U.S. patent application number 11/915722 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-21 for toilet device.
This patent application is currently assigned to MAX CO. LTD.. Invention is credited to Masahiko Hashimoto, Toshio Hiranuma, Shigenori Yamaguchi.
Application Number | 20090126093 11/915722 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37498302 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090126093 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hiranuma; Toshio ; et
al. |
May 21, 2009 |
TOILET DEVICE
Abstract
A breaking means is installed in a stagnant portion of the body
of the toilet device. The breaking means has a breaking mechanism
unit. The breaking mechanism unit is a cutter mechanism and has
cutter members. Each of the cutter members has multiple cutter
blades along its rotation axis direction. Cutter blades of adjacent
cutter members mesh with each other with a small clearance kept.
Because by the action of this cutter member, excrement and others
including tissue paper, etc. can be cut out finely and broken, the
excrement and others (solids) are made into liquid mixture in this
breaking process. Because of liquid mixture, drain takes place
easily so that clogging of a drain pipe can be prevented even if
hardly soluble matters such as tissue paper are used.
Inventors: |
Hiranuma; Toshio; (Saitama,
JP) ; Hashimoto; Masahiko; (Kanagawa, JP) ;
Yamaguchi; Shigenori; (Yamanashi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SMITH-HILL AND BEDELL, P.C.
16100 NW CORNELL ROAD, SUITE 220
BEAVERTON
OR
97006
US
|
Assignee: |
MAX CO. LTD.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
37498302 |
Appl. No.: |
11/915722 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
May 23, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2006/310615 |
371 Date: |
November 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/319 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B02C 18/18 20130101;
E03D 11/11 20130101; B02C 18/142 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/319 |
International
Class: |
E03D 9/10 20060101
E03D009/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 6, 2005 |
JP |
2005-166005 |
Claims
1. A toilet device, characterized in that the toilet device
comprises: a body of the toilet device having a stagnant portion at
the bottom thereof; and a breaking means installed in the stagnant
portion with it being immersed into trap water trapped in the
stagnant portion, wherein the breaking means includes a breaking
mechanism unit that has a cutter blade, and its driving means, and
by driving the breaking mechanism unit, excrement and others which
have fallen into the stagnant portion is cut out and broken.
2. The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that
the breaking mechanism unit comprises multiple cutter members each
containing multiple disk-shaped cutter blades that are configured
side by side in a rotation axis direction thereof; and cutter
blades of cutter members which are adjacent to each other mesh with
each other with a small clearance being kept therebetween.
3. The toilet device according to claim 2, characterized in that
each of the cutter members has cutter blades of gradually varying
with their sizes, the cutter blades being sequentially placed side
by side, and any one or both of a cutter member that has a
substantially bobbin-like shape which has a large diameter on both
end sides and gradually reduces the diameter thereof from the both
end sides towards the center portion and a cutter member that has a
substantially straight shape in which multiple cutter blades of
substantially same size are sequentially placed side by side is or
are used.
4. The toilet device according to claim 2, characterized in that
the small clearance is preferably a clearance of an extent that
allows the cutter blades of adjacent cutter members to be
scraped.
5. The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that
the breaking mechanism unit includes a pair of guide members and a
pair of cutter members; the pair of guide members contain multiple
guide plates disposed on the longitudinal direction thereof with a
predetermined pitch; and the cutter members are provided to each of
the guide members and multiple cutter blades constituting the
cutter members are assembled in such a manner as to enter a place
between the guide plates of facing guide members.
6. The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that
the cutter blade has a structure that employs at least any one of
cut systems of a straight cut, a cross cut, and a spiral cut.
7. The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that
the body of the toilet device is a fixed type Western-style toilet
or a portable type simplified Western-style toilet.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet device that can be
applied to fixed type Western-style toilet, portable Western-style
toilet and the like. It relates, specifically, to a toilet device
that can cut out and break not only excrement but also hardly
soluble tissue paper, etc. to discharge them to any sewer pipe or
the like by installing breaking means for breaking excrement and
the like in a stagnant portion of the body of the toilet device and
at the same time, adopting a cutter mechanism that can cut out and
break them as this breaking means.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] The present Western style toilet has a stagnant portion to
store trap water at the bottom part of the body of the toilet
device, and any excrement is evacuated into trapped trap water and
at the same time, excrement and water-soluble toilet paper
(hereinafter called excrement and others) are drained together with
the trap water to the sewer-pipe side (for example, see Japanese
Patent Application Publication No. 2004-308404).
