JP7795856B2 - flush toilet - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to flush toilets.

Conventionally, flush toilets have been known that have a water conduit formed inside the rim, which is formed on the upper edge of the toilet body, that guides flush water to the bowl portion of the toilet body. To supply flush water to the bowl portion, one end of the rim piping is connected to a flush water supply source and the other end to the rim portion, and flush water is supplied to the bowl portion through the water conduit while applying pressure from the rim piping side (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-303616

When the rim piping is formed roughly horizontally, there is a problem in that residual water tends to accumulate in the rim piping when flush water is not being supplied. When residual water accumulates, there is also the problem that the next time flush water is discharged, the residual water tends to splash out as droplets.

This disclosure relates to a flush toilet comprising a toilet body having a concave bowl portion that is open at the top and through which flush water is supplied, and a rim portion along the upper edge of the bowl portion, and rim piping that has one end connected to a water supply source that supplies flush water and the other end connected to a flush water conduit formed in the rim portion, and that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side.

1 is a schematic plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the flush toilet of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rim piping of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the rim piping of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the rim piping of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the rim piping of the present embodiment. 1 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the rim nozzle and its surroundings according to the present embodiment.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet 1 has a toilet body 10 to which flush water is supplied and which discharges waste. A jet pipe (not shown) is connected to the toilet body 10, which supplies flush water for discharging waste into the sewer. A rim pipe 2 is connected to the toilet body 10 via a rim nozzle 3, which supplies flush water for cleaning the inner wall of the toilet body 10.

The toilet body 10 has a bowl portion 11, a rim portion 12, a mounting surface 13, a chamber 14, and a water channel 15. The toilet body 10 is entirely made of ceramic.
In this specification, the side of the toilet body 10 where the user is positioned is the front side, and the side opposite the front is the rear side. The front-to-rear direction refers to the direction connecting the front and rear. Flush water is supplied from the rear side of the toilet body 10.

The bowl portion 11 is formed in a concave shape with an open top and has a drain outlet that connects to the sewer. Cleaning water is supplied to the bowl portion 11.

The rim portion 12 is a portion formed along the upper edge of the bowl portion 11 within a predetermined height range from the top surface. The top surface of the rim portion 12 is flat and the interior is hollow.

As shown in Figure 2, the mounting surface 13 is formed on the rear wall of the upper part of the toilet body 10, marking the boundary between the hollow portion within the rim portion 12 and the outer surface of the toilet body 10. The mounting surface 13 is a flat surface for mounting the rim nozzle 3, which will be described later, and has an insertion hole 13a through which the rim nozzle 3, which will be described later, is inserted. As shown in Figure 2, the mounting surface 13 is inclined, for example, with respect to the vertical direction P so that the downstream end of the rim nozzle 3 faces downward. As shown in Figure 4, the mounting surface 13 is inclined at an angle Q so that the upper end of the mounting surface 13 in the vertical direction is positioned closer to the front of the toilet body 10 than the lower end.

The chamber 14 is a space that can receive and retain a certain amount of flush water supplied to the bowl portion 11. The chamber 14 is formed in a hollow portion inside the rim portion 12, inside the mounting surface 13. The chamber 14 forms part of the flush water conduit 15 through which flush water is supplied and flows into the bowl portion 11.

The water conduit 15 is formed inside the rim portion 12, and more specifically, is formed by a hollow portion of the rim portion 12. The water conduit 15 is a flow path for flush water that passes through the chamber 14 and communicates with the upper part of the inner surface of the bowl portion 11. The water conduit 15 is contained within the chamber 14 on the upstream side, and extends from the downstream side of the chamber 14 along the edge of the rim portion 12. The water conduit 15 opens toward the bowl portion 11 at a position midway in the front-to-rear direction of the bowl portion 11.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 151 of the water channel 15 has an inclined surface that slopes downward on the upstream side.

The upstream end 2a of the rim pipe 2 is connected to a water source for flushing water supplied to the toilet body 10, and the downstream end 2b is connected to the water conduit 15 of the toilet body 10 to supply flushing water to the toilet body 10. The downstream end 2b of the rim pipe 2 is connected to the rim nozzle 3, which is inserted into and fixed in place in the insertion hole 13a of the toilet body 10. The rim pipe 2 is made of a resin material such as molded rubber, and has a downward slope from the upstream side to the downstream side.

