JP7600811B2 - Sanitary Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a flush toilet that is suitable for making users feel comfortable after flushing by implementing a flushing operation that takes into consideration the differences in the state after the flushing operation due to factors such as the state of the user's excrement, the amount of toilet paper used, the amount of waste stagnating in the drainage pipe, preferences regarding the flushing state, and the slope, corrosion, steps, and other deterioration of the drainage pipe.

Conventional flush toilets focus on the mass of excrement discharged onto the bowl surface or the amount of toilet paper used, and perform flushing operations while focusing on the physical amount (mass or amount used) of waste such as excrement and toilet paper that must be discharged (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
In such cases, when used by a user who has a high preference for cleanliness, fine dirt may remain in the water pool, and the user may have to perform the cleaning operation again. Also, if the condition of the drainage piping is such that it affects the discharge and transport operation, such as the ventilation condition of the drainage piping or the step, gradient change, or curvature of the drainage piping connection, even if a specified cleaning operation is performed according to the condition of the bowl surface, the expected cleaning performance may not be achieved.

In addition, there are also devices that focus on the state of dirt adhesion on the bowl surface and control the cleaning operation to improve cleaning performance (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
However, even in this case, the degree of adhesion of excrement to the bowl surface changes depending on the user's physical condition and the medications taken, so even if the cleaning operation is performed according to the state of dirt adhesion to the bowl surface, it may not be possible to achieve the expected cleaning performance. Also, depending on the state of the drainage piping as described above, even if a specified cleaning operation is performed, it may not be possible to achieve the expected cleaning performance.

In addition, there are also those that focus on the blockage state of drainage pipes and changes in accumulated water and perform cleaning to protect the equipment (see, for example, Patent Documents 4, 5, and 6).
However, even in this case, the equipment protective cleaning can only be performed assuming the state of the drainage piping, and there is a possibility that sufficient cleaning performance cannot be achieved.

In addition, the excrement of users who are taking medication such as anticancer drugs contains metabolized drugs, and some guidelines recommend washing twice each time to prevent not only the users, but also their families, medical personnel, and managers from being exposed to the drugs contained in the excrement (see, for example, non-patent document 1).
However, even in this case, there are individual differences in the amount of excrement or residue, as well as differences in the condition of the drainage pipes. Therefore, simply washing twice may not be sufficient to prevent the risk of exposure to drugs contained in the excrement, not only for the user, but also for family members, medical personnel, and managers.

JP 2011-058201 A JP 2019-143424 A JP 2017-193838 A JP 2017-179754 A JP 2018-162649 A JP 2019-210728 A

Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing, Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology, Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology Pharmacology; Joint Guidelines for Exposure Prevention in Cancer Chemotherapy 2015 Edition, Kanehara Publishing, July 15, 2015

The present invention aims to realize a cleaning operation that satisfies the user's preferences regarding the cleaning state, the state of waste such as excrement and toilet paper, and the state of the drainage pipes, thereby achieving a cleaning operation that is both comfortable for the user and hygienic.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sanitary equipment having a bowl in which a user excretes, a trap that forms pooled water in the bowl, and a flushing water supply device for flushing the bowl, the sanitary equipment further comprising a pooled water state detection device that detects the state of pooled water and a flushing operation recording device that records the operation of the flushing water supply device, and is characterized in that the amount of flushing water, flushing steps, and/or number of flushes of the flushing water supply device for the next flushing operation are changed based on the detection result of the pooled water state by the pooled water state detection device and the operation record of the flushing operation recording device.

With this configuration, the actual flushing operation and the state after the flushing operation are predicted from the state of the accumulated water, and the settings for the next flushing operation are changed. Therefore, even if there is an influence due to the state of the drainage piping or the state of the excrement, appropriate flushing can be performed based on the detection results after the flushing operation, and insufficient cleaning and inappropriate flushing operations can be suppressed, thereby achieving toilet flushing that is both hygienic and water-saving.

In the present invention, the water state detection device is preferably characterized in that it measures the state of the water in the bowl after it has been washed and determines the user's intention in operating the washing water supply device.