[0003] With respect to paper used for Western-style toilets,
attention is often drawn to use toilet paper (water-soluble paper)
provided, as much as possible. This is because the use of
water-soluble toilet paper is recommended as toilet paper in order
to prevent clogging at the body of the toilet device or clogging at
the sewer pipe. Recently, in addition to this kind of toilet paper,
any paper could be used even for Western-style toilets, so long as
it is water-soluble. For example, water-soluble tissue paper, etc.
which can be used in Western-style toilets has been put on
market.
[0004] On the other hand, in addition to a fixed type Western-style
toilet, a portable type simplified Western-style toilet has been
also known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application
Publication No. 2000-325258). This portable type simplified
Western-style toilet has been developed for elderly persons who
need care or physically disabled persons who find it difficult to
go to an existing toilet (Western-style toilet, etc.) in his or her
house.
[0005] This portable type simplified Western-style toilet is
configured into a chair type one so that it can be easily provided
in their private room and they can sit on the chair type toilet by
which he or she can defecate. The simplified Western-style toilet
has a configuration substantially similar to that of the fixed type
Western-style toilet. Consequently, for the portable Western-style
toilet, a body of the toilet device which has a stagnant portion to
store trap water is also used, and after the use, the excrement and
others are drained together with trap water.
[0006] Even in this kind of simplified Western-style toilet, a kind
of usable paper is water-soluble paper such as toilet paper so that
the excrement and others can not clog the body of the toilet device
or the sewer pipe. In addition, in order to facilitate draining,
some toilets have breaking means inside the body of the toilet
device (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication
No. 2001-275885).
[0007] And now, because in Western-style toilets in which rinse
water is used, the excrement and others are drained together with
trap water without breaking them to the outside of the body of the
toilet device, as described above, any attention for use such that
any paper other than toilet paper provided should be not used is
drawn and any evocation thereof is performed, but there are cases
in which paper other than that provided is used.
[0008] For example, there is tissue paper. Disposing of tissue
paper into a body of the toilet device with the tissue paper being
in a condensed state such as being crumpled into a ball, etc. is
likely to give rise to any accidents such that the body of the
toilet device or the sewer pipe (the exhaust pipe) is clogged.
[0009] Even water-soluble tissue paper is likely to cause similar
accidents if it is used in a large quantity. In addition, in toilet
facilities which are used by large numbers of the general public,
such as lavatories, etc. in public places, improvement plans for a
disposal method of used sanitary items are called for. As one
example of these improvement plans, water-soluble sanitary items,
which can be disposed into existing toilet facilities after they
have been used, are sold, but when they are used together with
toilet paper, etc., it takes time for water (rinsing water such as
trap water, etc.) to penetrate into them even though they are
water-soluble, so that their solidity can be not broken and they
are not always drained securely. This problem is the same in the
case of the simplified Western-style toilets.
[0010] In Patent Literature 3, a configuration to provide a
simplified Western-style toilet device with breaking means has been
disclosed, so that it is assumed that this configuration could be
adopted for the above-mentioned fixed type Western-style toilet.
However, this breaking means uses rotary vanes with them being
brought down sideways, and since only the rotary vanes are used for
breaking, the breaking means does not provide sufficient
capabilities to break not only excrement but also kinds of
water-soluble paper such as toilet paper, etc. Accordingly, when
regular tissue paper and the like are used together, any treating
case far exceeding its breaking capacity may occur. Consequently,
there is a high possibility such that they may be drained in a
solid state including the excrement, and therefore, it is not
sufficient to improve clogging of the body of the toilet device and
clogging of sewer pipe, too.
[0011] Not only in the fixed system but also in the simplified
Western-style toilet device, it is assumed that merely employing
the breaking means like the Patent Literature 3 would raise similar
problems of the fixed type Western-style toilets.
