WO2025053068A1 - Toilet bowl device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a toilet bowl device that has an improved degree of freedom in the layout of a rotation mechanism of an opening/closing body with respect to a toilet bowl body. The toilet bowl device includes: an opening/closing body which is at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid which are attached, so as to be able to open and close, to a toilet bowl body; and a rotation mechanism which is provided on the toilet bowl body and is configured so as to be interlockable with rotation between a closed position and an open position of the opening/closing body. The rotation mechanism includes: an eccentric mechanism part including an output shaft directly or indirectly connected to the opening/closing body; and at least one rotation auxiliary device connected to the eccentric mechanism part and assisting the rotation of the opening/closing body. The output shaft is disposed at a position eccentric to a rotation auxiliary device connection-section for connection with the eccentric mechanism part.

Description

Toilet equipment

This disclosure relates to a toilet device.

　Conventionally, there is known a toilet device in which an opening/closing body, which is at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid that are openable and closable relative to the toilet body, is electrically opened and closed by a drive motor. The drive shaft of the drive motor is arranged coaxially with the rotation shaft of the opening/closing body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2020-78375 A

In conventional toilet devices, it is necessary to secure space for installing a drive motor so that its drive shaft is positioned coaxially near the pivot axis of the opening/closing body. As a result, conventional toilet devices have the problem that the layout of the pivot mechanism for the opening/closing body relative to the toilet body is restricted, limiting the freedom of design of the entire toilet device.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a toilet device that provides greater freedom in the layout of the pivot mechanism for the opening/closing body relative to the toilet body.

The present disclosure relates to a toilet apparatus comprising an opening/closing body, which is at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid, which is openably and closably attached to a toilet body, and a rotation mechanism configured to be capable of interlocking with the rotation of the opening/closing body between a closed position and an open position, the rotation mechanism including an eccentric mechanism having an output shaft directly or indirectly connected to the opening/closing body, and at least one rotation assist device connected to the eccentric mechanism for assisting the rotation of the opening/closing body, the output shaft being positioned eccentrically relative to the connection part of the rotation assist device with the eccentric drive part.

1 is a perspective view showing a toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the toilet apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the toilet device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear part of the toilet apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the rear part of the toilet apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rotation mechanism of the toilet apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the rotation mechanism shown in FIG. 6 . FIG. 7 is a side view showing an output shaft of the rotation mechanism shown in FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rotation mechanism according to another embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a toilet device 1 comprises a toilet body 2, a toilet seat 3, a toilet lid 4, and a functional part 5. In the toilet device 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the toilet seat 3 is positioned in a closed position, and the toilet lid 4 is positioned in an open position.

In the coordinates X, Y, and Z shown in Figure 1, X is the front-to-back direction as seen by a user sitting on the toilet seat 3 of the toilet device 1. X1 is the front, and X2 is the back. Y is the direction that intersects with the front-to-back direction, and is the width direction connecting the left and right sides of the user. Y1 is the right, and Y2 is the left. Z is the up-down direction along the vertical direction. Z1 is up, and Z2 is down. These coordinates X, Y, and Z are used commonly in all figures.

The toilet body 2 is a container having a toilet bowl 21 that is open at the top. The toilet bowl 21 is a recess formed in the toilet body 2. The toilet body 2 has a drain pipe 22 that extends from the bottom of the toilet bowl 21 toward the rear of the toilet body 2. The drain pipe 22 is located in the center of the width of the toilet body 2. The drain pipe 22 communicates with the inside of the toilet bowl 21 and is connected to a sewer pipe (not shown) at the rear of the toilet body 2.

A water supply pipe 23 is formed at the rear of the toilet body 2. The water supply pipe 23 is located in the center of the width of the toilet body 2 and above the drain pipe 22. The water supply pipe 23 extends forward from the rear of the toilet body 2. The front end of the water supply pipe 23 communicates with the interior of the toilet bowl 21 at the top of the toilet bowl 21. The rear end of the water supply pipe 23 is connected to a water supply facility (not shown), and a predetermined amount of flushing water supplied from the water supply facility is supplied into the toilet bowl 21 along the rim 21a at the top of the toilet bowl 21. This causes waste in the toilet bowl 21 to be washed away and discharged into the sewer pipe through the drain pipe 22.

