JP7147491B2 - TOILET SEAT DEVICE AND TOILET SEAT MANUFACTURING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toilet seat device and a method for manufacturing a toilet seat.

Conventionally, as this type of toilet seat device, there is known one in which a sensor for detecting vibration or the like is provided in the toilet seat in order to obtain biological information of a user who is seated. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a toilet seat device in which a cord-shaped piezoelectric sensor is arranged so as to extend over substantially the entire circumference of the toilet seat. In this toilet seat device, the lateral positioning of the piezoelectric sensor is achieved by a plurality of holders projecting upward from the bottom surface of the toilet seat. In addition, a pressing means having elasticity protruding downward from the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat and a rigid projection protruding upward from the bottom surface of the toilet seat are arranged in vertically paired positions. The piezoelectric sensor is sandwiched in a bent state between and.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-110910

In the toilet seat device described above, it is necessary to provide a structure such as a holder for positioning the piezoelectric sensor, pressing means for sandwiching, and projections. It leads to increase. In addition, since the piezoelectric sensor is sandwiched between the pressing means and the protrusion in a bent state, an excessive load is applied to the piezoelectric sensor at the bent portion, which may affect detection. Further, although the toilet seat device described above is also described as being equipped with a toilet seat heater, the effect of the heat of the toilet seat heater is not considered, and there is a possibility that the sensor may be affected by the heat.

A primary object of the present invention is to more appropriately detect biological information with a simple configuration in a toilet seat device having a toilet seat heater.

The present invention employs the following means in order to achieve the above main object.

The toilet seat device of the present invention is
A toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
a sheet-like toilet seat heater attached to the back of the seating surface of the toilet seat;
a sensor for detecting the biological information;
a cushion portion disposed in the toilet seat between the back surface and a bottom surface facing the back surface, and sandwiching the sensor from above and below with an upper cushion in contact with the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion in contact with the bottom surface;
The gist is to provide

The toilet seat device of the present invention includes a cushion portion sandwiching a sensor for detecting biological information from above and below by an upper cushion in contact with the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion in contact with the bottom surface. As a result, the upper cushion prevents the heat of the toilet seat heater from being directly transmitted to the sensor, thereby suppressing the influence of the heat on the sensor. In addition, due to the simple configuration including the cushion portion that sandwiches the sensor from above and below, it is possible to properly hold the sensor without providing various configurations for positioning the sensor inside the toilet seat and without applying an excessive load to the sensor. can. Therefore, in the toilet seat device including the toilet seat heater, biological information can be detected more appropriately with a simple configuration.

In the toilet seat device of the present invention, the upper cushion may be made of a material having higher flame resistance than the lower cushion. By doing so, the flame retardancy of the upper cushion that contacts the lower surface of the toilet seat heater can be enhanced to improve safety. In addition, by improving the heat resistance of the upper cushion, it is possible to further suppress the influence of heat on the sensor.

In the toilet seat device of the present invention, the upper surface of the upper cushion is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater, and the upper surface of the lower cushion and the lower surface of the upper cushion are attached with the sensor sandwiched therebetween. and the lower surface of the lower cushion may be in contact with the bottom surface without being attached to the bottom surface. In this way, the toilet seat heater is attached to the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat, and the upper cushion is attached to the toilet seat heater, so that the seating surface is slightly fluctuated due to the user's heartbeat and breathing while seated. Even in such a case, the sensor can be easily transmitted through the toilet seat heater and the upper cushion. In addition, since the lower surface of the lower cushion is not attached to the bottom surface and is only in contact with the bottom surface, it is possible to prevent an excessive binding force from acting on the cushion portion and affecting the detection of the sensor. Therefore, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of biometric information by the sensor.

