JP7465675B2 - Waste treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an excrement treatment device.

There is a known waste disposal device that sucks up and disposes of waste from the anus and urethral opening. This type of waste disposal device is equipped with a waste collection tray that is placed on the groin and buttocks, and a cup that is placed on the lower abdomen. The waste collection tray has a wastewater collection section at a position opposite the user's buttocks, and when a sensor detects moisture in the wastewater collection section, it performs suction and cleaning (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a cleaning port is provided on the tray surface facing the buttocks, and a cleaning port and a waste suction port are provided on the surface facing the crotch, with the cleaning port on the tray surface acting as an air outlet and the waste suction port acting as a suction port for suction, and cleaning water is further released from the cleaning port on the tray surface.
In the technology described in Patent Document 1, in the automatic mode in which suction and cleaning are performed automatically, suction and cleaning are terminated when the change in resistance value between the terminals of the moisture detection sensor converges within a set range. On the other hand, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, an odor detection sensor is provided to detect odors inside the diaper, and in the automatic mode in which suction and cleaning are performed automatically, the type of excrement is identified depending on the presence or absence of odor, and the operating time for suction and cleaning is varied.

JP 2006-20683 A JP 2006-20711 A

The technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot identify the type of excrement, and when the remaining excrement moves from between the terminals of the moisture detection sensor due to a change in the user's posture, etc., the suction and cleaning will end.
On the other hand, the technology described in Patent Document 2 can identify the type of excrement as either urine or feces, and therefore can easily save energy by adjusting the suction time to match the excrement. However, the technology described in Patent Document 2 requires a sensor for detecting moisture and a sensor for detecting odor, which complicates the configuration and is also disadvantageous in terms of reducing parts costs.

Therefore, the present invention aims to enable operation according to the type of excrement without using multiple types of sensors to identify the type of excrement.

In order to achieve the above object, an excrement treatment device for suctioning and treating excrement from excrement sites including the anus and urethral opening includes a cover member for covering the excrement site, an excrement detection sensor provided on the cover member, and a control unit for controlling a suction operation based on a detection result of the sensor, the sensor having a first detection unit and a second detection unit capable of detecting the excrement and arranged at positions spaced apart from each other, the control unit performs a primary determination process for determining whether the first detection unit or the second detection unit detected the excrement first when the first detection unit or the second detection unit detects the excrement, and starts a suction operation, and controls the suction operation based on the primary determination process. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the suction operation , a secondary judgment process after suction is performed to judge whether or not the excrement has been detected by the second detection unit, which is located in a position among the first detection unit and the second detection unit that is relatively easy to detect excrement from the anus , and if the first detection unit or the second detection unit detects excrement first in the primary judgment process and the second detection unit does not detect excrement in the secondary judgment process, a suction operation is performed in a first suction mode , and if the second detection unit detects excrement first in the primary judgment process and the second detection unit detects excrement in the secondary judgment process, a suction operation is performed in a second suction mode which consumes more energy than the first suction mode.

In the above configuration, the first detection unit and the second detection unit may detect moisture. In the above configuration, the first detection unit may be disposed at a position where it is relatively easy to detect excrement at the urethral opening, and the second detection unit may be disposed at a position where it is possible to detect excrement at the anus and urethral opening.

In the above configuration, a storage portion for the excrement may be provided in a suction path for sucking the excrement , and the second detection portion may detect the excrement in the storage portion. In the above configuration, the covering member may extend from a dorsal side to a ventral side when attached to a portion covering the excretion portion, with a dorsal end terminating just before the coccyx and a ventral end terminating covering the urethral opening.

The present invention makes it easier to operate according to the type of excrement without using multiple types of sensors to identify the type of excrement.

1 is a diagram showing a state in which an excrement processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used together with a user; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cup included in the excrement treatment device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cup together with a supporter. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a cup body, in which A is a front view, B is a side cross-sectional view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing a cushion, where A is a front view, B is a side view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the cup. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing a partition plate, where A is a front view, B is a side cross-sectional view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view. 1 is a diagram showing the flows of cleaning water WT, wind WD, and outside air AR in the cup, each of which is indicated by an arrow. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sensor sheet. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation at the start of an automatic driving mode. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing first table data TD1. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of continuous processing. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing second table data TD2. Reference symbol A shows a first blade body together with its surrounding configuration, reference symbol B shows a second blade body together with its surrounding configuration, and reference symbol C shows a third blade body together with its surrounding configuration. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a modified example. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a cup used in an excrement disposal device according to another embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a side cross section of a cup together with the flows of cleaning water WT, wind WD, and outside air AR. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a cup used in an excrement disposal device according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an excrement treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used together with a user (human body), in which the user is lying on his/her back (so-called supine position). Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a cup provided in the excrement treatment device, in which A is a front view, B is a side view, and C is a top view.
As shown in FIG. 1, this excrement treatment device 10 is a device that sucks up and treats excrement from excretory areas including the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B of a user 11, i.e., urine, faeces, menstrual blood and other excrement (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as urine and faeces, etc., or simply excrement), and is equipped with a cup 21 that is attached to the crotch area 11C of the user 11, and an excrement treatment unit 100 that is connected to the cup 21 via an air blower hose 22, a suction hose 23, a cleansing water hose 24, and electrical wiring 25.

1 and 2, the cup 21 has a hollow box shape that opens toward the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B of the user 11, and functions as a covering member that covers excretory parts including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B when attached to the crotch region 11C of the user 11. An internal space is formed in the cup 21, including a reservoir section 21T that accumulates excrement from the anus 11A, the urethral opening 11B, etc. The cup 21 is provided with an air outlet 31, a water inlet 32, a suction port 33, and an outside air inlet 34 (see FIG. 4, etc., described later) that communicate with the internal space.
One end of an air blower hose 22 is connected to the air blower port 31 via an air blower hose connection port 31H provided in the cup 21, one end of a cleaning water hose 24 is connected to the water inlet 32 via a cleaning water hose connection port 32H provided in the cup 21, and one end of a suction hose 23 is connected to the suction port 33 via a suction hose connection port 33H provided in the cup 21.

The excrement processing unit 100 includes a control unit 101, an air blower 102, a cleaning water supply unit 103, a suction unit 104, a tank unit 105, an operation unit 106, and an alarm unit 107. The control unit 101 functions as a computer that controls each part of the excrement processing unit 100, and controls the suction operation for sucking the excrement in the cup 21 into the excrement processing unit 100.
This suction operation also includes suction, supply of wind WD consisting of airflow, and supply of cleaning water WT consisting of warm water, as appropriate. The air blowing unit 102 is equipped with a blower and supplies wind WD to the air blowing hose 22. The cleaning water supplying unit 103 is equipped with a liquid pump and supplies cleaning water WT to the cleaning water hose 24. The suction unit 104 uses the suction force generated by the blower of the air blowing unit 102 to suck up waste (indicated by the symbol EX in FIG. 1) in the cup 21 through the suction hose 23. Note that a suction source separate from the blower may be provided. The tank unit 105 stores the sucked up waste and is detached at an appropriate time, and the stored waste is disposed of in a disposal area.

The operation unit 106 inputs various instructions from the user 11, etc., and outputs the input instructions to the control unit 101. Instructions that can be input include an automatic operation mode in which the suction operation is performed automatically, and an instruction for a manual operation mode in which the suction operation is performed manually. Various known methods such as operating a hardware switch, voice input, and communication can be applied as a method for inputting instructions. The notification unit 107, under the control of the control unit 101, notifies the outside of various information using known devices such as lamps, display panels, and audio devices.

