JP7848819B2 - Toilet equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a toilet device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet seat device equipped with an image sensor. This toilet seat device uses the image sensor to capture images of the inside of the toilet bowl.

In such toilet seat devices, using a wide-angle image sensor makes it possible to more reliably capture images of the stool inside the toilet bowl. However, a wide-angle image sensor may also capture images of the user's body, potentially infringing on their privacy.

From this perspective, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which a shielding portion is provided in the field of view of the image sensor corresponding to the user's body. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the user's body from being photographed without adjusting the field of view of the image sensor itself.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-55522

However, because human body types and seating postures vary, conventional toilet seat devices may have a relative position between the image sensor and the shielding element that is not suitable for the actual user. For example, if the user is relatively small, their buttocks may extend significantly into the toilet bowl through the opening of the toilet seat, potentially placing them within the image sensor's field of view that is not obstructed by the shielding element. In this case, the image sensor may capture the user's body.

This invention was made in view of the above problems, and its objective is to provide a toilet device that can photograph the inside of the toilet bowl while reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

To solve the above problems, the toilet device according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a toilet seat positioned above the toilet bowl, an image sensor provided on the underside of the toilet seat for capturing images of the inside of the toilet bowl, and a shielding portion positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor from the perspective of the toilet bowl, thereby preventing at least a part of the body of the user seated on the toilet seat from being captured by the image sensor. The shielding portion is configured to allow for adjustment of the shielding range.

This configuration allows for the appropriate adjustment of the shielding area based on the user's physique and seated posture, ensuring that the user's body is not photographed.

In the toilet device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion is configured to allow the area of the shielded range to be changed between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area.

This configuration allows for a larger area of shielding by the shielding component, ensuring that the user's body is more likely to be within the image sensor's field of view, especially for users with a physique or seating posture that makes them more likely to be captured by the image sensor.

In a toilet device according to a third aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion has an operating member, and the area of the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member.

This configuration allows for easy adjustment of the shielding area by operating the control panel according to the user's physique and seated posture.

Furthermore, if a complex mechanism is used to change the shielding range, there is a risk that urine splashed from the toilet bowl may enter the mechanism, making cleaning difficult, or that calcium in the urine may precipitate and solidify.

In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the toilet device comprises a transparent plate having light-transmitting properties and positioned within the field of view of the image sensor, and an opaque masking member detachably attached to the transparent plate.

This configuration allows users to select a masking component of a pre-prepared range of different sizes that best suits their physique, and then attach it to a transparent plate. This enables the shielding area to be adjusted appropriately. As a result, the shielding area is easy to clean and less prone to sticking, while reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the toilet device has a shielding portion that includes guide portions indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member.

This configuration allows for the secure attachment of masking components, selected to suit the user's physique, to appropriate positions. As a result, the area shielded by the shielding portion can be adjusted to a suitable level.

The toilet device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention includes a determination means for determining whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in an image of the toilet bowl captured by an image sensor, and an output means for outputting a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination means determines that at least a part of the user's body is included in the image.

This configuration allows the system to prompt the user to make improvements based on a signal output by the output means, when the relative position of the image sensor and the shielding unit is such that it captures at least a portion of the user's body. For example, based on the output signal, the user can be notified via voice or text that the position of the shielding unit needs to be changed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toilet device that can reliably prevent the user's body from being photographed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet room in which a toilet device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is installed. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the section II-II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the toilet system shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the toilet device shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a toilet device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the toilet device shown in Figure 5.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are used for identical components in each drawing whenever possible, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[First Embodiment]
First, a toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet room R in which the toilet device 1 is installed, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the section II-II in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the toilet device 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the toilet device 1, and shows the toilet device 1 as seen in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the area around the image sensor 44, which will be described later.