The method for manufacturing the toilet seat of the present invention comprises:
A method for manufacturing a toilet seat of a toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
(a) preparing a sensor unit by adhering the lower surface of the upper cushion and the upper surface of the lower cushion in a state in which the sensor for detecting the biological information is sandwiched between the upper cushion and the lower cushion from above and below; ,
(b) a step of attaching a sheet-like toilet seat heater to the back surface of the top plate having the seating surface of the toilet seat;
(c) attaching the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater;
(d) combining the top plate and the bottom plate of the toilet seat;
The gist is to include

In the method for manufacturing a toilet seat of the present invention, a sensor unit is prepared by attaching a lower surface of an upper cushion and an upper surface of a lower cushion in a state in which a sensor for detecting biological information is sandwiched between the upper cushion and the lower cushion from above and below. Keep Then, the upper cushion of the sensor unit is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater attached to the back surface of the top plate of the toilet seat. Accordingly, by attaching the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater, it is possible to easily position and attach the sensor to the toilet seat. Therefore, the toilet seat of the toilet seat device that includes the toilet seat heater and is capable of detecting biological information can be easily manufactured without requiring complicated work.

1 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of a heated toilet seat device 10. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the heated toilet seat device 10; 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toilet seat 20; FIG. 2 is a side view of the toilet seat 20; FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4; 3A to 3C are process diagrams showing an example of a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20. FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is an external perspective view showing the appearance of the heated toilet seat device 10, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the heated toilet seat device 10, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the toilet seat 20. 4 is a side view of the toilet seat 20, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heated toilet seat device 10 is attached to the upper surface of the toilet bowl 1, and can be opened and closed with respect to the toilet seat device body 12 via the toilet seat device body 12 and the hinge shaft portion 21a (see FIG. 3). a toilet seat 20 supported so as to be possible, a toilet seat heater 25 and a sensor unit 30 built in the toilet seat 20, a toilet lid 14 supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the toilet seat device main body 12 via a hinge shaft, and a user. , a nozzle unit 19 for spraying cleansing water toward human body parts, and a control device 40 for controlling the entire apparatus. The nozzle unit 19 includes a heat exchange unit that heats the water from the water supply pipe with a heater, a pulsating pump that adjusts the strength of the washing water, a switching valve that switches the flow path of the washing water, an anus washing nozzle, and a bidet washing nozzle. It is equipped with a moving device for advancing and retreating.

The operation panel 16 includes a plurality of operation units 17 for performing various operations, and a display unit 18 such as a liquid crystal screen for displaying various information. The plurality of operation units 17 include a bottom washing switch for instructing bottom washing, a bidet washing switch for instructing bidet washing, a stop switch for instructing stop washing, a washing water temperature adjustment switch for adjusting the temperature of washing water, and a washing water temperature control switch. A water pressure adjustment switch for adjusting the force, a toilet seat temperature adjustment switch for adjusting the heating temperature of the toilet seat 20, and the like are provided. The display unit 18 displays biological information and the like detected by the sensor unit 30 and output from the control device 40 .

The toilet seat heater 25 is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a sheet heater including a sheet 26 made of metal such as aluminum foil and heater wires 27 provided on the sheet 26 . The sheet 26 is formed in a shape that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the toilet seat 20 and conforms to the outer shape, and is attached to the back surface of the top plate 21 that is the upper surface of the toilet seat 20 and has a seating surface. The heater wire 27 is wound around the seat 26 in a meandering manner so as to heat the seating surface of the toilet seat 20 substantially uniformly.

The sensor unit 30 is for detecting biological information such as heartbeat information and respiratory information of the user sitting on the toilet seat 20 . The sensor unit 30 includes a strain sensor 32 and a cushion portion 35, as shown in FIGS.

The strain sensor 32 detects strain occurring in the toilet seat 20 (seating surface of the top plate 21), and detects relatively large strain caused by impact when the user sits on or leaves the toilet seat 20. Also, relatively small distortion caused by the user's heartbeat, breathing, etc. while sitting on the toilet seat 20 is detected. A strain (signal) detected by the strain sensor 32 is output to the control device 40 via the signal line 34 .