In the cup 21, air WD from the waste treatment unit 100 is supplied to the air outlet 31, pushing the waste in the cup 21 towards the suction port 33. Cleansing water WT from the waste treatment unit 100 is supplied to the water inlet 32 to clean a specific area of the user 11, such as the crotch area 11C including the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B. The suction force of the waste treatment unit 100 acts on the suction port 33, so that the waste in the cup 21 is collected in the waste treatment unit 100 via the suction port 33 and the suction hose 23. The cleaning water is also collected in the waste treatment unit 100 together with the waste via the suction port 33 and the suction hose 23.

Here, the lower side in FIG. 1 is the back side of the user 11, the upper side is the abdomen side of the user 11, the symbol 11L indicates the feet of the user 11, the symbol 11P indicates the pelvis of the user 11, and the symbol 11T indicates the coccyx (also called the tailbone).
The cup 21 is fitted between the legs 11L of the user 11 and attached to the crotch region 11C. When attached to the crotch region 11C, the cup 21 extends from the dorsal side to the ventral side of the user 11, with the dorsal end (position indicated by symbol P1 in FIG. 1) terminating just before the coccyx 11T and the ventral end (position indicated by symbol P2 in FIG. 1) terminating covering the urethral opening 11B.

Therefore, the cup 21 is more compact than a conventional waste disposal device equipped with a flat tray that widely covers the back side of the tailbone 11T, and the cup 21 can be easily attached to the user 11 even when the user 11 is in a position other than lying on his/her back. This makes it easier to maintain the cup 21 attached to the user 11 even when the user 11 is lying on his/her side, tosses over in his/her sleep, has his/her upper body tilted to a predetermined angle, or sits in a wheelchair.
In this way, the cup 21 is made compact and can be easily maintained in a variety of postures while being worn, making it easy to use not only for users with a high level of care needs who have difficulty moving around or who show a decline in their level of understanding (e.g., users requiring care levels 4 and 5), but also for users with a relatively low level of care needs.

As shown in FIG. 1, the accumulation section 21T where waste accumulates is inclined diagonally upwards at an angle θ1 toward the feet when the user 11 is lying on their back, and the depth of the cup 21 is set so that even if waste accumulates in the accumulation section 21T at this angle θ1, the waste will not flow into the user 11. This angle θ1 is set to an angle that results in a nearly horizontal state when the upper body of the user 11 is raised to a predetermined angle (for example, an angle within the range of 30° to 90°). Therefore, even if the suction hose 23 is removed, the waste in the accumulation section 21T will not flow out from the suction port 33 to the outside.

<About wearing the cup 21>
The attachment of the cup 21 will now be described.
The cup 21 is attached to the user 11 using a supporter 111 .
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the cup 21 together with the supporter 111.
The supporter 111 is made of a cloth-like material that is thinner than a diaper, and when worn by the user 11, it has a short crotch and is above the knee, and has an appearance almost the same as so-called shorts (short pants). The supporter 111 is integrally provided with a supporter main body 112 having an opening 111A through which the cup 21 passes, an abdominal pad 113 extending from the supporter main body 112 to the side covering the lower abdomen of the user 11, and a pair of side parts 114 extending from the supporter main body 112 to the left and right sides of the user 11. The supporter main body 112 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that gradually becomes wider from the crotch part 11C of the user 11 toward the back side, and each side part 114 extends left and right from the widest part. The tip of each side part 114 is configured to be detachable from the abdominal pad part 113 using a hook-and-loop fastener. The peripheral part 111B of the opening 111A through which the cup 21 passes is appropriately reinforced by a reinforcing cloth or the like.

When the cup 21 is fitted to the user 11, the cup 21 is applied to the crotch 11C, and then the supporter 111 is applied to the cup 21 from the opposite side of the crotch 11C (corresponding to between the legs 11L), and each of the hose connection ports 31H to 33H of the cup 21 is passed through the opening 111A of the supporter 111. In this case, the peripheral portion 111B of the opening 111A of the supporter 111 abuts against the back of the cushion 51 that covers the open end of the cup 21, and the cup 21 is pressed against the user 11 via the cushion 51. Next, the abdominal support portion 113 of the supporter 111 is applied to the lower abdomen of the user 11, and a pair of left and right side portions 114 of the supporter 111 are wrapped around the user 11 from the left and right, and the tips of each side portion 114 are attached to the abdominal support portion 113, thereby fitting the cup 21 to the user 11. The shape and material of the supporter 111 can be changed as appropriate.

<Regarding cup body 41 of cup 21>
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cup 21. As shown in FIG.
The cup 21 comprises a concave cup body 41 which functions as a covering for covering the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, a cushion 51 which covers the open end of the cup body 41, a partition plate 61 which forms an air passage WS (Figure 6 described later) between itself and the bottom 41L of the cup body 41, and a sensor sheet 71 which is laminated on the partition plate 61.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the cup body 41, in which A is a front view, B is a side cross-sectional view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cup body 41 integrally comprises a plate-shaped bottom 41L that curves gently from a ventral end P1 located on the side covering the urethral opening 11B to a posterior end P2 covering the anus 11A, a wall portion 41W that rises from the periphery of the bottom portion 41L, and a flange portion 41T that extends along the outer periphery of the wall portion 41W, and is formed, for example, from a resin material.

Near the ventral end of the bottom 41L, an outside air inlet 34 and a water inlet 32 are provided in this order. On the back surface of the bottom 41L, a visor 41H (see symbol D in FIG. 5) protruding rearward above the outside air inlet 34, a cleaning water hose connection port 32H, a suction hose connection port 33H, and an air supply hose connection port 31H are provided in this order. In addition, on the inner surface of the cup body 41, a number of projections 41V that function as supports for supporting the partition plate 61 are provided at intervals.

When negative pressure is created in the cup 21 by suction or the like, outside air is introduced into the cup 21 through the outside air inlet 34, preventing excessive negative pressure. This prevents the cup 21 from sticking too closely to the human body, reducing the sense of discomfort and discomfort felt by the user 11. Since multiple outside air inlets 34 are provided near the cushion 51 that comes into contact with the human body, it becomes easier to quickly adjust the pressure at the contact point between the cushion 51 and the human body to an appropriate pressure. In this configuration, there is no gap between the cushion 51 and the user 11, and the outside air can be introduced through the outside air inlet 34, thereby creating an appropriate negative pressure in the cup 21 during the suction operation. All hose connection ports 31H to 33H are provided on the bottom 41L, and each hose connection port 31H to 33H is arranged facing the same direction. This makes it easy to attach and detach each hose 22 to 24.

The wall portion 41W is formed in a shape that gradually deepens the cup 21 from the ventral end toward the dorsal end. Therefore, the area of the cup 21 toward the dorsal end is the deepest and has the largest volume. In this configuration, this area forms the reservoir portion 21T. This ensures space for excrement and makes it easier to avoid contact with the user 11.

The flange 41T extends endlessly along the outer periphery of the wall 41W, and a fixing portion 52 of the cushion 51, described later, is fixed to the flange 41T. The flange 41T also functions as a reinforcing rib that reinforces the open end of the cup body 41. The cup body 41 also has an opening 41G through which a wiring pull-out portion 74 (described later in FIG. 11) of the sensor sheet 71, described later, and the like pass.

<Regarding the cushion 51>
FIG. 6 shows the cushion 51, where A is a front view, B is a side view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view.
The cushion 51 has an annular fixed part 52 fixed to the cup body 41 and an annular elastic part 53 that contacts the crotch part 11C of the user 11, and is integrally formed of a material that is more flexible and elastic than the cup body 41. The fixed part 52 has a groove along the inner circumferential surface of the fixed part 52 into which the flange part 41T of the cup body 41 fits, and is fixed to the cup body 41 by fitting the flange part 41T into the groove. Since the fixed part 52 is flexible, the cushion 51 can be easily attached and detached, and the cushion 51 can be easily replaced. The cushion 51 is further provided with a plate-shaped outside air guide member 54 extending toward the front of the outside air inlet 34 provided in the cup body 41, and a plate-shaped air guide member 55 extending toward an air passage outlet 62K (FIGS. 1 and 8) that is the outlet of the air passage WS between the bottom part 41L of the cup body 41 and the partition plate 61.