<Overall Structure>
As shown in Figure 1, a toilet bowl 9 is installed on the floor surface F of the toilet room R. The toilet bowl 9 is a toilet bowl and has a toilet bowl 91 that receives the user's feces and a rim 92 that stands upright around the toilet bowl 91. For example, when a flushing operation unit (not shown) provided in the toilet room R is operated by the user, flushing water is supplied to the toilet bowl 91, and the toilet bowl 91 is flushed and the feces are discharged from the toilet bowl 91. The flushing operation unit can take various forms, such as an operating lever provided in the toilet room R or a switch provided in the operating device 7 described later.

Toilet device 1 is applied to this toilet bowl 9. Toilet device 1 comprises a toilet seat device 2 and an operating device 7. In the following description, from the perspective of a user seated on the toilet seat 41 (described later), the area in front is referred to as "front," the area behind as "rear," the left side as "left," and the right side as "right." Also, the area vertically upwards is referred to as "up," and the area vertically downwards as "down."

The toilet seat unit 2 is mounted on top of the toilet bowl 9 and comprises a main body 3, a toilet seat 41, a nozzle 42, and a toilet lid 43. The toilet seat unit 2 may be detachably mounted to the toilet bowl 9, or it may be mounted integrally with the toilet bowl 9.

The toilet seat 41 is the element on which the user sits when defecating, and its seating surface 41c supports the user's buttocks. The toilet seat 41 is annular in shape, with an opening 41a formed in its center. The opening 41a opens the toilet bowl 91 when the toilet seat 41 is placed on the rim 92. The rear end of the toilet seat 41 is pivotally supported, allowing the toilet seat 41 to rotate between a position where it is placed on the rim 92 and a position where it is separated from the rim 92, greatly opening the toilet bowl 91.

As shown in Figure 2, the toilet seat 41 has a base plate 5 and a top plate 6. Both the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 are made of resin material. The inner peripheral edge 5a of the base plate 5 and the inner peripheral edge 6a of the top plate 6 are welded together, and the outer peripheral edge 5b of the base plate 5 and the outer peripheral edge 6b of the top plate 6 are welded together, thereby joining the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 to form the toilet seat 41. The central parts of the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 are spaced apart from each other, thereby creating an air gap 41b inside the toilet seat 41. The toilet seat 41 can also employ various other configurations, such as one in which ribs erected on the upper surface of the base plate 5 and ribs erected on the lower surface of the top plate 6 are welded together.

When the toilet seat 41 is placed on the rim 92 of the toilet bowl 9, as shown in Figure 2, the base plate 5 is positioned such that a portion of it faces the rim 92 in the vertical direction, while the other portion is located above the toilet bowl 91. An opening 5c is provided in this other portion of the base plate 5. An image sensor 44 is installed in the gap 41b of the toilet seat 41, which captures images of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through this opening 5c. The image sensor 44 can capture objects within a field of view θ1 in a side view as shown in Figure 2. The surrounding configuration of the image sensor 44 will be described later.

The tabletop 6 is positioned so that its curved seating surface 41c faces upward. A heater 411 is attached to the underside of the tabletop 6. The heater 411 is an electric heating element that generates Joule heat upon receiving an electric power supply.

The nozzle 42 shown in Figure 1 is used for cleaning the user's private parts. The nozzle 42 is configured to move back and forth from the main body 3 into the toilet bowl 91 by an electric motor (not shown). When the nozzle 42 is positioned inside the toilet bowl 91, an electromagnetic valve (not shown) is opened, causing the nozzle 42 to discharge water towards the user's private parts.

The toilet lid 43 is pivotally supported at its rear end and is configured to rotate between a position that covers the toilet seat 41 and a position that opens the toilet seat 41.

The operating device 7 is installed, for example, on the wall of the toilet room R. The operating device 7 has multiple switches (not shown) corresponding to multiple operations of the toilet seat device 2 (for example, starting and stopping local washing). As shown in Figure 3, the operating device 7 further includes a communication unit 71 and a display unit 72. The communication unit 71 wirelessly transmits and receives signals with the communication unit 312 of the toilet seat device 2, which will be described later. The display unit 72 is a liquid crystal panel provided on the outer surface of the operating device 7 and displays various information.

