JP7561578B2 - Toilet equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a toilet device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional toilet device. This toilet device has a toilet body. The toilet body forms a storage space at the rear. The toilet body has a rear wall portion that forms an opening that connects the storage space to the outside space.

JP 2009-191500 A

In the toilet device of Patent Document 1, when the opening is viewed from the rear of the toilet body, the items stored inside the storage space are visible through the opening. For this reason, it is hard to say that the appearance is good.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a toilet device that can improve design.

A toilet apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a toilet body having a rear wall portion that forms a storage space at the rear and has an opening that connects the storage space to an external space, internal parts that are stored in the storage space, and a flexible cover member that covers the opening from the storage space side.

1 is a perspective view showing a toilet device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a toilet device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a rear view showing the internal components of the toilet device according to the first embodiment with the cover member attached. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the toilet device according to the first embodiment, showing a cross section corresponding to the cross section of line IV-IV in FIG. 3. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4.

<Embodiment 1>
An embodiment of the toilet device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "front-rear direction,""left-rightdirection," and "up-down direction" refer to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction, respectively, as seen by a user who is seated on a toilet seat (not shown) in the installed toilet device.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the toilet device 1 comprises a toilet body 10, a functional section 20, and a cover member 30. The toilet body 10 has a toilet bowl section 11, a peripheral wall section 12, and a rear wall section 13. The toilet body 10 is made of ceramic and is formed integrally with these. The toilet body 10 forms a storage space S, which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the toilet bowl 11 is formed in a bowl-like shape recessed downward from the upper surface at the front of the toilet body 10. The toilet bowl 11 is connected at its lower end to a drainage channel (not shown). The toilet bowl 11 is washed with washing water supplied from the functional section 20. The peripheral wall 12 is formed by extending in a curved manner so as to surround the left and right sides from the front of the toilet bowl 11.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear wall portion 13 is disposed behind the toilet bowl portion 11. The rear wall portion 13 has a left side portion 14, a right side portion 15, and a rear portion 16. The left side portion 14, the right side portion 15, and the rear portion 16 form a U-shape in a plan view. Specifically, the left and right side portions 14, 15 each extend in the front-to-rear direction in a plan view. The rear portion 16 extends in the left-to-right direction in a plan view. Both left and right ends of the rear portion 16 are connected to the rear ends of the left and right side portions 14, 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear wall portion 13 has a bottom surface portion 17. The bottom surface portion 17 is located in the vertical middle portion of the rear wall portion 13. The bottom surface portion 17 is connected to the left side surface portion 14, the right side surface portion 15, and the rear surface portion 16 from the inside. The bottom surface portion 17 divides the space surrounded by the left side surface portion 14, the right side surface portion 15, and the rear surface portion 16 of the rear wall portion 13 into upper and lower portions.

As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet body 10 forms a storage space S. The storage space S stores the functional part 20. The storage space S is provided at the rear of the toilet body 10, i.e., behind the toilet bowl 11. The storage space S is the upper space of the space partitioned vertically by the bottom part 17 of the rear wall part 13. The storage space S is open upward. The functional part 20 is inserted into the storage space S from above the toilet body 10.

The rear wall 13 forms an opening 16A. The opening 16A connects the storage space S to the outside space. The opening 16A is formed in the rear surface 16 of the rear wall 13. Specifically, the opening 16A is formed above the bottom surface 17 and penetrates the rear surface 16 in the front-rear direction. The water supply pipe 50 described below penetrates the opening 16A. The opening 16A has an elongated hole shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. The opening 16A is formed at a position closer to the bottom surface 17 in the vertical direction between the upper end of the rear surface 16 and the bottom surface 17. The opening 16A is formed slightly left of the center in the left-right direction of the rear surface 16. These shapes of the opening 16A are formed in consideration of the workability when connecting the water supply pipe 50 to the functional part 20.

