JP7183525B2 - toilet seat device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toilet seat device, and more particularly to a toilet seat device for estimating the amount of defecation of a user.

Measuring the amount of daily defecation is important for health management. In order to measure the amount of defecation, it is conventionally known to use a toilet seat device capable of measuring the weight of the user and calculate the amount of defecation from the change in body weight before and after defecation.

Using a toilet seat device to measure the amount of defecation eliminates the need for a general weight scale, which eliminates the need for a storage space required for the weight scale, and further eliminates the trouble of taking out the weight scale from the storage space each time the weight is measured. There is an advantage that it does not take. Furthermore, since the toilet bowl to which the toilet seat device is attached is used every day, there is an advantage that the amount of defecation can be managed (health management) without the user being conscious of it.

In Patent Document 1, a freely openable and closable toilet seat is provided on the upper part of the toilet bowl body, and the weight of the user seated on the toilet seat before and after defecation can be measured by a weight measuring device provided on the toilet bowl body or the toilet seat. A toilet seat system is described. According to the toilet seat device of Patent Document 1, the amount of defecation can be measured by subtracting the body weight after defecation from the body weight before defecation. In addition, Patent Document 1 also states that in order to more accurately measure the weight of the user using this toilet, it is preferable for the user sitting on the toilet seat to put their entire weight on the toilet seat by lifting their legs. there is

Patent Document 2 also describes a toilet seat device in which a load sensor is incorporated in the toilet seat, the weight of the user is measured from the load applied to the toilet seat by the load sensor, and the amount of defecation is measured from the weight change before and after defecation. It is In Patent Document 2, in addition to the load sensor provided on the toilet seat, a load sensor is provided on the flooring (that is, using a "floor weight scale"), and the load received by the toilet seat and the load received by the flooring are measured. It is also described that by summing up, it is possible to accurately measure body weight without discomfort even if the user does not raise his/her leg.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-201858 JP-A-11-206622

In the above-described toilet seat device of Patent Document 1, when the user sitting on the toilet seat lifts his/her legs and puts the entire weight on the toilet seat to measure the weight, it is necessary to perform a special action of lifting the legs. , there is a problem that the user loses the advantage of being able to manage the amount of defecation (health management) without being conscious of it.

In addition, in the toilet seat device of Patent Document 2 described above, by using a floor weight scale together, it is possible to accurately measure the weight without lifting the feet, but there are problems such as the cost of installing the flooring and the installation space. be.

Furthermore, in both of the conventional toilet seat devices described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, even if the user does not lift their feet when measuring their weight, and even if they do not use the floor weight scale, The weight before and after defecation is measured by a load measuring device (load sensor), and the amount of defecation can be measured from the weight difference.
However, when trying to measure the weight of the user using a load sensor provided on the toilet seat without lifting the leg, the load applied to the toilet seat constantly fluctuates due to the change in posture accompanying the user's defecation movement. There is a problem that it is practically difficult to calculate the amount of defecation from the load change.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional apparatus described above, and it is possible to accurately estimate the amount of defecation without using a floor weight scale, and furthermore, the user is conscious of To provide a toilet seat device with which daily defecation management can be performed without any need.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a toilet seat device for estimating the amount of defecation of a user, comprising a toilet seat that is installed on the upper part of a toilet body and on which the user sits, and a toilet seat that acts on the toilet seat when the user sits on it. a plurality of load sensors for detecting a seat load value to be measured, and a defecation volume calculation device for estimating a user's defecation volume by calculating a plurality of seat load values detected by the plurality of load sensors, The defecation volume calculation device obtains, at different timings, a plurality of seat load values simultaneously detected by a plurality of load sensors when the user is seated on the toilet seat, and calculates a predetermined number of the seat load values detected at the same time. The user's posture is estimated by calculating the ratio by combining the seating load values detected by the plurality of load sensors at different timings, and when the ratio values calculated at different timings are equal, the user is the same. It is estimated that the user defecates from the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the sitting load values obtained by a plurality of load sensors in the ratio calculated when the posture is assumed to be the same. The present invention is characterized by estimating the amount of defecation of the user as the difference between the total value of the seating load values obtained by the plurality of load sensors before defecation and the total value after defecation.
According to the present invention configured as described above, a plurality of load sensors are provided for detecting the seating load value acting on the toilet seat due to the user's seating, and the amount of excretion calculating device detects when the user is seated on the toilet seat. A plurality of seat load values simultaneously detected by a plurality of load sensors are obtained at different timings, and the ratio of the combination of seat load values detected by a plurality of predetermined load sensors among the plurality of simultaneously detected seat load values. is calculated for each different timing to estimate the posture of the user, and when the values of the ratios calculated for each different timing are equal, it is estimated that the user is in the same posture, and when it is estimated to be in the same posture Based on the amount of change per unit time in the total sitting load value from the multiple load sensors in the ratio calculated in , it is estimated that the user has defecated, and the total sitting load value from the multiple load sensors before defecation is calculated. and the total value after defecation is estimated as the amount of defecation of the user.
Specifically, the user's weight is distributed as the user's feet touch the floor of the toilet room. However, the distributed weight of the user is substantially constant in the same posture. When the user is in the same posture, defecation by the user is estimated from the amount of change per unit time in the total seating load value. The difference from the later total value can be estimated as the amount of feces of the user. Here, the conditions under which the user is assumed to be in the same posture are not limited to those in which the ratio values calculated at different timings are completely equal, but include those in which the ratio values are substantially equal. Specifically, the seating load values detected at the same time by the plurality of load sensors are all 0.99 to 0.99 with respect to the seating load values detected at different timings to be compared. This is a state within the range of 1.01 times. When this condition is satisfied, it is assumed that the user defecated in the same posture, so even if the user's weight is distributed by the user's feet touching the floor of the toilet room, the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated. can do. Therefore, according to the present invention, the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated without using a floor weight scale, and daily defecation management can be continuously performed without the user's awareness.