With this configuration, by determining the intention of the user who performed the cleaning operation from the relationship between the remaining state of waste and other dirt and the cleaning operation, it is possible to determine whether the cleaning operation was performed due to the remaining state of dirt or due to the user's preferences or special circumstances, and it is possible to provide an optimal cleaning operation while maintaining the user's intention.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the device comprises a means for recording information about a user, a means for recording information about the amount of waste remaining in the sanitary equipment as being caused by the installation environment , and a means for setting the amount of flushing water, flushing steps, and/or number of flushes of the sanitary equipment that are optimal for the user using predictive data obtained by machine learning using the usage history of the sanitary equipment as training data.

A trained model is created by performing machine learning using the obtained usage history as training data, and new user information is simulated using the trained model, allowing optimal cleaning operations to be set, providing a comfortable cleaning operation not only to users who use sanitary equipment on a daily basis, but also to users who are using sanitary equipment for the first time.

According to the present invention, a cleaning operation can be performed according to the state of waste such as excrement and toilet paper, and the state of the drainage pipes, while taking into consideration the user's preferences, thereby achieving a cleaning operation that is both comfortable for the user and hygienic.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sanitary equipment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing a sanitary equipment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet bowl of the present invention taken along line III-III of FIG. 4 is a flowchart for recording usage information of the sanitary equipment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a flushing operation performed based on usage information of the sanitary equipment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an outline of a cleaning operation performed based on recorded information of the sanitary equipment of the present invention. 1 is a table showing the actual washing operation of a user and the washing operation set by a sanitary equipment in the present invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the sanitary equipment 100 of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet 10 of Figure 1 taken along line III-III. Figure 2 is a system block diagram showing the sanitary equipment 100 of the present invention. The present invention performs flushing operations according to the state of the sanitary equipment 100 while taking into consideration the preferences of the user, and achieves flushing operations that are both comfortable for the user and hygienic.

In the sanitary equipment 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, a cabinet 95 is arranged behind the toilet bowl 10. A toilet lid 20 is arranged on the toilet bowl 10 so as to be freely rotatable, and an opening/closing device 21 is attached so that the toilet lid can be opened and closed manually or automatically. Inside the toilet bowl 10, a bowl 11 for receiving waste and a trap 12 for discharging the waste received in the bowl 11 are formed, and the trap 12 is configured to discharge the waste into a drain pipe 2 (not shown) via a drain socket 14. The trap 12 also has a reservoir 13 as a seal to prevent odors, insects, etc. from entering through the drain pipe 2. The cabinet 95 is provided with a water supply device 90 that supplies flushing water to the bowl 11, and the flushing water supplied to the water supply device 90 is supplied from a water supply source 1 such as city water. The flushing water supplied to the bowl 11 from the water supply device 90 washes the bowl 11 and discharges the reservoir 13 containing waste into the drain pipe 2 via the drain socket 14. The flushing operation of the bowl 11 is started by a flush switch 41 on an input device 40 that is attached to the toilet bowl 10 or to the wall of the toilet space in which the toilet bowl 10 is installed. The operation of the flush switch 41 is transmitted to a control device 30 that is attached to a cabinet 95 by wired or wireless means, and activates the water supply device 5.

In addition to the flushing switch 41, the input device 40 is provided with a setting switch 42 that allows the user to input the usage conditions and a human body detection device 50, and various information about the user is transmitted to the control device 30 and stored in the flushing operation recording device 70 and the user information recording device 80. The control device 30 not only processes or controls the input information of the input device 40, but also performs arithmetic processing as described below based on the input information and stored information. The control device 30 is equipped with data storage means such as a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (graphics processing unit), a memory, and a hard disk drive, and can execute various processes by programs like a general computer. In this embodiment, the control device 30, the flushing operation recording device 70, and the user information recording device 80 are provided in the cabinet 95, but instead of the control device 30, a communication means may be provided in the cabinet 95, and the control device 30, the flushing operation recording device 70, and the user information recording device 80 may be provided outside the cabinet 95 or outside the toilet space, and storage and calculation may be performed via the communication means. The cabinet 95 is provided with an alarm device 60. The notification device 60 is provided with either or both of a sound output device for notifying the user of the results of the calculation process described below associated with the user's usage history of the sanitary equipment 100 as sound and an image output device for notifying the user as an image. In this embodiment, the notification device 60 is provided in the cabinet 95, but a communication means may be provided in the cabinet 95 to transmit the notification to a wall of the toilet space or a portable electronic device owned by the user or manager.

