Toilet with urine constituent measuring device

• US 4,962,550 A
• Filed: 08/24/1988
• Issued: 10/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TOTO LTD. & OMRON TATEISI ELECTRONICS CO.
• Original Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation), Toto Limited
• Inventors: Ikenaga, Takao, Shigematsu, Toshifumi, Yada, Masatoshi, Kitaura, Hitoshi, Makita, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US07/235,504
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 4/314, 4/420, 4/661, 128/760, 128/771
• US Class Current: 4/420
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/007 for taking urine samples measuring urological functions A61B5/20; genital receptacles A61F5/451; urinals for bed-ridden persons A61G9/006
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/00 Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08

Abstract

A toilet has a device for measuring constituents of voided urine. The toilet has a urine reservoir having a surface contiguous to a bowl surface including a urine receiving surface. Urine examined by the measuring device is sampled from the urine reservoir.

Claims

1. A toilet comprising:

a bowl surface including a urine receiving surface;

a urine reservoir having a surface contiguous to said bowl surface and said urine receiving surface; and

a measuring device for measuring constituents of urine sampled from said urine reservoir, wherein said measuring device comprises measuring means for measuring said constituents of urine from a test sample on a piece of test paper, said measuring means supported by said toilet and having a slot adapted for receiving therein a piece of test paper including said test sample, said measuring means further including a urine sensor means for sensing said constituents of urine contained in said test sample included in said test paper.

2. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a laterally outwardly projecting portion, said urine reservoir being disposed in said laterally outwardly projecting portion.

3. A toilet according to claim 1, wherein said urine reservoir is formed on said bowl surface.

4. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising:

sensing means for detecting completion of measurement of the constituents of urine; and

washing means for flushing said bowl surface and the surface of said urine reservoir with water in response to detection of the completion of measurement of the constituents of urine.

5. A toilet according to claim 4, further comprising a seat, said sensing means comprising a seat sensor disposed on said seat for detecting when a user is seated on said seat.

6. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising air blowing means disposed near said urine reservoir for blowing air to a piece of test paper impregnated with the sampled urine.

7. A toilet according to claim 6, wherein said air blowing means comprises an air pump attached to a portion of the toilet and an air discharge pipe extending from said air pump toward a position above said urine reservoir.

8. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising:

washing means for flushing said bowl surface and the surface of said urine reservoir with water; and

discharge means for discharging flushing water from said urine reservoir.

9. A toilet according to claim 8, wherein said discharge means comprises an air pump attached to a portion of the toilet and an air discharge pipe extending from said air pump toward a position near said urine reservoir.

10. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising lifting/lowering means disposed above said urine reservoir for lowering and lifting a piece of test paper toward and away from said urine reservoir.

11. A toilet according to claim 10, wherein said lifting/lowering means comprises a drum rotatable by a motor, an elongate member wound around said drum, and a clip attached to a tip end of said elongate member for holding the piece of test paper.

12. A toilet according to claim 11, wherein said device includes means for measuring constituents of urine applied to the piece of test paper held by said clip.

13. A toilet according to claim 10, further comprising a cover disposed above said urine reservoir in covering relation to a space above the urine reservoir, said lifting/lowering means and said device being disposed in said cover.

14. A toilet according to claim 10, wherein said lifting/lowering means comprises a drum rotatable by a motor and a piece of test paper wound around said drum.

15. A toilet according to claim 14, wherein said device includes means for measuring constituents of urine applied to a lower end of the piece of test paper depending from said drum, said toilet further comprising cutting means disposed more closely to said drum than said device along said piece of test paper for cutting off the piece of test paper.

16. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising:

holder means disposed above said urine reservoir for holding a piece of test paper; and

applicator means for applying urine from said urine reservoir to the piece of test paper held by said holder means.

17. A toilet according to claim 16, wherein said applicator means comprises a drum rotatable by a motor, an elongate member wound around said drum, and a cup attached to said elongate member.

18. A toilet according to claim 16, wherein said applicator means comprises a suction pump, a suction pipe extending from said suction pump to said urine reservoir, and a discharge pipe extending from said suction pipe to the piece of test paper held by said holder means.

19. A toilet according to claim 16, further comprising a cover disposed above said urine reservoir in covering relation to a space above the urine reservoir, said holder means and said device being disposed in said cover.

20. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a storage case mounted on one side of the toilet for storing a piece of test paper therein, said device being mounted on said one side, and a single cover covering said storage case and said device.

21. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a recorder connected to said device for recording data of measured constituents in an IC card.

22. A toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a card reader for reading out the data recorded in said IC card, and a computer connected to said card reader for processing the data read by said card reader.

23. A toilet according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is supported by said toilet on one lateral side thereof.

24. A toilet comprising:

a bowl surface including a urine receiving surface;

a urine reservoir having a shallow concave surface contiguous to said bowl surface and said urine receiving surface for pooling therein a portion of urine received at said urine receiving surface, said concave surface being gradually inclined for allowing said urine to flow by gravity from said urine receiving surface to said urine reservoir; and

a measuring device for measuring constituents of urine sampled from said urine reservoir,

wherein said device for measuring comprises measuring means supported by said toilet and having a slot adapted for receiving therein a piece of test paper containing a urine sample, said measuring means further including a urine sensor provided for sensing said constituents of urine in said urine sample contained in said test paper.

25. A toilet according to claim 24, wherein said measuring means is supported by said toilet on one lateral side thereof.