DISCLOSE OF THE INVENTION
[0012] This invention solves such the conventional problems and
relates to a toilet device comprising a body of the toilet device
having a stagnant portion at the bottom thereof, and a breaking
means with being immersed into trap water trapped in the stagnant
portion, wherein the breaking means includes a breaking mechanism
unit that has a cutter blade, and its driving means, and by driving
the breaking mechanism unit, excrement and others which have fallen
into the stagnant portion is cut out and broken.
[0013] By installing the breaking means for performing any
break-processing of the excrement and others such as stool, etc. in
a stagnant portion of the body of the toilet device and at the same
time, adopting a cutter mechanism (breaking mechanism unit) that
can cut out and break them as the breaking means, it is possible to
cut out and break not only excrement but also hardly soluble tissue
paper as to be suited for discharging them to a sewer pipe even
when the hardly soluble tissue paper and the like are used.
[0014] This invention is applicable to portable type simplified
Western-style toilets with the indoor use premised, in addition to
the fixed type Western-style toilets.
[0015] The breaking means has cutter functions, and is constituted
of a breaking mechanism unit (cutter mechanism unit) and its drive
means. The breaking mechanism unit falls broadly into two
categories. One is the case in which the breaking mechanism unit is
composed of multiple contrarotating cutter members, and the other
is the case in which the breaking mechanism unit is composed of
fixed guide members and cutter members (rotating members) which are
mounted thereto.
[0016] The breaking mechanism unit is composed of four cutter
members disposed to be placed side by side in such a manner that
they can mesh with each other. Each of the cutter members is
composed by installing multiple disk-shaped cutter blades in the
longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) thereof with a
predetermined interval kept, and cutter blades of adjacent cutter
members are disposed to mesh with each other on sides of the side
surfaces thereof.
[0017] The degree of meshing is optional. When a substantially
straight type cutter member is used as the cutter members, the
cutter blade sizes are substantially same, and therefore, they mesh
with each other in the same mesh depth throughout the longitudinal
direction thereof. In the case of a combination of a substantially
straight type and a substantially bobbin type of the cutter
members, meshing of cutter blades gradually varies towards the
longitudinal direction, and in such event, at the center part of
the cutter member, the shallowest meshing takes place. In this
combination, a cutter member with a substantially bobbin shape
meshes with other cutter member, so that a recessed portion can be
formed at the nearly center part of the meshed portion of cutter
members, which is deeper than that when cutter members of a
straight shape mesh with each other, and at the same time, the
tooth tip profile of each of the cutter members, which forms a
substantially bobbin shape, is curved as a whole from both end
sides towards the center part. Consequently, the excrement and
others are easy to be collected to this recessed portion and the
excrement and others can be effectively cut out and broken.
[0018] The cut system of the breaking mechanism unit includes a
straight cut, a cross-cut, and a spiral cut. It is optionally
chosen which type of the cutter blade is used, but the cross-cut
system will be illustrated. By using the cutter blade of this
system, it is possible to cut out and break the excrement and
others effectively even when comparatively difficult-to-break
hardly soluble matters such as tissue paper, etc. are included in
addition to any stool as the excrement and others. Consequently,
accidents of clogging of the body of the toilet device or the sewer
pipe, etc. can be beforehand prevented.