The toilet seat 3 is disposed on the upper surface of the toilet bowl body 2 and is a member formed in a generally annular shape with an opening in the center that communicates with the opening of the toilet bowl portion 21. The upper surface of the toilet seat 3 on which the user sits is formed to be generally flat. The toilet seat 3 has a pair of mounting arms 31, 31 that protrude toward the rear. The pair of mounting arms 31, 31 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the toilet seat 3 and extend toward the rear. The rear edge 32 of the toilet seat 3, disposed between the pair of mounting arms 31, 31, extends linearly in the width direction. The rear edge 32 may be formed to be smoothly curved across the mounting arms 31, 31. The pair of mounting arms 31, 31 of the toilet seat 3 are connected to a drive shaft 542 and a rotating shaft 543 (see FIG. 5) disposed in the functional portion 5 described below. As a result, the toilet seat 3 is attached to the toilet bowl body 2 so as to be able to rotate around the drive shaft 542 and the rotating shaft 543 to be opened and closed. The toilet seat 3 is one of the opening and closing bodies 100 provided in the toilet device 1.

The toilet lid 4 is a lid member that is placed on the upper surface of the toilet seat 3 and the functional part 5, and is formed in a shape that allows it to cover the toilet seat 3 and the opening of the toilet bowl 21 and the functional part 5 from above. The rear part of the toilet lid 4 is formed in a trapezoidal shape that gradually narrows towards the rear end. The rear part of the toilet lid 4 may be formed in a smoothly curved arc shape.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pair of cushioning members 41, 41 made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the inner surface 4a of the front part of the toilet lid 4. The cushioning members 41, 41 are respectively arranged on both the left and right sides of the inner surface 4a of the toilet lid 4. When the toilet lid 4 is closed, the cushioning members 41, 41 come into contact with the upper surface of the toilet seat 3, thereby reducing the impact applied to the toilet seat 3 and toilet lid 4 and the generation of abnormal noise.

A pair of hinge portions 42, 42 are formed on the inner surface 4a side of the rear of the toilet lid 4. The toilet lid 4 is connected at the hinge portions 42, 42 to an output shaft 613 (see FIG. 5) of a pivot mechanism 6 arranged in the functional unit 5. The output shaft 613 is the pivot shaft of the toilet lid 4. This allows the toilet lid 4 to be attached to the toilet body 2 so that it can be opened and closed by pivoting around the output shaft 613. The toilet lid 4 is another of the opening and closing bodies 100 provided in the toilet apparatus 1.

The toilet lid 4 has an outer peripheral wall portion 43 that protrudes toward the inner surface 4a. The outer peripheral wall portion 43 is provided along the outer periphery of the toilet lid 4, except for the area where the hinge portions 42, 42 are provided. The outer peripheral wall portion 43 covers the outer peripheral side of the toilet seat 3 and functional portion 5 when the toilet lid 4 is closed. As a result, the entire toilet seat 3 and functional portion 5 are contained within the inner space of the toilet lid 4. When viewing the exterior of the toilet device 1 with the toilet lid 4 closed, the toilet seat 3 and functional portion 5 are not visible, so the toilet device 1 has excellent design.

The functional unit 5 is disposed inside the toilet body 2 on the rear side thereof, and houses various functional parts that perform the functions of the toilet device 1. The functional unit 5 has a storage space extending above and to the left and right sides of the water supply pipe 23, avoiding the water supply pipe 23 inside the toilet body 2. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the functional unit 5 has a cover 51 that covers the top of the functional unit 5. The cover 51 is removably attached to the toilet body 2. The cover 51 is disposed flush with the upper surface of the toilet seat 3. However, in order to visualize the inside of the functional unit 5 for easier understanding, the cover 51 is omitted from Fig. 4. Furthermore, in Fig. 5, in addition to the cover 51, the toilet lid 4 is also omitted from the illustration.

The cover 51 is arranged to cover the upper surface of the functional part 5, which is arranged between the pair of mounting arms 31, 31 of the toilet seat 3 and rearward of the rear edge 32 of the toilet seat 3. The rear end side of the cover 51 is formed in the same shape as the rear part of the toilet lid 4. The cover 51 has an integral rear protruding part 511 that protrudes rearward in a rectangular shape from the center in the width direction. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the rear protruding part 511 is arranged between the pair of hinge parts 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4, and covers the output shaft 613 of the rotation mechanism 6 between the hinge parts 42, 42. As shown in Figure 3, the rear end of the rear protruding part 511 is provided with a rear wall part 511a that bends downward between the hinge parts 42, 42. The lower end of the rear wall part 511a is arranged to abut or be close to the rear upper surface 2a of the toilet body 2.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the functional unit 5 is provided with a local cleaning device 52 along the front-to-rear direction of the toilet body 2. The local cleaning device 52 is located in the center of the width of the toilet body 2 and directly above the water supply pipe 23. The front end 52a of the local cleaning device 52 is located facing the inside of the toilet bowl 21, and the rear end 52b is located at the rear of the cover 51. As shown in Figure 3, the local cleaning device 52 has an upwardly convex curved shape from the front end 52a to the rear end 52b. The front end 52a is located lower than the rear end 52b. As a result, the local cleaning device 52 is located in the functional unit 5 so as to slope downward from the inside of the functional unit 5 towards the inside of the toilet bowl 21.