As shown in FIG. 3, the toilet bowl 10 is provided with a water state measuring device 90 that measures or detects the state of the water 13. The water state measuring device 90 is formed by various devices that can measure or detect the state of the water 13, such as an image capturing means that detects dirt and waste residue in the water 13 and a water level detecting means that detects the water level. Various methods are realized as water level detecting means, such as detecting water pressure, measuring the position to the water surface, and measuring the volume of the water 13 by electrostatic capacitance. In this embodiment, the device is formed by an image capturing means that measures the water 13 from an opening provided in the bowl 11, but the image capturing means may be combined with another measuring means as long as the state of the water 13 can be confirmed. In this embodiment, the water 13 is measured from an opening provided in the bowl 11, but it may be provided in a valve seat (not shown) or a sanitary washing device (not shown) provided in the toilet bowl 10. In addition to the water state measuring device 90, a measuring device that measures the state of the bowl 11 may be combined. Although not shown, the water storage condition measuring device 90 is equipped with a recording device that stores the measurement results.

A method for recording the usage history of the user of the sanitary equipment 100 and changing the flushing operation settings will be described using the flowchart in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the usage history of the user is recorded according to the flowchart in Figure 4, and the optimal flushing operation for the user is set using the recorded usage history and the measurement results of the state of the toilet 10.

When a user activates the human body detection device 50 or opens the toilet lid 20 (step S1), the human body detection device 50 stores the user's information in the user information recording device 80 (step S2). User information can be recorded by directly inputting personal identification information into the human body detection device 50 or the setting switch 42, or by communication via a portable electronic device, or by using an image capture means or other method that does not require user operation. In a step not shown, the user opens the toilet lid 20 and excretes into the toilet bowl 10.

After the user has finished defecating or after washing his/her buttocks, the user operates the flush switch 41 to start the flushing operation of the toilet bowl 10 (step S3). The water supply device 5 has a large flush mode that supplies a large volume of flush water to the toilet bowl 10 and a small flush mode that supplies a small volume of flush water to the toilet bowl 10, and the user can select the large flush mode or the small flush mode depending on the usage situation of the toilet bowl 10. The operation of the flush switch 41 corresponding to each flush mode selected by the user is recorded in the flush operation recording device 70 (step S4). The open/closed state of the toilet lid 20 when the flush switch 41 is operated is recorded (step S5). Note that after the flush switch 41 is operated, the flush switch 41 is operated, taking into account the usage situation in which the toilet lid 20 is closed, and the state of the toilet lid 20 after a certain time, for example, 3 seconds, is recorded.

After the cleaning is completed, the state of the stored water 13 is photographed (step S6), and the photographed image is saved in a recording device (step S7). Note that immediately after cleaning is completed, the sealed water may be wavy and the photographed image of the stored water 13 may not be usable in step S8 described later, so the photograph is taken after the stored water 13 has stabilized. It is preferable to photograph the stability of the stored water 13 after a set time has elapsed. As another means of confirming the stability of the stored water 13, a mark may be printed on the trap 12 and the print may be photographed through the stored water 13 by the stored water state measuring device 90. By confirming the mark and the stability, the stored water state can be measured with minimal effect even if the time required for the stored water 13 to stabilize changes depending on the conditions of the installation location. The fact that the turbidity of the stored water 13 can be confirmed by the appearance of the mark is also described in Technical Publication 2018-500570.