The rear wall 13 forms an opening 14A. The opening 14A penetrates the left side surface 14 of the rear wall 13 in the left-right direction, and connects the storage space S to the external space. The opening 14A is provided to allow access to the functional section 20 from the outside and to ventilate the storage space S. A lid member (not shown) is attached to the opening 14A from the external space side.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the functional unit 20 has a base plate 21, a power supply unit 22, and a water supply connection unit 40. In addition to these, the functional unit 20 has various functional parts such as an electric opening and closing unit for the toilet seat and toilet lid, a washing unit for the toilet bowl 11, a personal washing unit, a warm air drying unit, control circuit boards for each unit, and various piping. The functional unit 20 is configured by attaching various functional parts such as the power supply unit 22 and the water supply connection unit 40 to the base plate 21.

The base plate 21 is fixed to the toilet body 10. When this is done, the placement surface 21A of the base plate 21 is placed on the upper surface of the rear wall 13 and the upper surface of the rear of the toilet bowl 10. The upper opening of the storage space S is closed by fixing the base plate 21 to the toilet body 10. Of the functional part 20, the lower side of the base plate 21, i.e., the part below the placement surface 21A, is stored in the storage space S. The power supply unit 22 and the water supply connection part 40 are attached to the lower side of the base plate 21. The power supply unit 22 and the water supply connection part 40 correspond to the internal parts according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the part of the functional part 20 below the placement surface 21A of the base plate 21 corresponds to the internal parts according to the present disclosure. Of the functional part 20, the upper side of the base plate 21 (the part above the placement surface 21A) is placed above the upper end of the toilet body 10. A cover (not shown) is attached to the upper side of the base plate 21.

The water supply connection 40 connects the water supply pipe 50. The water supply connection 40, together with the water supply pipe 50 described later, constitutes the water supply member according to the present disclosure. The water supply member according to the present disclosure includes the most upstream water supply connection, a water supply pipe connected to the water supply connection, and a water supply flow path (not shown) downstream of the water supply pipe connected to the water supply pipe. In the functional part 20, washing water used for washing the toilet bowl 11 and washing the private parts is supplied to the internal water supply path through the water supply connection 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply connection 40 is provided on the lower surface side of the base plate 21 and in the center in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the water supply connection 40 has a tubular part 41 and a flange part 42. The tubular part 41 is formed in a tubular shape that protrudes backward. The flange part 42 is formed so as to spread radially outward from the tip of the tubular part 41. The outer diameter of the flange portion 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the tubular portion 41.

The water supply pipe 50 is connected at one end to a water supply source (not shown) and at the other end to the water supply connection part 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the water supply pipe 50 has a pipe-side connection part 60 that is connected to the water supply connection part 40. The pipe-side connection part 60 has a pipe-side tubular part 61 and a pipe-side flange part 62. The pipe-side tubular part 61 is formed in a tubular shape having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular part 41. The pipe-side tubular part 61 is inserted inside the tubular part 41. Two seal grooves 61A are formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe-side tubular part 61. An O-ring SL is fitted into each seal groove 61A. The connection between the water supply connection part 40 and the pipe-side connection part 60 is kept watertight by these O-rings SL.

As shown in FIG. 5, the piping side flange portion 62 is formed so as to extend radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the piping side tubular portion 61 at a position closer to the base end than the tip of the piping side tubular portion 61. The piping side flange portion 62 faces the flange portion 42 on the water supply connection portion 40 side when the piping side tubular portion 61 is inserted into the tubular portion 41.

The water supply connection part 40 and the piping side connection part 60 are maintained in a connected state by a holding unit 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding unit 70 has a pair of half rings 71 and a pair of bolts 72. The pair of half rings 71 are members formed into a ring shape when assembled, and the assembled state is maintained by fastening the pair of bolts 72. As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of half rings 71 form a circumferential groove 71A on the inner peripheral surface.