[0019] The body of the toilet device may be provided with, above
the stagnant portion into which body waste is excreted, a reducing
size portion (annular flange portion) which has smaller diameter
than the opening of the body of the toilet device, a lid for open
and closure to block this reducing size portion, and pressure-feed
means to pressure-feed the excrement and others. In such event, the
lid for open and closure preferably has such a structure that when
the body waste and the like fall on the lid for open and closure,
the head end part of the lid for open and closure is separated from
the edge part of the reducing size portion by the weight of the
body waste and the like, and the body waste automatically falls
into the stagnant portion by its own weight. By the pressure-feed
means, the excrement and others can be pressure-fed to a drain pipe
linked to the sewer pipe of the existing toilet. The lid for open
and closure is convenient when it is applied particularly to any
simplified Western-style toilets because drifting of foul odor of
the excrement can be eliminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
toilet device according to this invention for showing an important
portion thereof when it is applied to a simplified Western style
toilet;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof for showing the important
portion;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cutter
member which constitutes a breaking mechanism unit for showing an
important portion thereof;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a gear arrangement diagram for showing an
embodiment of driving means;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the simplified
Western-style toilet shown in FIG. 1 for showing the use condition
thereof;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram that shows an example when
water-supply/drain hose of the simplified Western-style toilet is
coupled to an existing Western-style toilet;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view thereof for showing its
important portion;
[0028] FIG. 9 is a diagram for showing a configuration of the
water-supplying hose;
[0029] FIG. 10 is a diagram for showing a configuration of the
drain hose;
[0030] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a
check valve for showing an important portion thereof;
[0031] FIG. 12 is a system diagram that shows one example of the
control system used for a simplified Western-style toilet;
[0032] FIG. 13A is a waveform chart used for explaining the
operation;
[0033] FIG. 13B is a waveform chart used for explaining the
operation;
[0034] FIG. 13C is a waveform chart used for explaining the
operation;
[0035] FIG. 13D is a waveform chart used for explaining the
operation;
[0036] FIG. 13E is a waveform chart used for explaining the
operation;
[0037] FIG. 14A is a waveform chart used for explaining the
draining operation;
[0038] FIG. 14B is a waveform chart used for explaining the
draining operation;
[0039] FIG. 14C is a waveform chart used for explaining the
draining operation;
[0040] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of an existing
Western-style toilet for showing an example when the drain hose is
coupled to the existing Western style toilet;
[0041] FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram that shows a linkage example
of the existing Western-style toilet and a portable type simplified
Western-style toilet;
[0042] FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of
the breaking mechanism unit for showing an important portion
thereof;
[0043] FIG. 18A is a configuration diagram of still another example
of the breaking mechanism unit for showing an important portion
thereof and its schematically perspective view thereof;
[0044] FIG. 18B is a configuration diagram of still another example
of the breaking mechanism unit for showing an important portion
thereof and its schematically perspective view thereof;
[0045] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a
portable type simplified Western-style toilet according to this
invention for showing an important portion thereof;
[0046] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of still another
embodiment of a portable type simplified Western-style toilet
according to this invention for showing an important portion
thereof;
[0047] FIG. 21 is a front view of another embodiment of the
breaking mechanism unit;
[0048] FIG. 22 is a partly omitted plan view of an important
portion thereof;
[0049] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a
fixed type Western-style toilet to which the present invention is
applied for showing an important portion thereof;
[0050] FIG. 24 is an important portion block diagram for showing an
example of the control system;
[0051] FIG. 25A is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example;
[0052] FIG. 25B is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example;
[0053] FIG. 25C is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example;
[0054] FIG. 25D is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example;
[0055] FIG. 25E is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example;
[0056] FIG. 25F is a timing chart diagram for showing the control
timing example; and
[0057] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of a fixed type
Western-style toilet for showing another example of an open/close
mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0058] The following will describe preferred embodiments of a
toilet device according to the present invention in detail with
reference to drawings. The following embodiments relate to cases in
which the present invention is applied to a simplified
Western-style toilet on the assumption that this toilet device
according to the invention is used in any private rooms. Even in
the case of usage in the private rooms, as is the case of a
fixed-type Western-style toilet, it is preferably a Western-style
toilet having a so-called warm-water washing toilet seat with a
bidet function equipped. However, in the following description, any
explanation in the equipment of this warm-water washing toilet seat
will be omitted.
Embodiment 1
[0059] FIG. 16 shows an example to which the present invention is
applied. This example indicates a case in which an existing toilet
(fixed type Western-style toilet) 3 is provided facing a corridor 2
of a house 1. In the existing toilet 3, a toilet bowl 4 and a rinse
water tank 5 are provided. Along the corridor 2, a room 6 is
located as a bed room in this embodiment, and inside the room 6,
for example, a bed 7 is placed.