In the present invention, preferably, the defecation amount calculating device estimates that the user has defecate when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is smaller than the first predetermined value.
The actions of the user when using the toilet are, for example, sitting down, reseating, defecation, cleaning the bottom with the local cleaning device, rolling up paper, wiping the bottom, and leaving the seat in this order. Among these behaviors, if the position of the legs changes due to re-sitting or wiping the buttocks, even if the detected values of each load sensor indicate that the person is in the same posture, the person actually sits in a different posture. Therefore, it may not be possible to accurately estimate the amount of defecation.
Therefore, in the present invention, when the user re-seats or wipes the bottom, the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values becomes larger (than the first predetermined value). Therefore, in order to use a plurality of seat load values when the amount of change is smaller than the first predetermined value, it is assumed that the user defecates on the condition that the position of the foot remains unchanged (the posture is the same). can be estimated. Thereby, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to estimate the amount of defecation more accurately.

In the present invention, preferably, the defecation amount calculation device is configured such that when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is smaller than a first predetermined value and larger than a second predetermined value, the user's defecation is performed. I presume there was.
When the defecation action is performed only once, the total value of a plurality of seating load values in the same posture has only one pattern each before and after defecation. On the other hand, when there are multiple times of defecation, there are two or more patterns of the total value of a plurality of seating load values after defecation in the same posture. At this time, the amount of defecation cannot be accurately estimated unless it can be determined whether the cause is due to multiple defecation movements or due to other factors such as variations in the load sensor.
Therefore, according to the present invention, when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of a plurality of seating load values is smaller than the first predetermined value and larger than the second predetermined value It is assumed that the user defecates when the user assumes a tilted posture (forward bending posture), returns to the original posture after defecation, and puts force on the buttocks at the moment of defecation). Thereby, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to estimate the amount of defecation more accurately.

In the present invention, preferably, the stool amount calculation device assumes that the user is in the same posture when the ratios calculated at different timings are the same value and the number of times the same value is obtained is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times.
If there are multiple different values (different postures) in the ratio of the combination of the detected values of the load sensors before and after defecation, the postures in each ratio will coincide with those during body movement and those during rest. can be divided into those that inevitably correspond to At this time, if the amount of defecation is calculated using the ratio that coincidentally coincides during body movement, it will be greatly affected by fluctuations in the detection values of each load sensor that fluctuate momentarily. It may not be calculated.
Therefore, according to the present invention, when the ratio becomes the same value and the number of times the ratio becomes the same value is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times, it is estimated that the user is in the same posture.

According to the toilet seat device of the present invention, the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated without using a floor weight scale, and the user can manage daily defecation without being conscious of it.