7 shows a perspective view of the cup 21 as seen from the rear. For ease of explanation, a portion of the supporter 111 attached to the cup 21, including an opening 111A through which the cup 21 passes, is shown by a two-dot chain line. Also, the flange 41T of the cup body 41 is shown by a dashed line.
As described above, the supporter 111 is attached to the user 11 with the opening 111A provided in the supporter main body 112 passed through the cup 21. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the peripheral portion 111B of the opening 111A abuts against the fixed portion 52 of the cushion 51, so that both the fixed portion 52 of the cushion 51 and the flange portion 41T of the cup main body 41 can be pressed against the user 11. Since the flange portion 41T of the cup main body 41 is a relatively rigid portion, the supporter 111 presses the entire fixed portion 52 of the cushion 51 against the user 11 with sufficient pressing force, and a gap between the cushion 51 and the user 11 can be eliminated. In this case, the deformation of the fixed portion 52 of the cushion 51 is suppressed by the flange portion 41T of the cup main body 41, but the deformation of the elastic portion 53 of the cushion 51 is not suppressed by the flange portion 41T and can be deformed independently of the fixed portion 52 and the like. Therefore, the elastic portion 53 of the cushion 51 can deform to match the shape of the crotch portion 11C, making it easier to reduce the feeling of pressure on the user 11.

In addition, since the gap between the cushion 51 and the user 11 can be eliminated, it becomes easier to create an appropriate negative pressure inside the cup 21 during the suction operation. The elastic portion 53 extends along the opening of the cup 21, and an annular cavity (see FIG. 9 described later) is formed inside the elastic portion 53, extending along the opening of the cup 21. This cavity makes it easier for the elastic portion 53 to deform elastically, and the degree of elastic deformation of the elastic portion 53 can be adjusted by inserting another elastic member into this cavity.

<Regarding the Partition Plate 61>
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the partition plate 61, where A is a front view, B is a side cross-sectional view, C is a rear view, and D is a top view. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the flows of the cleaning water WT, the wind WD, and the outside air AR in the cup 21, each of which is indicated by an arrow.
As shown in Fig. 8, the partition plate 61 has a plate-shaped partition plate main body 62 curved along the bottom 41L of the cup body 41. This partition plate main body 62 is supported by a protrusion 41V provided on the cup body 41, so that an air passage WS (see Fig. 9) connected to the air outlet 31 is defined between the partition plate 61 and the bottom 41L of the cup body 41. This partition plate main body 62 is provided with an opening 62K (hereinafter referred to as "air passage outlet 62K") that communicates with a downstream position of the air passage WS and functions as an outlet of the air passage WS, and is also provided with a suction port 33. This suction port 33 is located on the opposite side of the air passage outlet 62K across the waste accumulation portion 21T.

The partition plate 61 is provided with a pipe section 63 that protrudes from the suction port 33 toward the rear side (corresponding to the cup body 41 side). When the partition plate body 62 is attached to the cup body 41, this pipe section 63 passes through the air passage WS to connect the suction port 33 and the suction hose connection port 33H. This pipe section 63 separates the suction path between the suction port 33 and the suction hose connection port 33H from the air passage WS, so that the wind WD in the air passage WS does not flow directly downstream of the suction port 33.

The suction port 33, which includes the pipe section 63, is provided with multiple blades 33A, 33B, and 33C (three in this configuration) that function as a crushing section for crushing the excrement passing through the suction port 33. As shown by the symbol B in Figure 8, these blades 33A to 33C are formed into crushing blades having a blade shape that extends obliquely with respect to the axis LA of the suction port 33. These blades 33A to 33C will be described in further detail later.

The partition plate body 62 is provided with a pipe-shaped partition body 64 that partitions a buffer SB (Fig. 9) that is a space of a predetermined volume between the water inlet 32 provided in the cup body 41 and the partition plate body 62. The partition plate body 62 is also provided with a cleaning port 65 that communicates with the buffer SB and serves as a downstream water inlet, and is provided with a eaves-shaped water guide member 66 that covers the outlet of the cleaning port 65. The partition plate body 62 is also provided with an opening 62G for passing a wiring pull-out portion 74 (Fig. 11 described later) of the sensor sheet 71, etc., which will be described later. The partition plate 61 is formed of a rigid material such as resin.

<About the Wind WD Flow>
As shown in Fig. 9, the wind WD supplied to the air outlet 31 passes through the air passage WS between the partition plate 61 and the bottom 41L of the cup body 41, and is supplied from the air passage outlet 62K to the waste accumulation portion 21T. As shown in Fig. 9, the air passage outlet 62K is covered with a gap by the air guide member 55 provided on the cushion 51, so that the direction of the wind WD from the air passage outlet 62K is changed by the air guide member 55. As shown in the figure, the air guide member 55 covers the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B side of the user 11 at the air passage outlet 62K, and opens it to the waste accumulation portion 21T side, thereby guiding the wind WD to the accumulation portion 21T while preventing the wind WD from directly hitting the crotch portion 11C including the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B. The wind WD can push the waste present in the accumulation portion 21T toward the suction port 33. Since the wind WD does not directly strike the user 11 due to the wind guide member 55, the risk of the user 11 feeling strange or uncomfortable can be reduced, and the comfort of use can be improved.

This air guide member 55 can also prevent waste and the like from flowing into the air passage outlet 62K. In this configuration, the air guide member 55 is integrally provided with the cushion 51, which has flexibility and elasticity, and is provided at a position on the outlet side of the air passage outlet 62K that closes the air passage outlet 62K, so that it functions as an opening/closing member that opens and closes the suction port 33 in response to either the blowing of the air WD or the suction from the suction port 33. Therefore, when the air WD is not blown and the suction port 33 is not being sucked, the air passage outlet 62K is closed, and a situation in which waste flows into the air passage outlet 62K is avoided. The air guide member 55 may be a member independent of the cushion 51, and the design may be changed as appropriate.

In addition, in this configuration, the suction port 33 is provided on the opposite side of the air passage outlet 62K across the accumulation portion 21T, which makes it easier to increase the flow rate of the wind WD from the air passage outlet 62K. This also makes it easier to suck waste into the suction port 33. In addition, in this configuration, one air outlet 31 and one suction port 33 are provided, and the suction path connecting the air outlet 31 to the suction port 33 has a one-path structure, and the suction path passes through the air passage WS between the partition plate 61 and the bottom 41L of the cup body, and then travels along the surface of the partition plate 61 toward the suction port 33. This makes it possible to form a suction path away from the user 11, making it possible to efficiently suck in waste while preventing the wind WD from directly hitting the user 11.

<Flow of cleaning water WT>
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the X-X cross section of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 10, flush water WT is supplied to a buffer SB provided between the water inlet 32 and the water guide member 66, and is discharged from the flush port 65 via this buffer SB. By temporarily storing the flush water WT, this buffer SB prevents cold water (residual water in the flush water hose 24, etc.) immediately after supply from being immediately discharged from the flush port 65, and can mix the flush water WT with warm water and discharge the flush water WT from the flush port 65. In other words, this buffer SB suppresses temperature changes in the flush water WT, making it easier to supply flush water WT at an appropriate temperature.

