JP7442384B2 - toilet seat device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to toilet seat devices.

For example, in a toilet bowl such as Patent Document 1, it is described that a camera is disposed on the toilet bowl in order to photograph the water storage part of the toilet bowl where excrement is located.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-252805

Conventional toilet seat devices have insufficient measures to prevent the human body from being photographed. In other words, there is a need for a toilet seat device that physically prevents people from being reflected in the seat and can be used with peace of mind, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

The present disclosure provides a toilet seat device that can be used with peace of mind by capturing a target image while taking user's privacy into consideration.

A toilet seat device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a toilet seat placed above the toilet bowl, an image sensor provided on the back side of the toilet seat that captures an image of the internal space of the toilet bowl during defecation, and acquiring information on opening and closing of the toilet seat. and an imaging control unit that controls whether or not the image sensor can take an image according to the opening/closing information of the toilet seat acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit ,
The imaging control unit controls to stop imaging the internal space of the toilet bowl by the image sensor when it is determined that the toilet seat is in an open state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit; and a control that allows deletion of the captured image.

A toilet seat device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a toilet seat disposed above the toilet bowl, and an image sensor provided separately from the toilet seat and below the toilet seat to image the internal space of the toilet bowl during defecation. , comprising an opening/closing acquisition unit that acquires opening/closing information of the toilet seat, and an imaging control unit that controls whether or not the image sensor can take an image according to the opening/closing information of the toilet seat acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit ,
The imaging control unit controls to stop imaging the internal space of the toilet bowl by the image sensor when it is determined that the toilet seat is in an open state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit; and a control that allows deletion of the captured image.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed diagonally from above, with a portion of the toilet seat cut away. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toilet seat device shown in FIG. 1 viewed from above. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the back side of the toilet seat in an open state using the toilet seat device shown in FIG. 1; 4 is a sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toilet bowl of the toilet seat device viewed from above, with the toilet seat omitted. 7 is a sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a camera cover on which masking is printed, viewed from below. 9 is a sectional view taken along line DD shown in FIG. 8. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the image imaged by the image sensor provided with the camera cover on which masking printing was carried out. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toilet seat device according to the second embodiment when viewed from the front. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the toilet seat device according to the third embodiment when viewed from the front. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toilet seat device according to the fourth embodiment when viewed from the front. It is a sectional view taken along the front-rear direction at the center in the left-right direction of the toilet seat device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a toilet seat device according to a sixth embodiment viewed from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to the first modification, seen from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to a second modification as seen from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a toilet seat device according to a seventh embodiment, viewed from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to an eighth embodiment, seen from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to a ninth embodiment seen from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to a tenth embodiment, seen from the front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a part of the toilet seat device according to a tenth embodiment, seen from the front.

Hereinafter, a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet seat device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a toilet bowl 10 having a toilet bowl 11, a toilet seat 12 provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the toilet bowl 10, and a toilet seat 12 with respect to the toilet bowl 10. It is equipped with a toilet lid (not shown) that can be opened and closed, and an image determination device 2 for acquiring an image of stool G excreted by a user and determining the condition of the stool G from the image. .

In FIG. 1, the toilet seat 12 is shown in the closed state, and the toilet lid in the closed state covers the opening 11a (see FIG. 4) of the toilet bowl 11 from above through the toilet seat 12.

In the following explanation, the front of the user of the toilet seat device 1 when the user is seated on the toilet seat 12 is referred to as the front, the side behind the user in the same state is referred to as the rear, and the direction connecting the front and rear sides is referred to as front and back. It is called direction X1. When viewed from the user seated on the toilet seat 12, the left side is referred to as the "left side", the right side is referred to as the "right side", and the direction connecting the left and right sides is referred to as the left-right direction X2. The side away from the floor where the toilet seat device 1 is installed is referred to as the "upper side", the side closer to the floor is referred to as the "lower side", and the direction connecting the upper and lower sides is referred to as the vertical direction X3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 11b of the opening 11a of the toilet bowl 11 is provided with a rim that projects toward the inner space of the toilet bowl 11. A water reservoir 11c is arranged at the bottom of the toilet bowl 11, and this water reservoir 11c is connected to a toilet drainage channel 14 through which feces G is discharged from the toilet bowl 11.