The power supply unit 22 is an example of an electronic component according to the present disclosure. The power supply unit 22 supplies power to each part of the toilet device 1. The power supply unit 22 is configured by mounting various electronic components that constitute a circuit on a board (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 22 is disposed below the base plate 21 and adjacent to the right side of the water supply connection part 40. A power cord 23 is connected to the power supply unit 22. The power cord 23 passes through the base plate 21 from below and is connected to the power supply unit 22 via a terminal block (not shown). Different electronic components are attached to the power supply unit 22 depending on the specifications, such as by function or country. The power supply unit 22 may have different overall shapes, such as different amounts of protrusion to the rear, depending on the parts attached to it.

The cover member 30 covers the opening 16A from the storage space S side. That is, the cover member 30 is arranged in the storage space S. The cover member 30 is formed by molding a resin material such as rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into a thin plate shape with a plate thickness of about 1 mm. In this embodiment, the cover member 30 is formed in a size that can cover the entire opening 16A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover member 30 has a rectangular shape in a rear view with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. The left-right width of the cover member 30 is larger than the left-right size of the opening 16A and smaller than the left-right width of the functional part 20. In detail, the cover member 30 entirely covers the water supply connection part 40 in the functional part 20 and partially covers the left side of the power supply unit 22. The cover member 30 covers the water supply connection part 40 and the power supply unit 22 so that they cannot be seen from the external space side. The cover member 30 may cover the entire power supply unit 22 in the left-right direction, or may cover the entire left-right width of the functional section 20.

The cover member 30 is flexible. This allows the cover member 30 to deform according to the shapes of the rear wall 13 and the functional part 20, which is an internal part. As described above, the shape of the power supply unit 22 in the functional part 20 can vary depending on differences in specifications. The toilet body 10, including the rear wall 13, is made of ceramic, which has a relatively large dimensional tolerance during the manufacturing process. For this reason, it is significant that the cover member 30 can deform according to the shapes of the functional parts 20, such as the power supply unit 22, which differ depending on the specifications, and the shape of the rear wall 13, which differs depending on the dimensional tolerance. The cover member 30 is provided in a color similar to the color of the toilet body 10 (for example, white).

The cover member 30 is attached to the water supply connection portion 40 as an internal part. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the cover member 30 has a through hole 31 penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The through hole 31 is formed with a circular cross-sectional shape. The inner diameter of the through hole 31 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange portion 42 in the water supply connection portion 40. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the cover member 30 is attached by penetrating the through hole 31 from the flange portion 42 side of the water supply connection portion 40 and hooking it onto the tubular portion 41. In this state, the cover member 30 is provided so as to be movable by the difference between the inner diameter of the through hole 31 and the outer diameter of the tubular portion 41. That is, the cover member 30 can change its relative position with respect to the water supply connection portion 40 by the difference between the inner diameter of the through hole 31 and the outer diameter of the tubular portion 41. When the functional part 20 is fixed to the toilet body 10, the cover member 30 can change its relative position with respect to the rear wall part 13 by the difference between the inner diameter of the through hole 31 and the outer diameter of the tubular part 41. Therefore, it is significant that the cover member 30 can change its relative position according to the shape of the functional part 20, such as the power supply unit 22, which differs depending on the specifications, and the shape of the rear wall part 13, which differs depending on the dimensional tolerance. The inner diameter of the through hole 31 is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of half rings 71 in the assembled state. Therefore, the cover member 30 is prevented from coming off by passing the through hole 31 of the cover member 30 through the water supply connection part 40, connecting the water supply pipe 50 to the water supply connection part 40 in this state, and holding it with the holding unit 70.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover member 30 has a bent portion 32. The bent portion 32 is formed by bending the lower end of the cover member 30 forward. As shown in FIG. 4, the bent portion 32 covers the functional portion 20 from below. The bent portion 32 is formed across the entire left-right width of the cover member 30.