The rim piping 2 is a pipe having a hollow portion, and as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, has a first portion 21, a second portion 22, and a third portion 23.
Figures 3A to 3D are diagrams showing the rim piping 2. In Figures 3A to 3D, the side on which the first portion 21 of the rim piping 2 described below is formed is described as the front. The front of the rim piping 2 is opposite to the front of the flush toilet 1 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4.

The first portion 21 is a generally cylindrical portion that is positioned upstream of the flush water when the rim piping 2 is connected and extends in the vertical direction. The first portion 21 is connected to the water supply pipe. The vertical dimension of the first portion 21 can be, for example, 12 mm or more.

The second portion 22 is a tubular portion that is longer than the first portion 21. The downstream end 2b of the second portion 22 is connected to the upstream end of the rim nozzle 3, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3B , the second portion 22 is a portion of the rim piping 2 that has a downwardly sloping gradient. A second imaginary line K2 connecting the widthwise and heightwise centers of the second portion 22 (if the second portion 22 is cylindrical, this is an imaginary line extending to the center of the diameter) slopes downward as it moves away from the first portion 21. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B , when the first imaginary line K1 at the center of the first portion 21 (if the first portion is not cylindrical, this is an imaginary line connecting the widthwise and heightwise centers) and the second imaginary line K2 of the second portion 22 are projected onto an imaginary plane cut by the side cross section of the rim piping 2, the angle R formed by the intersection of the lines projected onto the imaginary plane from the first imaginary line K1 and the second imaginary line K2 is not a right angle but an obtuse angle.

As shown in Figure 3A, the second portion 22 is bent or curved in plan view, and its widthwise center is offset from the first portion 21 in plan view and slopes downward. A second imaginary line K2 connecting the widthwise centers of the second portion 22 is not a straight line. The second imaginary line K2 extends a predetermined distance from the center of the first portion 21 to one widthwise side (the widthwise outer side of the toilet body 10 when installed on the flush toilet 1), and then bends to the other widthwise side (the widthwise inner side of the toilet body 10) and extends linearly away from the first portion 21. As shown in Figures 3A, 3C, and 3D, the widthwise center of the second portion 22 is offset from the widthwise center of the first portion 21 in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the third portion 23 is disposed between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22, and is a corner portion connecting the first portion 21 and the second portion 22. The third portion 23 connects the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 so that the second imaginary line K2 and the first imaginary line K1 connecting the centers of the first portion 21 in the width direction and height direction are twisted without intersecting. The third portion 23 twists from the downstream side of the first portion 21 toward the outside in the width direction of the toilet body 10 and connects to the upstream side of the second portion 22.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the area around the rim nozzle 3. The rim nozzle 3 is a component that connects the rim piping 2 to the toilet body 10. The rim nozzle 3 is attached so that its tip slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side. The downstream end of the rim nozzle 3 is connected to the rear end of the rim portion 12. In other words, the rim nozzle 3 is inserted through the insertion hole 13a in the mounting surface 13 and connected to the chamber 14 (see Figure 3(b)), and supplies flush water to the water conduit 15.

As shown in Figure 4, the rim nozzle 3 includes a nozzle body 30, a nut 4, an elastic member 5, a guide washer 6, a retaining metal fitting 7, a backup ring 8, and a nozzle cap 9.

The nozzle body 30 is a cylindrical adapter that is inserted into and fixed in place in the insertion hole 13a while connected to the rim piping 2. Cleansing water is supplied from the base end (upstream side of the cleaning water) of the nozzle body 30 and flows toward the tip end (downstream side of the cleaning water). The nozzle body 30 is formed with a larger diameter at the tip end than at the base end. The nozzle body 30 is made of resin. The entire nozzle body 30 is inclined downward so that water flows from the upstream side to the downstream side of the rim nozzle 3.

The nozzle body 30 has an outer surface with projections and recesses formed according to the shape of the part with which it engages. Specifically, the nozzle body 30 has a thread groove 31, a protrusion 32, and a cap engagement projection 33.

The thread groove 31 is located on the upstream side of the nozzle body 30 and is configured to engage with the nut 4, which will be described later.