[0060] To a simplified Western-style toilet 10, water-supplying
means and draining means are provided, and the water-supplying
means is coupled to the waterworks and the draining means is
coupled to a sewer pipe (sewage system). In general, to couple the
water-supplying means (water-supply hose 12) and draining means
(drain hose 14), the water-supply pipe and drain pipe (sewer pipe)
of existing toilet device 4 are used, respectively.
[0061] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of a
portable toilet device 10 according to the invention for showing an
important portion thereof. The simplified Western-style toilet 10
has a body 20 of the toilet device. The body 20 of the toilet
device has a profiled configuration of a funnel almost like that of
a normal flush toilet (of western style), but has a whole
configuration of box. Because any interior decorations are recently
required, the body 20 of the toilet device may be not only formed
as a box but also formed as, for example, chair-type one equipped
with armrests.
[0062] In order to save the weight of the body 20 of the toilet
device, in this embodiment, plastic molded body is used as the body
20 of the toilet device, but any other materials such as ceramics
may be used to be molded. A toilet seat 21 is mounted on the body
20 of the toilet device at a side of its upper opening and a cover
23 is provided for closing the seat 21 and the upper opening.
[0063] A stagnant portion 18 of trap water, the excrement and
others is formed at a bottom of the body 20 of the toilet device. A
S-bent trap unit (drain portion) 22 having a profiled configuration
turned down at ends thereof, which is communicated with the
stagnant portion 18, is provided and a drain hose 14 is connected
to a drain opening 27 provided at its end. Thus, a connection
portion 26 relative to the drain opening 27 is formed on a rear
surface portion 20b of the body 20 of the toilet device and an
electromagnetic valve 24 acting as on-off valve is mounted near the
connection portion 26 inside the body 20 of the toilet device. It
is conceivable that the profiled configuration of the S-bent trap
unit 22, which is turned down at ends thereof, communicated with
the stagnant portion 18 includes configurations of P type, U type,
bowl type and the like in addition to the shown configuration. All
of these configurations cause similar effects.
[0064] The electromagnetic valve 24 is controlled so that it opens
only when the trap water (including the excrement) in the stagnant
portion 18 is drained out of the toilet device and it closes when
the toilet is not used. This is because the water is prevented from
leaking.
[0065] In the vicinity of the top of the body 20 of the toilet
device, on the wall surface 18a, a water-supplying port 28 for the
rinse water is provided on a side of the S-bent trap unit 22.
Between the coupling part 34 provided on a rear 20b of the main
body and this water-supplying port 28, a coupling pipe 30 is
disposed. For the coupling pipe 30, a branch pipe is used, and to
one coupling pipe 30 that goes to the water-supplying port 28, an
electromagnetic valve 32 is mounted to control rinse water. This is
because the water supply from the water supply hose 12 coupled to
the coupling part 34 may be controlled by this electromagnetic
valve 32.
[0066] To another coupling pipe 30 branched, a rinsing hose (rinse
pipe) 240 is coupled via an electromagnetic valve 33, too. The head
end part of the rinsing hose 240 is provided in such a manner that
it protrudes above the water surface of trap water in the stagnant
portion 18. By water injection (in actuality, a jet) from this
rinsing hose 240, the stagnant portion 18 and a rear surface of a
lid body 212 are rinsed, which will be described later.
[0067] It is to be noted that, between the water-supplying port 28
and the wall surface 18a, a rubber pipe 29 for water-leak
prevention is inserted, and at the stagnant portion 18 through
which the rinsing hose 240 penetrates, a pipe 242 for water-leak
prevention is also inserted, thereby preventing water from being
leaked to the outside.
[0068] In a portion where trap water is stored at the stagnant
portion 18, breaking means 40 of the excrement and others is
provided. The breaking means 40 cuts out and breaks the excrement,
toilet paper, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "excrement and
others") which are collected inside the stagnant portion 18, and
reduces their solids so that they become smaller as far as they
possibly can do, to make them into liquid mixture, if possible, and
thus, the broken excrement and others pass a space between the
breaking means 40 and the bottom wall of the stagnant portion 18,
are mixed with trap water, and are drained. To cut out and break
not only the excrement but also others (toilet paper, tissue paper
including water soluble one, sanitary items, etc.), which are
fallen into the stagnant portion 18, into appropriate sizes, a
cutter mechanism (breaking mechanism unit) is adopted for the
breaking means 40.