The private parts washing device 52 has a pair of private parts washing nozzles 521, 521 arranged side by side on the left and right inside it. The private parts washing nozzles 521, 521 are arranged so that they can move forward and backward independently within the toilet bowl 21 by driving an advance/retract movement mechanism 522. Figures 1 to 5 show a state in which only the left private parts washing nozzle 521 has moved forward and protrudes into the toilet bowl 21. A cleaning water supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the rear end of the private parts washing nozzles 521, 521. The private parts washing nozzle 521 protruding into the toilet bowl 21 sprays cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water supply pipe from the nozzle portion 521a at the tip.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the functional section 5, a deodorizing device 53 is provided to the left of the private parts cleaning device 52. The deodorizing device 53 has an internal fan (not shown) that rotates when driven by a motor. The deodorizing device 53 is connected to the inside of the toilet bowl 21, and sucks in and deodorizes odors within the toilet bowl 21 by the rotation of the fan.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the functional section 5, an electric opening/closing device 54 for the toilet seat 3 is provided between the private parts cleansing device 52 and the mounting arm 31 on the right side of the toilet seat 3. The electric opening/closing device 54 is an opening/closing unit for electrically opening and closing the toilet seat 3, and has a drive motor (not shown) inside the case 541.

The electric opening/closing device 54 has a drive shaft 542 that protrudes from the case 541 in the width direction of the toilet body 2. The drive shaft 542 is a rotating shaft on the right side of the toilet seat 3, and is formed in a rectangular column shape. The mounting arm 31 on the right side of the toilet seat 3 has a rectangular column-shaped engagement hole 311 (see Figure 4) that corresponds to the shape of the drive shaft 542. The drive shaft 542 engages with the engagement hole 311 of the mounting arm 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the functional section 5, a rotation shaft 543 is provided on the left side of the toilet seat 3 between the deodorizing device 53 and the mounting arm 31 on the left side of the toilet seat 3. The rotation shaft 543 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The rotation shaft 543 is an axis that extends in the width direction of the toilet body 2, and is arranged coaxially with the drive shaft 542. The rotation shaft 543 is rotatably engaged with an axis hole (not shown) provided in the mounting arm 31 on the left side of the toilet seat 3.

When the drive motor of the electric opening/closing device 54 is driven, a driving force is transmitted to the right-side mounting arm 31 via the drive shaft 542. This causes the toilet seat 3 to rotate around the drive shaft 542 and the pivot shaft 543 to open and close. However, the toilet device 1 also allows the user to manually open and close the toilet seat 3 around the drive shaft 542 and the pivot shaft 543 without operating the electric opening/closing device 54.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the functional unit 5 is provided with a rotation mechanism 6 below the private parts cleaning device 52. The rotation mechanism 6 is connected to the toilet cover 4 and is a member that rotates the toilet cover 4 between an open position and a closed position.

The pivot mechanism 6 will be further described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. As shown in Figure 6, the pivot mechanism 6 is provided on the toilet body 2 and is configured to be capable of linking with the rotation of the toilet lid 4 between the closed and open positions. The pivot mechanism 6 has an eccentric mechanism part 61 and an electric opening and closing device 62 for the toilet lid 4.

The eccentric mechanism 61 constitutes the main part of the pivot mechanism 6, and is located at the center of the width of the toilet body 2 in the functional part 5. The eccentric mechanism 61 includes a base plate 611 placed on the water supply pipe 23, a pair of support plates 612, 612 rising from the upper surface of the base plate 611, an output shaft 613 attached to the hinge parts 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4, and multiple rotation shafts. In one embodiment, the multiple rotation shafts are composed of three rotation shafts: a first rotation shaft 614, a second rotation shaft 615, and a third rotation shaft 616.

The surfaces of the pair of support plates 612, 612 face each other in the width direction of the toilet body 2 and are arranged parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the toilet body 2. The support plates 612, 612 are arranged parallel to each other with a fixed distance between them on the left and right. The lower ends of the support plates 612, 612 are attached to the base plate 611 with multiple screws 612a. As the support plates 612, 612 extend upward from the base plate 611, they gradually incline toward the rear of the toilet body 2.

The output shaft 613 is the shaft located at the top of the eccentric mechanism 61. The output shaft 613 extends across a pair of support plates 612, 612 in the width direction of the toilet body 2. Both ends 613a, 613a of the output shaft 613 penetrate the support plates 612, 612 and protrude outward on the left and right sides of the support plates 612, 612, respectively. This allows the output shaft 613 to be rotatably supported between the support plates 612, 612.