The stored image of the water 13 is compared with an image of the water 13 when the sanitary equipment 100 is installed or before the toilet 10 is used, and the remaining waste status of the water 13 is determined (step S8). If an air freshener or the like is used to color the flushing water of the sanitary equipment 100, the color status of the water 13 may change depending on the time due to the remaining amount of the air freshener, which may affect the determination of the remaining waste status of the water 13. Therefore, it is preferable that the image of the water 13 to be compared is the status of the water 13 before the toilet 10 is used as much as possible. Methods for determining the remaining waste status of the water 13 using an image include a method of taking the difference for each pixel and using the mean square error or the SN ratio, and a method of polarizing the image and comparing the color difference. If a difference of a certain value or more is obtained, it is determined that there is remaining waste (YES), and if a difference of a certain value or more is not obtained, it is determined that there is no remaining waste (NO). The difference in the threshold for determining that dirt remains can be changed by comparing the presence or absence of additional flushing operations, as described below, with an image of the accumulated water 13. If no additional flushing operations are performed, even if the difference is greater than the set threshold, the threshold is changed and it is determined that no dirt remains, since the amount of dirt remaining is within the user's tolerance even if a difference occurs. Note that the threshold cannot be changed beyond a certain difference to prevent dirt remaining that would cause inconvenience from the standpoint of hygiene, etc., even if the dirt remaining is tolerable to the user. Furthermore, if dirt remains after the flushing operation, this is recorded as being due to the installation environment of the sanitary equipment 100 and the user's usage conditions (the nature of the excrement and the amount of paper used), and the flushing settings are changed to eliminate the dirt remaining.

If it is determined in step S8 that dirt remains, the settings of the flushing device 5 are changed to increase the amount of flush water supplied from the next flush (step S10). Methods for increasing the amount of flush water supplied include lengthening the flush time or increasing the instantaneous amount of flush water, and are set in accordance with the mechanism of the flushing device 5 equipped in the sanitary equipment 100. If it is determined in step S8 that no dirt remains or that the stored water level has not changed, the settings of the flushing device 5 are maintained (step S9). It is determined whether the flush switch 41 has been operated again during or within a certain time after the determination of whether dirt remains in the stored water 13 (step S11).

If no additional cleaning operations have been performed, the cleaning operation is terminated (step S12). If an additional cleaning operation has been performed, steps S14 to S21 are performed to determine whether the additional cleaning operation is due to residual dirt in the stored water 13, due to the user's preferences, or due to special circumstances. The fact that an additional cleaning operation has been performed is recorded (step S13), and the condition of the stored water 13 after cleaning is measured as in steps S6 and 7 (steps S14 and S15). The image of the stored water 13 after the additional cleaning is compared with the image of the stored water 13 measured in S7 (step S16). If the difference between the image in step S7 and the image in step S15 is equal to or less than a threshold value, the method of determining the residual dirt condition in step S6 is referenced (step S17).

If it is determined in step S6 that there is residual dirt, the user or manager is notified of the risk of clogging using the alarm device 60 (step S20). If there is residual dirt in the pooled water 13 despite the additional flush, it is assumed that there is an abnormality in the flushing device 5 or the trap 12, so the user is notified and can be prompted to repair or improve. If an additional flushing operation is performed despite the determination in step S6 that there is no residual dirt, it is determined that an additional flushing operation was performed despite the flushing being performed, and the amount of flushing water supplied from the flushing device 5 is set to be reduced in order to reduce excess flushing water (step S18). The factor that causes an additional flushing operation to be performed despite the flushing being performed is thought to be due to the user's preference, so it is recorded as an additional flushing operation due to preference. The method of reducing the amount of flushing water is set according to the mechanism of the flushing device 5 equipped in the sanitary equipment 100, such as a method of shortening the flushing time or a method of reducing the amount of instantaneous flushing water. Note that if an additional flushing operation (third operation) is performed after the additional flushing operation (second operation), the process returns to step S11 and the same process is repeated. If an additional cleaning operation (third or more times) is performed even though cleaning is being performed, the amount of cleaning water supplied from the cleaning device 5 is set to be further reduced to reduce excess cleaning water.

If, in step S16, the difference between the image in step S7 and the image in step S15 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the determination of the remaining dirt status in step S14 is referred to (step S19). If dirt remains in step S14 and there is a difference with the image in step S7, there is a possibility of insufficient cleaning or dirt backflowing after the additional cleaning operation, so a risk of clogging is notified in step S20. If, in step S14, there is no dirt remaining and there is a difference with the image in step S7, it is determined that sufficient cleaning has been performed by the additional cleaning operation, the cleaning operation settings set in step S10 are saved (step S21), and the cleaning operation is terminated (step S12).