The cushion part 35 includes an upper cushion 36 in contact with the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 and a lower cushion 37 in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate 22 of the toilet seat 20 (bottom surface inside the toilet seat 20). The sensor 32 is sandwiched and held from above and below. Both the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37 are made of a material such as polyurethane foam to which a flame retardant is added and are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the present embodiment, the upper cushion 36 is made of a material having higher flame retardancy than the lower cushion 37, for example, by adding more flame retardant to the upper cushion 36 than the lower cushion 37 does. The upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 (seat 26) with double-sided tape or adhesive. It is affixed with tape, adhesive, or the like. The lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is only in contact with the bottom plate 22 of the toilet seat 20 and is not attached. The height (thickness) of the cushion portion 35 with the strain sensor 32 sandwiched therebetween is slightly larger than the height of the internal space of the toilet seat 20 (the distance between the lower surface of the top plate 21 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 22). Therefore, the cushion part 35 is arranged in the toilet seat 20 in a state in which it is slightly crushed and deformed in the vertical direction.

Although illustration is omitted, the control device 40 is configured as a microprocessor centering on a CPU, and includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like in addition to the CPU. Further, the control device 40 includes a signal processing section 42, an information extraction section 44, a determination output section 46, and an operation control section 48, as shown in FIG.

The signal processing unit 42 includes a bandpass filter 42a that extracts a signal of a specific frequency component, an amplifier circuit 42b that amplifies the signal, and the like. The detection signal is processed and output to the information extractor 44 . The band-pass filter 42a extracts signals of specific frequency components such as frequency components corresponding to heartbeats and frequency components corresponding to respiration from the signal to be processed. The information extraction unit 44 performs predetermined extraction processing on the signal output from the signal processing unit 42 to extract various types of information (numerical values) such as heartbeat information and respiratory information of the user, and outputs the extracted information to the determination output unit 46 . Based on the various information extracted by the information extraction unit 44, the determination output unit 46 performs determination such as grasping transition of various information, presence or absence of change from the previous value, comparison with a reference range, and the like. The determination output unit 46 determines whether or not the user's heartbeat information, breathing information, and the like are within a predetermined reference range, for example, to determine whether the user's health condition is good or bad, whether there is a change in physical condition, and the like. Further, the determination output unit 46 outputs the determined result and displays it on the display unit 18 of the operation panel 16 or the like. The operation control unit 48 controls operations such as washing of the private parts by the nozzle unit 19 and heating of the toilet seat by the toilet seat heater 25 based on operation signals input from the operation unit 17 of the operation panel 16 .

Here, as described above, the strain sensor 32 detects a relatively large strain and outputs a detection signal when the user sits down or leaves the seat, and the strain sensor 32 detects a relatively large strain while the user is seated. It detects small distortions and outputs a detection signal. Therefore, the control device 40 can determine whether the user is seated or unseated, or determine whether the user's health condition is good or bad, or whether there is a change in physical condition, based on the difference in intensity of the detection signal. For example, when the control device 40 determines that the user is seated during the standby mode, the control device 40 switches to the determination mode for determining whether the user's health condition is good or not and whether there is a change in physical condition. It can be changed or the like. Further, by determining whether the user is seated or unseated based on the detection signal of the strain sensor 32, there is no need to provide a dedicated seating detection sensor such as an infrared sensor for detecting the seating of the user. be able to. A seat detection sensor such as an infrared sensor is provided so that a cover made of a light-transmitting material is exposed on the surface of the toilet seat device main body 12, but an erroneous detection occurs due to dirt adhering to the cover. there is a possibility. In this embodiment, since the strain sensor 32 provided in the toilet seat 20 is also used to detect seating and unseating, it is possible to appropriately detect seating and unseating without being affected by dirt or the like.