The toilet seat 12 is provided at the rear of the toilet bowl 10 and is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis O1 extending in the left-right direction X2. By rotating the toilet seat 12 as described above, the toilet seat 12 can be in a closed state in which it touches the upper end of the toilet bowl 11 and expands in the left-right direction X2 and in the front-back direction It can be in any of the open states extending in the direction X3. The toilet seat 12 has an annular shape that extends continuously in the circumferential direction, and is in contact with the upper surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 in a closed state. The opening 12b of the toilet seat 12 is set to be slightly smaller than the opening 11a of the toilet bowl 11 when viewed from above. When the toilet seat 12 is in the closed state, the toilet seat 12 projects from the upper surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 toward the inner space.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 is provided with support members 13 that protrude downward at four locations in the circumferential direction. The four supporting members 13 support the toilet seat 12 at four points relative to the upper surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 when the toilet seat 12 is in the closed state.

The toilet lid (not shown) is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction It can be in either a closed state where the opening is closed or an open state where it expands at least in the vertical direction X3. That is, the toilet lid is provided so that the openings of the toilet bowl 11 and the toilet seat 12 can be opened and closed.

An image determination device 2 is provided on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. The image determination device 2 includes an image sensor 20 provided on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12, a tilt sensor 21 (opening/closing acquisition unit) that acquires the opening/closing information of the toilet seat 12, and an image determining device 2 that uses the opening/closing information of the toilet seat 12 acquired by the tilt sensor 21. An imaging control unit 22 controls whether or not the image sensor 20 can take an image, and controls the toilet drainage so that the stool G that has moved from the bottom of the water reservoir 11c of the toilet bowl 10 toward the back of the toilet drainage channel 14 can be imaged. An illumination section 23 that illuminates the back side of the path 14 is provided.

The tilt sensor 21 is housed within the toilet seat 12 and is set to detect that the toilet seat 12 has opened when it is about to open beyond a certain angle. As an example of the tilt sensor 21, a sensor may be adopted in which a ball is housed inside and the tilt is detected based on the movement of the ball. The tilt sensor 21 is set not to detect slight wobbling or lifting of the toilet seat 12, and is set to react when the toilet seat 12 is opened beyond a set angle. . In addition to the tilt sensor 21, the opening/closing acquisition unit may use an automatic opening/closing device for the toilet seat 12 as the opening/closing sensor.

In this embodiment, the imaging control unit 22 is placed in the toilet bowl 10 and is provided to be able to communicate with the image sensor 20 and the tilt sensor 21 wirelessly or by wire. The imaging control unit 22 controls the image sensor 20 to stop imaging the internal space of the toilet bowl 11 (the water reservoir 11c) when it is determined that the toilet seat 12 is in an open state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the tilt sensor 21. and a control capable of deleting the image captured at this time. Note that the imaging control unit 22 works in conjunction with a seating sensor (not shown) such as a load sensor that detects when a person is sitting on the toilet seat 12, and uses the image sensor 20 to image the internal space of the toilet bowl 11 when seating is detected. It may also be controlled to do so.

Image sensor 20 has a camera lens. The image sensor 20 is installed on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12, and is capable of capturing an image of the inside direction of the toilet drain channel 14 that discharges feces G from the water reservoir 11c of the toilet bowl 11, and is capable of capturing an image of the inside direction of the toilet drain channel 14, which is located at the toilet drain channel opening 14a of the toilet bowl drain channel 14. It is placed in a direction opposite to.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the image sensor 20 is capable of photographing the front side of the water storage section 11c and the back side (backward) of the entrance of the toilet drain channel 14 (toilet drain channel opening 14a). It is placed in a certain position. The sensor arrangement region R of the image sensor 20 of the toilet seat device 1 having the shape according to the present embodiment is a symmetrical range sandwiching the center in the left-right direction X2 from the front region of the toilet seat to the left and right side regions of the toilet seat. The area in front of the toilet seat is an area where the stool G that has entered the toilet drain opening 14a of the toilet bowl 11 is easily visible. The side area of the toilet seat is an area where you can look into the toilet drain opening 14a of the toilet bowl 11, and is located in a position where psychological points and the human body can be avoided from being reflected in the angle of view (field of view 20A) of the image sensor 20. This is the area where it will be placed.