The output shaft 613 is the rotation axis of the spur gear 613b. The spur gear 613b is provided on the outer periphery of the output shaft 613 that spans between the support plates 612, 612. As shown in Figures 6 and 8, both ends 613a, 613a of the output shaft 613 that protrude outward on the left and right sides of the support plates 612, 612 are provided with rectangular column-shaped connection ends 613c, 613c. The connection ends 613c, 613c are connected to the hinge parts 42, 42 by engaging with rectangular column-shaped grooves (not shown) formed in the hinge parts 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4. As a result, when the output shaft 613 rotates, the output shaft 613 can reliably transmit the rotational force to the toilet lid 4 without spinning freely relative to the hinge parts 42, 42.

The output shaft 613 is connected at both ends 613a, 613a to a pair of hinge portions 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4, so the torque load on the toilet lid 4 and the output shaft 613 can be reduced compared to when the output shaft 613 is connected to the toilet lid 4 by only one end. This allows the output shaft 613 to be made compact, and the installation space for the eccentric mechanism portion 61 in the functional portion 5 can be reduced. Since the torque generated when the output shaft 613 rotates is not applied only to one hinge portion 42 of the toilet lid 4, there is no risk of the toilet lid 4 deforming. There is no need to precisely control the opening and closing operation of the toilet lid 4 to avoid deformation of the toilet lid 4.

The first rotating shaft 614 is positioned downward and forwardly offset from the output shaft 613. The first rotating shaft 614 is positioned parallel to the output shaft 613 across a pair of support plates 612, 612, and extends in the width direction. Both ends 614a, 614a of the first rotating shaft 614 penetrate the support plates 612, 612, and protrude outward on the left and right sides of the support plates 612, 612, respectively. As a result, the first rotating shaft 614 is rotatably supported between the support plates 612, 612.

The first rotating shaft 614 is the rotating shaft of the spur gear 614b. The spur gear 614b is provided on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 614 between the support plates 612, 612. The spur gear 614b meshes with the spur gear 613b of the output shaft 613.

The second rotating shaft 615 is positioned downward and forwardly offset from the first rotating shaft 614. The second rotating shaft 615 is positioned parallel to the first rotating shaft 614 across a pair of support plates 612, 612, and extends in the width direction. Both ends 615a, 615a of the second rotating shaft 615 penetrate the support plates 612, 612, and protrude outward on the left and right sides of the support plates 612, 612, respectively. This allows the second rotating shaft 615 to be rotatably supported between the support plates 612, 612.

The second rotating shaft 615 is the rotating shaft of the spur gear 615b. The spur gear 615b is provided on the outer periphery of the second rotating shaft 615 between the support plates 612, 612. The spur gear 615b meshes with the spur gear 614b of the first rotating shaft 614.

The third rotating shaft 616 is positioned downward and forward relative to the second rotating shaft 615. The third rotating shaft 616 is the shaft positioned at the bottom of the eccentric mechanism unit 61. The third rotating shaft 616 is the shaft furthest from the output shaft 613 in the eccentric mechanism unit 61. The third rotating shaft 616 is positioned parallel to the second rotating shaft 615 across a pair of support plates 612, 612, and extends in the width direction. Both ends 616a, 616a of the third rotating shaft 616 penetrate the support plates 612, 612 and protrude outward on the left and right sides of the support plates 612, 612, respectively. As a result, the third rotating shaft 616 is rotatably supported between the support plates 612, 612.

The third rotating shaft 616 is the rotating shaft of the spur gear 616b. The spur gear 616b is provided on the outer periphery of the third rotating shaft 616 between the support plates 612, 612. The spur gear 616b meshes with the spur gear 615b of the second rotating shaft 615.

As shown in FIG. 7, the output shaft 613, first rotating shaft 614, second rotating shaft 615, and third rotating shaft 616 of the eccentric mechanism 61 are arranged at an angle so that they are gradually shifted upward and backward from the third rotating shaft 616 toward the output shaft 613. This allows the eccentric mechanism 61 to be placed in the small space S below the local cleaning device 52 and above the water supply pipe 23, as shown in FIG. 3.

Specifically, the vertical dimension of the space S is formed so that it is smaller at the front side and larger at the rear side. The space S is open upward and backward behind the local cleaning device 52. The eccentric mechanism 61 arranged in the space S is arranged between the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23. The eccentric mechanism 61 extends backward and diagonally upward from the base plate 611 placed on the water supply pipe 23 so as to avoid interference with the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23. The upper part of the eccentric mechanism 61 extends backward from between the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23. The output shaft 613 is arranged at the same height as the rear end 52b of the local cleaning device 52 behind the local cleaning device 52. The output shaft 613 is arranged between the hinge parts 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4 and is connected to the hinge parts 42, 42 by the connection ends 613c, 613c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the eccentric mechanism 61 located behind the genital cleansing device 52 is covered from above to the rear by the rear protruding portion 511 of the cover 51, which has a rear wall portion 511a, between the hinge portions 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4.