1 is a perspective view showing a flush toilet in which a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used; FIG. 1 is a side view of a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is the top view which looked at the toilet seat apparatus shown in FIG. 2 from the downward direction. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing a change in posture of the user before and after defecation. 4 is a flow chart showing the first half of a defecation amount estimation process executed by the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing the second half of the defecation amount estimation process executed by the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing the posture and motion of the user in the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7;

Hereinafter, a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the basic structure of a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a flush toilet in which a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the toilet seat device shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from below. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a flush toilet in which a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. , a toilet seat device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. On the rear side of the toilet seat device 4, a functional section 8 is arranged in which the driving mechanism of the private washing device 6, a tank, and the like are accommodated. A toilet lid 10 is attached to the rear end of the functional part 8 and opens and closes around a shaft 10 a (see FIG. 2) to cover the toilet seat device 4 and the functional part 8 . On one side of the toilet body 2, a switch 12 for starting calculation for estimating the amount of defecation and a feces amount display section 13 for displaying the estimated amount of defecation are attached.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toilet seat device 4 includes a toilet seat 14 on which a user sits, and a shaft 16 provided at the rear end of the toilet seat 14 for rotating the toilet seat 14 . Hinge members (not shown) are attached to both ends of the shaft 16 for supporting the pivoting motion of the toilet seat 14 .
Four load sensors 18 a , 18 b , 18 c , 18 d (generically referred to as load sensors 18 ) are attached to the back surface (lower side surface) of the toilet seat 14 of the toilet seat device 4 . When the flush toilet 1 is viewed from the front, the load sensor 18a is arranged on the front right side, the load sensor 18b is arranged on the front left side, the load sensor 18c is arranged on the rear right side, and the load sensor 18d is arranged on the rear left side. By these load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d, when the user is seated on the toilet seat 14, it is possible to measure a seating load value which is the user's weight acting on the toilet seat 14 (excluding the weight escaping from the feet). It is possible.

In the toilet seat device 4 according to the present embodiment, the number of load sensors is four as described above, but a plurality of load sensors may be provided, and other modes may be adopted. For example, a load sensor may be attached to the hinge member of the toilet seat 14 as well.
Further, even if the load sensor itself is a single one, if it has a function of measuring loads at a plurality of points, it is the same as a plurality of sensors.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the toilet seat device 4 incorporates an arithmetic device (microcomputer) 20 for performing various controls related to the toilet seat device 4 . The arithmetic unit 20 includes a CPU 22 for executing various arithmetic processes according to a preset control program, a ROM 24 in which control programs and control data necessary for executing various arithmetic processes by the CPU 22 are stored in advance, and the CPU 22 A RAM 26 that temporarily reads and writes various data necessary for executing various arithmetic processing, and signals from a load sensor 18 and a switch 12 provided on the toilet seat 14 are input and converted into signals that can be processed by the CPU 22. and an output processing circuit 30 for outputting a signal according to the calculation result of the CPU 22 . A feces amount calculation program for estimating the amount of feces is stored in the ROM 24 . Furthermore, the estimated feces volume is displayed on the feces volume display section 13 .

Next, the idea of estimating the amount of defecation by the toilet seat device of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 shows the change in posture of the user before, during, and after defecation.
As shown in FIG. 5(a), the upper body of the user before defecation extends in a substantially vertical direction, and the total seating load value W _T of the four load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d attached to the toilet seat 14 becomes _WT = _WA + _WB + _WC + _WD .
Here, W _A represents the seating load value of the load sensor 18a before defecation, W _B represents the seating load value of the load sensor 18b before defecation, and W _C represents the seating load value of the load sensor 18c before defecation. , W _D indicate the seating load value of the load sensor 18d before defecation.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5(c), after defecation, the user's upper body extends substantially vertically in the same manner as before defecation. The value W _T ' becomes W _T '=W _A '+W _B '+W _C '+W _D '.
Here, W _A ' indicates the seating load value after defecation of the load sensor 18a, W _B ' indicates the seating load value after defecation of the load sensor 18b, and W _C ' indicates the seating load after defecation of the load sensor 18c. , and W _D ' indicates the seating load value of the load sensor 18d after defecation.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the user's upper body is in a forward leaning posture (forward bending state) during defecation, and the center of gravity G of the user during defecation is the position of the center of gravity G before and after defecation. It will be a position moved forward from.
Thus, before and after defecation and during defecation, the position of the center of gravity of the user also changes due to the change in the posture of the user. As the position of the center of gravity changes, the seating load values measured by the load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d provided on the toilet seat 14 also change.
Therefore, it can be understood that the amount of defecation of the user cannot be estimated from the seating load values obtained from the four load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d.