The image sensor 20 is arranged so that the line connecting the center of the camera and the lower end surface 11d of the toilet drain opening 14a becomes the center of view 20C of the image sensor 20. At this time, it is preferable that the visual field center 20C of the image sensor 20 is not obstructed by the inner surface of the toilet bowl 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the image sensor 20 located in front of the toilet seat 12 is arranged so that the center of view 20C does not hit the convex curved surface 11e formed on the front inner surface of the toilet bowl 11. Here, the opening lower end surface 11d of the toilet drainage channel opening 14a is a predetermined area (reference numeral 11A) extending in the left-right direction X2 when viewed from the front as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image sensor 20 is preferably arranged at a position opposite to the position of the image sensor 20 across the center line C in the left-right direction X2 of the water reservoir 11c when viewed from the front. The center of the field of view 20C (20Ca, 20Cb) is directed to the center of the field of view. As for the arrangement of the image sensor 20, if the field of view is centered at 20Cb shown in FIG. 5, the risk of the human body being reflected on the water surface Wa in the toilet bowl 11 is lower than when the field of view is centered at 20Ca. be done. It should be noted that the image sensor 20 is arranged so that the center of view 20C of the image sensor 20 is directed beyond half of the water surface of the water reservoir 11c in the toilet bowl 11 when viewed from the position of the image sensor 20. good.

Image sensor 20 has other functions. For example, the brightness can be adjusted to match the illuminance inside the toilet bowl 11.

The imaging control unit 22 may have a function of detecting dirt on the camera lens of the image sensor 20 from the image and prompting the user to clean the camera lens based on the detected detection information.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the image sensor 20 is arranged at a predetermined distance d (see FIG. 9) from the camera lens in the imaging direction, and detects parts of the human body (buttocks, thighs, male genitals). A transparent camera cover 24 is provided to physically mask a portion where the image is reflected (a portion of a masking print 24A to be described later). The camera cover 24 is arranged between the image sensor 20 and the toilet bowl 11 within the field angle of the image sensor 20. The camera cover 24 is attached to the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 via a jig 25. On the camera cover 24, an opaque masking print 24A (shielding portion) is printed or painted on a predetermined area where a part of the human body is reflected.

FIG. 10 shows an image 26 captured by the image sensor 20, which is masked by the masking print 24A. In this way, it is possible to physically mask a part of the image that you do not want to appear in the image.

As shown in FIG. 4, the illumination unit 23 uses, for example, an LED, and is arranged in front of the image sensor 20 on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, the range of the illumination L irradiated by the illumination unit 23 is diffused from the illumination unit 23 so that the center of irradiation is located at the water storage part 11c of the toilet bowl 11. . The illumination unit 23 is provided so that the center of view 20C (see FIG. 5) of the image sensor 20 substantially coincides with the position where the object (water reservoir 11c) hits. As described above, the positional relationship between the illumination section 23 and the image sensor 20 is shown as an example in this embodiment, and the illumination section 23 is located near the image sensor 20, and the image sensor 20 is located near the toilet drainage channel opening. Any position may be sufficient as long as it can irradiate the area deeper than 14a.

As shown in FIG. 4, on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12, a plurality of (three in this case) protective legs are arranged near the image sensor 20 and come into contact with the top surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 when the toilet seat 12 is closed. 5 (support part) is provided. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the protective leg 5 is made of a rubber member, for example, and protrudes downward from the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 when the toilet seat 12 is closed, and its protruding end 5a is connected to the toilet bowl. 11 and comes into contact with the upper surface 11b. In the closed state, the toilet seat 12 is supported from the toilet bowl 11 below by support members 13 at four locations and protective legs 5. The three protection legs 5 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential side with respect to the image sensor 20 located on the inner circumferential side in the inner and outer circumferential directions.