The method of recording the usage history of normal users and changing the flushing operation settings has been described using the flowchart of FIG. 4, but the recording of usage history and changing the flushing operation settings in special circumstances will be described. Some users may be taking medication such as anticancer drugs or may suffer from a viral disease such as norovirus, and their excrement may contain viruses related to digestive system diseases. When a user with such circumstances uses the sanitary equipment 100, it is recommended that the user flush multiple times to prevent subsequent users or managers from being exposed to drugs or viruses contained in the excrement when performing maintenance. Therefore, when the user's information is stored in the user information recording device 80 by the human body detection device 50 in step S2, information on medication or disease is also stored. In such special circumstances, when the flushing operation is optimized according to the user's preferences according to the flowchart of FIG. 4, it is necessary to prevent drugs or viruses from remaining in the toilet 10 and exposing subsequent users or managers to them. Therefore, the setting to increase the amount of flushing water in step S8 is enabled, but the setting to decrease the amount of flushing water in step S18 is disabled. Also, if the toilet lid 20 is open in step S5 under the above conditions, the toilet lid 20 is closed and a flushing operation is performed. If the toilet lid 20 is closed in step S5 and an additional flushing operation is performed, the reduction in the amount of flush water in step S18 can be temporarily suspended in consideration of the possibility of missing input due to special circumstances.

By measuring the user's information and the actual flushing operation settings in this way, the user's information and the actual flushing operation are linked. By recording the user's usage history and changing the flushing operation settings from time to time based on that, it is possible to create optimal flushing operation settings for the user. In addition, a method for recording the user's usage history and setting the flushing operation settings based on that has been described using a flowchart such as that of FIG. 4, but the present invention is not limited to such a flowchart, and a machine-learned prediction model can be created using the user's information, actual flushing operation, information on the installation location of the toilet, the user's preferences, the opening and closing status of the toilet lid 20, and other special circumstances as teacher data. In the flowchart of FIG. 4, although not shown, the time when the sanitary equipment 100 was used is simultaneously recorded as user information, and the user's preferences and special circumstances in the time period are recorded together to create optimal flushing operation settings. As for user preferences due to the time period, excessive flushing operations with clean preferences at the first use (for example, in the morning), and insufficient flushing operations with eco preferences thereafter (for example, during the day) can be considered. It is also possible that two flushes are required in the morning due to medication, but not in the afternoon. The metabolism of the medication and the state of excretion are also affected by hormone secretion, so by using the date and time information for optimization, it is possible to set optimal flushing operation settings that take into account the circadian rhythm.

As an additional element for recording the user's usage history of the sanitary equipment 100 and changing the flushing operation settings, a step for determining whether or not a flushing operation is performed before using the toilet 10 can be added. It is assumed that the user will perform a flushing operation before using the toilet 10 and then use the toilet 10 to excrete, depending on the user's preferences. By recording the flushing operation before using the sanitary equipment 100 and determining the image of the accumulated water 13 and the change in the water level, it is predicted whether the flushing operation before use is based on preferences or is due to insufficient cleaning in the previous flushing operation, and the next flushing operation settings are changed. In addition, a step for determining the state of the bowl 11 can be added as an additional element. In this way, by recording the user's usage history and changing the flushing operation settings, the optimal flushing operation settings for the user can be set. Recording the user's usage history at least once allows the optimal flushing operation settings to be set for the user, but it is preferable to record the usage history multiple times and set the optimal flushing operation settings.

Next, an example of a method for setting the optimal flushing operation for a user based on the user's usage history and performing a flushing operation will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 5. The user activates the human body detection device 50 or opens the toilet lid 20 (step S31). After the specifications of the sanitary equipment 100 are confirmed, the human body detection device 50 or the setting switch 42 are used to refer to user information (step S32). The user information is referred to, and the optimal flushing operation setting is referenced from the recorded usage history, and the setting change of the sanitary equipment 100 is started (step S33). First, a reference is made to whether there is a history of residual dirt in the pooled water 13 during the first flushing operation (step S34). If residual dirt has been confirmed in the pooled water 13 after a flushing operation in previous uses, the flushing operation setting is changed to one that does not leave residual dirt in past uses (step S36). If there is no history of residual dirt being confirmed with the normal flushing setting, the flushing operation setting is not changed (step S35).