The electric opening/closing device 62 is an opening/closing unit that electrically opens and closes the toilet lid 4, and is a rotation assisting device that assists in the rotation of the toilet lid 4 between the open and closed positions. The electric opening/closing device 62 has a drive motor and multiple gears (neither shown) for opening and closing the toilet lid 4 inside a case 621 that is long in the vertical direction. The electric opening/closing device 62 has a drive shaft 622 that protrudes from the right side of the upper part of the case 621. The drive shaft 622 is a shaft that rotates in conjunction with the drive of the drive motor via gears, and extends in the width direction of the toilet body 2.

In the rotation mechanism 6, the electric opening/closing device 62 and the eccentric mechanism 61 are separate components. The output shaft 613 of the eccentric mechanism 61 is provided separately from the electric opening/closing device 62. The output shaft 613 of the eccentric mechanism 61 is not arranged coaxially with the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62, but is arranged at an eccentric position relative to the drive shaft 622.

The drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 constitutes a connection part for the eccentric mechanism part 61. As shown in FIG. 6, the drive shaft 622 is coaxially connected to the left end part 616a of the third rotating shaft 616. As a result, the output shaft 613 is arranged in an eccentric position with respect to the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62. The electric opening/closing device 62 is arranged in a position shifted to the left of the eccentric mechanism part 61 and extends downward from the drive shaft 622. The electric opening/closing device 62 is arranged in a position shifted to the left of the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23 without interfering with the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23. The case 621 of the electric opening/closing device 62 is fixed to an appropriate part of the functional part 5 (not shown).

When the drive motor of the electric opening/closing device 62 is driven, the third rotating shaft 616 rotates via the drive shaft 622. When the third rotating shaft 616 rotates, a rotational force is transmitted to the second rotating shaft 615 via the meshed spur gears 616b, 615b. This causes the second rotating shaft 615 to rotate. When the second rotating shaft 615 rotates, a rotational force is transmitted to the first rotating shaft 614 via the meshed spur gears 615b, 614b. This causes the first rotating shaft 614 to rotate. When the first rotating shaft 614 rotates, a rotational force is transmitted to the output shaft 613 via the meshed spur gears 614b, 613b, and the output shaft 613 rotates. As a result, the toilet lid 4 connected to the output shaft 613 via the hinge portions 42, 42 opens and closes. The electric opening/closing device 62 can apply the brakes using the drive motor when closing the toilet lid 4 by driving the drive motor or when closing it manually. This allows the toilet lid 4 to be closed slowly and quietly.

The first rotating shaft 614, the second rotating shaft 615, and the third rotating shaft 616 of the eccentric mechanism 61 constitute a power transmission mechanism or link mechanism that transmits the driving force of the electric opening/closing device 62 to the output shaft 613. Since the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 does not need to be arranged coaxially with the axis of the hinge parts 42, 42 of the toilet lid 4, even if sufficient installation space for the electric opening/closing device 62 cannot be secured on the toilet body 2 near the hinge parts 42, 42, the driving force of the electric opening/closing device 62 can be transmitted to the hinge parts 42, 42.

In the eccentric mechanism 61, the third rotating shaft 616 connected to the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 is an input shaft to which the driving force of the electric opening/closing device 62 is input. The input shaft may be another rotating shaft provided in the electric opening/closing device 62, i.e., the first rotating shaft 614 or the second rotating shaft 615. Therefore, the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 may be connected to either the end 614a of the first rotating shaft 614 or the end 615a of the second rotating shaft 615. In the eccentric mechanism 61, the input shaft to which the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 is connected may be any rotating shaft among the multiple rotating shafts that does not interfere with other functional components arranged in the functional unit 5 to which the electric opening/closing device 62 is attached.

The number of rotating shafts provided in the eccentric mechanism unit 61 can be increased or decreased as appropriate depending on the size of the space S in which the eccentric mechanism unit 61 is disposed. Therefore, the only rotating shaft other than the output shaft 613 provided in the eccentric mechanism unit 61 may be the first rotating shaft 614. The eccentric mechanism unit 61 may be provided with four or more rotating shafts other than the output shaft 613.

The eccentric mechanism 61 has multiple rotation shafts, i.e., a first rotation shaft 614, a second rotation shaft 615, and a third rotation shaft 616, so any one or more functional components can be connected to any one of the ends 614a, 615a, 616a of these shafts.

For example, in the eccentric mechanism 61 shown in FIG. 6, a free-standing unit 63 is connected to a third rotation shaft 616 of the eccentric mechanism 61. The free-standing unit 63 is fixed to a mounting plate 617 that rises upward from the right end of the substrate 611. The mounting plate 617 is attached to the substrate 611 by a screw 617a.