The protective legs 5 protrude at a height such that the image sensor 20 disposed on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 does not come into contact with the top surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 when the toilet seat 12 is closed. If there is a portion of the image sensor storage portion that protrudes from the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12, the protective leg 5 is installed so as to protrude so that the image sensor storage portion does not hit the top surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11. Alternatively, the protective legs 5 may not be placed, and the toilet bowl 11 may be installed with a clearance greater than the height at which the image sensor housing protrudes from the back of the toilet seat, which is formed by the support member 13 of the toilet seat 12. .

As a result, the image sensor 20 is prevented from contacting the upper surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 due to the deformation of the toilet seat 12 when the toilet seat 12 is in the closed state, for example, by the protective legs 5 or the support member 13 of the toilet seat 12 disposed nearby. External contact can be prevented even when in the open state.

Next, the operation of the toilet seat device 1 according to this embodiment will be explained in detail based on the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the toilet seat device 1 according to the present embodiment, the image sensor 20, the interior space of the toilet bowl 11 can be imaged. In other words, when the imaging control unit 22 determines that imaging is not possible, the imaging by the image sensor 20 is physically stopped. It is possible to reliably prevent the image sensor 20 provided in the image sensor 20 from photographing the human body. Therefore, the toilet seat device 1 of this embodiment can be used with peace of mind by taking the target image with consideration to the user's privacy.

In this embodiment, the imaging control unit 22 controls the image sensor 20 to image the interior space of the toilet bowl 11 when it is determined that the toilet seat 12 is in a closed state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the tilt sensor 21. . In this case, for example, when the toilet seat 12 is opened at a predetermined angle, the imaging by the image sensor 20 is stopped, so that the control is such that the image is captured only when the user sits on the toilet seat 12 and defecates. Therefore, images are not taken before and after sitting, and the user can use the toilet seat device 1 with peace of mind. Since it is possible to set whether or not the image sensor 20 can capture an image according to the opening/closing angle of the tilt sensor 21, for example, if the toilet seat 12 is slightly opened or shifted within a range where the human body is not reflected in the captured image, the toilet seat 12 may be opened. It is possible to perform control such that the state is not determined.

In this embodiment, the image sensor 20 is installed on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12, and is capable of capturing an image of the inside direction of the toilet drain channel 14 that discharges feces G from the water reservoir 11c of the toilet bowl 11. are placed in opposite directions. In this case, the stool G that has rolled into the back side of the toilet drainage channel opening 14a in the toilet bowl 11 does not become a blind spot, and the entire excreted stool G can be reliably imaged.

In the present embodiment, the illumination unit 23 can illuminate the toilet drainage channel 14 on the back side of the bottom surface of the water storage portion 11c of the toilet bowl 11, so that the image sensor 20 can image the stool G more clearly. I can do it.

In this embodiment, the image sensor 20 is arranged at a position where the human body is not reflected in the field of view 20A of the image sensor 20. In this case, it is possible to prevent the human body from being reflected in the field of view 20A imaged by the image sensor 20 when the imaging control unit 22 determines that imaging is possible as described above.

In this embodiment, since the image sensor 20 is provided so that the brightness can be adjusted to match the illuminance inside the toilet bowl 11, the image of the stool G captured by the image sensor 20 can be captured more clearly.

In this embodiment, a camera cover 24 is arranged between the image sensor 20 and the toilet bowl 11, and a masking print 24A is printed in the area of the camera cover 24 where the human body is reflected within the field of view 20A of the image sensor 20. It has a printed configuration. In this case, it is possible to physically eliminate the human body from being reflected in the captured image without adjusting the viewing angle of the image sensor 20. There is an advantage that the area of the masking print 24A can be easily changed depending on the position of the image sensor 20 and the shape of the toilet bowl 10.

The toilet seat device 1 according to this embodiment has a function of detecting dirt on the camera lens 20a of the image sensor 20 from an image captured by the image sensor 20 and outputting a signal indicating that cleaning is required. In this case, since the camera lens 20a can be cleaned when a signal indicating that cleaning is required is received, an image that is easily visible can be obtained at all times, and it becomes difficult to determine whether stool G is transferred to the image due to dirt on the camera lens 20a of the image sensor 20. Malfunctions can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the protective legs 5 are provided on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 and come into contact with the top surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 when the toilet seat 12 is closed. It is possible to prevent the imaging range of the image sensor 20 from shifting and damage to the image sensor 20 due to stress from the toilet seat 12.