The assembly of the toilet device 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, the cover member 30 is attached to the functional part 20. Specifically, the water supply connection part 40 is inserted into the through hole 31 of the cover member 30 from the rear end side. This causes the cover member 30 to be hooked onto the tubular part 41 at the periphery of the through hole 31. In this state, the cover member 30 is unlikely to slip out backwards because the periphery of the through hole 31 interferes with the flange part 42.

At this time, the power cord 23 is routed so that the cover member 30 is positioned between the power unit 22 and the power cord 23 (see FIG. 3). This results in the cover member 30 being temporarily attached to the water supply connection portion 40. In this temporarily attached state, the cover member 30 is sandwiched between the power cord 23 and the power unit 22, and tilting of the cover member 30 in the front-rear and left-right directions is suppressed.

In the temporary attachment state, the upper end of the cover member 30 is placed with a slight gap from the placement surface 21A of the base plate 21, and the bent portion 32 covers the lower surface side of the functional portion 20. Therefore, when the cover member 30 tilts around the tubular portion 41 of the water supply connection portion 40, the upper end of the cover member 30 interferes with the placement surface 21A of the base plate 21, and the bent portion 32 interferes with the lower surface of the functional portion 20. This prevents the cover member 30 from rotating around the tubular portion 41. In this way, when the cover member 30 is temporarily attached to the water supply connection portion 40, it is preferably prevented from falling off or becoming misaligned from the water supply connection portion 40.

The functional part 20 with the cover member 30 temporarily attached in this manner is inserted into the storage space S, and the placement surface 21A of the base plate 21 is placed and fixed on the upper surface of the rear wall part 13 and the upper surface of the rear part of the toilet bowl part 11. At this time, even if the cover member 30 interferes with the inner surface of the rear wall part 13 or with the protruding part of the functional part 20, the flexibility of the cover member 30 allows it to bend appropriately and fit into the specified position.

At this time, the power cord 23 passes through the opening 16A while remaining positioned on the rear side of the cover member 30. As a result, the power cord 23 passes through the opening 16A from the external space, and is routed between the rear surface of the cover member 30 and the front surface of the rear portion 16 within the storage space S, and is connected to the functional portion 20.

Then, the water supply pipe 50 is connected to the functional part 20. The water supply pipe 50 and the functional part 20 are connected as follows. First, the pipe side tubular part 61 of the pipe side connection part 60 is inserted into the tubular part 41 of the water supply connection part 40. At this time, the pipe side flange part 62 is inserted until it comes into contact with the flange part 42. In this state, the pair of half-split rings 71 are assembled into a ring shape so that the flange part 42 and the pipe side flange part 62 are placed in the groove 71A, and the pair of bolts 72 are engaged. This prevents the pipe side connection part 60 from coming off the water supply connection part 40, and the connection between the water supply connection part 40 and the pipe side connection part 60 is established.

Each of the above steps is carried out in a factory, and the toilet device 1 assembled to this state is transported to the site where the toilet will be installed.

As described above, the toilet device 1 of the first embodiment comprises the toilet body 10, the functional part 20 as an internal part, and the cover member 30. The toilet body 10 forms a storage space S at the rear. The toilet body 10 has a rear wall portion 13 that forms an opening 16A that connects the storage space S to the outside space. The functional part 20 is stored in the storage space S. The cover member 30 covers the opening 16A from the storage space S side.

In this way, in the toilet device 1, the opening 16A is covered from the storage space S side by the cover member 30. This makes the functional part 20 invisible from the external space side, and provides a good appearance. This allows the toilet device 1 to improve its design. By providing the cover member 30, the toilet device 1 can prevent water, foreign objects, etc. from entering the storage space S from the external space, and prevent fingers, etc. from being inserted into the storage space S from the external space. In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 is flexible. This allows it to suitably adapt to the inner shape of the rear wall part 13 of the toilet body 10, which is made of ceramic, and the shape of the functional part 20, the size of which may vary depending on the specifications.

