wall surface of the casing. Thereby, the seating sensor can make the filter fitted in the window hole undetectable, and can make it possible to detect the user's clothes that are close to or in contact with the front wall surface. It is assumed that the user's seating on the toilet seat can be reliably detected.

Recently, a capacitive sensor has also been proposed as a non-optical seating sensor. The capacitance type sensor detects a human body by detecting a change in capacitance due to the presence of the human body with a detection electrode. For example, in Patent Document 2, as an electrostatic seating sensor for a capacitance type human body local cleaning device, a detection electrode, an insulating layer, a protective electrode, an insulating layer, and A configuration in which an electrode composed of a ground electrode is arranged has been proposed. In this technique, the electrostatic seating sensor having the above-described configuration is installed in the vicinity of the human body seating surface of the toilet seat, and the same potential and phase as the detection electrode are applied to the protective electrode. Therefore, all unnecessary capacitances of the detection electrodes themselves can be canceled, and stable human body detection can be performed.
JP 2002-294812 A JP 2000-080703 A

However, the conventional technology has a problem that even if a configuration using an optical sensor or a capacitive sensor is used as a seating sensor, it is insufficient in terms of suppressing the manufacturing process and the increase in the number of members. First, when an optical sensor is used as a seating sensor, the detection light is emitted directly to the user and the reflected light is detected so that the detection light is emitted as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1. An exit window (window hole) for this purpose must be formed in the body of the toilet device. Therefore, the number of steps for forming the emission window in the process of manufacturing the casing (casing) of the main body is increased, and a member such as a filter is required, so that the number of members is increased.

  On the other hand, when a capacitive sensor is used as a seating sensor, the presence of a user seated on the toilet seat is detected as a change in capacitance. A configuration in which a detection electrode is provided inside is employed. In this configuration, it is not necessary to form an exit window in the casing of the main body as compared with the case of the optical sensor, but a process for incorporating the detection electrode at the time of manufacturing the toilet seat is added. Therefore, there is no substitute in the increase in the manufacturing process, and in order to improve detection accuracy, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a protective electrode and a ground electrode sandwiched between insulating layers with respect to the detection electrode A special electrode structure such as laminating is used.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, in order to more reliably detect that the user has been seated on the toilet seat, the detection electrodes must either have a certain area or be installed in the toilet seat. Patent Document 2 discloses, as a specific embodiment, a configuration in which two electrostatic seating sensors that are grounded on the toilet seat are installed on the left and right sides of the toilet seat, and the electrostatic seating sensors are arranged on the toilet seat. It is disclosed that a single area is sufficient for a large area and a plurality of areas for a small area. This is for the purpose of reliably detecting the seating even when the heel portion contacting the seating surface is biased when the user is seated. Thus, if the detection electrode provided on the toilet seat has a large area or a plurality of detection electrodes, an increase in the manufacturing process and an increase in the number of members are inevitably caused.

  Currently, various types of toilet devices have been put into practical use and have been proposed. However, a sanitary washing toilet seat having at least a function of washing the local area usually has an incorrect washing function when the user is not seated. In order to realize this configuration, various seating sensors as described above are used. Here, in the field of toilet devices, recently, there is a tendency that a high degree of design is required for the toilet device itself, or that a degree of freedom of configuration that can be applied to a toilet room with various floor plans is required. At this time, the increase in the manufacturing process and the increase in the number of members not only increase the manufacturing cost but also affect the degree of design freedom. In other words, if the design is changed in order to increase the designability and the degree of freedom of configuration, it is necessary to change the design of individual members or review the manufacturing process. There are restrictions on the installation of seating sensors.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to simplify the configuration by effectively suppressing an increase in the manufacturing process and the number of members associated with the installation of the seating sensor. It aims at providing the sanitary washing toilet seat which can raise the freedom degree of the position to install.

  As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the present inventor has selected a capacitive sensor as a seating sensor for a sanitary washing toilet seat, and if an antenna electrode is used as a detection electrode for the capacitive sensor, the seating is performed. The present inventors have found that the configuration of the sensor and the sanitary washing toilet seat can be further simplified and that restrictions on installing the seating sensor can be reduced, and the present invention has been completed.

  That is, the sanitary washing toilet seat according to the present invention includes a toilet seat and a washing unit that is rotatably attached to the toilet seat and that cleans a user's local part seated on the toilet seat. An antenna comprising at least a main body built in as a functional unit and a seating sensor for detecting the seating of a user on the toilet seat, and comprising the conductor as the seating sensor, the capacitance of which changes when the human body approaches A capacitance type sensor that includes an electrode and a capacitance detector that is electrically connected to the antenna electrode and detects a change in capacitance in the antenna electrode, and at least the antenna electrode Is a configuration provided inside the main body and at a position above the seating surface of the toilet seat with the toilet seat closed.

  According to the above configuration, the seating sensor is a capacitive sensor using an antenna electrode, and the seating sensor is provided at a position above the seating surface inside the main body. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a detection light exit window as in the conventional optical sensor, and it is not necessary to incorporate a large area detection electrode in the toilet seat as in the conventional capacitance sensor. It is possible to detect the seating without degrading accuracy only by attaching at least the antenna electrode to an appropriate position inside the main body. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the configuration by effectively suppressing an increase in the manufacturing process and the number of members accompanying the installation of the seating sensor. In addition, the capacitive sensor itself can be installed at an appropriate position inside the miniaturized body, so that the overall design of the sanitary washing toilet seat, the design of individual components, and the manufacturing process are accompanied by the installation of the seating sensor. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the position where the seating sensor is installed can be increased.