As described above, the toilet seat device 1 according to the present embodiment can be used with peace of mind by taking the target image with consideration to the user's privacy.

(Second embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 11, the toilet seat device 1A according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which the image sensor 20 is arranged at a position away from the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 toward the toilet bowl 11 (downward). . For example, the image sensor 20 may be attached to the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 via a spacer (not shown) that forms a sensor fixing part (reflection prevention part) of an appropriate shape, or may be attached to the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 via a spacer (not shown) that forms a sensor fixing part (reflection prevention part). The shape may be integrally molded with the toilet seat 12.

In the second embodiment, the image sensor 20 protrudes downward inside the toilet bowl 11, so when the buttocks M of the human body seated on the toilet seat 12 are located below the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. Even in this case, the image sensor 20 can be positioned below the lower surface Ma of the buttocks M, and the configuration can be such that the human body does not physically enter the field of view of the image sensor 20. In this way, in the second embodiment, it is possible to prevent the human body from appearing in the image captured by the image sensor 20, and the image can be used with peace of mind by capturing the target image with consideration for the user's privacy. I can do it.

(Third embodiment)
Next, the toilet seat device 1B according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. The structure is set to dimensions that will not drop. The position of the image sensor 20 in this case is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and is provided directly on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12.

In the third embodiment, since the thickness of the toilet seat 12 itself is increased, the structure can physically prevent the buttocks M of the human body seated on the toilet seat 12 from being located below the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. In the third embodiment, it is possible to prevent the human body from appearing in the image captured by the image sensor 20, and the image can be used with peace of mind by capturing the target image with consideration for the user's privacy.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, the toilet seat device 1C according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 13 has an opening reduction part (reflection prevention part) in which the diameter dimension (especially the length dimension in the left-right direction X2) of the opening 12b of the toilet seat 12 is reduced. However, the configuration is such that the buttocks M of the seated person do not fall below the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. The position of the image sensor 20 in this case is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and is provided directly on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12.

In the fourth embodiment, since the opening 12b of the toilet seat 12 is made smaller, the structure can physically prevent the buttocks M of the human body seated on the toilet seat 12 from being located below the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. . In the fourth embodiment, it is possible to prevent a human body from appearing in the image captured by the image sensor 20, and the image sensor 20 can be used with peace of mind by capturing the target image with consideration for the user's privacy.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the embodiment described above, the tilt sensor 21 housed in the toilet seat 12 is used as the opening/closing acquisition unit that detects the opening/closing of the toilet seat 12, and the configuration is such that the opening/closing information is obtained from the tilt angle of the toilet seat 12. However, this is not limited to this. Instead, the opening/closing acquisition section is adopted in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 14. In the fifth embodiment, a seating sensor (not shown) that detects when a person is seated on the toilet seat 12 is provided as another opening/closing acquisition unit of the toilet seat 12, and an image of the internal space of the toilet bowl 11 is imaged only when seating is detected. The sensor 20 may be controlled to take an image. A load sensor or the like can be used as the seating sensor.

(Sixth embodiment)
A toilet seat device 1D according to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 15 has a configuration in which an image sensor 20 is separately provided below the toilet seat 12. In the sixth embodiment, the area where the image sensor 20 is provided, that is, the area separate from the toilet seat 12 and below the toilet seat 12, is included in the back surface of the toilet seat 12. In other words, the back surface of the toilet seat 12 is defined to include the area below the toilet seat 12. The toilet seat device 1D is provided with a connecting bar 3 formed of a metal member, for example, so as to bridge the top surface of the toilet bowl 10 (toilet bowl top surface 10a) between the inside of the toilet bowl and the outside of the toilet bowl. An image sensor 20 is attached to the lower surface 3c of the toilet bowl inner end 3a of the connection bar 3 so as to be able to image the interior space of the toilet bowl 10. The toilet bowl outer end 3b of the connecting bar 3 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the toilet bowl 10 by pasting or suction. The image sensor 20 is disposed below the toilet seat 12 and on the side of the rim 10A of the toilet bowl 10. Specifically, the image sensor 20 is disposed on the side of the rim 10A from a position at the same height as the toilet top surface 10a to the sides of the rim top 10c and the standing surface 10d of the rim 10A. The image sensor 20 may be a sensor unit including the image sensor 20.