Next, based on the user information, the system checks whether any history of additional washing operations recorded in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is due to user preference (step S37). If a history of washing operations due to user preference is found, the additional washing operation is set (step S39). The setting of the additional washing operation includes the number of additional washing operations and the amount of washing water for the additional washing operation. If there is no history of additional washing operations due to user preference, the additional washing operation is not set (step S38).

The referenced user information is checked to see if there are any special circumstances (step S40). If there are special circumstances, additional wash settings are made (step S42). Some special circumstances may concern the safety of the user, subsequent users, or the administrator, so wash settings resulting from special circumstances are given priority even if they are contrary to the user preferences referenced in step S37. The settings for additional wash operations include the number of additional wash operations and the amount of wash water for the additional wash operations. If there are no special circumstances, no additional wash operation settings are made (step S41).

Depending on the judgments of steps S34, S37, and S40, the notification device 60 notifies the user of the cleaning operation settings that have been set based on the user's usage history (step S44). The notification by the notification device 60 allows the user to understand what cleaning operation will be performed after use of the sanitary equipment 100, and the user can perform the cleaning operation with peace of mind. After the user is notified, the cleaning operation is executed (step S45), and use of the sanitary equipment 100 is terminated (step S46).

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, although not shown, history such as the open/closed state of the toilet lid 20 and the time the sanitary equipment 100 was used can be referenced and reflected in the settings of the flushing operation. For example, if there is a history of the user flushing with the toilet lid 20 in the closed state, the toilet lid 20 will be automatically closed. Also, if the presence or absence of residual soiling, preferences, or trends in special circumstances in the flushing operation history vary depending on the time of use by the user, the range of flushing operation history to be referenced can be set to a specific time period.

Using the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5, a method for setting the optimal cleaning operation for a user from the user's usage history has been described. A method for providing the optimal cleaning operation for another user when the other user uses the sanitary equipment 100 by using the optimal cleaning operation created using Figure 6 as a learned model as teacher data will be described. Machine learning is performed using the collected user's cleaning operation history (cleaning operation due to the installation location, cleaning operation due to preferences, cleaning operation due to special circumstances, cleaning operation due to time of day) as teacher data using the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5. The training phase involves accumulating the user's usage history according to the flowchart of Figure 4 and implementing and confirming changes to the operation settings using the accumulated usage history according to the flowchart of Figure 5. When a new user uses the sanitary equipment 100 for the first time, the user information input is compared with the accumulated user information, and the most similar usage history and the optimal cleaning operation settings based on it are output and the cleaning operation is performed. By doing so, it is possible to shorten the accumulation of the user's usage history for setting the optimal cleaning operation settings for the new user, and the comfort felt by the user when using the sanitary equipment 100 can be further improved. In particular, sanitary equipment 100 installed in spaces such as ordinary homes and medical institutions where the attributes of users (preferences and circumstances) are likely to be limited can reduce the accumulation of usage history.