  In the sanitary washing toilet seat, the main body includes a housing having a space for accommodating the functional unit therein, and a bottom plate attached to the lower surface of the housing and fixing the functional unit on the upper surface thereof, It is preferable that the antenna electrode is attached to the upper part of the functional unit or the inner surface of the casing in the main body.

  According to the above-described configuration, the antenna electrode or the seating sensor including the antenna electrode can be easily configured with a simple configuration at a position above the seating surface of the toilet seat within the main body within the functional unit or the inner surface of the housing. And it can be securely attached.

  Although the specific configuration of the seating sensor is not particularly limited, as a more preferable configuration, the antenna electrode and the capacitance detector are fixed and integrated on a single support substrate, and provided inside the main body. Can be mentioned. Alternatively, the main body may include a controller that controls at least the functional unit, and the capacitance detector of the capacitance type sensor may be integrated with the controller. .

  In the sanitary washing toilet seat, it is more preferable that the toilet seat has a configuration in which at least a seating portion is made of metal. As a result, the toilet seat can be quickly warmed up, so that the seating sensor can not only detect the time immediately before the user is seated and start heating the toilet seat, but also the seat portion is made of metal. Therefore, since the change in the electrostatic capacitance below the seating surface is shielded, noise in the detection of the seating sensor can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the sanitary washing apparatus in which the seating sensor is installed, it is possible to simplify the configuration by effectively suppressing an increase in the manufacturing process and the number of members, and the position where the seating sensor is installed. There is an effect that the degree of freedom can be increased.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
[Composition of sanitary washing toilet seat]
First, the structure of the sanitary washing toilet seat according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an external configuration of a sanitary washing toilet seat 50 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration of a control system provided in the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 illustrated in FIG. 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 51, an operation unit 52, a toilet seat 53, a toilet lid 54, a remote controller 55, a seating sensor 10 a, and an entrance sensor 56. The main body 51, the toilet seat 53, and the toilet lid 54 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 are integrally assembled and installed on the upper surface of the toilet bowl 70. In addition, since the seating sensor 10a is located inside the main body 51, the outer shape is illustrated by a dotted line in FIG. In addition to the seating sensor 10a, the main body 51 accommodates a control unit 59, a cleaning unit 61, a toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62, a fan unit 63, a toilet seat heater adjusting unit 64, and the like, as shown in FIG. Has been. Hereinafter, the front viewed from the user seated on the toilet seat 53, the rear as the rear, and the left and right sides as the left and right will be described. In addition, the toilet seat 53 and the toilet lid 54 are provided so as to be rotatable separately from each other between the standing position and the lying position, respectively, but in the following, from the lying position to the standing position for convenience. Rotating toward is called “opening”, and turning from the standing position toward the lying down position is called “closing”.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 51 includes a housing 57 and a bottom plate 58. The casing 57 is formed in a box shape that is hollow and has an open lower surface, and an operation unit 52 is provided on the right side of the main body 51, and on the inner surface in front of the main body 51, as shown in FIG. A seating sensor 10a is provided. As described above, the main body 51 houses the control unit 59, the washing unit 61, the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62, the functional unit 60 such as the fan unit 63, the toilet seat heater adjusting unit 64, and the like. At least the functional unit 60 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 58 as shown in FIG. Then, the main body 51 is configured by covering the bottom plate 58 and the functional unit 60 with the housing 57 and being fixed to the bottom plate 58, and the control unit 59, the functional unit 60, and the like are built in the main body 51. In FIG. 3, the functional unit 60 is indicated by a broken line. Moreover, the specific structure of the housing | casing 57 and the baseplate 58 is not specifically limited, A structure well-known in the technical field of this invention can be used suitably.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the main body 51 includes an upper portion 51 a that is exposed when the toilet seat 53 is closed and the toilet lid 54 is opened, and a lower portion 51 b that is below the toilet seat 53. Is done. The upper portion 51a and the lower portion 51b are portions of the casing 57, respectively, and are names for convenience in describing the shape of the main body 51 constituted by the casing 57 and the bottom plate 58, and are independent from each other. It is not a different member. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion 51 a has a shape protruding from the lower portion 51 b, but the shape of the main body 51 is not limited to such a configuration, and the toilet seat 53 is In the closed state, it is only necessary to expose a part of the upper part 51 a so as to be at least above the seating surface of the toilet seat 53. This will be described together with the mounting structure of the seating sensor 10a.

  The functional units 60 housed in the main body 51, that is, the cleaning unit 61, the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62, and the fan unit 63 are units that perform specific functions of the sanitary cleaning toilet seat 50. The control unit 59 receives signals from the operation unit 52, the seating sensor 10a, the remote controller 55, and the entrance sensor 56, and controls the operation of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50, particularly the functional unit. The specific configuration is not particularly limited, and in the present embodiment, it is configured by a known microcomputer.

  Among the functional units 60, the cleaning unit 61 is a cleaning mechanism that cleans the local part of the user seated on the toilet seat 53, and although not shown, the cleaning water is ejected to the local part of the user seated on the toilet seat 53. A cleaning nozzle, a cleaning water supply mechanism for supplying cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle, a warm water heater for warming the cleaning water supplied to the cleaning nozzle, a drying heater for drying the user's local area after cleaning, and an output signal from the control unit 59 Based on the nozzle drive unit that drives the cleaning nozzle based on this, and the heater adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the hot water heater and the drying heater based on the output signal from the control unit 59.