The connecting bar 3 has a band shape extending in one direction and is bent into an L shape from the top surface 10a of the toilet bowl along the outer shape of the outer peripheral surface. The toilet bowl inner end 3a of the connecting bar 3 projects toward the inside of the toilet bowl 10 from the toilet bowl top surface 10a. The outer end portion 3b of the toilet bowl is fixed to the toilet bowl 10 with adhesive. The means for fixing the connecting bar 3 to the toilet bowl 10 may be a suction cup instead of an adhesive. In the case of a suction cup, since it is easy to attach and detach from the toilet bowl 10, it has the effect of making cleaning and maintenance easier, and furthermore, the position of the image sensor 20 can be easily adjusted.

(First modification)
As shown in FIG. 16, in the first modification of the sixth embodiment described above, in order to provide a load balance between the outer end 3b of the toilet bowl 3 of the connecting bar 3 and the image sensor 20 provided at the inner end 3a of the other toilet bowl. A weight 31 is provided. The weight 31 is fixed to a surface of the outer end 3b of the toilet bowl facing outward, opposite to the toilet bowl 10 side, by, for example, an adhesive. The weight 31 may be, for example, a metal member, or may be a camera function section that functions as an image processing section that processes data from the image sensor 20, for example. In the first modification, the image sensor 20 is attached to the toilet bowl 10 in a well-balanced position due to the weight of the weight 31 by the connecting bar 3, and it is possible to suppress the image sensor 20 from tilting or shifting.

(Second modification)
A connecting bar 3 according to a second modified example shown in FIG. 17 is formed of a metal wire, a sheet metal, or the like, and is bent into a substantially U-shape. The connecting bar 3 has a central portion 3d in the length direction placed on the top surface 10a of the toilet bowl, and a direction in which the inner end 3a and outer end 3b of the toilet that face each other approach each other (arrows F1 and F2 in FIG. 17). It is in a state where it is biased so that an elastic force is generated toward . An image sensor 20 is attached to the toilet bowl inner end 3a. The connecting bar 3 is attached to the upper part of the toilet bowl 10 by being fitted onto the top of the toilet bowl 10 with the inner end portion 3a and the outer end portion 3b of the toilet bowl opened against the force. In the first modification, the image sensor 20 is attached to the toilet bowl 10 in a well-balanced position due to the weight of the weight 31 by the connecting bar 3, and it is possible to suppress the image sensor 20 from tilting or shifting. The image sensor 20 is arranged below the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 and on the side of the rim 10A. Specifically, the image sensor 20 is disposed on the side of the rim 10A at a height below the rim upper part 10c, and on the side of the vertical surface 10d of the rim 10A. Here, the definition of the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 may include an area below the toilet seat 12.

(Seventh embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 18, the toilet seat device 1E according to the seventh embodiment has a configuration in which an image sensor 20 is directly fixed to the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 via a fixing portion 32 such as adhesive. The attachment position of the image sensor 20 to the toilet seat 12 is a position near the inner circumference of the toilet seat 12, and a position where the image sensor 20 attached when the toilet seat 12 is closed (the state shown in FIG. 18) does not interfere with the upper part of the toilet bowl 10. It is said that In the seventh embodiment, since the structure is such that the image sensor 20 is simply fixed to the toilet seat 12, a separate member such as the connection bar 3 (see FIG. 15) of the above-mentioned sixth embodiment is not required and installation is easy. It has the advantage of being easy and reducing component costs.