As shown in Figure 3, a control device 31 is located inside the main body 3 of the toilet seat device 2. The control device 31 is composed of either analog circuits or a digital processor, and includes a determination unit 311 and a communication unit 312 as functional blocks. The determination unit 311 performs various determinations based on signals received by the control device 31 from external sources. The communication unit 312 transmits and receives signals to and from external devices of the toilet seat device 2.

Furthermore, the software modules incorporated into the control device 31 do not necessarily need to be divided into functional blocks as shown in Figure 3. That is, the actual analog circuits and modules may be configured to perform the functions of multiple functional blocks as shown in Figure 3, or they may be further subdivided. The configuration of the control device 31 can be modified as appropriate by those skilled in the art, as long as it is configured to perform the processing described later.

The control device 31 is connected to the heater 411, nozzle 42, and image sensor 44 in a manner that enables it to transmit control signals. The control device 31 can also receive image signals from the image sensor 44.

<Example of operation>
When the control unit 311 determines that a user has sat on the toilet seat 41 based on a signal received by the control device 31 from a seat sensor (not shown), the control device 31 transmits a control signal to the heater 411 (i.e., supplies power to the heater 411). As a result, the temperature of the top plate 6 rises due to the Joule heat generated by the heater 411, and the toilet seat 41 is heated.

Furthermore, when the user operates the switch on the control device 7 corresponding to the start of localized cleaning, the communication unit 71 of the control device 7 generates a signal corresponding to this switch and transmits it wirelessly to the toilet seat device 2. The toilet seat device 2 receives this signal via the communication unit 312 of the control device 31, and the control device 31 transmits a control signal to the nozzle 42. Upon receiving the control signal, the nozzle 42 extends from the main body 3 into the toilet bowl 91 and discharges water supplied from the opened electromagnetic valve towards the user's genitals.

Furthermore, the control device 31 transmits a control signal to the image sensor 44 after or during the user's defecation, causing it to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl 91. The image sensor 44 transmits an image signal corresponding to the image of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 to the control device 31. Upon receiving the image signal, the control device 31, in its determination unit 311, determines at least one of the following based on a predetermined program: the presence or absence of stool, the color, shape, and quantity of the stool. The communication unit 312 of the control device 31 generates a signal corresponding to this determination result and transmits it to an external cloud service C. Medical professionals can access this cloud service C to obtain the determination result, thereby understanding the user's health condition and providing advice based on that understanding.

<Prevention of photographing the user's body>
The toilet device 1 is equipped with a mechanism to prevent the image sensor 44 from capturing images of the user's body. This point will be explained below.

As shown in Figure 2, walls 51 and 52 are provided in the gap 41b of the toilet seat 41. Both walls 51 and 52 are integrally formed with the base plate 5. The walls 51 and 52 extend from their lower ends to their upper ends, approaching each other, and are connected at their upper ends. This creates a recess 53 between the walls 51 and 52, which communicates with the outside of the toilet seat 41 via an opening 5c. The image sensor 44 is positioned within this recess 53 and fixed to the wall 52.

Furthermore, a shielding portion 8 is positioned between the image sensor 44 and the toilet bowl 91. The shielding portion 8 comprises a holding portion 81 and a shielding plate 82.

As shown in Figure 4, the retaining parts 81 are provided at two spaced-apart locations on the lower surface of the base plate 5. One of the retaining parts 81 has a slit 81a that penetrates vertically and extends in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the retaining part 81 forms a groove 81b between itself and the lower surface of the base plate 5. The groove 81b extends in the front-to-back direction, and its front end is open.

The shielding plate 82 is made of an opaque material and has a plate shape. The shielding plate 82 is positioned within the groove 81b. As shown in Figure 4, an operating member 821 is connected to the end of the shielding plate 82. The operating member 821 is positioned within the slit 81a of the holding portion 81. When a user applies force to the operating member 821 with their fingers, moving the operating member 821 in the front-to-back direction within the slit 81a, the shielding plate 82 also slides in the front-to-back direction within the groove 81b. This allows the user to arbitrarily change the position of the shielding plate 82 in the front-to-back direction.