  The toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62 is an opening / closing mechanism that automatically opens and closes the toilet seat 53 and the toilet lid 54, both of which are not shown in the figure, but transmits a rotational driving force from the drive motor and the drive motor to the toilet seat and the toilet lid. From a power transmission mechanism that opens and closes them, an open / close sensor that detects opening and closing of the toilet seat and the toilet lid, and a toilet seat and toilet lid opening and closing drive unit that drives opening and closing of the toilet seat and the toilet lid based on an output signal from the control unit 59 It is configured.

  The fan unit 63 is a deodorizing fan that deodorizes when the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 is used, a blower fan for drying the washed buttocks and the like, and a fan drive that drives these fans based on an output signal from the control unit 59 It consists of parts. Further, the toilet seat heater adjusting unit 64 adjusts the temperature of the toilet seat heater 65 provided inside the toilet seat 53.

  The specific configurations of the washing unit 61, the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62, the fan unit 63, and the like are not particularly limited, and configurations known in the technical field of the present invention can be suitably used. Moreover, the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 may include a functional unit 60 other than these.

  The operation unit 52 is located on the right side of the main body 51 and operates a main part of the functions provided in the sanitary washing toilet seat 50. The operation unit 52 may be provided with a display unit that displays various operational information to the user. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 52 is integrated with the main body 51 as shown in FIG. 3, but is not limited thereto, and may be a separate body.

  The toilet seat 53 is pivotally attached to the main body 51 via the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62 together with the toilet lid 54. The specific configuration of the toilet seat 53 may be a known configuration including the toilet seat heater, but in the present embodiment, at least the seat portion is formed of metal.

  Specifically, although neither toilet seat 53 is shown in the figure, it comprises at least a toilet seat base made of a synthetic resin and a seating portion formed of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum. A hermetically sealed cavity that can prevent water and the like from entering is formed inside. In this hollow portion, a toilet seat heater 65 (see FIG. 2, not shown in FIG. 1) having a surface shape provided on the back surface of the seating portion is provided. If the toilet seat 53 has such a configuration, the toilet seat 53 can be heated to a desired temperature by the toilet seat heater 65 in a very short time until the user sits on the toilet seat 53. It is not necessary to energize constantly and energy saving efficiency can be improved.

  Further, if the toilet seat heater 65 has a surface shape, the entire toilet seat 53 can be uniformly heated. Further, if a hollow portion is formed inside the toilet seat 53, the heat generated from the toilet seat heater 65 due to the heat insulation effect by air is mostly used for heating the seat portion, so that the seat portion can be efficiently heated. .

The toilet lid 54 is attached to the main body 51 via the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62 together with the toilet seat 53 on the rear side of the toilet seat 53.
The specific configuration of the toilet lid 54 is not particularly limited. That is, when the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 is not used, both the toilet seat 53 and the toilet lid 54 are closed, and the toilet seat 53 and the toilet lid 54 are overlaid on the upper surface of the toilet bowl 70 in this order. At this time, the toilet lid 54 only needs to have a shape that covers the toilet seat 53. The material of the toilet seat 54 is not particularly limited, and is formed of a known resin material such as propylene resin. The toilet lid 54 is automatically opened and closed by a user's detection by the entrance sensor 56 and the seating sensor 10a. First, when the entrance sensor 56 detects that the user has entered the toilet room, the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62 operates under the control of the control unit 59, and the toilet lid 54 is automatically activated almost simultaneously with the entry of the user. be opened. Further, when the user stands up from the seated state of the toilet seat 53 and seating by the seating sensor 10a is not detected, the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 62 operates under the control of the control unit 59, and the toilet lid 54 is automatically closed. .

  The remote controller 55 is installed at a position where a user seated on the toilet seat 53 can operate in the toilet room. The remote controller 55 is provided with an operation unit for operating functions provided in the sanitary washing toilet seat 50. The remote controller 55 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the control unit 59 of the main body 51, and an operation signal input from the operation unit of the remote controller 55 is transmitted to the control unit 59 of the main body 51 and received by the control unit 59. The operation control of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 is performed according to the operated signal.

  The entrance sensor 56 detects that a user has entered the toilet room, and is installed on the wall surface of the toilet room. In the present embodiment, the entrance sensor 56 is constituted by a reflection type infrared sensor, projects the infrared rays toward a predetermined position, detects the infrared rays reflected by the human body, and sends the detection signal to the control unit of the main body 51. To 59. The control unit 59 of the main body 51 receives a detection signal from the entrance sensor 56 and detects that the user has entered the toilet room.

[Configuration of seating sensor]
Next, a specific configuration of the seating sensor 10a provided in the sanitary washing toilet seat according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the seating sensor 10a provided in the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an electromagnetic wave provided in the seating sensor 10a shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a structure of a shielding member. FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic views showing an example of the configuration of the detection IC 13 included in the seating sensor 10a. In FIG. 5, a front view of the seating sensor 10 a, and a lateral side view and a longitudinal side view corresponding to the front view are shown in association with the positional relationship by dotted lines.