[0069] Consequently, this breaking means 40 is constituted of a
breaking mechanism unit 40A and its drive means 40B (see FIG. 3).
The breaking mechanism unit 40A is composed of multiple cutter
members 41 (41A, 41B, . . . ) as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.
3 and FIG. 4, the cutter member 41 is configured so that a
plurality of cutter blades 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ) is arranged
with predetermined intervals .DELTA.L maintained with respect to
the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of a rotary shaft
42.
[0070] The cutter blade 43 forms a disk shape as shown in FIG. 4
and has multiple blades 47 (47a, 47b, . . . ) each forming wedge
shapes with them keeping their predetermined intervals along the
circumferential direction. For the head end part of blades 47a,
47b, . . . , steel is used for this embodiment, but the whole
thereof may be made of stainless steel.
[0071] To each of the cutter blades 43, multiple through holes 48
are provided with predetermined intervals maintained along the
circumferential direction on the inner side of the blades 47.
Because by these through holes 48, broken liquid mixture including
trap water is allowed to be circulated between both right and left
sides of the cutter blades 43, the excrement and others can be
smoothly drained.
[0072] Thus, the cutter members 41 configured with multiple cutter
blades 43 are arranged in rows and placed side by side as shown in
FIG. 2. The number of rows is determined by the size of the
internal space in the stagnant portion 18 and the outside diameter
of each of the cutter blades 43 is determined by the depth of the
stagnant portion 18, etc. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the breaking
mechanism unit 40A is configured by placing four rows of cutter
members 41 side by side.
[0073] In a case where the cutter members 41 are arranged in rows,
the cutter blades 43, 43 of adjacent cutter members 41, 41 are
arranged in a staggered manner so as to meshed with (to rub on)
each other with a small clearance on their side surfaces in order
to achieve easy cut-out even though ductile material is used. If
the small clearance is provided to the extent such that cutter
blades rub on each other, it is preferable to provide a clearance
of about 0.05 mm. The meshing-depth of cutter blades 43 which
alternately mesh with each other is optional but in order to
realize efficient cut-out and breaking, they are arranged to mesh
with each other with an appropriate depth. For example, they are
arranged in such a manner that the meshing-depth becomes 1/3 to 1/2
of the length of the blade 47 (in a radial direction).
[0074] Rotary shafts 42 provided to the multiple cutter members 41A
through 41D are guided out to the outside via bearing units 42a,
42b provided in the side wall of the stagnant portion 18 as shown
in FIG. 3. The bearing units 42a, 42b should have any measures to
prevent water from being leaked therefrom.
[0075] To the rotary shaft 42 on a side of the bearing unit 42b, a
drive means 40B as shown in FIG. 3 is provided. The drive means 40B
is composed of a rotation transmission means 44 provided to this
rotary shaft 42 and a driving motor 46. The driving motor 46 is
fixed to a bottom plate 20c of the body 20 of the toilet device and
the rotary force of the motor shaft 46a is transmitted to the
multiple cutter members 41 via the rotation transmission means 44.
The rotation transmission means 44 is arranged in such a manner
that gears 44A through 44D provided to relevant rotary shafts of
the cutter members 41A through 41D are engaged with each other as
shown in FIG. 5 and at the same time, a gear 44E related to the
driving motor 46 is engaged with, particularly, an intermediate
gear, the gear 44B in this example.
[0076] Configuring the rotation transmission means 44 in this way
allows other gears 44A through 44D to rotate along the arrows,
respectively, when the gear 44E rotates clockwise as shown by the
arrow. That is, the cutter member 41A and 41B function as a pair of
cutter mechanism and contrarotate in a direction to crunch (in a
direction to break in) things. Similarly, other cutter members 41C
and 41D function as a pair of cutter mechanism and contrarotate in
a direction to crunch things.