The protrusion 32 is located on the downstream side of the nozzle body 30 and protrudes in an annular shape along the periphery of the nozzle body 30. The protrusion 32 engages with the retaining fitting 7, which will be described later.

The cap engagement protrusions 33 are located further downstream than the protrusions 32 and are protrusions formed on one side of the outer surface of the nozzle body 30, facing each other. The nozzle cap 9, described below, engages with the cap engagement protrusions 33.

The elastic member 5 is a cylindrical rubber flat gasket with a flange formed thereon and a hollow portion 54 at its center. The elastic member 5 has an insertion portion 51, an inner bead portion 52, and a contact portion 53. The nozzle body 30 is inserted into the hollow portion 54 of the elastic member 5.

The insertion portion 51 is a generally cylindrical portion that is inserted into the insertion hole 13a of the mounting surface 13 and extends in the insertion direction of the nozzle body 30.

The contact portion 53 is a flat, annular portion that expands in diameter from the insertion portion 51 in a flange-like manner on one side of the insertion portion 51. As shown in Figure 4, the contact portion 53 contacts the mounting surface 13 of the toilet body 10 when the nozzle body 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 13a. The surface of the contact portion 53 that bends and expands in diameter from the insertion portion 51 is formed into a flat, planar shape, and contacts the mounting surface 13 with its surface. Because the mounting surface 13 is inclined downward, the contact portion 53 contacts the mounting surface 13 at a downward angle with respect to the vertical direction P.

The inner bead portion 52 is a ring-shaped protrusion formed on the inner wall surface of the hollow portion 54 at the contact portion 53. The inner bead portion 52 consists of two rings spaced apart in the vertical direction that protrude inward from the inner wall surface of the hollow portion 54. The inner bead portion 52 presses against the outer surface of the nozzle body 30 when the nozzle body 30 is inserted into the hollow portion 54.

The guided washer 6 is positioned upstream of the contact portion 53 of the elastic member 5. The guided washer 6 is made of resin and has a generally annular shape, and includes a washer portion 61 and a guide portion 62.

The washer portion 61 is arranged on the surface of the elastic member 5 opposite the side of the contact portion 53 that abuts against the mounting surface 13. The washer portion 61 is arranged overlapping the contact portion 53 so as to cover the contact portion 53. The washer portion 61 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the contact portion 53.

The guide portion 62 is a side wall that protrudes from the periphery of the washer portion 61 and extends along the outer circumferential surface of the contact portion 53. The guide portion 62 extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the washer portion 61 and is positioned so as to at least partially cover the side surface of the contact portion 53.

The retaining fitting 7 is a generally oval, annular fitting with a through hole formed in the center through which the nozzle body 30 is inserted. The retaining fitting 7 has an extension 71 that extends downstream of the insertion hole 13a in the mounting surface 13 and can abut against the surface surrounding the insertion hole 13a. When the nozzle body 30 is inserted into the through hole, the retaining fitting 7 abuts against a flange-shaped protrusion 32 formed on the downstream side of the nozzle body 30, and the extension 71 abuts against the downstream side of the surface surrounding the insertion hole 13a, preventing the nozzle body 30 from slipping upstream.

The backup ring 8 is an annular metal fitting with a through hole formed in the center through which the nozzle body 30 is inserted. The backup ring 8 is thinner than the retaining metal fitting 7 and has a roughly circular outer shape. The backup ring 8 supports the elastic member 5 when the elastic member 5 is deformed.

The nut 4 is made of resin and has a nozzle body insertion hole 41, a seat portion 42, and a fastening portion 43.

The nozzle body insertion hole 41 is a cylindrical through-hole through which the nozzle body 30 is inserted into the nut 4. A thread groove 41a on the nut 4 side is formed on the inner surface of the nozzle body insertion hole 41, which corresponds to the thread groove 31 formed on the outer surface of the upstream side of the nozzle body 30. By rotating the nut 4, the nut 4 engages with the nozzle body 30.

The seat portion 42 has a flat surface that abuts against the upstream surface of the guided washer 6 and is formed in a roughly circular shape in plan view.

The fastening portion 43 is a roughly hexagonal column-shaped portion formed on the upstream surface of the seat portion 42. The fastening portion 43 stands upright from the seat portion 42 in the insertion direction of the nozzle body 30 and is fastened with a tool.