  The seating sensor 10a used in the present embodiment is a capacitive sensor, and specifically includes an antenna electrode 11, a resistor 12, a detection IC 13, and a support substrate 21, as shown in FIG. . The antenna electrode 11 is a conductive linear body, and the capacitance increases as the human body approaches. The antenna electrode 11 is connected to the input terminal of the detection IC 13 via the resistor 12. If the capacitance changes in the antenna electrode 11, the change is detected by the detection IC 13 through the resistor 12. The detection IC 13 generates a digital electric signal (digital signal) corresponding to the detected change in capacitance, and outputs the digital signal from an output terminal to a control unit of a home appliance not shown. The control unit 59 performs control so as to determine, based on the input digital signal, that the user is seated on the toilet seat 53 or just before the seating by predetermined control.

  The antenna electrode 11, the resistor 12, and the detection IC 13 are all fixed to the surface of the support substrate 21. In particular, the antenna electrode 11 is wired and fixed on the surface of the support substrate 21 in a predetermined pattern. The material of the antenna electrode 11 is not particularly limited, and various metal materials such as copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof are used. The detection IC 13 is a capacitance detector that detects a change in capacitance in the antenna electrode 11, and its specific configuration is not particularly limited, and a known capacitance detection circuit is used. An example of a specific configuration of the detection circuit will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the support substrate 21 is a rigid substrate known in the printed wiring technology, and has a rectangular shape and a size of, for example, 20 mm × 50 mm. Of course, the specific configuration of the support substrate 21 is not limited to this, and the type of the substrate may be a flexible substrate, and the shape and size of the support substrate 21 may be the specific configuration and type of the sanitary washing toilet seat to be equipped. It can be set accordingly. The material of the support substrate 21 is not particularly limited, and a known resin material is suitably used as the printed wiring board regardless of a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the support substrate 21 is a rigid substrate used as a printed wiring board, a method for fixing the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13 to the support substrate 21 may be a pattern wiring technique known in the printed wiring board. IC mounting technology is preferably used. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the antenna electrode 11 is wired in a zigzag pattern, and this pattern wiring is formed using a photoresist technique. In this case, the antenna electrode 11 is a conductive layer laminated as a single continuous wiring pattern on the surface of the support substrate 21. Alternatively, even if the support substrate 21 is a printed wiring board, the antenna electrode 11 can be wired without using a known pattern wiring technique such as a photoresist. For example, when a cable-like linear body is used as the antenna electrode 11, the antenna electrode 11 is appropriately bent and formed into a predetermined pattern, and is fixed to the surface of the support substrate 21 with a known adhesive or a fixing member. You may wire with.

  The wiring pattern of the antenna electrode 11 is not particularly limited, and the type of the antenna electrode 11, the shape of the support substrate 21, the arrangement design of the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13, other elements and other wirings fixed to the surface of the support substrate 21. An appropriate pattern is designed according to the above. For example, in the present embodiment, in the rectangular support substrate 21, if the longitudinal direction is the horizontal direction, the surface of the support substrate 21 is divided into two in the horizontal direction, and one region (the left region in FIG. 3) ) Are wired in a zigzag pattern, and the resistor 12 and the detection IC 13 are fixed to the other region (the region on the right side in FIG. 3). In this configuration, the antenna electrode 11 is wired in a zigzag pattern so as to reciprocate a plurality of times along the longitudinal direction of the support substrate 21, thereby effectively detecting a change in capacitance with a desired detection accuracy. The length of the antenna electrode 11 can be ensured so that it can be done.

  In addition, although the zigzag folded pattern shown in FIG. 3 has a shape that reciprocates three and a half times along the vertical direction, the support substrate 21 has a more elongated shape, or the antenna electrode 11 has a longer length. In such a case, the number of round trips may be increased. Alternatively, it may have a shape that reciprocates a plurality of times in the horizontal direction to the extent that it does not reach the area of the resistor 12 and the detection IC 13. Moreover, the pattern of the shape which combined spiral shape other than zigzag shape, and these may be sufficient.

  In the present embodiment, since the support substrate 21 is a rigid substrate, screw holes 22 are formed in the support substrate 21 in order to attach the seating sensor 10a in the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, circular screw holes 22 are formed in the lateral ends of the support substrate 21 and in the central portion on the vertical side of each end, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the position may be set appropriately depending on the shape of the support substrate 21, the type of home appliance, the mounting position, and the like. The number of screw holes 22 is not particularly limited as long as the seating sensor 10a can be appropriately attached and fixed to a desired position of the home appliance. In addition, the structure for attaching the seating sensor 10a to a household appliance is not limited to the screw hole 22, For example, you may employ | adopt the structure which apply | coats and affixes an adhesive agent on the back surface of the support substrate 21. FIG.

  Thus, in the seating sensor 10a according to the present embodiment, since the antenna electrode 11 is fixed together with the detection IC 13 on the surface of the support substrate 21, the main components of the seating sensor 10a are integrated.

  Here, a specific example of human body detection by the seating sensor 10a will be described based on FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The detection IC 13 included in the seating sensor 10a includes, for example, a CV conversion circuit 34, a voltage comparator 35, and resistors 36 and 37 as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The CV conversion circuit 34 is connected to the antenna electrode 11 and is connected to the positive input side node of the voltage comparator 35. Further, resistors 36 and 37 are connected to the voltage comparator 35 minus input side node. Although not shown, the resistors 36 and 37 are connected to a circuit configured to generate a reference voltage.