The self-supporting unit 63 is a known component, for example, a one-way clutch, and is a rotation assisting device that assists in the rotation of the toilet lid 4 between the open and closed positions. The self-supporting unit 63 does not generate torque in the direction of opening the toilet lid 4, and will not rotate unless a certain torque or more is applied in the direction of closing the toilet lid 4. The self-supporting unit 63 has a drive shaft 631 extending in the width direction. The drive shaft 631 of the self-supporting unit 63 forms a connection part for the eccentric mechanism part 61. The drive shaft 631 is coaxially connected to the right end part 616a of the third rotating shaft 616. As a result, the self-supporting unit 63 is positioned in a position shifted to the right of the eccentric mechanism part 61. The self-supporting unit 63 is positioned in a position shifted to the right of the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23 without interfering with the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23. That is, the drive shaft 622 of the electric opening/closing device 62 and the drive shaft 631 of the self-supporting structure unit 63 are connected to both ends 616a, 616a of the third rotating shaft 616 of the eccentric mechanism part 61 shown in FIG. 6.

The self-supporting structure unit 63 constantly generates a constant torque on the open toilet lid 4 via the eccentric mechanism 61, keeping the toilet lid 4 in the open position, even when the electric opening/closing device 62 is stopped. Therefore, the pivoting mechanism 6 having the self-supporting structure unit 63 can hold the open toilet lid 4 in a self-supporting position tilted forward from the center of gravity angle of the toilet lid 4, without using a separate biasing member such as an elastic body to keep the toilet lid 4 in a self-supporting position.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, an assist spring 64 may be connected to the eccentric mechanism 61. The assist spring 64 is a known member formed, for example, of a coil spring, and is a rotation assist device that assists the rotation of the toilet lid 4 between the open position and the closed position. One end of the assist spring 64 is a connection part for the eccentric mechanism 61, and is fixed to the end 614a of the first rotation shaft 614. The other end of the assist spring 64 is fixed to the support plate 612 or another part of the functional part 5. As a result, the assist spring 64 is positioned in a position shifted to the right of the eccentric mechanism 61. The assist spring 64 is positioned in a position shifted to the right of the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23 without interfering with the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23.

The assist spring 64 applies a biasing force in the opening direction to the toilet lid 4 via the eccentric mechanism 61, and compensates for the torque required when rotating the toilet lid 4 in the opening direction by driving the electric opening/closing device 62 or manually. As a result, the toilet lid 4 can be rotated to the open position with little power or force.

The eccentric mechanism 61 may be provided with a slow-down unit 65 as shown in FIG. 9. The slow-down unit 65 is a known component, and is a rotation assisting device that assists the rotation of the toilet lid 4 between the open position and the closed position. The slow-down unit 65 is formed, for example, of an oil damper. The slow-down unit 65 shown in FIG. 9 is connected to the third rotation shaft 616 of the eccentric mechanism 61 by an axis 651, which is a connection part to the eccentric mechanism 61. As a result, the slow-down unit 65 is positioned at a position shifted to the left of the eccentric mechanism 61. The slow-down unit 65 is positioned at a position shifted to the left of the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23 without interfering with the local cleansing device 52 and the water supply pipe 23.

The slow-down unit 65 attenuates the torque acting on the toilet lid 4 in the closing direction when the toilet lid 4 is closed manually. Therefore, the toilet lid 4 can be closed slowly and quietly without the need to apply the brakes using the drive motor.

The slow-down unit 65 shown in FIG. 9 is connected to the third rotating shaft 616 in the eccentric mechanism 61 in place of the electric opening/closing device 62, but the slow-down unit 65 may be provided in place of the self-supporting unit 63 or the assist spring 64 in the eccentric mechanism 61 shown in FIG. 6. The slow-down unit 65 may be provided together with the electric opening/closing device 62, the self-supporting unit 63, and the assist spring 64, for example, by connecting it to the first rotating shaft 614 or the second rotating shaft 615 in the eccentric mechanism 61 shown in FIG. 6. At least one rotation assisting device among the electric opening/closing device 62, the self-supporting unit 63, the assist spring 64, and the slow-down unit 65 is provided in the eccentric mechanism 61.

In the above description, the pivot mechanism 6 is configured to pivot the toilet lid 4, which is one of the opening/closing bodies 100, between a closed position and an open position, but the pivot mechanism 6 may also be configured to pivot the toilet seat 3, which is the other of the opening/closing bodies 100, between a closed position and an open position. In this case, the electric opening/closing device 54 for the toilet seat 3 is connected to the eccentric mechanism part 61 instead of the electric opening/closing device 62 for the toilet lid 4. This improves the freedom of layout of the electric opening/closing device 54. The pivot mechanism 6 may be provided to correspond to each of the toilet seat 3 and the toilet lid 4.