In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 is attached to the functional part 20 as an internal part. That is, the cover member 30 can change its relative position with respect to the rear wall part 13. Specifically, the cover member 30 can change its relative position with respect to the water supply connection part 40 by the difference between the inner diameter of the through hole 31 and the outer diameter of the tubular part 41. Therefore, when the functional part 20 is fixed to the toilet body 10, the cover member 30 can move relative to the rear wall part 13 by the difference between the inner diameter of the through hole 31 and the outer diameter of the tubular part 41. Therefore, the toilet device 1 can absorb the shape of the functional part 20 that differs depending on the specifications, the manufacturing dimensional error of the toilet body 10 due to being made of ceramic, etc. by the relative movement of the cover member 30. As a result, the opening 16A can be suitably covered by the cover member 30. Since the cover member 30 can change its relative position, the toilet device 1 can suitably cover a specific part of the functional part 20 with the cover member 30. Even if the cover member 30 is attached at a position that is misaligned relative to the opening 16A, the specific portion of the functional unit 20 is reliably covered by the cover member 30. This makes it possible to prevent the specific portion of the functional unit 20 from being exposed through the opening 16A.

In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 can be deformed according to the shape of at least one of the rear wall portion 13 and the functional portion 20. This is achieved by forming the cover member 30 in a flexible thin plate shape. The mounting position of the cover member 30 can be changed according to the shape of at least one of the rear wall portion 13 and the functional portion 20. This is achieved by setting the inner diameter of the through hole 31 in the cover member 30 larger than the outer diameter of the tubular portion 41, which is the mounting portion of the cover member 30.

In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 has an inner diameter of the through hole 31 set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of half rings 71 in the assembled state in the holding unit 70. Therefore, by attaching the cover member 30 to the functional part 20 and connecting the water supply pipe 50 to the water supply connection part 40 and holding it in place with the holding unit 70, the cover member 30 can be stably attached to the functional part 20.

In the toilet device 1, the functional section 20 as an internal component has a power supply unit 22 as an electronic component. The cover member 30 covers this power supply unit 22. Therefore, even if a finger or the like is inserted through the opening 16A, the cover member 30 can prevent contact with the power supply unit 22. In this way, there is great significance in providing the cover member 30 that covers the power supply unit 22 and prevents contact from the outside space.

In the toilet device 1, at least a portion of the outer periphery of the cover member 30 is bent toward the functional unit 20. Therefore, compared to when the cover member is simply flat, it is possible to make it difficult for a finger or the like to come into contact with the functional unit 20 even when the finger or the like is inserted through the opening 16A. In the case of this embodiment, the cover member 30 has a bent portion 32 that is bent forward at the lower end. Therefore, even if a finger or the like is inserted from below the functional unit 20, the bent portion 32 can prevent contact with the power supply unit 22.

In the toilet device 1, the opening 16A is penetrated by the water supply pipe 50. Therefore, unlike an opening formed as a simple ventilation hole or a lightening hole, it is very meaningful to provide a cover member 30 that can cover the functional part 20 to which the water supply pipe 50 is connected and make it invisible from the outside.

In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 has a through hole 31 that passes through the water supply pipe 50. This allows the opening 16A to be securely covered in areas other than the through hole 31.

In the toilet device 1, the functional part 20, which is an internal part, forms the water supply connection part 40 to which the water supply pipe 50 is connected, and the cover member 30 penetrates the water supply connection part 40. Therefore, the installation and positioning of the cover member 30 can be achieved with a simple configuration.

In the toilet device 1, the opening 16A passes through the power cord 23, which is routed between the rear wall portion 13 and the cover member 30 and connected to the functional portion 20. In other words, the power cord 23 passes only through the opening 16A of the rear wall portion 13, and does not pass through the cover member 30. Therefore, only the water supply pipe 50 needs to pass through the cover member 30. As a result, the assembly of the toilet device 1 can be facilitated.