  Further, the output side node of the voltage comparator 35 is connected to the control unit 59 (not shown), and a digital signal is output to the control unit 59. The CV conversion circuit 34 is a circuit that converts capacitance into voltage, and a circuit having a known configuration is used. A known comparator is used as the voltage comparator 35. As the resistors 36 and 37, general resistors are used.

  If the detection IC 13 has such a configuration, the seating sensor 10 generates a stray capacitance generated between the antenna electrode 11 and a surrounding object (floor, wall, human body, etc.) that can be regarded as a ground. The voltage is converted into a voltage by the −V conversion circuit 34 and generated as an output voltage, and the reference voltage generated in the detection IC 13 is compared with the output voltage by the voltage comparator 35. Change logic.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the user, that is, the human body is not present in the toilet room 61, the stray capacitance is also reduced, so that the output voltage of the CV conversion circuit 34 is lower than the reference voltage. Therefore, the digital output signal output from the output side node of the voltage comparator 35 is at the LOW level. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when a user 62, that is, a human body is present in the toilet room 61 (may be seated or approaching), the electrostatic capacitance between the antenna electrode 11 and the antenna electrode 11 may occur. Since the capacity increases, the output voltage of the CV conversion circuit 34 exceeds the reference voltage. Therefore, the digital output signal of the voltage comparator 35 becomes HIGH level.

  Furthermore, the seating sensor 10a further includes an electromagnetic wave shielding member at an appropriate position of the support substrate 21 in order to further improve the accuracy of change in capacitance. Thus, the directivity of the antenna electrode 11 can be further improved by providing the electromagnetic wave shielding member. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, as electromagnetic wave shielding members, shielding plates 31 and 32 provided on the front surface side of the support substrate 21 and a shielding film 33 provided on the back surface of the support substrate 21 include a seating sensor 10a. Is provided.

  The shielding plates 31 and 32 are provided so as to protrude to the front surface side of the support substrate 21, and restrict the direction of human body detection by the seating sensor 10a to a specific direction on the front surface side. That is, the capacitance of the antenna electrode 11 changes as the human body approaches, but the shielding plates 31 and 32 are provided at appropriate positions on the surface side of the support substrate 21, so that the human body in a specific direction. The directivity of the antenna electrode 11 can be improved so that the capacitance of the antenna electrode 11 changes only when approaches. In particular, as shown in the lateral side view of FIG. 5, a shielding plate 31 is provided at the lateral edge of the support substrate 21 so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the support substrate 21, and in the longitudinal direction of the seating sensor 10a. Regulate the direction of human body detection. Further, as shown in the vertical side view of FIG. 5, a shielding plate 32 is also provided at the vertical edge of the support substrate 21 so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the support substrate 21, and the lateral direction of the seating sensor 10 a. The detection direction is regulated at.

  As described above, if the shielding plate 31 and the shielding plate 32 are provided on all the peripheral portions of the support substrate 21, the seating sensor 10 a detects the human body only in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface side of the support substrate 21. To be regulated. In the lateral side view of FIG. 5, the description of the shielding plate 32 is omitted for convenience of explanation of the shielding plate 31. Similarly, in the vertical side view of FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation of the shielding plate 32, the shielding plate 32 is omitted. The description of 31 is omitted. In FIG. 5, the screw hole 22 is not shown.

  The specific configuration of the shielding plates 31 and 32 is not particularly limited, and in the present embodiment, plate-like members formed of conductive materials such as various metals are used. Since the shielding plates 31 and 32 are provided so as to protrude to the front surface side of the seating sensor 10a, as will be described later, the shielding plates 31 and 32 also function as spacers that maintain a distance between the seating sensor 10a and the mounting surface. be able to. Therefore, when a function as a spacer is required, a plate-like member having a certain level of strength may be used, and if such a function is unnecessary, the shape for regulating the detection direction of the human body is maintained. Any plate-like member having such a strength as possible can be used. Therefore, the size and thickness of these shielding plates 31 and 32 are not particularly limited.

  Here, the position where the shielding plates 31 and 32 are provided and the direction of protrusion are not limited to the above-described configuration, and can be set as appropriate according to the direction of human body detection. For example, when it is desired to restrict human body detection in the vertical direction but does not need to be restricted in the horizontal direction, only the shielding plate 32 may be provided, and it is desired to restrict in the horizontal direction but not in the vertical direction. Only the shielding plate 31 needs to be provided. Further, when it is desired to expand the human body detection direction, the shielding plates 31 and 32 may protrude so as to incline toward the outside of the support substrate 21, and when it is desired to narrow the human body detection direction. In other words, the shielding plates 31 and 32 only have to protrude so as to incline toward the inside of the support substrate 21, or the shielding plates 31 and 32 whose inclinations are on the outside and inside may be mixed. Further, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, the shielding plates 31 and 32 are attached so as to stand on the surface of the edge of the support substrate 21, but may be configured to be attached to the side surface of the support substrate 21. Or you may attach to the support substrate 21 using a well-known attachment member separately.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the shielding plate 31 and the shielding plate 32 are grounded (the shielding plate 31 is grounded in the lateral side view and the shielding plate 32 is grounded in the longitudinal side view). As described above, since the shielding plates 31 and 32 are conductive plate-like members, the seating sensor 10a can be set to the ground potential by connecting a ground wiring thereto. In addition, the grounding method of the seating sensor 10a is not limited to the structure which grounds these shielding plates 31 and 32, The other well-known method can be used.