When the nut 4 is tightened, the guide washer 6, elastic member 5, and the retaining metal fitting 7 sandwiched between the protrusion 32 of the nozzle body 30 and the toilet body 10 are pressed against the periphery of the insertion hole 13a in the toilet body 10. With the insertion portion 51 inserted into the insertion hole 13a, the contact portion 53 is pressed against the surface of the mounting surface 13 around the insertion hole 13a, securing the rim nozzle 3 in place.

The nozzle cap 9 is a cap that can be attached and detached to the nozzle body 30 and has a cylindrical shape with one open end and one closed end. The nozzle cap 9 is attached to cover the downstream end of the nozzle body 30 and its surroundings. The nozzle cap 9 has a cap bottom 92 and a cap side 93. The nozzle cap 9 is made of resin.

The cap bottom 92 is a substantially circular surface against which the downstream end of the nozzle body 30 abuts, and has a plurality of through holes 94 formed therein through which flushing water is discharged toward the inside of the toilet body 10 .
The cap side surface portion 93 is a substantially cylindrical portion that fits along the downstream side surface of the nozzle body 30. An engagement groove is formed on the opening side of the nozzle cap 9 in the cap side surface portion 93, and the nozzle cap 9 is attached to the nozzle body 30 by engaging with the cap engagement protrusion 33 arranged on the downstream side of the nozzle body 30.

In the flush toilet 1 described above, the second section 22 of the rim piping 2 slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side. The rim nozzle 3 connected to the rim piping 2 is attached to a downwardly sloping mounting surface 13, and so similarly slopes downward. Furthermore, the chamber 14 in the rim section 12 to which the rim nozzle 3 is connected and the bottom surface 151 of the water conduit 15 slope downward. For this reason, flush water supplied from the upstream side continues to flow downstream of the water conduit 15 due to gravity, even after the supply is stopped.

According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved.
In this embodiment, the toilet is configured to include a toilet body 10 having a concave bowl portion 11 that is open at the top and through which flushing water is supplied, and a rim portion 12 that follows the upper edge of the bowl portion 11, and a rim piping 2 that has an upstream end 2a connected to a water supply source that supplies flushing water and a downstream end 2b connected to a flushing water conduit 15 formed in the rim portion 12, and that has a gradient that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side.
Because the rim piping 2 has a downward slope, residual water is less likely to accumulate in the rim piping 2 after the supply of flushing water has been stopped after flushing water has flowed through the rim piping 2, and even if residual water remains, it is easy to drain from the rim piping 2. This prevents the residual water from being pushed out and splashing as droplets during the next flush, and prevents the growth of mold, bacteria, etc.

In this embodiment, the system further includes a rim nozzle 3 attached to the downstream side of the rim piping 2, and the rim nozzle 3 is tilted downward from the upstream side to the downstream side. As a result, after the supply of flushing water stops, the flushing water flowing from the rim piping 2 can be discharged from within the rim nozzle 3 to the downstream side, making it less likely for residual water to accumulate. This achieves the same effect as above.

In this embodiment, the toilet body 10 is formed with an insertion hole 13a through which the rim nozzle 3 passes, and is configured to include an inclined mounting surface 13. The rim nozzle 3 is configured to include an elastic member 5 having a contact portion 53 that comes into contact with the mounting surface 13 when the rim nozzle 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 13a.
By tilting the mounting surface 13 of the rim nozzle 3 itself, gravity can be used to make it easier for the contact part 53 of the rim nozzle 3 to come into contact with the mounting surface 13. And by tilting the contact part 53, the entire rim nozzle 3 can be mounted with a reliable downward tilt. This makes it easier for residual water to drain from the upstream side to the downstream side, achieving the same effect as above.

In this embodiment, a water conduit 15 is formed inside the rim portion 12, and the rim nozzle 3 is connected to the rim portion 12 to supply flushing water to the water conduit 15. The bottom surface 151 of the water conduit 15 is configured to include an inclined surface, at least a portion of which slopes downward.
In the water conduit 15 in the rim section 12 to which the rim nozzle 3 is connected, the bottom surface 151 along which the flush water flows is inclined downward, so that the flush water supplied from the rim piping 2 flows along the bottom surface 151 downstream of the water conduit 15 and falls towards the bowl section 11. This makes it easier for residual water to drain from the upstream side to the downstream side, achieving the same effect as above.