In contrast, the inventors of the present invention have found that even if the seating load value changes due to changes in the user's posture, there is a load that escapes from the feet to the floor because the user takes the same posture before and after defecation. also found that the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated (calculated).
That is, the inventors found that when the user assumes the same posture, the combined ratios of the seating load values detected by the plurality of load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d are equal. The ratio of this combination is, for example, as follows.
Seating load value front-rear ratio: (W _A + W _B )/W _T = (W _A '+W _B ')/W _T '
Left-right ratio of seating load values: (W _A + W _C )/W _T = (W _A '+W _C ')/W _T '

As a result, when estimating the amount _of defecation _of the user, it is not necessary to accurately measure the weight of the user. It can be estimated (calculated) by subtracting the sitting load value W _T ' after defecation.
_WF = _WT - _WT '

In the above-described example, the total value _WT of the seating load values of the four load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and _18d is used as the ratio based on the combination of the seating load values. A load sensor may be provided on the hinge member, and a seat load value added to the load sensor may be used. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy.

Next, a method for estimating the amount of feces of the user in the toilet seat device 4 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6A to 8. FIG. FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing the first half of the feces volume estimation process executed by the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B shows the latter half of the feces volume estimation process executed by the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flow chart. FIG. 7 is a time chart showing the posture motion of the user in the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7. FIG. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, S indicates each step.

First, referring to FIG. 7, the change in the user's posture during defecation will be described. In FIG. 7, the vertical axis indicates the "total value of a plurality of load sensors (seating load value)", the "front-to-back ratio of the seating load value", and the "right-to-left ratio of the seating load value", and the horizontal axis indicates time (T). is shown.
Here, the "total value of a plurality of load sensors (seating load value)" is the above W _T =W _A +W _B +W _C +W _D (before defecation) and W _T '=W _A '+W _B '+W _C '+W _D ' (after defecation).
The "front-rear ratio of the seating load value" is (W _A +W _B )/W _T (before defecation) and (W _A '+W _B ')/W _T ' (after defecation). In FIG. 7 (similar to FIG. 8), the front/rear ratio increases as the seating load value of the front load sensor increases, and the front/rear ratio decreases as the seating load value of the rear load sensor increases.
The "left-right ratio of the seating load value" is (W _A +W _C )/W _T (before defecation) and (W _A '+W _C ')/W _T ' (after defecation). In FIG. 7 (similar to FIG. 8), when the seating load value of the load sensor on the right side increases, the left-right ratio becomes a large value, and when the seating load value of the load sensor on the left side increases, the left-right ratio becomes a small value. .

As shown in FIG. 7, when the user sits on the toilet seat 14, the user first takes the "re-sitting" posture, then takes the "defecating" posture, then takes the "bottom washing" posture, and finally takes the "bottom washing" posture. , the "buttocks wipe" posture. Here, the user's feet continue to rest on the floor between the "defecating" posture and the "bottom washing" posture.
Here, when the user is in the "re-sitting" posture, the user moves greatly, so the amount of change L per unit time of the total value of the seating load values is a large value (a value larger than a first predetermined value A, which will be described later). becomes. Similarly, when the user is in the "wiping buttocks" posture, the user also moves greatly, so the amount of change M per unit time of the total seating load value is a large value (a first predetermined value A larger value).

Next, referring to FIG. 8, the state of the user in the "defecating" posture will be described. As an example, after the user sits on the toilet seat 14, the user assumes a "forward leaning posture (forward bending state)", then enters a "body movement" state, and then enters a "stationary" state before the moment of defecation. (1st time), it becomes a "stationary" state after the moment of defecation, this "stationary state" becomes the "stationary" state before the moment of defecation, and after the moment of defecation (2nd time), the "stationary" state after the moment of defecation Finally, the "attitude return" state is reached.