The discharge direction of the cleansing water WT discharged from the cleansing port 65 is changed by the water guide member 66. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the water guide member 66 of this configuration guides the cleansing water WT in a direction in which the cleansing water WT flows from the urethral opening 11B to the anus 11A, and the cleansing water WT after cleansing heads toward the waste collection section 21T. As a result, the cleansing water WT cleanses excretory areas including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, and is then sucked into the suction port 33 via the waste collection section 21T.
The water guide member 66 guides the cleansing water WT, so that only the areas of the user 11 that need to be cleansed can be cleaned. Moreover, the water guide member 66 causes the cleansing water WT to be sucked into the suction port 33 via the waste collection section 21T, so that the cleansing water WT makes it easier to float the waste and to suck the waste.

<About the flow of outside air AR>
As shown in Fig. 10, the flow direction of the outside air AR introduced into the outside air inlet 34 is changed by the outside air guide member 54. In this configuration, the outside air AR is guided in a direction that avoids the crotch area 111C. This makes it possible to prevent the outside air AR from directly hitting the user 11 while avoiding a situation in which the inside of the cup 21 becomes excessively negative pressure due to the introduction of outside air, and to suppress a situation in which the user 11 feels a sense of incongruity or discomfort due to the outside air AR. In addition, the outside air guide member 54 can also prevent moisture in the cup 21 from escaping to the outside through the outside air inlet 34.

In this configuration, the outside air guide member 54 is integrally provided with the cushion 51, which has flexibility and elasticity, and is provided at a position on the outlet side of the outside air inlet 34 that closes the outside air inlet 34, so that it functions as an opening/closing member that opens and closes the outside air inlet 34 in response to the negative pressure inside the cup 21. Therefore, if the pressure inside the cup 21 is not excessively negative, it is possible to sufficiently prevent moisture inside the cup 21 from escaping to the outside through the outside air inlet 34. The outside air guide member 54 may be a member independent of the cushion 51, and the design may be modified as appropriate.

<Sensor sheet 71>
Next, the sensor sheet 71 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the sensor sheet 71. As shown in FIG.
The sensor sheet 71 is formed of a flexible sheet, and includes a first circuit pattern 72 capable of detecting moisture, a second circuit pattern 73 also capable of detecting moisture, and a wiring pull-out section 74 that pulls out the wiring connected to the circuit patterns 72, 73. The first circuit pattern 72 and the second circuit pattern 73 are disposed at positions spaced apart from each other, and a through hole 75 of the same size as the suction port 33 of the partition plate 61 is formed between the circuit patterns 72, 73.

The first circuit pattern 72 includes a plurality of continuity detection terminals 72A-72J, and detects the presence or absence of moisture from the resistance between the terminals by utilizing the fact that the resistance between the terminals of the continuity detection terminals 72A-72J decreases when the terminals are conductive via moisture. In other words, the first circuit pattern 72 functions as a first detection unit that detects excrement containing moisture.
The second circuit pattern 73 includes a plurality of continuity detection terminals 73A-73F, and detects the presence or absence of moisture from the resistance between the terminals by utilizing the fact that the resistance between the terminals of the continuity detection terminals 72A-72J decreases when the terminals are conductive via moisture. In other words, the second circuit pattern 73 functions as a second detection unit that detects excrement containing moisture. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the first circuit pattern 72 will be referred to as the "first detection unit" and the second circuit pattern 73 will be referred to as the "second detection unit 73."

This sensor sheet 71 is fixed to the surface of the partition plate 61 so that the through holes 75 and the suction ports 33 overlap, whereby the second circuit pattern 73 is disposed in the region of the waste accumulation portion 21T and the first detection portion 72 is disposed in a region above the accumulation portion 21T, as shown in Fig. 9. In other words, the second detection portion 73 is disposed in a region where it is relatively easy to detect waste from the anus 11A, and the first detection portion 72 is disposed in a region where it is relatively easy to detect waste from the urethral opening 11B side and relatively difficult to detect waste from the anus 11A.
The wiring lead-out portion 74 is led out to the rear surface of the cup body 41 through the openings 62G, 41G of the partition body 62 and the cup body 41, and is electrically connected to the excrement processing unit 100 via the electrical wiring 25. A known connector structure can be widely applied to the connection between the wiring lead-out portion 74 and the electrical wiring 25. By fixing the sensor sheet 71 and the partition plate 61, the partition plate 61 functions as a sensor plate in which sensors for detecting excrement are arranged. The partition plate 61 alone may be used to form a sensor plate by directly providing the respective conduction detection terminals 73A-73F and 73A-73F on the partition plate 61. The terminal arrangement of the first detection portion 72 and the second detection portion 73 is not limited to the arrangement shown in FIG. 11 and can be changed as appropriate.

<Operation in autonomous driving mode>
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation at the start of the automatic driving mode.
The control unit 101 of the excrement processing unit 100 monitors whether excretion has occurred by determining whether moisture has been detected by either the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 (step S1: excretion monitoring). The control unit 101 determines that moisture has been detected by the first detection unit 72 when the resistance value between a predetermined combination of the continuity detection terminals 72A to 72J of the first detection unit 72 falls within a predetermined range. The control unit 101 also determines that moisture has been detected by the second detection unit 73 when the resistance value between a predetermined combination of the continuity detection terminals 73A to 73F of the second detection unit 73 falls within a predetermined range.

If moisture is not detected (step S1: NO), the control unit 101 proceeds to step S9 and continues monitoring excretion. On the other hand, if moisture is detected (step S1: YES), the control unit 101 performs a primary determination to determine whether the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 detected moisture first, and stores the determination result in a memory (not shown) (step S2). When moisture is detected, the control unit 101 immediately starts a suction operation (step S3).
As the suction operation, the control unit 101 first operates the blower of the air blowing unit 102 to supply air WD from the air blowing unit 102 and starts suction of excrement and the like from within the cup 21 by the suction unit 104 .

After starting the suction operation, the control unit 101 determines whether a predetermined time T1 has elapsed, and if it determines that the predetermined time T1 has elapsed, it performs a secondary determination to determine whether moisture has been detected by the second detection unit 73, and stores the determination result in a memory not shown (step S4).
Here, the predetermined time T1 is set to a time during which the flow of the air WD from the blower 31 to the suction port 33 becomes steady, and is set to, for example, 5 seconds. When the air WD becomes steady, liquid excrement from the urethral opening 11B and the like is quickly sucked into the suction port 33.

Once the results of the secondary judgment are obtained, the control unit 101 determines, based on a combination of the primary and secondary judgments, whether to set the suction mode to the first suction mode, which is suitable for suctioning liquids such as urine, or the second suction mode, which is suitable for suctioning solid objects such as feces (step S5).
The first suction mode is a more energy-saving mode than the second suction mode. For example, the first suction mode is a mode in which cleaning water is supplied for four seconds and the blower is stopped after ten seconds, while the second suction mode is an operation mode in which the same operation as the first suction mode is repeated multiple times. In this second suction mode, cleaning water is supplied intermittently, so that the pressure inside the cup 21 fluctuates, vibrating the stuck stool and making it easier to suck it up.

Fig. 13 shows the first table data TD1 used for the mode determination in step S3. The control unit 101 refers to the first table data TD1 to determine which of patterns P1, P2, P3, and P4 shown in Fig. 13 the combination of the primary determination and the secondary determination corresponds to, and executes the suction mode corresponding to the corresponding pattern.
According to the first table data TD1, in the primary judgment, if the first detection unit 72 detects moisture first (first detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 does not detect moisture (second detection unit: OFF), it corresponds to pattern P1 and is judged to be in the first suction mode. Also, in the primary judgment, if the first detection unit 72 detects moisture first (first detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture (second detection unit: ON), it corresponds to pattern P2 and is judged to be in the first suction mode.

In addition, in the primary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture first (second detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 does not detect moisture (second detection unit: OFF), it corresponds to pattern P3 and the first suction mode is determined. In addition, in the primary judgment, if the second detection unit 72 detects moisture first (second detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture (second detection unit: ON), it corresponds to pattern P4 and the second suction mode is determined.