[0077] In addition, the cutter blades 43 are allowed to mesh with
each other with a small clearance provided and the multiple blades
47 are provided to each of the cutter blades 43 of the cutter
member 41, so that the breaking mechanism unit 40A functions as a
crosscut mechanism unit. When the cutter member 41 is driven to
rotate, the excrement and others are cut out and broken while being
jammed into inner portion between the cutter blades 43, thereby
enabling the excrement and others to be extremely finely cut out
and finely broken. As a result thereof, tissue paper, etc. tossed
into the stagnant portion 18 can be finely cut out (cross-cut), of
course, to say nothing of the toilet paper tossed thereinto.
[0078] In addition to this, since the breaking means 40, in
particular, the breaking mechanism unit 40A, is immersed into trap
water, the breaking mechanism unit 40A is driven in water. As a
result thereof, the trap water is infiltrated into the excrement
and others, and the excrement and others are broken with trap water
being infiltrated thereinto, so that it becomes much easier to
break the excrement and others. Even sanitary items and the like,
if they are water-soluble, can be relatively easily cut out when
they are cut out by using any actions by this infiltrating
water.
[0079] As shown in FIG. 1, on the inside (upper side) of the bottom
plate 20c, a control unit 50 including a CPU, etc. is disposed.
Each driving of the electromagnetic valve 24 for drain, the
electromagnetic valves 32 and 33 for water-supply, the motor 46,
etc. as described above is controlled at a predetermined timing
merely for a predetermined period of time by the control unit 50. A
power switch 52 for the control unit 50 is provided on the rear 20b
of the body of the toilet device and on the top part of the body of
the toilet device and under the toilet seat lid 23, an open/close
switch 55 (which will described later) is provided.
[0080] In the simplified Western-style toilet 10 shown in FIG. 1,
the following mechanisms are further adopted. As shown in FIG. 1,
at a predetermined position that is located on the stagnant portion
18 in the body 20 of the toilet device and under the water-supply
port 28, a comminuted substance pressure-feeding means 200 is
provided to feed specified compressed air to the stagnant portion
18. To a side that is above the stagnant portion 18 and that is
slightly above the mounting position of the pressure-feeding means
200, a reducing size portion 230 is provided. On the bottom surface
of the reducing size portion 230, a lid open/close mechanism 210 is
provided in order to block this reducing size portion 230 and
hermetically seal the stagnant portion 18.
[0081] The pressure-feeding means 200 may be configured by an air
compressor, and a feeding pipe 204 for this air compressor 200 is
guided to a side of the stagnant portion 18 via a mounting means
206. The mounting means 206 is provided on the place above a water
surface of trap water in the stagnant portion 18. The air
compressor 200 is fixed on a mounting plate 202 provided in the
rear space 20a of the body 20 of the toilet device.
[0082] Even in any mechanism in which compressed air is taken from
the outside of the body of the simplified Western-style toilet
without the body 20 of the toilet device is equipped with the air
compressor 200, the similar effects can be expected.
[0083] The reducing size portion 230 is configured as an annular
flange unit, and is protruded by a predetermined length towards an
inner of the stagnant portion 18. The feeding pipe 204 described
above is located between the trap water of the stagnant portion 18
and the reducing size portion 230.
[0084] As it can be clear from FIG. 1, the reducing size portion
230 is provided so that its entirety is tilted slightly toward a
side of the S-bent trap unit 22. On the bottom side of the reducing
size portion 230, the lid open/close mechanism 210 is provided that
blocks this reducing size portion 230. As the lid open/close
mechanism 210, a swing type and a slide type can be considered.
FIG. 1 shows a swing-type example.
[0085] In this embodiment, because the lid open/close mechanism is
a swing type, the mechanism 210 for opening/closing the lid has a
lid body 212, and one end of this lid body 212, the right end part
in the illustrated embodiment, is made into a swing shaft part 214,
and this swing shaft part 214 is rotatably pivoted with respect to
the body 20 of the toilet device so that the swing shaft part 214
is located on the bottom part 232 of the reducing size portion 230.
This pivot portion is water-tightly pivoted with respect to the
body 20 of the toilet device.
[0086] The lid body 212 is urged to obtain a state in which the
circumferential surface thereof comes into contact with the bottom
edge part 234 of the reducing size portion 230. The lid body 212
has a shape that fits in the bottom edge part 234 and at the same
time, a sprig 216 for urging is wound around between the swing
shaft part 214 and a wall surface of the bottom part 232 so that
the lid body 212 generally comes into contact with this bottom edge
part 234 and hermetically seals the stagnant portion 18.