Here, when the user is in a forward leaning posture (forward bending state), the user moves. value B), and since the user moves even in the "body motion" state, the amount of change O becomes a larger value than in the stationary state (a value larger than a second predetermined value B, which will be described later), and " Since the user moves even in the "posture return" state, the amount of change R becomes a larger value than in the resting state (a value larger than a second predetermined value B, which will be described later).
Also, at the time of the "instantaneous defecation (first time)", the user hardly moves, but the total value of the seating load value changes as the user defecates. is larger than the second predetermined value B), and at the "moment of defecation (second time)", similarly, the user hardly moves, but the total value of the seating load value changes due to defecation. , the amount of change Q becomes a value larger than that in the stationary state (a value larger than a second predetermined value B described later). Here, the state in which the user hardly moves means that the seat load values simultaneously detected by the plurality of load sensors are all 0 relative to the seat load values detected immediately before. It is in the range of 0.99 to 1.01 times.
Furthermore, since the user is normally in the same "stationary" state before and after the moment of defecation, this "stationary" state means that the user is in the same posture before and after the moment of defecation. In this "stationary" state (that is, in the same posture), the user does not move, so the amount of change per unit time of the total seating load value is smaller than a second predetermined value B, which will be described later.

Next, a process of estimating the amount of defecation by the user will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. After the start, the process advances to S1 to determine whether or not the user is seated on the toilet seat 14 . When it is determined that the seat is seated (see time t1 in FIG. 7), the process proceeds to S2, where the load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d detect the seating load values, and the computing device 20 calculates the detected seating loads. Store the value in RAM 26 .
Here, in S2, in addition to the detected seating load value, the value of "ratio by combination of seating load values" is also recorded. This makes it possible to count the number of occurrences (frequency) of the same ratio value.

After that, in S3 to S9, "posture determination is performed for each seating load value". First, in S3, whether the difference between the sum of the seating load values of the four load sensors 18 at time T and the sum of the seating load values of the four load sensors 18 at time T−Δt is smaller than a first predetermined value A. determine whether or not Here, "the difference between the total value of the seating load values at time T and the total value of the seating load values at time T-Δt" is calculated from the "change amount of the seating load value per unit time". The first predetermined value A is a threshold value for judging that the posture of the user is "re-sitting" or "wiping the buttocks", which are large actions of the user, when the amount of change is greater than this value. If it is not smaller than the first predetermined value A (if No), the process proceeds to S4, it is determined that the action of "re-sitting" or "wiping the buttocks" is being performed at time T, and the process returns to S2. Here, the first predetermined value A is, for example, 5 kg/sec.

In S3, if the amount of change is smaller than the first predetermined value A (if Yes), proceed to S5, where the sum of the seating load values of the four load sensors 18 at time T and the four loads at time T−Δt It is determined whether or not the amount of change per unit time in the difference between the total values of the seating load values of the sensor 18 is greater than a second predetermined value B. The second predetermined value B is smaller than the above-described first predetermined value A (first predetermined value A>second predetermined value B). It is a threshold value for determining that it is in a state.
In S5, if the amount of change is not greater than the second predetermined value B (if No), the process proceeds to S6, determines that it is in a "stationary state" at time T, and returns to S2. Here, the second predetermined value B is, for example, 100g to 200g/sec.

If it is greater than the second predetermined value B in S5 (if Yes), the process proceeds to S7, in which it is determined that the "forward leaning posture" is determined, and the ratio of the combined seating load values obtained by the four load sensors 18 described above is It is determined whether or not the frequency of occurrence of the same and the same ratio is greater than a predetermined number of times. Here, the same (substantially the same) ratio due to the combination of the seating load values means that the respective seating load values detected at the same time by the four load sensors 18 are detected at different timings to be compared. All of them fall within the range of 0.99 to 1.01 times the seating load value.
Here, the "forward leaning posture" means that the front-rear ratio of the seating load value increases during the time t3 to t4 in FIG. 8 (the increase in the front-rear ratio corresponds to the forward leaning posture in FIG. 8). can be determined from Moreover, the fact that the same ratio appears frequently (the same ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times) means that the user continues to maintain the same posture.

In S7, if the appearance frequency of the same ratio is not high (if No), the process proceeds to S8, and at time T it is determined as "body motion state", and the process returns to S2.
In S7, if the appearance frequency of the same ratio is high (the same ratio is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times) (Yes), the process proceeds to S9, and at time T, it is determined as "the moment of defecation" (there was defecation).