If the excrement is a solid object such as feces, the second detection unit 73 will first detect moisture in the primary determination, and there is a high possibility that the second detection unit 73 will also detect moisture in the secondary determination. In other words, depending on whether the pattern is P4 or not, it becomes easier to accurately identify whether the excrement is a solid object from the anus 11A or a liquid object from somewhere other than the anus 11A.
If one were to attempt to identify the type of excrement based on a primary judgment alone, one possible method would be to judge the first suction mode as being in effect if the first detection unit 72 detects moisture first, and to judge the second suction mode as being in effect if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture first.
However, in this method, the second suction mode is determined to be active when urine from the urethral opening 11B flows to a position detected by the second detection unit 73, not to a position detected by the first detection unit 72, due to various factors such as a change in the posture of the user 11. For this reason, the second suction mode, which consumes more energy, is executed even though the first suction mode is sufficient.

In this configuration, even if the second detection unit 72 detects moisture first, if the second detection unit 73 does not detect moisture in the secondary determination (corresponding to pattern P3), the first suction mode is determined to be active. Therefore, even if urine from the urethral opening 11B flows to a position detected by the second detection unit 73 due to various factors, the suction mode can be specified according to the type of waste. Also, even if the waste is from the anus 11A, if it is a small amount or liquid waste that can be immediately sucked, the first suction mode is determined as pattern P3. This makes it possible to avoid a situation where the second suction mode, which consumes a lot of energy, is executed even though the first suction mode would be sufficient.

12, if the control unit 101 determines that the first suction mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S6, where the control unit 101 performs the suction operation in the first suction mode, whereas if the control unit 101 determines that the second suction mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S7, where the control unit 101 performs the suction operation in the second suction mode. This allows the control unit 101 to perform the suction operation according to the type of excrement.
After the suction operation is completed, if the control unit 101 does not detect moisture by either the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 during a predetermined waiting time T2 (step S8: YES), the control unit 101 proceeds to step S9 and performs excretion monitoring. On the other hand, if the control unit 101 detects moisture by either the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 during the waiting time T2 (step S8: NO), the control unit 101 proceeds to step S10 and performs continuous processing. The waiting time T2 may be set to any time, for example, 2 minutes.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the continuous processing.
The control unit 101 performs a primary determination to determine whether the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 detected moisture first after the previous suction operation (step S1A), and starts the suction operation (step S2A). Next, when the control unit 101 determines that a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the suction operation, it performs a secondary determination to determine whether moisture has been detected by the second detection unit 73 (step S3A). The predetermined time T3 is set to a time when the flow of the wind WD from the blower port 31 to the suction port 33 becomes steady, and is set to, for example, the same time as the above-mentioned predetermined time T1.

Next, if the previous suction mode was the second suction mode (step S4A: second suction mode), the control unit 101 identifies the suction mode based on the table data TD1, as in step S5, and performs the suction operation in the identified suction mode.
On the other hand, when the previous suction mode was the first suction mode (step S4A: first suction mode), the controller 101 performs the frequent urination determination in step S5A.

Figure 15 shows the second table data TD2 used to determine frequent urination. By referring to the second table data TD2, the control unit 101 determines whether the combination of the primary and secondary determinations corresponds to one of patterns P5, P6, P7, or P8 shown in Figure 15, and executes the suction mode corresponding to the corresponding pattern. In addition, in this second table data TD2, a third suction mode suitable for frequent urination is appropriately specified. This third suction mode is an operating mode in which a small amount of liquid is sucked in, for example, only by using a blower for 10 seconds.

According to the second table data TD2, in the primary judgment, if the first detection unit 72 detects moisture first (first detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 does not detect moisture (second detection unit: OFF), it corresponds to pattern P5 and is judged to be in the third suction mode. Also, in the primary judgment, if the first detection unit 72 detects moisture first (first detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture (second detection unit: ON), it corresponds to pattern P6 and is judged to be in the third suction mode. Also, in the primary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture first (second detection unit: ON), and in the secondary judgment, if the second detection unit 73 does not detect moisture (second detection unit: OFF), it corresponds to pattern P7 and is judged to be in the third suction mode. Furthermore, in the primary determination, if the second detection unit 72 detects moisture first (second detection unit: ON), and in the secondary determination, if the second detection unit 73 detects moisture (second detection unit: ON), then it corresponds to pattern P8 and is determined to be in the second suction mode.

In this way, in the primary determination, the second detection unit 73 detects moisture first, and only when the second detection unit 73 also detects moisture in the secondary determination, the second suction mode with high energy consumption is specified, and in all other cases, the third suction mode with low energy consumption is specified. This allows the third suction mode to be specified in the case of frequent urination.
14, if the control unit 101 determines that the third suction mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S6A, and the suction operation is performed in the third suction mode, whereas if the control unit 101 determines that the second suction mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S7A, and the suction operation is performed in the second suction mode. This allows the device to operate in an appropriate suction mode depending on whether the user has frequent urination, and makes it easier to conserve energy.

After the suction operation is completed, if the control unit 101 does not detect moisture by either the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 during the predetermined waiting time T4 (step S8A: YES), the control unit 101 proceeds to step S9 and performs excretion monitoring. In contrast, if the control unit 101 detects moisture by either the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 during the waiting time T4 (step S8A: NO), the control unit 101 proceeds to step S10 and performs continuous processing again. The waiting time T4 may be set to any time, and is set to the same time as the waiting time T2, for example.

<About the grinding section>
Next, a description will be given of the multiple blade bodies 33A to 33C that function as a crushing section provided in the suction port 33. In the following, when the multiple blade bodies 33A to 33C are to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as a first blade body 33A, a second blade body 33B, and a third blade body 33C.
As shown in Figure 8, these blade bodies 33A to 33C are arranged at equal angular intervals around the circumferential direction of suction port 33 and are formed into a blade shape that protrudes from the inner surface of suction port 33 (including the inner surface of pipe portion 63) toward the center of suction port 33.
In Figure 16, reference symbol A is a diagram showing the first blade body 33A together with its surrounding configuration, reference symbol B is a diagram showing the second blade body 33B together with its surrounding configuration, and reference symbol C is a diagram showing the third blade body 33C together with its surrounding configuration.

These blades 33A to 33C all extend obliquely with respect to the axis LA of the suction port 33. More specifically, the first blade 33A and the second blade 33B are formed in a blade shape that is inclined in a direction that rotates the excrement that has flowed into the suction port 33 in a right-handed screw direction toward the downstream side, as shown by the symbols A and B in Fig. 16.
16, the third blade body 33C is formed in a blade shape that is inclined in a direction that rotates the excrement that has flowed into the suction port 33 in a left-handed screw direction toward the downstream side. In other words, the third blade body 33C extends in the opposite direction to the first blade body 33A and the second blade body 33B with respect to the axis LA of the suction port 33.

According to this configuration, the waste that has flowed into the suction port 33 can be rotated in the right-thread direction by the first blade 33A and the second blade 33B, and the third blade 33C can make a cut in the waste. This allows the waste to be twisted off and pulverized. As the waste can be pulverized, large pieces of stool can be pulverized and made easier to flush into the suction hose 23. In other words, even if the suction path connected to the suction port 33 is narrowed, the waste is less likely to clog and the adhesion of the waste can be suppressed. Furthermore, by narrowing the suction path, the suction speed can be increased, and the cleaning effect of the inside of the suction hose 23 with the cleaning water WT can be expected. As a result, clogging of the suction path and adhesion of waste can be suppressed, and cleaning of the suction hose 23 can be made easier.