  Next, the shielding film 33 is provided on the back surface of the support substrate 21 in order to eliminate the influence from the back surface side that is outside the target of the human body detection direction. Although the specific configuration is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, a tape made of a metal material such as an aluminum tape is used. With such a tape, it can be attached to the back surface of the support substrate 21 with an adhesive or the like, and an increase in thickness on the back surface side of the seating sensor 10a can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the shielding film 33 may be provided so as to cover the entire back surface of the support substrate 21, but may be provided so as to correspond to a region where the antenna electrode 11 is wired on the support substrate 21. preferable. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, if the region where the antenna electrode 11 is wired on the surface of the support substrate 21 is an antenna wiring region 30 (a region surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 4), the shielding film 33. May be provided at least in the region of the back surface corresponding to the antenna wiring region 30. Since the main part of the detection in the seating sensor 10a is the antenna electrode 11, it is only necessary to prevent the antenna electrode 11 from having any influence from the back side, so that the shielding film 33 is provided only in the minimum necessary region. What is necessary is just to provide. In addition, you may comprise so that the back side etc. of detection IC13 may be covered with the shielding film 33 as needed.

[Installation structure of seating sensor to the body]
Next, a configuration for mounting the seating sensor 10a in the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50, including its mounting position, will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is a front view schematically showing an external configuration of the main body 51 of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 8 is a position of a seating sensor 10a provided in the main body 51 shown in FIG. It is a typical sectional view showing the example. In FIG. 7, a front view of the main body 51 (right in the drawing) and a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to the front view (left in the drawing) are shown with their positional relationships associated with each other by dotted lines. Yes. In FIG. 7, the seating sensor 10 a is located inside the main body 51, and thus the outer shape is illustrated by a dotted line as in FIG. 1.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lower portion 51b of the main body 51 is formed with a cleaning nozzle advancement opening 51c, a drying air blowing opening 51d, and the like, so the lower portion 51b is located below the closed toilet lid 53. ing. On the other hand, the upper part 51a is formed with a turning shaft attaching part 51e for attaching the turning shafts of the toilet seat 53 and the toilet lid 54 on both sides thereof. In the present embodiment, the toilet lid 53 has an attachment arm portion extending from the seating portion of the toilet seat 53 toward the main body 51, and a rotation shaft is connected to the attachment arm portion.

  Here, in a state where the toilet seat 53 is closed, the mounting arm portion is fitted into the upper portion 51 a, thereby forming a continuous surface from the front surface of the main body 51 to the seating surface of the toilet seat 53. Therefore, the upper portion 51a of the main body 51 has a shape in which both end sides are notched corresponding to the shape of the mounting arm portion. In other words, when viewed from the lower part 51b, the upper part 51a has a positional relationship protruding above the lower part 51b. If the seating sensor 10a is arranged in front of the protruding upper portion 51a, the seating sensor 53a is surely exposed to the upper side of the toilet seat 53 even when the toilet seat 53 is closed, so that a user seated on the toilet seat 53 can be detected appropriately. . That is, in the present embodiment, the seating sensor 10a may be provided inside the main body 51 and at a position above the seating surface of the toilet seat 53 with the toilet seat 53 closed.

  Although the specific structure which equips the upper part 51a of the main body 51 with the seating sensor 10a is not specifically limited, Since the seating sensor 10a which concerns on this Embodiment is an electrostatic capacitance type sensor, it detects like an optical sensor. There is no need to form a light exit window, and the light exit window can be disposed inside the main body 51. Specifically, as shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 (the figure on the left side), the seating sensor 10a is arranged on the front inner surface of the upper portion 51a so that the surface is directed and fixed with the screw 23. That's fine. A boss 51f may be formed on the inner surface in front of the upper portion 51a in order to insert the screw 23.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the seating sensor 10a is configured to detect a human body from the change in capacitance of the antenna electrode 11, and the detection electrode is a flat plate like the conventional one and has a large area to some extent. A linear antenna electrode 11 is used instead of a necessary electrode. Therefore, unlike the known electrostatic capacitance type sensor, it is not necessary to incorporate the detection electrode in the toilet seat 53, and the detection electrode itself can be made small.

  In particular, if the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13 are integrated as in the present embodiment, the seating sensor 10a itself can be reduced in size. In particular, by appropriately designing the shape of the wiring of the antenna electrode 11, the directivity of human body detection can be easily adjusted, and the accuracy of human body detection can be improved. Further, since the processing for forming the exit window in the main body 51 is not required, not only the molding process of the main body 51 is facilitated, but there is no need to attach a protective member to the exit window. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the complexity of the configuration and the complicated manufacturing process due to the built-in detection electrode in the toilet seat 53, and the restriction on the position where the seating sensor 10a is installed on the main body 51 is reduced. The degree of freedom increases.

  Moreover, in the present embodiment, the antenna electrode 11 is wired in a predetermined pattern such as a zigzag folded pattern on the support substrate 21. Therefore, the position of the antenna electrode 11 can be stably maintained on the surface of the support substrate 21. Therefore, when mounting the seating sensor 10a on the main body 51, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of variations in the mounting state of the antenna electrode 11.

  In addition, if the seating sensor 10a is provided with a shielding plate 31 that restricts detection of a human body in the vertical direction, the shielding plate 31 functions as a spacer that keeps a distance between the seating sensor 10a and the inner surface. Thereby, the seating sensor 10a can be attached to the inside of the main body 51 in an appropriate positional relationship without using a separate spacer.