(Eighth embodiment)
A toilet seat device 1F according to the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 19 has an image sensor 20 attached to a toilet seat 12 via a second connection bar 3A. The second connection bar 3A is formed of, for example, a metal wire or sheet metal, and extends between the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 and the outside of the toilet seat 12. An image sensor 20 is attached to the lower surface 3c of the toilet bowl inner end 3a of the second connection bar 3A so as to be able to image the interior space of the toilet bowl 10. The toilet bowl outer end 3b of the second connection bar 3A projects outward from the toilet seat 12. A camera function section 26 electrically connected to the image sensor 20 is provided at the outer end 30b of the toilet bowl. The camera function section 26 is arranged along the outer surface 12c of the toilet seat 12. The central portion 3d of the second connecting bar 3A is fixed to the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 by a fixing means such as an adhesive or a suction cup. The camera function section 26 has a function such as an image processing section that processes data from the image sensor 20, for example.

In the eighth embodiment, since it is possible to retrofit the image sensor 20 on the toilet seat 12 side via the second connection bar 3A, the structure can be simpler than when attached to the toilet bowl 10.

(Ninth embodiment)
A toilet seat device 1G according to the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 20 has an image sensor 20 attached to a toilet seat 12 via a third connection bar 3B. The third connection bar 3B is formed of, for example, metal wire or sheet metal, and is bent into a substantially U-shape so as to span the top of the toilet seat 12. A central portion 3d of the connecting bar 3 in the longitudinal direction is placed on the toilet seat 12. An image sensor 20 is attached to the inner end 3a of the toilet bowl 3A of the third connection bar 3A so as to be able to image the interior space of the toilet bowl 10. The image sensor 20 attached to the third connection bar 3A is provided so as to be located on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12.

A camera function section 26 electrically connected to the image sensor 20 is provided at the toilet bowl outer end 3b of the third connection bar 3A along the outer surface 12c of the toilet seat 12. The third connection bar 3B is fixed by pressing the toilet outer end 3b against the outer surface 12c of the toilet seat 12 by pressing with a pressing member 33 such as a screw from the outside of the toilet outer end 3b. The method of fixing the third connection bar 3 to the toilet seat 12 is not limited to the above-described pressing member 33, and other fixing methods may be used. For example, the central portion 3d of the third connecting bar 3B may be fixed to the upper surface 12d of the toilet seat 12 using a fixing means such as an adhesive or a suction cup. Alternatively, the toilet bowl inner end 3a and the toilet bowl outer end 3b facing each other may be biased toward each other so as to generate an elastic force, and may be attached by being sandwiched from both sides of the toilet seat 12.

(10th embodiment)
Toilet seat devices 1H and 1I according to the tenth embodiment shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 have a structure in which separate toilet seat units 4A and 4B are sandwiched between the toilet seat 12 and the top surface 10a of the toilet bowl. In the first toilet seat unit 4A shown in FIG. 21, the image sensor 20 is fixed to the lower surface 41a of the toilet seat type insertion member 41. A second toilet seat unit 4B shown in FIG. 22 has an image sensor 20 built into a toilet seat type insertion member 41. The toilet seat type insertion member 41 is formed to have substantially the same shape as the toilet seat 12 in plan view, and is provided to open and close with respect to the toilet top surface 10a, either integrally with the toilet seat 12 or separately. In the closed state, the toilet seat type insertion member 41 has a lower surface 41a placed on the top surface 10a of the toilet bowl, and an upper surface 41b in contact with the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12. The image sensor 20 is attached so that it can image the interior space of the toilet bowl 10.

Although the embodiments of the toilet seat device according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the image determination device 2 may be provided with an image processing unit (not shown) that performs image processing on the target image acquired by the image sensor 20. In this case, the image processing unit can perform image processing to mask (hide or erase) a region of the target image in which the human body is reflected.

In the embodiment described above, an example of the toilet seat device 1 is shown in which the toilet bowl drain channel 14 is provided to drain water from the water reservoir 11c of the toilet bowl 11 toward the rear of the toilet bowl 10, and the image sensor 20 is arranged in front of the toilet seat 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this toilet structure, and toilet seat devices having other structures may be used. For example, a toilet seat device 1D according to the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 14 has a configuration including a toilet drain channel 14 that drains water from a water storage portion 11c toward the front of the toilet bowl 10, and an image sensor 20 is arranged at the rear of the toilet bowl. It is also possible to do so.