Next, in S10, it is determined whether the user has left the toilet seat 14 or not. If it is not determined that the user has left the seat (if No), the process returns to S2.

If it is determined in S10 that the user has left the seat, the process proceeds to S11 to S15. These S11 to S15 are steps for estimating the amount of defecation.
First, in S11, it is determined whether or not all three of the "moment of defecation", "state of rest before the moment of defecation", and "state of rest after the moment of defecation" have been detected.
If it is determined in S10 that all three have not been detected (if No), the process advances to S12 to report an error indicating that the amount of feces cannot be measured.

If it is determined in S10 that all three have been detected (if Yes), the process proceeds to S13, where the seating load value (total value) C of the four load sensors in the stationary state before the moment of defecation is determined. It is determined whether or not an equal ratio is detected between the ratio and the ratio regarding the sitting load value (total value) D of the four load sensors in the stationary state after the moment of defecation. By this determination, it is possible to more accurately determine that the seating load value (total value) C and the seating load value (total value) D are values before and after the instant of defecation.
In S13, if the equal ratio cannot be detected (No), the process proceeds to S12 to report an error indicating that the amount of defecation cannot be measured.

If equal ratios are detected in S13 (Yes), the process proceeds to S14, where the seating load value (total value) C of the four load sensors 18 and the seating load value (total value) of the four load sensors 18 are determined. While D is detected, it is determined whether or not a change greater than or equal to a first predetermined value A has been detected as the amount of change in the seating load value per unit time. By this determination, it can be determined more accurately that the seating load value (total value) C of the four load sensors 18 and the seating load value (total value) D of the four load sensors 18 are values before and after the instant of defecation. can be done.

In S14, when it is not detected (No), the process proceeds to S15, where the "seating load value (total value) C of the four load sensors in the stationary state before the moment of defecation" and the "seat load value (total value) C of the "Seating load value C-Seating load value D", which is the difference between the "seating load value (total value) D" of the four load sensors in this state, is output as the estimated value of the amount of defecation.

In the flow charts of FIGS. 6A and 6B described above, the amount of defecation is estimated in S15 after the departure is detected in S10. However, as a modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the amount of defecation may be estimated before the departure is detected. In this case, steps S11 to S15 should be executed before S10. Furthermore, when there are multiple defecation moments (see FIG. 8), the total defecation volume at each defecation moment becomes the final defecation volume.

Since the user may also urinate while sitting, in this embodiment, a separate sensor may be provided to measure the amount of urination.

Next, the effects of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, according to the toilet seat device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of load sensors 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d are provided to detect the seat load value acting on the toilet seat 14 when the user sits down. A plurality of seat load values simultaneously detected by a plurality of load sensors 18 when the user is seated on the toilet seat 14 are obtained at different timings, and then a predetermined number of the seat load values detected at the same time are obtained. The posture of the user is estimated by calculating, at different timings, a ratio obtained by combining the seating load values detected by a plurality of load sensors. is assumed to be in the same posture, and from the amount of change per unit time in the total value of the seating load values obtained by a plurality of load sensors in the ratio calculated when it is assumed to be in the same posture, it is determined that the user has defecated. The total value C of the seating load values obtained by the plurality of load sensors 18 before the moment of defecation and the total value D after the moment of defecation are estimated.

Specifically, the user's weight is distributed as the user's feet touch the floor of the toilet room. However, the distributed weight of the user is substantially constant in the same posture. When the user is in the same posture, defecation by the user is estimated from the amount of change per unit time in the total seating load value. , and the total value D after the moment of defecation, the amount of defecation of the user can be estimated. In other words, even if the weight of the user is distributed by the user's feet touching the floor of the toilet room, the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated. Therefore, according to the toilet seat device of the present embodiment, the amount of defecation can be accurately estimated without using a floor weight scale, and the user can continue to manage defecation daily without being conscious of it.

Next, in the toilet seat device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the calculation device 20 determines that when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is smaller than the first predetermined value A, the user is unable to defecate. I presume there was.