  Moreover, if the seating sensor 10a is the inside of the main body 51, it can be attached to various positions according to the internal structure. For example, as shown in the position A of FIGS. 7 and 8, in this embodiment, it may be directly attached to the inner surface of the casing 57 of the main body 51, or as shown in the position B of FIG. 7. You may attach to the upper part of the unit 61. FIG. Since the cleaning unit 61 is located substantially at the center of the main body 51, it is preferable as a configuration for attaching the seating sensor 10a. In FIG. 8, the cleaning unit 61 shows only the outer shape with a broken line for convenience of explanation.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the seating sensor 10a detects a change in capacitance. However, since the toilet seat 53 has a configuration including a metal seating portion, the toilet seat is used. 53, when viewed from the seating sensor 10a, functions as a shielding member. Therefore, the seating sensor 10 a needs to be disposed above the seating surface of the toilet seat 53. In this case, the toilet seat 53 can be seated either on the inner surface in front of the main body 51 as shown at position A in FIG. 8 or on the upper portion of the washing unit 61 as shown in position B in FIG. It can be the upper side of the surface.

  Moreover, even if it attaches in any of the said A and B position, it can regulate so that a human body can be detected appropriately in a desired direction by inclining the shielding board 31 suitably. In FIG. 8, at both positions A and B, the lower shielding plate 31 is not only tilted in the direction of the upper side of the seating surface of the toilet seat 53, but the upper shielding plate 31 is tilted forward. ing. Thereby, the influence above the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 unrelated to the detection of the seating can be eliminated, and whether or not the user is seated forward can be detected more appropriately.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the toilet seat 53 is configured to include a metal seat, so that the following advantages can be obtained with respect to human body detection and control using the detection result.

  First, on the control, the start of heating of the toilet seat 53 can be set immediately before the user is seated. That is, since the seating sensor 10a detects a change in capacitance, the seating sensor 10a can detect the presence of the user before entering the toilet room and seating without actually sitting. In the present embodiment, since the seating portion of the toilet seat 53 is formed of metal, the toilet seat 53 can be quickly warmed. Thereby, since the control which starts a warming just before seating can be implemented, since the time which heats the toilet seat 53 can be reduced, the energy saving effect can be heightened.

  Further, when viewed from the seating sensor 10a, the entire metal seating portion functions as a shielding member. Therefore, the influence from the lower side of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 can be more effectively eliminated by both the lower shielding plate 31 and the seating portion, noise in detection of the seating sensor 10a is reduced, and human body detection is performed. Accuracy can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, it goes without saying that the seating portion of the toilet seat 53 may be made of conventional resin instead of metal. In the present embodiment, the shielding member that also serves as a spacer provided in the seating sensor 10a is exemplified by the shielding plate 31 that restricts detection in the vertical direction, but the shielding plate 32 that restricts detection in the horizontal direction. It may be, and both of these shielding plates 31 and 32 may be used.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the seating sensor 10a is provided on the right side of the front center of the main body 51 (left side as viewed from the seated user). The seating sensor 10 a can be provided at various positions in front of the main body 51 as long as it is above the seating surface of the toilet seat 53.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the seating sensor 10a has the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13 fixed and integrated on the support substrate 21 has been described. However, in the present embodiment, the antenna electrode 11 is detected. An example of a configuration that is not integrated with the IC 13 will be specifically described. FIG. 9A is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a sanitary washing toilet seat 50 according to this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the specific structure of the seating sensor 10b provided in. FIGS. 10A and 10B are main part block diagrams showing a specific configuration of seating sensors 10c and 10d having other configurations used in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 according to the present embodiment has the configuration as described in the first embodiment, but the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13 are integrated. Instead of the seating sensor 10a, a seating sensor 10b including an independent rod-shaped antenna electrode 14 is provided. The basic configuration of the seating sensor 10b is the same as that of the seating sensor 10a. However, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the antenna electrode 14 only needs to have a shape retaining property, and the external force May be a flexible configuration that can be freely deformed. The antenna electrode 14 is connected to the detection IC 13 via the lead wire 15. The specific configuration (material, shape, etc.) of the antenna electrode 14 and the lead wire 15 may be a conventionally known configuration and is not particularly limited.

  Thus, if the antenna electrode 14 is not integrated with the detection IC 13, only the antenna electrode 14 can be provided at a specific position inside the front of the main body 51. The position at which the antenna electrode 14 is provided is not particularly limited, and as described in the first embodiment, the upper part of the functional unit such as the cleaning unit 61 (see the position B in FIG. 8) or the casing constituting the main body 51. The inner surface of the body 57 (see the position A in FIG. 8) may be used.

  Here, if the antenna electrode 14 is a separate member from the detection IC 13, the degree of freedom in mounting the detection IC 13 can be improved. For example, the detection IC 13 can be fixed to the support substrate 21 as in the first embodiment, and can be attached to a position where the support substrate 21 can be held more stably near the antenna electrode 14. Alternatively, as shown in the main part block diagram of FIG. 9A, the detection IC 13 may be mounted on the control board 16 on which the microcomputer serving as the control unit 59 is mounted, and these may be integrated. Furthermore, instead of configuring the detection IC 13 as an independent integrated circuit or the like, the detection IC 13 may be incorporated as a detection unit 67 that is a functional configuration of the control unit 66. In this case, the detection unit 67 is realized by the microcomputer CPU serving as the control unit 66 operating according to a program stored in the storage unit of the microcomputer.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the seating detector provided in the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 is not a configuration in which the antenna electrode 11 and the detection IC 13 are integrated (the seating sensor 10a), but the antenna electrode 14 is connected via the lead wire 15. Whether it is connected to the detection IC 13 (seat sensor 10b), connected to the control board 16 (seat sensor 10c), or directly connected to the controller 66 (seat sensor 10d). There may be. Moreover, since at least only the antenna electrode 14 should just be attached inside the front of the main body 51 among the components which comprise the seating sensors 10b-10d, the detection IC13 is mounted in the same support substrate in the form which is mounted on the control part 59. May be integrated (sitting sensor 10c), or may be integrated in the form of a functional configuration of the control unit 66 (sitting sensor 10d).