In this embodiment, in order to protect the image sensor 20, the protective leg 5 is provided as a support part on the back surface 12a of the toilet seat 12 and comes into contact with the top surface 11b of the toilet bowl 11 when the toilet seat 12 is closed. The present invention is not limited to the provision of such protective legs 5, and may be omitted. The support portion is not limited to the configuration such as the shape and quantity of the protective legs 5 of the embodiment described above, and can be set as appropriate.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I...Toilet seat device, 2...Image judgment device, 5...Protective leg (support part), 10...Toilet bowl, 10A...Rim, 11...Toilet bowl , 11d... Opening lower end surface, 12... Toilet seat, 12a... Back surface, 13... Support member, 14... Toilet drain channel, 14a... Toilet drain channel opening, 20... Image sensor, 20A... Field of view, 20C... Center of visual field, 21... Tilt sensor (opening/closing acquisition unit), 22... Imaging control unit, 23... Illumination unit, 24... Camera cover, 24A... Masking printing (shielding unit), G... Flight, X1... Front/back direction, X2... Left/right direction, X3... Up/down direction

Claims (15)

A toilet seat placed above the toilet bowl;
an image sensor that is provided on the back side of the toilet seat and captures an image of the internal space of the toilet bowl during defecation; and an opening/closing acquisition unit that acquires opening/closing information of the toilet seat.
an imaging control unit that controls whether or not the image sensor can take an image according to the opening/closing information of the toilet seat acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit;
Equipped with
The imaging control unit controls to stop imaging the internal space of the toilet bowl by the image sensor when it is determined that the toilet seat is in an open state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit; and a control that allows deletion of the captured image.
Toilet seat device. A toilet seat placed above the toilet bowl;
an image sensor that is provided below the toilet seat and separate from the toilet seat, and captures an image of the internal space of the toilet bowl during defecation;
an opening/closing acquisition unit that acquires opening/closing information of the toilet seat;
an imaging control unit that controls whether or not the image sensor can take an image according to the opening/closing information of the toilet seat acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit;
Equipped with
The imaging control unit controls to stop imaging the internal space of the toilet bowl by the image sensor when it is determined that the toilet seat is in an open state based on the opening/closing information acquired by the opening/closing acquisition unit; and a control that allows deletion of the captured image.
Toilet seat device. The opening/closing acquisition unit is a seating sensor that detects that the user is sitting on the toilet seat,
The image capture control unit controls the image sensor to capture an image of the interior space of the toilet bowl when the seat sensor detects seating information.
The toilet seat device according to claim 1 or 2. The image sensor is capable of capturing an image of the interior of a drainage channel through which feces are discharged from the water reservoir of the toilet bowl, and is disposed in a direction facing the opening of the drainage channel.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . comprising an illumination unit that illuminates the back side of the toilet bowl from the bottom of the water reservoir;
The toilet seat device according to claim 4 . The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the image sensor is arranged at a position where a human body is not reflected in the field of view of the image sensor. The image sensor is arranged at a position away from the back surface of the toilet seat toward the toilet bowl.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . The image sensor can adjust the brightness to match the illuminance inside the toilet bowl.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . A shielding portion is provided between the image sensor and the toilet bowl within a field angle range of the image sensor.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The thickness of the toilet seat is set such that the buttocks and thighs of the person sitting on the toilet seat do not fall below the back surface of the toilet seat.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 . The opening of the toilet seat is set in such a shape that the buttocks and thighs of the person seated do not fall below the back surface of the toilet seat.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . An image processing unit that performs image processing on the target image acquired by the image sensor is provided,
The image processing unit performs image processing to mask a region of the target image in which a human body is reflected.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . The image processing unit has a function of detecting dirt on the camera lens of the image sensor from an image captured by the image sensor and outputting a signal indicating that cleaning is required.
The toilet seat device according to claim 12 . A support portion is provided that protrudes from the back surface of the toilet seat and comes into contact with the top surface of the toilet bowl when the toilet seat is closed,
The image sensor is provided so as not to come into contact with the top surface of the toilet bowl.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 . The image sensor is arranged with the center of the field of view of the image sensor facing beyond half of the water surface in the toilet bowl in the direction viewed from the position of the image sensor.
A toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 14 .

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