In the toilet device 1, the cover member 30 has a certain degree of flexibility. Therefore, even if a pressing force is applied from the outside space, the force can be deflected and damage to the cover member 30 can be prevented.

In the toilet device 1, the opening 16A is formed in a position offset to the left, which is the opposite side to the arrangement of the power supply unit 22 in the functional section 20. This makes it even more difficult to come into contact with the power supply unit 22 without reducing the ease of work at the opening 16A, such as when connecting the water supply pipe 50.

<Other embodiments>
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

(1) The size, shape, and position of the opening in the rear wall are not limited to those exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, the opening according to the present disclosure may be formed on the left and right side surfaces of the rear wall. The opening shape may be, for example, a polygonal shape such as a rectangle, or a shape other than an oval shape, such as a circle. When the opening shape is a polygon, it is preferable that two adjacent sides that form a corner in the outer shape of the opening are smoothly connected in a curved shape. The opening may be, for example, formed in a notch shape whose upper end extends to the upper end of the rear wall and is open upward.

(2) The internal components are not limited to the functional parts exemplified in the above embodiment. The internal components according to the present disclosure may have any shape as long as they are stored within the storage space.

(3) The outer shape, thickness, material, etc. of the cover member are not limited to the examples in the above embodiment. For example, the cover member may have an outer shape other than a rectangle, such as a circle or an oval. The cover member may be made of other materials, such as metal. It is preferable that the cover member has a thickness that provides a predetermined flexibility, taking into account the material. The cover member may be attached to the toilet body, for example. The cover member may cover only a portion of the opening.

(4) It is not essential that the cover member has a bent portion. The bent portion may be provided, for example, at two or more locations on the outer peripheral edge of the cover member. The bent portion may be provided, for example, at the left and right ends of the cover member.

(5) When the cover member has a through hole, the penetration location of the through hole in the water supply member is not limited to the water supply connection portion. The water supply member may penetrate the through hole in the water supply pipe, or may penetrate at a location downstream of the water supply pipe.

1...toilet device, 10...toilet body, 13...rear wall, 16A...opening, 20...functional part (internal parts), 22...power supply unit (electronic parts), 23...power cord, 30...cover member, 31...through hole, 40...water supply connection part, 50...water supply pipe, S...storage space

Claims (8)

A toilet body having a rear wall portion that forms a storage space at the rear and has an opening that connects the storage space to an outside space;
An internal component to be stored in the storage space;
a cover member having flexibility and covering the opening from the storage space side;
It is equipped with
The cover member is attached to the internal part, and its position relative to the rear wall portion is changeable . A toilet body having a rear wall portion that forms a storage space at the rear and has an opening that connects the storage space to an outside space;
An internal component to be stored in the storage space;
a cover member having flexibility and covering the opening from the storage space side;
It is equipped with
The cover member is capable of at least one of deformation and changing of its attachment position depending on the shape of at least one of the rear wall portion and the internal component . A toilet body having a rear wall portion that forms a storage space at the rear and has an opening that connects the storage space to an outside space;
An internal component to be stored in the storage space;
a cover member having flexibility and covering the opening from the storage space side;
It is equipped with
The cover member has a bent portion in which at least a portion of an outer periphery is bent toward the internal component . A toilet body having a rear wall portion that forms a storage space at the rear and has an opening that connects the storage space to an outside space;
An internal component to be stored in the storage space;
a cover member having flexibility and covering the opening from the storage space side;
It is equipped with
The opening is passed through by a power cord that is routed between the rear wall portion and the cover member and connected to the internal components . the internal components include electronic components;
The toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the cover member covers the electronic components so that they cannot be seen from the exterior space. A toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening penetrates the water supply member. The toilet device according to claim 6, wherein the cover member has a through hole through which the water supply member passes. The water supply member has a water supply connection portion formed on the internal part and a water supply pipe connected to the water supply connection portion,
8. The toilet apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cover member is passed through the water supply connection portion.

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