  Note that in both the present embodiment and the first embodiment, the seating sensors 10a to 10d are downsized as compared with the capacitance type sensor built in the conventional toilet seat 53, so that the main body 51 Therefore, it is not necessary to reexamine the entire design of the sanitary washing toilet seat 50, the design of individual members, the manufacturing process, and the like. That is, the seating sensors 10a to 10d can be installed not only in the sanitary washing toilet seat 50 having the configuration disclosed in the present embodiment, but also in toilet devices of various shapes and types. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the position where the seating sensors 10a to 10d are installed can be increased.

  In the configuration of the sanitary washing toilet seat, even if it is a type other than that disclosed in the present embodiment, normally, at least the toilet seat 53 is rotatably attached to the main body 51, so if the toilet seat 53 is closed, The upper part 51a of the main body 51 is necessarily close to the seating surface. In addition, since the functional unit 60 is built in the main body 51, a certain amount of volume is required. Therefore, the surface of the upper portion 51a of the main body 51 is substantially continuous with the seating surface of the toilet seat 53. Even if configured, the main body 51 includes a region above the seating surface. The present invention pays attention to the structure of the main body 51 that has not been considered at all in the past, and as described above, excellent effects can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment and the first embodiment, the antenna electrode 11 is a conductive linear body. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the planar shape has a two-dimensional expansion. It may be a body or may have a three-dimensional solid shape depending on the type and configuration of the sanitary washing toilet seat provided with the seating sensor 10a. That is, the antenna electrode 11 may be a conductor whose capacitance changes when a human body approaches, and the configuration and material thereof are not limited to the linear antenna electrode 11. In the present embodiment, the antenna electrode 11 is made of copper, aluminum, an alloy thereof, or the like. Of course, the antenna electrode 11 is not limited to this, and is configured as a composite partly including a non-conductive material. Also good.

  The present invention is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, which are disclosed in different embodiments and a plurality of modifications. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably used for a sanitary washing toilet seat having a seating sensor, and in particular, can be suitably used for a sanitary washing toilet seat having a toilet seat heating function in addition to a sanitary washing function for washing a user's local part. .

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the sanitary washing toilet seat which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control system with which the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the main body of the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the seating sensor with which the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure provided with the electromagnetic wave shielding member in the seating sensor shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a structure of detection IC contained in the seating sensor shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the front of the main body of the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in FIG. 1, and a partial cross section. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the position of the seating sensor provided in the inside of the main body of the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in FIG. (A) is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control system with which the sanitary washing toilet seat which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is equipped, (b) is the structure of the seating sensor with which the sanitary washing toilet seat shown in (a) is equipped. It is a schematic diagram which shows. (A) And (b) is a block diagram of the principal part which shows the other structure of the seating sensor with which the sanitary washing toilet seat shown to Fig.8 (a) is equipped.

10a Seat sensor 10b Seat sensor 10c Seat sensor 11 Antenna electrode 13 Detection IC (capacitance detector)
14 Antenna electrode 21 Support substrate 31/32 Shield plate (electromagnetic wave shielding member)
33 Shielding film (electromagnetic wave shielding member)
50 Sanitary cleaning toilet seat (toilet device)
51 Main body 53 Toilet seat 57 Case 58 Bottom plate 59 Control unit (controller)
60 functional unit 61 cleaning unit (functional unit)
66 Control unit (controller)
67 Detector (Capacitance detector)

Claims (5)

Toilet seat and
The toilet seat is rotatably mounted between a standing position and a lying position, and at least a cleaning unit that cleans a local part of a user seated on the toilet seat as a functional unit;
A seating sensor for detecting the seating of a user on the toilet seat in the lying position,
As the seating sensor, an antenna electrode made of a conductor and having a capacitance that changes when a human body approaches, and a static electricity that is electrically connected to the antenna electrode and detects a change in the capacitance of the antenna electrode. A capacitive sensor equipped with a capacitance detector is used,
The sanitary washing toilet seat, wherein at least the antenna electrode is provided inside the main body and at a position above the seating surface of the toilet seat with the toilet seat in the lying position closed. The main body is attached to a casing having a space for accommodating the functional unit therein and having an open lower surface, and the lower surface of the casing being blocked by the casing, and the functional unit is fixed on the upper surface. And a bottom plate,
The sanitary washing toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the antenna electrode is attached to an upper portion of the functional unit or an inner surface of the housing in the main body.   3. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the antenna electrode and the capacitance detector are fixed and integrated on a single support substrate, and are provided inside the main body. 4. Sanitary washing toilet seat. The main body includes a controller for controlling at least the functional unit,
The sanitary washing toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the capacitance detector of the capacitance type sensor is integrated with the controller.   The toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a seating portion of the toilet seat is made of metal.

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