As shown in Figure 4, guide lines 831 and 832 are provided on the underside of the base plate 5 at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. Specifically, guide line 832 is positioned further forward than guide line 831. The shielding plate 82 is positioned so that its front end 82a coincides with one of the guide lines 831 or 832.

The shielding plate 82 is positioned so as viewed from the toilet bowl 91 (in the direction indicated by arrow A1 in Figure 2) within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44. The shielding plate 82 is positioned to shield a portion of the field of view θ1, specifically an angle θ2. This angle θ2 is determined by the position of the shielding plate 82 in the front-rear direction. When the front end 82a of the shielding plate 82 is positioned at the guide line 832, the angle θ2 is larger compared to when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 831. In other words, the area shielded by the shielding plate 82 when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 831 (an example of the "second area" of the present invention) is smaller than the area shielded by the shielding plate 82 when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 832 (an example of the "first area" of the present invention).

The shielding plate 82 blocks the range at angle θ2, preventing the image sensor 44 from capturing images within this range. Conversely, in the range not blocked by the shielding plate 82, the image sensor 44 can capture images of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through the opening 5c.

<Effects and Effects>
This configuration allows the shielding area to be adjusted appropriately according to the user's physique and seated posture, thereby reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

Furthermore, the shielding section 8 is configured to allow the area of the shielded region to be changed between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area.

With this configuration, the more likely a user's body type or seating posture is to be within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44, the larger the area shielded by the shielding part 8 becomes, making it possible to reliably prevent the user's body from being photographed.

Furthermore, the shielding section 8 has an operating member 821, and the area of the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member 821.

This configuration allows for easy adjustment of the area shielded by the shielding section 8 by operating the control member 821 according to the user's physique and seated posture.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the toilet device 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, and 6. Similar to the first embodiment, this toilet device 1A is configured to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl 91 of the toilet bowl 9 using an image sensor 44. The configuration of the shielding part 8A and other aspects of the toilet device 1A differ from that of the first embodiment. For components of the toilet device 1A that are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet device 1A. Figure 5 shows the cross-section corresponding to the II-II section of the toilet device 1A in Figure 1. For ease of understanding, Figure 5 exaggerates the thickness of the masking member 85, which will be described later. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the toilet device 1A, showing the toilet device 1A as seen in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows a magnified view of the area around the image sensor 44.

As shown in Figure 5, a shielding portion 8A is positioned between the image sensor 44 and the toilet bowl 91. The shielding portion 8A comprises a transparent plate 84 and a masking member 85.

The transparent plate 84 is formed from a light-transmitting material (e.g., acrylic resin or glass) and has a plate shape. As shown in Figure 5, the transparent plate 84 is fitted into the opening 5c of the bottom plate 5.

The masking member 85 is an opaque thin film. An adhesive layer is provided on one side 85a of the masking member 85 shown in Figure 6. Masking members 851 and 852 of different sizes are prepared in advance.

As shown in Figure 6, guide lines 861 and 862 are provided on the underside of the base plate 5 at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. Specifically, guide line 862 is positioned further forward than guide line 861. Guide lines 861 and 862 are examples of the "guide section" of the present invention.

One of the masking members 851 and 852 is selected and attached to the transparent plate 84 so as to span across it in the left-right direction by joining its adhesive layer to the bottom plate 5 and the underside of the transparent plate 84. When attaching the relatively small masking member 851, the worker positions the masking member 851 so that its edge 851a coincides with the guide line 861. On the other hand, when attaching the relatively large masking member 852, the worker positions the masking member 852 so that its edge 852a coincides with the guide line 862. The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer is set to such an extent that the masking members 851 and 852 can be easily attached to and detached from the transparent plate 84.

As shown in Figure 5, the transparent plate 84 to which the masking member 85 is attached is positioned so that, when viewed from the toilet bowl 91 (in the direction indicated by arrow A2 in Figure 5), it is within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44. Furthermore, the masking member 85 attached to the transparent plate 84 is positioned to obscure a portion of the field of view θ1, specifically an angle θ3. This angle θ3 is determined according to the size of the attached masking member 85. When a relatively large masking member 852 is attached to the transparent plate 84, the angle θ3 is larger compared to when a masking member 851 is attached to the transparent plate 84.