The blades 33A-33C can also generate vortexes in the flow of the cleaning water WT, which can be expected to clean the inner surfaces of the suction port 33 and the suction hose 23, i.e., to remove dirt. The number, shape, and position of the blades 33A-33C may be changed as appropriate, and the configuration of each part is not limited to the above configuration.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a secondary jet 33G for discharging airflow or water may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the suction port 33 (including the inner circumferential surface of the pipe section 63). This secondary jet 33G functions as another crushing section that crushes waste passing through the suction port 33 with the discharged airflow or water. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the secondary jet 33G is provided at a location corresponding to the blades 33A to 33C. Therefore, if waste gets caught on any of the blades 33A to 33C, it can be discharged from the secondary jet 33G to eliminate the catch, which also prevents clogging. The number, shape and position of the secondary jet 33G may also be changed as appropriate.

<Effects on wind flow>
As described above, the excrement treatment device 10 of this embodiment includes a cup 21 that covers the excretion area including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, as shown in Fig. 9, and the cup 21 has a partition plate 61 that forms an air passage WS in the bottom 41L of the cup 21, an air outlet 31, and a suction port 33. The air WD supplied to the air outlet 31 passes through the air passage WS and passes through the excretion accumulation section 21T toward the suction port 33. With this configuration, the air WD is unlikely to hit the excretion area including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, and the user 11 is unlikely to feel discomfort or strangeness during suction. This improves the comfort of use, making it easier for various users, including users 11 with a relatively low level of care needs, to use the device.

In this case, the partition plate 61 defines a space that communicates with the air outlet 31 as an air passage WS and passes through the side of the waste collection area 21T opposite the crotch area 11C of the user 11, and an air passage outlet 62K that communicates with the waste collection area 21T is provided at the downstream end of the air passage WS. This makes it possible to form an air passage WS with a simple configuration that does not allow the air WD to hit excretory areas including the anus 11A and urethral opening 11B.

In addition, a reservoir 21T is provided on the surface of the partition plate 61 that is exposed toward the crotch 11C of the user 11, and this partition plate 61 and the sensor sheet 71 form a sensor plate, making it easier to detect excrement in the reservoir 21T. Furthermore, by directly providing the conductivity detection terminals 73A-73F and 73A-73F of the sensor sheet 71 on the partition plate 61, the partition plate 61 itself can be used as a sensor plate, which is advantageous in reducing the number of parts.

In addition, since the suction port 33 has a pipe portion 63 penetrating the air passage WS toward the accumulation portion 21T, the suction port 33 can be provided at a position where it is easy to suck up the waste in the accumulation portion 21T. In addition, the position of the downstream suction path including the suction port 33 can be set without being restricted by the air passage WS.
In addition, a wind guide member 55 is provided at the outlet of the air passage WS to guide the wind WD in a direction that avoids a specified area (corresponding to the crotch area 11C) including the excretion area of the user 11. This also makes it difficult for the wind WD to directly hit the user 11, contributing to improved usability.

In addition, since the airflow guide member 55 is provided on the opposite side of the suction port 33 with respect to the waste accumulation portion 21T, the airflow guide member 55 can adjust the direction of the airflow WD toward the accumulation portion 21T, making it easier to suck in the waste.
Furthermore, an outside air guide member 54 is provided at the outlet of the outside air inlet 34 provided in the cup 21 to guide the outside air in a direction that avoids a specified area (corresponding to the crotch area 11C) including the excretion area of the user 11. This makes it possible to prevent an excessively negative pressure from building up inside the cup 21 and also makes it difficult for the outside air to directly hit the user 11, thereby contributing to improved usability.

In addition, the cup 21 of this embodiment extends from the dorsal side to the ventral side when worn over a portion covering the excretory area of the user 11, with the dorsal end (position indicated by reference symbol P1 in FIG. 1) terminating just before the coccyx 11T and the ventral end (position indicated by reference symbol P2 in FIG. 1) terminating covering the urethral opening 11B, allowing the cup 21 to be made compact and making it easier to maintain the worn state even in positions other than lying on one's back.

<Action and effect regarding the flow of cleaning water WT>
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning water WT supplied to the water inlet 32 provided on the cup body 41 cleanses the excretion area (corresponding to the crotch area 11C) including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, and then is sucked into the suction port 33 via the excretion collection area 21T, thereby making it easier to thoroughly clean the excretion area and to float the excretion with the cleaning water WT, making it easier to suck up the excretion.

In addition, the device has a water guide member 66 that cleans the area where the user 11 excretes and guides the cleansing water WT after cleaning in a direction toward the accumulation section 21T, making it easier to improve the cleaning effect and the excrement suction effect.
Moreover, a buffer SB that suppresses temperature changes in the wash water WT is provided between the water inlet 32 and the water guide member 66, which suppresses temperature changes in the wash water WT and makes it easier to supply wash water WT at an appropriate temperature. Also, because wash water is supplied intermittently, the pressure inside the cup 21 is fluctuated, vibrating the stuck stool and making it easier to suck it up.

<Effects of the Shape of Cup 21>
As shown in FIG. 1, the cup 21 of this embodiment is thick at the dorsal end (position indicated by reference symbol P1 in FIG. 1) and becomes thinner toward the ventral end (position indicated by reference symbol P2 in FIG. 1), thereby securing space for waste to accumulate and making it easier to prevent the waste from coming into contact with the user 11.
Moreover, the accumulation section 21T where the waste accumulates becomes substantially horizontal when the upper body of the user 11 to which the cup 21 is attached is raised to a predetermined angle, so that the waste is less likely to flow to the opposite side of the user 11 within a predetermined range when the user 11 raises the upper body from a supine position. This makes it difficult for the waste to flow out even when the suction hose 23 is removed.

<Function and effect of the grinding section>
In this embodiment, the suction port 33 of the cup 21 is provided with blades 33A, 33B, and 33C that function as a crushing section for crushing excrement passing through the suction port 33, thereby preventing clogging of the suction path and adhesion of excrement and facilitating cleaning of the suction hose 23. Since clogging of the suction path can be prevented, the suction path can be narrowed to increase the suction speed, which is expected to have the effect of automatically cleaning the suction hose 23 with the cleaning water WT that is sucked in.

Furthermore, the blade bodies 33A, 33B and 33C include blade body 33A, 33B which rotates the excrement in a predetermined direction toward the downstream side, and another blade body 33C which rotates the excrement in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction toward the downstream side. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the excrement with one of the blade bodies 33A, 33B and 33C, and cut the excrement by twisting it with the other blade body, thereby efficiently crushing the excrement.
In this case, blade bodies 33A and 33B are blade bodies extending in a direction that intersects obliquely with axis LA of suction port 33, and the other blade body 33C is a blade body extending in a direction that intersects with axis LA of suction port 33 in the opposite direction to blade bodies 33A and 33B, thereby realizing a blade body that rotates excrement as described above.

In addition, because the blades 33A, 33B, and 33C are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the suction port 33, relatively large waste matter can be brought into contact with multiple blades 33A, 33B, and 33C at the same time, making it easier to crush. Also, by providing a sub-exhaust port 33G that functions as another crushing section, clogging of the suction path can be suppressed, and the suction path can be narrowed to make it easier to increase the suction speed.

<Effects of the first detection unit 72 and the second detection unit 73>
The cup 21 is provided with a first detection section 72 and a second detection section 73 that are capable of detecting excrement from the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, etc., and that are arranged at positions spaced apart from each other, as sensors for detecting excrement. When either the first detection section 72 or the second detection section 73 detects excrement, the control section 101 of the excrement processing unit 100 starts a suction operation, and then performs a post-suction determination process to determine whether or not excrement has been detected by the second detection section 73, which is arranged at a position where it is relatively easy to detect excrement from the anus 11A, of the first detection section 72 and the second detection section 73. If it is determined in this determination process that excrement has not been detected by the second detection section 73, the suction operation is performed in the first suction mode, and if it is determined that excrement has been detected by the second detection section 73, the suction operation is performed in the second suction mode, which consumes more energy than the first suction mode. This allows the suction mode to be specified according to the type of excrement.