Figure 7 is a table showing examples of actual flushing operations by users and flushing operations set according to the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5. In the case of user A, since the drainage pipe at the installation location of the sanitary equipment 100 is narrow and a lot of residual dirt is found in the collected water 13, even if user A is not aware of residual dirt and performs a large flushing operation (large flush mode operation), an extra-large flushing operation (a flushing operation that supplies more flushing water than the large flushing mode) is performed to eliminate residual dirt. In the case of user B, it is determined from the usage history that he has a preference for cleanliness, but since he performed an additional flushing operation without any special circumstances and even though there was no residual dirt, and since he performed the additional flushing operation with the toilet lid 20 closed, it is determined that the additional flushing operation is due to preference, and even if he performed two large flushing operations, one large flushing operation and one small flushing operation are performed, satisfying the user's usability while saving water. In the case of user C, the drainage pipe at the installation site of the sanitary equipment 100 is narrow and there is a lot of residual dirt in the collected water 13, so an additional flushing operation, a small flush, is performed. Also, the residual dirt tends to at least perform an additional flushing operation, and the additional flushing operation is a small flushing operation (operation in small flush mode), so it is determined that the user has a preference for cleanliness and eco-friendly preferences. User C takes medication, and it is determined from the user information that there is a risk of exposure to drugs contained in the waste residue left in the toilet bowl 10 by future users and the manager of the sanitary equipment 100, so even if the usage history shows that the flushing operation is performed with the toilet lid 20 open, the flushing operation is set to be performed in the closed state in consideration of special circumstances. Also, even if the user has an eco-friendly preference, special circumstances are prioritized, and even if one large flushing operation and one small flushing operation are performed, one extra-large flushing operation and one large flushing operation are performed, satisfying the user's usability while taking into consideration special circumstances.

In this embodiment, if a cleaning operation resulting from a user's preference conflicts with a cleaning operation resulting from special circumstances, the cleaning operation resulting from special circumstances is set to take priority, but the history of cleaning operations to be prioritized can be set arbitrarily based on the installation location of the sanitary equipment 100, the administrator, and the user's wishes. In addition, in order to set the optimal cleaning operation, other optional operations and inputs can be recorded and judged together.

In this embodiment, a method for accumulating (learning) the user's cleaning operation history and setting and executing the optimal cleaning operation has been described, but as another embodiment, for example, instead of the user's usage history, the user's desired cleaning operation can be set in advance and input using the setting switch 42. In that case, the input desired cleaning operation can be compared with the cleaning operations accumulated in the sanitary equipment 100, and the desired cleaning operation can be optimized.

The present invention predicts the condition of the toilet bowl 10 by measuring the condition of the accumulated water 13 to determine the remaining waste condition. The bowl 11 is large and may be scratched by use or may be used with stamp-type cleaning agents for cleaning, making it more difficult to determine the remaining waste condition from the condition of the bowl 11 than the accumulated water 13. In contrast, the accumulated water 13 has a narrow range to be determined and is less affected by use, making it easier to determine the remaining waste condition. By determining the intention of the user who performed the cleaning operation from the relationship between the remaining waste condition and the cleaning operation, it is possible to determine whether the cleaning operation performed was due to the remaining waste condition or the user's preference or special circumstances, and an optimal cleaning operation can be provided while maintaining the user's intention.

The present invention creates a trained model by performing machine learning using the obtained usage history as training data, and by simulating new user information with the trained model, it is possible to set optimal cleaning operations, and to provide cleaning operations that satisfy the user's needs even for users who are using the sanitary equipment 100 for the first time.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 water supply source 2 drainage piping 5 water supply device 10 toilet 11 bowl 12 trap 13 stored water 14 drainage socket 20 toilet lid 21 opening/closing device 30 control device 40 input device 41 flush switch 42 setting switch 50 human body detection device 60 alarm device 70 flushing operation recording device 80 user information recording device 90 stored water condition measuring device 95 cabinet 100 sanitary equipment

Claims (3)

A sanitary equipment device having a bowl in which a user excretes, a trap that forms pooled water in the bowl, and a flushing water supply device for flushing the bowl, the sanitary equipment device further comprising a pooled water state detection device that detects the state of the pooled water and a flushing operation recording device that records the operation of the flushing water supply device, and the amount of flushing water, flushing steps, and/or number of flushes of the flushing water supply device for the next flushing operation are changed based on the detection result of the pooled water state detection device and the operation record of the flushing operation recording device. The sanitary equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the water state detection device measures the state of the water after the bowl is flushed and determines the user's intention to operate the flush water supply device. A flushing operation setting device comprising : a means for recording user information; a means for recording information on the amount of waste remaining in the sanitary equipment as being caused by the installation environment; and a means for setting the amount of flushing water, flushing steps, and/or number of flushes of the sanitary equipment that are optimal for the user using predictive data obtained by machine learning using the usage history of the sanitary equipment as training data.

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