The masking member 85 shields the area within angle θ3, preventing the image sensor 44 from capturing images within this range. Conversely, in the area not shielded by the masking member 85, the image sensor 44 can capture images of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through the light-transmitting transparent plate 84.

The determination unit 311 of the control device 31 shown in Figure 3 processes the image captured by the image sensor 44 and determines whether or not the user's body is included in the image. For example, the determination unit 311 uses known methods such as pattern matching to determine whether or not an object exists in the part of the image other than the toilet bowl 91. If such an object is found, it determines that the user's body has been captured in the image.

If the determination unit 311 determines that the user's body is included in the image, the communication unit 312 wirelessly transmits a signal corresponding to this determination to an external source. In this embodiment, the communication unit 312 is an example of the "output means" of the present invention. When the operating device 7 receives this signal via the communication unit 71, it displays text information on the display unit 72 to inform the user that there is a problem with the image and that improvement of the shielding unit 8A is necessary. The text information may, for example, encourage the user to change the masking member 85 to a larger size or to change their posture.

[Effects and Effects]
In the second embodiment, the shielding portion 8A includes a transparent plate 84 that is light-transmitting and is positioned within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44, and an opaque masking member 85 that is detachably attached to the transparent plate 84.

This configuration allows for the selection of a masking member 85 of different sizes from a pre-prepared set, corresponding to the user's physique, and then attaching that masking member 85 to the transparent plate 84. This enables the appropriate adjustment of the area shielded by the shielding portion 8A. As a result, the shielding portion 8A is easy to clean and less prone to problems such as sticking, while reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

Furthermore, the shielding portion 8A has guide lines 861 and 862 indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member 85.

This configuration allows for the secure attachment of the masking member 85, selected to suit the user's physique, to a suitable position. As a result, the area shielded by the shielding portion 8A can be appropriately adjusted.

Furthermore, the toilet device 1A includes a determination unit 311 that determines whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in the image of the toilet bowl 91 captured by the image sensor 44. The toilet device 1A also includes a communication unit 312 that outputs a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination unit 311 determines that at least a part of the user's body is included in the image.

With this configuration, if the relative position of the image sensor 44 and the shielding unit 8A is such that it captures at least a part of the user's body, the communication unit 312 can output a signal that prompts the user to make improvements. Based on the output signal, the user can be notified via voice or text that the position of the shielding unit 8A needs to be changed.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention.

1, 1A...Toilet device, 311...Determination unit (determination means), 312...Communication unit (output means), 41...Toilet seat, 44...Image sensor, 5...Bottom plate, 6...Top plate, 8, 8A...Shielding part, 821...Operating member, 84...Transparent plate, 85...Masking member, 861, 862...Guide line (guide part), 9...Toilet bowl, 91...Toilet bowl, 92...Rim

Claims (6)

The toilet seat is positioned above the toilet bowl,
An image sensor is provided on the underside of the toilet seat and takes pictures of the inside of the toilet bowl.
The toilet bowl is equipped with a shielding portion that is positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor as seen from the toilet bowl,
The toilet device is characterized in that the shielding portion has a shielding plate whose relative position to the toilet seat can be adjusted to change the range of the field of view of the image sensor . The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shielding portion is configured to allow the area of the shielded range to be changed between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area. The toilet device according to claim 2, characterized in that the shielding portion has an operating member, and the area of the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member. The toilet seat is positioned above the toilet bowl,
An image sensor is provided on the underside of the toilet seat and takes pictures of the inside of the toilet bowl.
The toilet bowl is equipped with a shielding portion that is positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor as seen from the toilet bowl,
The shielding portion has an opaque masking member ,
The toilet device is characterized in that the masking member is configured to change the range over which the field of view of the image sensor is obscured by changing its mounting position . The toilet device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shielding portion has guide portions indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member. A determination means for determining whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in the image of the toilet bowl captured by the image sensor,
The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: an output means that outputs a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination means determines that the image includes at least a part of the user's body.