Stool flushing device

• US 6,948,194 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Toto Limited
• Original Assignee: Toto Limited
• Inventors: Shinohara, Kuniaki, Koguro, Toshio, Furuta, Yuichi, Todoroki, Kentaro, Ikushima, Mie
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US10/487,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 4302-305, 431/3, 462/3, 4DI/G 3
• US Class Current: 4/304
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 13/00 Urinals without flushing devices A47K11/00 ; Means for connecting the urinal to the flushing pipe and the wastepipe; Splashing shields for urinals
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/00 Flushing devices operated by pressure of the water supply system flushing valves not connected to the water-supply main, also if air is blown in the water seal for a quick flushing
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet cleaning device which is capable of cleaning a toilet stool by supplying cleaning water in an appropriate quantity corresponding to the state of usage by a user, which is provided with a self-diagnosis function for diagnosing cleaning water stoppage or the like, and which has a simple constitution so that maintenance can be performed easily. The output of a Doppler sensor 11 is amplified by an amp 31, and a frequency spectrum is determined by an FFT calculation portion 32. A flow rate is determined by conversion in a flow rate calculation portion 33 on the basis of the frequency spectrum. A controller 34 operates other devices on the basis of the flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation portion 33 and the operational state of a cleaning instruction button 16. Cleaning water supply valve 36 is opened and closed in accordance with instructions from the controller 34. Electrolyzed water is generated in an electrolyzed water generating portion 38 to prevent the formation of urinary calculus in a drainpipe, and this electrolyzed water is discharged from a water spout when an electrolyzed water supply valve 39 is opened.

Claims

1. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said liquid flow condition calculation means comprise time measuring means for measuring the time period during which it is determined that a liquid flow is present.

2. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the presence of a liquid flow in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said frequency analysis means output a frequency spectrum by Fast Fourier Transform; and

said liquid flow condition calculation means determine the presence of a liquid flow according to the presence of a frequency at or above a predetermined threshold and calculate a liquid flow rate on the basis of a maximum value of the frequency spectrum generated by Fast Fourier Transform.

3. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that said liquid flow condition calculation means calculate the total liquid flow quantity by totaling the liquid flow rate during the time period in which it is determined that a liquid flow is present.

9. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein said valve comprises cleaning water quantity adjustment means, and said toilet cleaning device comprises control means for controlling said cleaning water quantity adjustment means based on the output of said liquid flow condition calculation means.

4. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said Doppler sensor transmits radio waves from said transmission means in a substantially parallel direction to the flow direction along an inner wall surface of the bowl portion of the toilet stool.

5. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said Doppler sensor transmits radio waves from said transmission means substantially in the direction toward a user position, said toilet cleaning device comprising user detection means for detecting the presence of a user of the toilet stool on the basis of the output of said Doppler sensor; and

when said liquid flow condition calculation means determine that a liquid flow has disappeared and the output of said user detection means detects that no user is present, said valve is opened and cleaning water is supplied.

6. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that when a predetermined length of time or more elapses after said liquid flow condition calculation means determine that a liquid flow has disappeared, said valve is opened and cleaning water is supplied.

7. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that said valve is prohibited from being opened until a predetermined length of time elapses after said valve is closed following the opening of said valve.

8. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said control means comprise cleaning condition determination means for determining the cleaning water supply condition based on the state of instruction to said valve and the output of said liquid flow condition calculation means, and said toilet cleaning device comprises outside output means for outputting the output of said cleaning condition determination means to the outside of the toilet cleaning device.

10. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said Doppler sensor is disposed in the interior of the toilet main body such that the transmission direction of the radio waves from said transmission means is substantially orthogonal to the interior surface of the main body of the toilet stool.

11. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that said Doppler sensor is disposed in the interior of the toilet main body, and a plate material for preventing the reflection of radio waves on the surface of the toilet main body is provided in close contact with a region of the surface of the toilet main body through which radio waves transmitted.

12. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting radio waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the radio waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein a water spout portion is provided downstream of said valve for discharging cleaning water to the inner wall surface of said bowl portion, and the velocity of the cleaning water discharged from said water spout portion is caused to differ from a typical urine flow velocity.

13. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting oscillatory waves in the direction toward a user position positioned in the vicinity of an opening portion of a bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the oscillatory waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

frequency analysis means for analyzing the frequency of the output of said Doppler sensor;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in the bowl portion interior space based on the output of said frequency analysis means;

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

opening/closing means for opening and closing a toilet seat and toilet lid which are rotatably mounted on said toilet main body; and

user detection means for detecting the presence of a user of the toilet based on the output of said Doppler sensor;

wherein said control means instruct said opening/closing means to open the toilet seat and toilet lid when a user is detected by said user detection means, instruct said opening/closing means to close the toilet seat and toilet lid when said user detection means cease to detect the user following detection of a liquid flow by said liquid flow condition calculation means, and then open said valve such that cleaning water is supplied.

18. The toilet cleaning device according to any of claims 13 through 17, characterized in that said Doppler sensor is provided such that oscillatory waves are transmitted from the back face side of said toilet main body through said toilet main body toward said bowl portion interior space of the toilet stool, and

at least the part of said toilet main body through which said oscillatory waves pass is partially or entirely formed so as to be permeable to said oscillatory waves.

19. The toilet cleaning device according to any of claims 13 through 17, characterized in that said Doppler sensor generates any one of radio waves, light waves, and sound waves as said oscillatory waves, and outputs signals based on the difference between the transmission frequency and reception frequency thereof.

14. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting oscillatory waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the oscillatory waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in said bowl portion interior space based on the output of said Doppler sensor; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said control means are further provided with cleaning condition determination means for determining whether or not the cleaning water supply condition is normal based on the state of instruction to said valve and the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means.

15. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting oscillatory waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the oscillatory waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in said bowl portion interior space based on the output of said Doppler sensor; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said liquid flow condition calculation means also measure a liquid flow existence period on the basis of an output signal from said Doppler sensor, and determine a total liquid flow quantity by totaling the liquid flow rate during the measured liquid flow existence period; and

said control means control the opening and closing of said valve such that cleaning water is supplied in accordance with said total liquid flow quantity determined by totaling liquid flow rate.

16. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting oscillatory waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the oscillatory waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in said bowl portion interior space based on the output of said Doppler sensor; and

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means;

wherein said control means also detect whether or not a user has approached said toilet main body on the basis of an output signal from said Doppler sensor, and detect whether or not urination has been performed into said bowl portion from the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means, such that when said user approaches said toilet main body, cleaning water is supplied briefly to perform pre-cleaning, and when said user completes urination, cleaning water is supplied to perform post-cleaning.

17. A toilet cleaning device for controlling the opening/closing of a valve provided in cleaning water pipe which enables cleaning water to be supplied to a toilet main body, characterized in comprising:

transmission means for transmitting oscillatory waves toward a space in the vicinity of a bowl portion interior space or an opening portion of the bowl portion of a toilet stool;

reception means for receiving reflected waves of the oscillatory waves transmitted by said transmission means;

a Doppler sensor provided for generating a differential signal corresponding to the difference between the frequency of a signal received by said reception means and the frequency of a signal transmitted by said transmission means;

liquid flow condition calculation means for calculating the liquid flow condition in said bowl portion interior space based on the output of said Doppler sensor;

control means which perform control of said valve in accordance with the calculation result of said liquid flow condition calculation means; and

urinary calculus prevention fluid supply means for introducing urinary calculus prevention fluid into a drain pipe to prevent the formation of urinary calculi calculus in said drain pipe;

wherein said liquid flow condition calculation means also measure a liquid flow existence period on the basis of an output signal from said Doppler sensor, and determine a total liquid flow quantity by totaling the liquid flow rate during the measured liquid flow existence period; and

said control means supply cleaning water in accordance with said total liquid flow quantity determined by totaling liquid flow rate, and also adjust at least one of the concentration of said urinary calculus prevention fluid or the supply rate of said urinary calculus prevention fluid in accordance with said total liquid flow quantity determined by totaling liquid flow rate.