The output shaft 613 of the eccentric mechanism 61 is not limited to being directly connected to the opening/closing body 100. The output shaft 613 may be indirectly connected to the opening/closing body 100 via another appropriate power transmission mechanism.

The toilet device 1 disclosed herein provides the following advantages:

(1) The toilet device 1 of the present disclosure comprises an opening/closing body 100, which is at least one of a toilet seat 3 and a toilet lid 4 that are attached to a toilet body 2 so as to be openable and closable, and a rotation mechanism 6 that is provided on the toilet body 2 and configured to be capable of linking with the rotation of the opening/closing body 100 between a closed position and an open position, the rotation mechanism 6 including an eccentric mechanism 61 having an output shaft 613 that is directly or indirectly connected to the opening/closing body 100, and at least one rotation assist device 62, 63, 64, 65 that is connected to the eccentric mechanism 61 and assists in the rotation of the opening/closing body 100, the output shaft 613 being positioned eccentrically relative to the connection portion of the rotation assist device 62, 63, 64, 65 with the eccentric mechanism 61.

According to (1) above, even if sufficient space cannot be secured near the opening/closing body 100 to place the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65, the driving force when the opening/closing body 100 is opened or closed can be transmitted between the opening/closing body 100 and the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65. Therefore, it is possible to provide a toilet device 1 with improved freedom in the layout of the rotation mechanism 6.

(2) In the toilet device 1 described in (1) above, the eccentric mechanism 61 includes a plurality of rotating shafts 614, 615, and 616 that are rotatably arranged in conjunction with the output shaft 613, and the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65 are connected to at least one of the plurality of rotating shafts 614, 615, and 616.

According to (2) above, the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65 can be connected to any of the multiple rotation shafts 614, 615, and 616, so the connection positions of the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65 away from the output shaft 613 can be adjusted depending on the size of the installation space for the eccentric mechanism unit 61. Since any functional part can be added to any of the multiple rotation shafts 614, 615, and 616, it is also possible to improve the functionality of the toilet device 1.

(3) In the toilet device 1 described in (2) above, the output shaft 613 is positioned at the top of the eccentric mechanism part 61.

According to (3) above, the output shaft 613 is positioned close to the opening/closing body 100, making it easy to connect to the opening/closing body 100.

(4) In the toilet device 1 described in (3) above, the output shaft 613 and the multiple rotating shafts 614, 615, 616 are arranged so that they are gradually shifted upward and backward from the lowest rotating shaft 616 toward the output shaft 613.

According to (4) above, the opening/closing body 100 can be connected to the rear of the toilet body 2 while avoiding interference with the functional components provided on the toilet body 2.

(5) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the eccentric mechanism part 61 is disposed at the rear and widthwise center of the toilet body 2.

According to (5) above, even if a pivot shaft is disposed at the rear of the opening/closing body 100 that is formed with a narrow rear section, an output shaft can be connected to the opening/closing body 100.

(6) In the toilet device 1 described in (5) above, the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65 are disposed on at least one of the right and left sides of the eccentric mechanism 61.

According to (6) above, the installation space for the eccentric mechanism 61 itself can be made compact, so that when installing the eccentric mechanism 61 in the toilet body 2, it is possible to avoid interference between the rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65 and the functional components inside the toilet body 2.

(7) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the output shaft 613 protrudes from the eccentric mechanism 61 on both sides in the width direction, and the opening/closing body 100 is directly or indirectly connected to both ends of the output shaft 613.

According to (7) above, the torque load on the opening/closing body 100 and the output shaft 613 can be reduced compared to when the opening/closing body 100 is connected to the opening/closing body 100 by only one end of the output shaft 613. This allows the output shaft 613 to be made compact, and the installation space for the rotation mechanism 6 can be reduced. Since the torque of the output shaft 613 is not applied to only one hinge portion of the opening/closing body 100, there is no risk of deformation of the opening/closing body 100. Therefore, there is no need to precisely control the opening and closing operation of the opening/closing body 100 to avoid deformation of the opening/closing body 100.

(8) The toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (7) above further includes a private parts cleaning device 52, and the eccentric mechanism unit 61 is disposed below the private parts cleaning device 52.

According to (8) above, the eccentric mechanism unit 61 can be installed in the toilet body 2 without interfering with the private parts cleansing device 52.

(9) The toilet device 1 described in (8) above further includes a water supply pipe 23, and the eccentric mechanism part 61 is disposed above the water supply pipe 23.

According to (9) above, the narrow space between the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23 can be effectively utilized, and the eccentric mechanism unit 61 can be installed without interfering with the local cleaning device 52 and the water supply pipe 23.

(10) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (9) above, the rotation assist device is provided in multiple units in the eccentric mechanism unit 61.