In response to this, in the past, there have been devices that use the presence or absence of odor detected by an odor detection sensor in relation to excrement detected by a moisture detection sensor to perform suction operations suited to the type of excrement. In this embodiment, suction operations suited to the type of excrement are possible without using a moisture detection sensor and an odor detection sensor. This makes it possible to prevent the device from operating in the second suction mode, which unnecessarily consumes a lot of energy, and to conserve energy.

The control unit 101 also performs a primary determination to determine whether the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 is the detection unit that first detects excrement, and if the second detection unit 73 detects excrement in the primary determination and if the second detection unit 73 detects excrement in the secondary determination consisting of a determination process after suction, performs a suction operation in the second suction mode, and if the first detection unit 72 or the second detection unit 73 detects excrement in the primary determination and the second detection unit 73 does not detect excrement in the secondary determination, performs a suction operation in the first suction mode. As a result, if the second detection unit 73 detects excrement in the primary determination but does not detect excrement in the secondary determination, it is deemed to be possibly urine or excrement that can be suctioned in the first suction mode, thereby enabling energy savings.

The first detection unit 72 and the second detection unit 73 detect moisture, which is advantageous in terms of reducing costs compared to using other sensors capable of detecting excrement, such as odor sensors, and enables suction operation according to the type of excrement with a single type of sensor. Note that the first detection unit 72 and the second detection unit 73 may also be configured to detect excrement in a manner other than detecting moisture.

9, the first detection unit 72 is disposed at a position where it is relatively easy to detect excrement at the urethral opening 11B, and the second detection unit 73 is disposed at a position where it can detect excrement at the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B. This makes it possible to detect excrement even when urine from the urethral opening 11B flows to a position detected by the second detection unit 73 rather than to a position detected by the first detection unit 72, and also makes it easier to perform a suction operation tailored to the urine.
Furthermore, since the second detector 73 detects excrement in the excrement reservoir 21T, it is possible to reliably detect the excrement and perform the suction operation.

<Functions and Effects Related to the Attachment of Cup 21>
As shown in Fig. 5, the cushion 51 provided on the cup 21 has a fixing portion 52 to the cup 21 and an elastic portion 53 that contacts the crotch portion 11C of the user 11, and the supporter 111 that attaches the cup 21 to the user 11 has an opening 111A through which the cup 21 passes. As shown in Fig. 7, the peripheral portion 111B of the opening 111A is abutted against the fixing portion 52 of the cushion 51, and the cup 21 is attached to the user 11 by the supporter 111. With this configuration, the elastic portion 53 of the cushion 51 is independently displaced, so that the user 11 does not feel any pressure and no pain occurs. In addition, since the peripheral portion 111B of the opening 111A of the supporter 111 is abutted against the fixing portion 52 of the cushion 51, the cup can be easily held appropriately on the user 11, and leakage from between the opening 111A of the supporter 111 and the fixing portion 52 of the cushion 51 can be prevented.

The cup 21 is in the shape of a hollow box that is open on the side of the excretion area including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, has a flange 41T that extends along the outer periphery of the opening, and the fixing part 52 of the cushion 51 is formed in a shape that grips the flange 41T and covers the entire periphery of the opening. With this configuration, the fixing force of the cup 21 by the supporter 111 can be increased by utilizing the rigidity of the flange 41T.
In addition, the elastic portion 53 of the cushion 51 has an annular cavity extending along the opening of the cup 21, making the elastic portion 53 easier to elastically deform and allowing the degree of elastic deformation to be adjusted by inserting another elastic member into this cavity.

<Other embodiments>
Next, another embodiment of the excrement treatment device 10 will be described.
Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a cup 21 used in an excrement treatment device 10 according to another embodiment. Fig. 19 is a side cross-sectional view of the cup 21 together with the flows of cleaning water WT, wind WD, and outside air AR. Note that the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.
This cup 21 comprises a concave cup body 41, a water guide member 66 attached to the cup body 41, a cushion 51, a sensor sheet 71 laminated on the bottom 41L of the cup body 41, and a flow straightening plate 81 disposed within the cup body 41. The bottom 41L of the cup body 41 is provided with an outside air inlet 34, a water inlet 32, an air outlet 31, and a suction port 33, in this order from the ventral end side. The water guide member 66 is formed separately from the cup body 41.

The cushion 51 is the same as in the above embodiment except that it does not have the air guide member 55. In FIG. 19, the cushion 51 is shown by an imaginary line (two-dot chain line). The sensor sheet 71 is the same as in the above embodiment except that it is formed in a shape that allows it to be placed on the bottom 41L of the cup body 41 and has a through hole 76 that communicates with the air outlet 31 of the partition plate 61. By fixing the sensor sheet 71 to the bottom 41L of the cup body 41, the bottom 41L of the cup body 41 functions as a sensor plate on which a sensor for detecting excrement is placed. The bottom 41L itself may be configured as a sensor plate by directly providing the first detection unit 72 and the second detection unit 73 on the bottom 41L of the cup body 41.

This embodiment differs greatly from the above embodiment in that it does not include a partition plate 61, but includes a straightening plate 81. The straightening plate 81 and its surrounding structure will be described below. Note that the inner surface of the cup body 41 is provided with a number of spaced apart holes 41X that function as supports for removably supporting the straightening plate 81.

<Regarding the current plate 81>
As shown in Fig. 19, the rectifying plate 81 is formed of a plate-like member extending from the cup body 41 to cover the suction port 33. The rectifying plate 81 extends from between the air outlet 31 and the suction port 33 to the vicinity of the waste accumulation portion 21T, opening the accumulation portion 21T. The rectifying plate 81 divides the internal space of the cup 21 into a space on the air outlet 31 side and a space on the suction port 33 side, and the respective spaces are connected to each other at the waste accumulation portion 21T. This makes it possible to easily and compactly form an air passage WX in the cup 21 that causes the wind WD supplied to the air outlet 31 to flow around the extended end of the rectifying plate 81 to the accumulation portion 21T and the suction port 33.

19, when the urethral opening 11B is located above the anus 11A, the straightening plate 81 extends obliquely downward toward the reservoir 21T, so that excrement from the urethral opening 11B and the like can be guided to the reservoir 21T by the straightening plate 81. More specifically, the inclination angle θ2 of the straightening plate 81 is formed to be steeper than the inclination angle θ1 of the reservoir 21T (θ2>θ1), so that urine and the like can be guided to the reservoir 21T even when the upper body of the user 11 is raised and the reservoir 21T becomes horizontal.
This inclination angle θ2 is an angle at which the space on the air outlet 31 side partitioned by the straightening plate 81 becomes wider on the urethral opening 11B side and narrower toward the anus 11A side (also corresponding to the reservoir 21T side), so that the air WD from the air outlet 31 gradually increases in speed toward the reservoir 21T side, making it easier to push out waste in the reservoir 21T toward the suction port 33. A concave partition 64 is provided in the cup body 41 between the water inlet 32 and the water guide member 66, defining a buffer SB as a space of a predetermined volume.