Next, a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20 will be described. FIG. 6 is a process chart showing an example of a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20. As shown in FIG. In the manufacturing method of the toilet seat 20, first, the toilet seat heater 25 is prepared (step S100), and the sensor unit 30 is prepared (step S110). In step S100, the toilet seat heater 25 is prepared by arranging (fixing) the heater wire 27 in a meandering manner on the seat 26 formed in a shape that matches the outer shape of the toilet seat 20 (fixing). Alternatively, the heater wires 27 may be arranged between the two sheets 26 to bond the sheets 26 together. Further, in step S110, the strain sensor 32 is sandwiched between the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37, and the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 are adhered with a double-faced tape or an adhesive, so that the sensor unit Prepare 30. Note that Step S100 and Step S110 may be performed in the reverse order. Moreover, step S110 may be performed after the next step S120.

Next, the toilet seat heater 25 is attached to the back surface of the top plate 21 of the toilet seat 20 with double-sided tape, adhesive, or the like (step S120). Then, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 of the sensor unit 30 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 with double-sided tape or adhesive (step S130). In this way, the sensor unit 30 prepared in step S110 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 together with the unit. For this reason, the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the strain sensor 32 is arranged between the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37 while the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 are attached. The mounting work of the sensor unit 30 can be easily performed as compared with the case where the work is performed in the first place. The sensor unit 30 is attached such that the signal line 34 extends rearward of the top plate 21 (toilet seat 20). Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the sensor unit 30 is attached slightly forward (lower in the figure) than the center of the toilet seat 20 in the front-rear direction. This is so that biometric information can be appropriately detected even when the user sits on the toilet seat 20 near the front. After attaching the sensor unit 30 in this way, the top plate 21 to which the toilet seat heater 25 and the sensor unit 30 are attached is combined with the bottom plate 22 (step S140), and the manufacturing of the toilet seat 20 is completed.

Since the heated toilet seat device 10 described above includes the cushion portion 35 sandwiching the strain sensor 32 from above and below with the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37, the upper cushion 36 prevents the heat of the toilet seat heater 25 from being directly transmitted to the strain sensor 32. It is possible to prevent the strain sensor 32 from being affected by the heat. Moreover, with a simple configuration including the cushion portion 35, the strain sensor 32 can be properly held without applying an excessive load.

Moreover, in the heated toilet seat device 10, the upper cushion 36 is made more flame retardant than the lower cushion 37, so safety can be improved. Further, by improving the heat resistance of the upper cushion 36, the influence of heat from the toilet seat heater 25 on the strain sensor 32 can be further suppressed.

In the heated toilet seat device 10, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 is attached to the lower surface of the upper cushion 36. It is arranged without being attached to the bottom plate 22 . Therefore, the toilet seat heater 25 is attached to the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat 20, and the upper cushion 36 is attached to the toilet seat heater 25, so that the seating surface is slightly distorted due to the user's heartbeat and breathing. In this case, the strain sensor 32 can be easily transmitted through the toilet seat heater 25 and the upper cushion 36 . In addition, since the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is not attached to the bottom plate 22 but is only in contact with the bottom plate 22, it is possible to prevent an excessive binding force from acting on the cushion portion 35 and affecting the detection of the strain sensor 32. Therefore, the accuracy of biometric information detection by the strain sensor 32 can be improved. In addition, since the cushion portion 35 maintains a deformed state in which it is slightly crushed in the vertical direction within the toilet seat 20, variations in the way strain is transmitted to the strain sensor 32 are suppressed, and stable detection accuracy is achieved. can keep.

Further, in the manufacturing method of the toilet seat 20, the sensor unit 30 is prepared in advance and is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 attached to the back surface of the top plate 21. Therefore, positioning and attachment of the sensor unit 30 to the toilet seat 20 can be easily done.

In the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit 30 is prepared in advance and attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 may be adhered while the strain sensor 32 is arranged between the lower cushion 37 and the lower cushion 37 .

In the embodiment, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 , and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 is attached to the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 . is not attached to the bottom plate 22 (upper surface of the bottom plate 22), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cushion part 35 may be configured such that the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is not attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 and the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is attached to the bottom plate 22 . Alternatively, the cushion part 35 may be such that the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is not attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 and the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is not attached to the bottom plate 22 . Even with these arrangements, the cushion portion 35 maintains the deformed state of being crushed in the vertical direction in the toilet seat 20, thereby holding the position of the strain sensor 32 and appropriately transmitting the strain to the strain sensor 32. biometric information can be detected.