According to (10) above, the rotation mechanism 6 can assist the rotation of the opening/closing body 100 by using the various functions of the multiple rotation assist devices 62, 63, 64, and 65.

(11) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (10) above, at least one rotation assist device 62 has an electric opening/closing device having a drive motor for opening and closing the opening/closing body 100.

According to (11) above, the opening/closing body 100 can be automatically opened and closed by driving the drive motor of the electric opening/closing device. The electric opening/closing device can apply the brakes by the drive motor when the opening/closing body 100 is closing, so the opening/closing body 100 can be closed slowly and quietly.

(12) In the toilet device 1 described in (11) above, the eccentric mechanism 61 includes a plurality of rotating shafts 614, 615, and 616 that are rotatably arranged in conjunction with the output shaft 613, and the electric opening/closing device 62 is connected to the lowest rotating shaft 616 among the plurality of rotating shafts 614, 615, and 616.

According to (12) above, the electric opening/closing device 62 can be positioned within the toilet body 2 without interfering with other functional components within the toilet body 2.

(13) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (12) above, at least one rotation assist device 63 has a self-supporting structural unit that holds the opening/closing body 100 in an open position.

According to (13) above, the opening/closing body 100 can be held in an open state so as to stand on its own without using a separate biasing member such as an elastic body for holding the opening/closing body 100 in an independent state.

(14) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (13) above, at least one rotation assist device 64 has an assist spring that applies a biasing force in the opening direction to the opening/closing body 100.

According to (14) above, the opening/closing body 100 can be rotated toward the open position with little power or force.

(15) In the toilet device 1 described in any one of (1) to (14) above, at least one rotation assist device 65 has a slow-down unit that attenuates the torque applied to the opening/closing body 100 in the closing direction.

According to (15) above, the opening/closing body 100 can be closed with a slow and quiet movement.

1 toilet device, 2 toilet body, 3 toilet seat, 4 toilet cover, 6 rotation mechanism, 23 water supply pipe, 52 local cleaning device, 61 eccentric mechanism, 62 electric opening and closing device (rotation assist device), 63 self-supporting structure unit (rotation assist device), 64 assist spring (rotation assist device), 65 slow-down unit (rotation assist device), 613 output shaft, 613a end of output shaft, 614 first rotating shaft, 615 second rotating shaft, 616 third rotating shaft, 622 drive shaft (connection part), 631 drive shaft (connection part), 651 shaft part (connection part), 100 opening and closing body

Claims (15)

An opening/closing body which is at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid which are openably and closably attached to the toilet body;
a rotation mechanism configured to be interlocked with the rotation of the opening/closing body between a closed position and an open position,
The rotation mechanism includes:
an eccentric mechanism having an output shaft directly or indirectly connected to the opening/closing body;
At least one rotation assisting device connected to the eccentric mechanism portion and assisting the rotation of the opening/closing body,
A toilet apparatus, wherein the output shaft is disposed at an eccentric position relative to a connection portion between the rotation assist device and the eccentric mechanism portion. the eccentric mechanism portion includes a plurality of rotating shafts that are rotatably arranged in conjunction with the output shaft,
The toilet apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation assist device is connected to at least one of the plurality of rotation shafts. The toilet device according to claim 2, wherein the output shaft is positioned at the top of the eccentric mechanism. The toilet device according to claim 3, wherein the output shaft and the multiple rotating shafts are arranged so as to gradually shift upward and backward from the lowest rotating shaft toward the output shaft. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the eccentric mechanism is disposed at the rear of the toilet body and in the center in the width direction. The toilet device according to claim 5, wherein the rotation assist device is disposed on at least one of the right and left sides of the eccentric mechanism. The output shaft protrudes from the eccentric mechanism portion to both sides in a width direction,
The toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the opening and closing body is directly or indirectly connected to both ends of the output shaft. Further comprising a local cleaning device;
The toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the eccentric mechanism is disposed below the private parts cleaning device. Further comprising a water supply pipe;
The toilet apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the eccentric mechanism is disposed above the water supply pipe. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rotation assist device is provided in multiple units in the eccentric mechanism. The toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the rotation assist devices has an electric opening/closing device having a drive motor for opening and closing the opening/closing body. the eccentric mechanism portion includes a plurality of rotating shafts that are rotatably arranged in conjunction with the output shaft,
The toilet apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electric opening and closing device is connected to a lowermost rotating shaft among the plurality of rotating shafts. The toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least one of the rotation assist devices has a self-supporting structural unit that holds the opening and closing body in an open position. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least one of the rotation assist devices has an assist spring that applies a biasing force in the opening direction to the opening/closing body. The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the rotation assist devices has a slow-down unit that attenuates the torque applied to the opening/closing body in the closing direction.

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