<About the Wind WD Flow>
The wind WD supplied to the air outlet 31 flows along the air passage WX shown in FIG. 19, so it passes between the straightening plate 81 and the crotch area 11C, goes around the extension end of the straightening plate 81, and is supplied to the waste accumulation area 21T. The straightening plate 81 extends to cover the suction port 33, so the flow rate of the wind WD is increased in the accumulation area 21T, making it easier to push the waste toward the suction port 33. This makes it easier to suck in various waste such as hard feces. Moreover, since the inclination angle θ2 of the straightening plate 81 is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the accumulation area 21T, the gap between the straightening plate 81 and the bottom 41L of the cup body 41 becomes narrower as it approaches the accumulation area 21T, and the flow rate immediately downstream of the accumulation area 21T can also be increased. As a result, the flow rate in the accumulation area 21T is increased, making it easier to obtain suction power that can suck in hard feces. This is advantageous when obtaining suction power to suck up excrement from various users 11, including not only elderly people but also young people.

The amount of wind WD hitting the user 11 changes by adjusting the inclination angle θ2 of the straightening plate 81. If the amount of wind WD hitting the user 11 is excessive, the user 11 may feel uneasy or uncomfortable, which may lead to a deterioration in usability. For this reason, it is preferable to adjust the inclination angle θ2 of the straightening plate 81 while taking into account the balance with the suction force, or to adjust the amount of wind WD supplied to the air outlet 31.

<Flow of cleaning water WT>
FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the area shown in FIG. 19 where the cleaning water WT flows.
As shown in Figure 20, flush water WT is supplied to a buffer SB provided between the water inlet 32 and the water guide member 66, and is discharged from the flush port 65 via this buffer SB. By temporarily storing the flush water WT, this buffer SB prevents cold water (residual water in the flush water hose 24, etc.) immediately after supply from being immediately discharged from the flush port 65, and can mix with warm water to discharge the flush water WT from the flush port 65. In other words, this buffer SB suppresses temperature changes in the flush water WT, making it easier to supply flush water WT at an appropriate temperature.

The discharge direction of the cleansing water WT discharged from the cleansing port 65 is changed by the water guide member 66. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the water guide member 66 of this configuration guides the cleansing water WT in a direction in which the cleansing water WT flows from the urethral opening 11B to the anus 11A, and the cleansing water WT after cleansing heads toward the waste collection section 21T. As a result, the cleansing water WT cleanses excretory areas including the anus 11A and the urethral opening 11B, and is then sucked into the suction port 33 via the waste collection section 21T.
The water guide member 66 guides the cleansing water WT, so that only the areas of the user 11 that need to be cleansed can be cleaned. Moreover, the water guide member 66 causes the cleansing water WT to be sucked into the suction port 33 via the waste collection section 21T, so that the cleansing water WT makes it easier to float the waste and to suck the waste.

<Effects on wind flow>
As shown in Fig. 20, in this embodiment, the wind WD supplied to the air outlet 31 goes around the extending end of the straightening plate 81 and heads toward the accumulation section 21T. The straightening plate 81 extends to cover the suction port 33 and opens the accumulation section 21T, so that the wind WD is accelerated in the accumulation section 21T, the suction power of the waste material is increased, and it becomes easier to suck up hard feces, etc. This makes it easier for various users, including the user 11 with a relatively low level of care needs, to use the device.

In addition, since the straightening plate 81 extends from between the blower port 31 and the suction port 33, an air passage WX can be easily and compactly formed in the cup 21, which allows the air WD supplied to the blower port 31 to flow around the extending end of the straightening plate 81 to the reservoir 21T and the suction port 33. In addition, when the urethral opening 11B is located above the anus 11A, the straightening plate 81 extends diagonally downward toward the reservoir 21T, so that waste from the urethral opening 11B, etc. can be guided to the reservoir 21T by the straightening plate 81, making it easier to suck up the waste. In addition, since the straightening plate 81 is removable from the cup 21, maintenance such as cleaning and replacement of the straightening plate 81 and the cup 21 can be easily performed.

<Functions and Effects of Other Configurations>
The configurations and effects of the flow of the cleaning water WT, the shape of the cup 21, the crushing unit, the first detection unit 72, the second detection unit 73, the attachment of the cup 21, etc. are the same as those of the above embodiment. The operation in the automatic operation mode is also the same as that of the above embodiment.

It should be noted that the above embodiment is merely an example of one aspect of the present invention, and that any modification and application can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example, the present invention has been described as being applied to the waste disposal device 10 and the cup 21 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, but the structure and shape of each part may be changed as appropriate. In FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, a straight type in which the extension end (the end on the side of the reservoir 21T) of the flow regulating plate 81 is straight is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the flow regulating plate 81 may be rounded in a concave shape toward the reservoir 21T. By making the flow regulating plate 81 round, the area of the reservoir 21T open to the user 11 side is expanded, making it difficult for waste to clog. In addition, the flow regulating plate 81 may be rounded in a convex shape toward the reservoir 21T. A plurality of such flow regulating plates 81 of different shapes may be prepared and replaced as appropriate according to the user 11, etc.
Also, outside air may be blown into the cup 21. In this case, an outside air conditioning device that performs at least one of deodorization, dust removal, and humidity adjustment may be provided, and the outside air that has passed through this outside air conditioning device may be supplied into the cup 21.

1 Excrement treatment device 11 User (human body)
11A anus 11B urethral opening 11C groin area 11T coccyx 21 cup (covering member)
22 Air blower hose 23 Suction hose 24 Cleaning water hose 25 Electric wiring 31 Air blower port 32 Water inlet 33 Suction port 33A First blade body 33B Second blade body 33C Third blade body (another blade body)
34: Outside air inlet 41: Cup body 41L: Bottom 41T: Flange 41V: Support 41X: Hole (support)
51 Cushion 52 Fixing portion 53 Elastic portion 54 Outside air guide member 55 Air guide member 61 Partition plate 62K Air passage outlet 66 Water guide member 71 Sensor sheet 72 First detection portion 73 Second detection portion 100 Excrement processing unit 101 Control portion 102 Air blowing portion 103 Cleansing water supply portion 104 Suction portion 105 Tank portion 106 Operation portion 107 Notification portion 111 Supporter 111A Opening 111B Peripheral portion 111C Crotch portion 112 Supporter main body portion AR Outside air WD Wind WT Cleansing water WS Air passage WX Air passage EX Excrement

Claims (5)

In an excrement treatment device, excrement is sucked from excrement points including an anus and a urethral opening and treated,
A cover member for covering the excretion area;
a sensor for detecting excrement provided on the cover member;
A control unit controls a suction operation based on a detection result of the sensor,
the sensor has a first detection unit and a second detection unit that are capable of detecting the excrement and are disposed at positions spaced apart from each other;
when either the first detection unit or the second detection unit detects the excrement, the control unit performs a primary determination process to determine whether the excrement was first detected by the first detection unit or the second detection unit, and starts a suction operation; and after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the suction operation based on the primary determination process, the control unit performs a secondary determination process after suction to determine whether the excrement was detected by the second detection unit, which is disposed in a position that makes it relatively easy to detect excrement from the anus, of the first detection unit or the second detection unit,
performing a suction operation in a first suction mode when the first detection unit or the second detection unit detects excrement for the first time in the primary determination process and the second detection unit does not detect excrement in the secondary determination process;
When the second detection unit detects excrement for the first time in the primary determination process and also detects excrement in the secondary determination process, a suction operation is performed in a second suction mode that consumes more energy than the first suction mode.
An excrement treatment device comprising: The excrement treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit and the second detection unit detect moisture. The first detection unit is disposed at a position where it is relatively easy to detect excrement at the urethral opening,
3. The excrement treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the second detection unit is disposed at a position where it can detect excrement at the anus and the urethral opening. a collecting portion for the excrement is provided in a suction path for sucking the excrement ,
The excrement treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the second detection section detects the excrement in the accumulation section. An excrement treatment device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the covering member extends from the dorsal side to the ventral side when attached to the area covering the excretion area, with the dorsal end terminating just before the coccyx and the ventral end terminating covering the urethral opening.

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