In the embodiment, the upper cushion 36 is more flame retardant than the lower cushion 37, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower cushion 37 may be as flame retardant as the upper cushion . However, in order not to increase the flame retardancy of the lower cushion 37 more than necessary and to secure the required flame retardancy of the entire cushion portion 35, the embodiment is preferable.

In the embodiment, the strain sensor 32 is used to acquire biometric information, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any device capable of detecting minute changes occurring on the seating surface of the toilet seat 20 (top plate 21) may be used. Different types of sensors may be used. For example, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor, an electrostatic sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like may be used.

The correspondence relationship between the main elements of the present embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the column of Means for Solving the Problems will be described. In this embodiment, the heated toilet seat device 10 corresponds to the "toilet seat device", the toilet seat heater 25 corresponds to the "toilet seat heater", the strain sensor 32 corresponds to the "sensor", and the upper cushion 36 corresponds to the "upper cushion". , the lower cushion 37 corresponds to the "lower cushion", and the cushion portion 35 corresponds to the "cushion portion". Further, the sensor unit 30 corresponds to the "sensor unit", the top plate 21 to the "top plate", and the bottom plate 22 to the "bottom plate".

Note that the correspondence relationship between the main elements of the present embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the column of Means to Solve the Problem is the invention described in the column of Means to Solve the Problem. Since it is an example for specifically explaining the mode for carrying out the above, it does not limit the elements of the invention described in the column of means for solving the problems. That is, the interpretation of the invention described in the column of Means to Solve the Problem should be made based on the description in that column, and the present embodiment is the invention described in the column of Means to Solve the Problem. This is only a specific example of

Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is by no means limited to such embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to the manufacturing industry of toilet seat devices and the like.

1 toilet bowl, 10 heating toilet seat device, 12 toilet seat device main body, 14 toilet lid, 16 operation panel, 17 operation part, 18 display part, 19 nozzle unit, 20 toilet seat, 21 top plate, 21a hinge shaft part, 22 bottom plate, 25 toilet seat Heater 26 Seat 27 Heater Wire 30 Sensor Unit 32 Strain Sensor 34 Signal Line 35 Cushion Part 36 Upper Cushion 37 Lower Cushion 40 Control Device 42 Signal Processing Part 42a Bandpass Filter 42b Amplifier Circuit , 44 information extraction unit, 46 determination output unit, 48 operation control unit.

Claims (4)

A toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
a sheet-like toilet seat heater attached to the back of the seating surface of the toilet seat;
a sensor for detecting the biological information;
a cushion portion disposed in the toilet seat between the back surface and a bottom surface facing the back surface, and sandwiching the sensor from above and below with an upper cushion in contact with the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion in contact with the bottom surface;
A toilet seat device comprising: A toilet seat device according to claim 1,
In the toilet seat device, the upper cushion of the cushion portion is made of a material having higher flame resistance than the lower cushion. The toilet seat device according to claim 1 or 2,
In the cushion part, the upper surface of the upper cushion is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater, and the upper surface of the lower cushion and the lower surface of the upper cushion are attached with the sensor sandwiched therebetween. is in contact with the bottom surface without being attached to the bottom surface. A method for manufacturing a toilet seat of a toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
(a) preparing a sensor unit by adhering the lower surface of the upper cushion and the upper surface of the lower cushion in a state in which the sensor for detecting the biological information is sandwiched between the upper cushion and the lower cushion from above and below; ,
(b) a step of attaching a sheet-like toilet seat heater to the back surface of the top plate having the seating surface of the toilet seat;
(c) attaching the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater;
(d) combining the top plate and the bottom plate of the toilet seat;
A method of manufacturing a toilet seat comprising:

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