In this embodiment, the rim piping 2 is configured to include a first portion 21 extending in the vertical direction upstream, a second portion 22 bending from the first portion 21 and extending intersecting the direction in which the first portion 21 extends and having a slope, and a third portion 23 arranged between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 and connecting the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 so that a second imaginary line K2 connecting the centers of the second portion 22 in the width direction and the height direction and a first imaginary line K1 connecting the centers of the first portion 21 in the width direction and the height direction are twisted without intersecting.
Since the second portion 22 has a downwardly sloping gradient, residual flush water supplied from the water supply source to which the first portion 21 is connected is less likely to accumulate in the second portion 22.
By connecting the first and second parts so that the second imaginary line K2 of the second part 22 extending in the front-to-rear direction of the toilet body 10 and the first imaginary line K1 of the first part 21 extending in the up-down direction do not intersect but are twisted, the gradient (height difference) of the second part 22 can be ensured, and the height dimension of the first part 21 and the size of the third part 23 required in the manufacturing process can be ensured. This makes manufacturing easier and ensures the flow rate required for the rim piping 2.

A preferred embodiment has been described above. The above embodiment is not limiting and can be modified as appropriate. For example, unlike the above embodiment, the toilet body 10 does not need to have a chamber 14 inside the rim portion 12 and a configuration in which flush water is supplied to the water conduit 15 under water pressure. For example, the toilet body may not have a chamber and only have a water conduit formed.

For example, unlike the above embodiment, the bottom surface 151 of the water conduit 15 does not have to be inclined only on the upstream side. As long as water discharge performance is improved, there are no restrictions on the position of the inclination. It is sufficient that at least a portion is inclined, and it may be inclined continuously from the upstream end to the outlet that opens into the bowl portion 11 at the downstream end, or it may be inclined only on the downstream side.

Similarly, unlike the above embodiment, the rim piping 2 may have a downward slope in some areas, and may also have horizontal sections if this improves water drainage performance. The entire rim piping 2 does not have to be inclined, and only the bottom portion through which water flows may be inclined.

1. Flush toilet 2. Rim piping 3. Rim nozzle (nozzle)
5 Elastic member 10 Toilet body 11 Bowl portion 12 Rim portion 13 Mounting surface 13a Insertion hole 15 Water channel 21 First portion 22 Second portion 23 Third portion 53 Contact portion 151 Bottom surface K1 First imaginary line K2 Second imaginary line

Claims (6)

a toilet body having a concave bowl portion that is open at the top and through which flushing water is supplied, and a rim portion along the upper edge of the bowl portion;
a rim pipe having one end connected to a water supply source that supplies flushing water and the other end connected to a flushing water conduit formed in the rim portion, the rim pipe having a gradient that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side;
a nozzle attached to the downstream side of the rim pipe,
The rim piping is
a first portion extending in a vertical direction on the upstream side;
a second portion that is a tubular portion longer than the first portion, bent from the first portion, extends crosswise to the extending direction of the first portion, and has the slope;
The second portion extends a predetermined distance on the upstream side, and extends inward in the width direction of the toilet body in a plan view from a downstream end of the predetermined distance when the front-rear direction of the toilet body is used as a reference ,
The rim portion has the water channel formed therein, and the nozzle is connected to the rim portion to supply cleaning water to the water channel,
A flush toilet, wherein the bottom surface of the water channel in front of the nozzle has a downwardly inclined surface. A flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side. The toilet body has an insertion hole through which the nozzle is inserted and an inclined mounting surface,
The flush toilet according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle has an elastic member having a contact portion that contacts the mounting surface when the nozzle is inserted through the insertion hole. The flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rim piping has a third portion that is disposed between the first portion and the second portion and connects the first portion and the second portion such that a second portion downstream imaginary line that connects the centers of the width and height directions on the downstream side of the second portion and a first imaginary line that connects the centers of the width and height directions of the first portion do not intersect but are twisted. A flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the upstream side of the second portion extends outward in the width direction of the toilet body in a plan view. A flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second portion is formed with a smaller diameter downstream than upstream.