The actions of the user when using the toilet are, for example, sitting down, reseating, defecation, cleaning the bottom with the local cleaning device, rolling up paper, wiping the bottom, and leaving the seat in this order. Among these behaviors, if the position of the legs changes due to re-sitting or wiping the buttocks, even if the detected values of each load sensor indicate that the person is in the same posture, the person actually sits in a different posture. Therefore, it may not be possible to accurately estimate the amount of defecation.
Therefore, in the toilet seat device 4 according to the present embodiment, when the user re-seats or wipes the buttocks, the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is changed to the first predetermined value. A, so that a plurality of seating load values are used when this amount of change is smaller than the first predetermined value A. Therefore, on the condition that the position of the foot remains unchanged (the posture is the same), the user It can be presumed that there was defecation due to As a result, the toilet seat device 4 according to the present embodiment can more accurately estimate the amount of defecation.

Next, in the toilet seat device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the computing device 20 determines that the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is less than the first predetermined value A and more than the second predetermined value B. When large, it is presumed that there was a bowel movement by the user.

When defecation is performed only once, the total value of a plurality of seating load values in the same posture has only one pattern each before defecation and after defecation. On the other hand, when there are multiple times of defecation, there are two or more patterns of the total value of a plurality of seating load values after defecation in the same posture. At this time, unless it is possible to determine whether the cause is due to multiple defecations or due to other factors such as variations in the load sensor, the amount of defecation cannot be accurately estimated.
Therefore, according to the toilet seat device 4 of this embodiment, when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of a plurality of seating load values is smaller than the first predetermined value A and larger than the second predetermined value B (that is, before defecation) is in a forward leaning state (forward bending posture) that encourages defecation, returns to the original posture after defecation, and puts force on the buttocks at the moment of defecation), it is assumed that the user has defecated. As a result, the toilet seat device 4 according to the present embodiment can more accurately estimate the amount of defecation.

Next, in the toilet seat device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the computing device 20 determines that the ratios calculated at different timings have the same value, and when the number of times the same value occurs is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the user is in the same posture. We assume that

If there are multiple different values (different postures) in the ratio of the combination of the detected values of the load sensors before and after defecation, the postures in each ratio will coincide with those during body movement and those during rest. can be divided into those that inevitably correspond to At this time, if the defecation amount is estimated using the ratio that matches during body movement, it will be greatly affected by fluctuations in the detection values of each load sensor that fluctuate momentarily, so the defecation amount will be accurately estimated. It may not be possible.
Therefore, according to the toilet seat device 4 according to the present embodiment, when the ratio is the same value and the number of times the same value is obtained is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, it is estimated that the user is in the same posture, so the accuracy of estimating the amount of defecation is increased. be able to.

1 Flush toilet bowl 2 Toilet body 4 Toilet seat device 12 Switch 13 Defecation amount display unit 14 Toilet seat 18 Load sensor 18a Load sensor 18b Load sensor 18c Load sensor 18d Load sensor 20 Arithmetic device 22 CPU
24 ROMs
26 RAMs

Claims (4)

A toilet seat device for estimating the amount of defecation of a user,
A toilet seat that is installed on the upper part of the toilet body and on which the user sits,
a plurality of load sensors for detecting a seating load value acting on the toilet seat when the user sits down;
a defecation amount calculation device for estimating the amount of defecation of the user by calculating a plurality of seat load values detected by the plurality of load sensors;
The defecation volume calculation device is
obtaining, at different timings, a plurality of seat load values simultaneously detected by the plurality of load sensors when the user is seated on the toilet seat;
estimating the posture of the user by calculating, at each of the different timings, a ratio of a combination of the seat load values detected by a plurality of predetermined load sensors among the plurality of seat load values detected at the same time;
estimating that the user is in the same posture when the ratio values calculated for each of the different timings are equal;
estimating that the user has defecated from the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the seating load values obtained by the plurality of load sensors in the ratio calculated when the same posture is assumed;
The toilet seat device is configured to estimate the amount of defecation of the user as a difference between the total value of the seating load values obtained by the plurality of load sensors before defecation and the total value after defecation. 2. The toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein said defecation amount calculating device estimates that the user has defecated when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of said plurality of seating load values is smaller than a first predetermined value. Device. The defecation amount calculation device estimates that the user has defecate when the amount of change per unit time of the total value of the plurality of seating load values is smaller than the first predetermined value and larger than the second predetermined value. A toilet seat apparatus according to claim 2. Claims 1 to 3, wherein the defecation amount calculation device estimates that the user is in the same posture when the ratio calculated at each of the different timings has the same value, and the number of times the same value is obtained is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. 4. The toilet seat device according to any one of 3.

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