Consequently, the breaking means 40 is shielded by the lid body
212, and any feeling of being in danger due to disposition of the
breaking means 40 thus positioned can be suppressed.
[0087] Now, since the reducing size portion 230 is provided as to
be slightly tilted towards the side of the S-bent trap unit 22, as
described above, the lid body 212 itself constituting the lid
open/close mechanism 210 is also mounted as to be tilted to the
side of the S-bent trap unit 22. As shown in FIG. 6, by mounting
the lid body 212 as to be tilted, the excrement and others
(illustrated by a broken line), which have fallen onto the top of
the lid body 212, can be completely dropped down into the stagnant
portion 18.
[0088] The rinsing hose 240 described above is fixed so that its
head end can be positioned inside the stagnant portion 18 with it
having an angle at which the rinsing water is injected to both of
the rear side of the lid body 212 and a part of the circumferential
surface of the stagnant portion 18. In this embodiment, as shown in
FIG. 1, it is mounted in a liquid-tight manner and fixed to a
position near and under the swing shaft part 214 of the lid body
212.
[0089] To the body 20 of the toilet device thus configured, the
water-supply hose 12 and drain hose 14 are coupled, which are
guided to the existing toilet 3.
[0090] FIG. 7 shows an outline of the existing toilet 3. FIG. 7
illustrates an existing toilet device 4 that is equipped with a
warm-water washing toilet seat 80. In this embodiment, a diverging
pipe 84 is connected to a water pipe (water supply pipe) 82 and a
first diverging port 86 is provided to the diverging pipe 84 at a
side of the water pipe 82, and is connected with a hose 87 for the
warm-water washing toilet seat. A second diverging port 88 is
provided thereto nearer the end thereof than the first diverging
port, and is connected with a hose 89 for the rinse water.
[0091] In this embodiment, the diverging pipe 84 having such the
diverging configuration is used; a check valve 90 is arranged
between the first and second diverging ports 86, 88; and a
connection portion 92 for connecting the water-supplying hose 12 is
provided at a tail end of the diverging pipe 84. The connection
portion 60A provided at a tip end of the water-supplying hose 12 is
connected to this connection portion 92. The check valve 90 is
roughly illustrated in the drawing so that its function can be
understood.
[0092] Thus, arranging the new diverging pipe 84 and attaching the
water-supplying hose 12 thereto enables the rinse water to be
supplied to the simplified Western-style toilet 10. It is because
if an error such that water from the hose 89 and the
water-supplying hose 12 flows backward should happen, the water to
be supplied to a side of the warm-water washing toilet seat is
prevented from being mixed with the water flown backward, to
arrange the check valve 90 between the first and second diverging
ports 86, 88.
[0093] A tank 96 filled with a sterilizing solution is further
inserted to a connection portion for the sterilizing solution at
the tail end portion of the diverging pipe 84. Using the
sterilizing solution enables any sanitary conditions in not only
the existing toilet 3 but also the simplified Western-style toilet
10 to be improved. The drain hose 14 may be also washed at the same
time. It is to be noted that the tank 96 has not always to be
provided but may be suitably provided at need.
[0094] Thus, applying any water-supply system of the existing
toilet allows the simplified Western-style toilet 10 to be utilized
merely by a simple increase in facilities relative to the diverging
pipe 84.
[0095] The drain hose 14 may be arranged as to drain the waste
water and the like directly to the drain pipe, for example, the
drain pipe in the existing toilet 3 but, in a simple case, the
drain hose 14 extends to the toilet device 4 and the waste water
and the like pour directly into the toilet device 4. Alternatively,
a drain outlet for drain is provided in the toilet device 4 and the
drain hose 14 is connected to it so that the waste water and the
like can pour into the toilet device 4 therethrough.
[0096] An embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is an embodiment in which it
is connected to a connection portion 114 provided in the toilet
device 4. In this moment, this is accomplished by reforming a body
108 of the toilet device. As shown in FIG. 8, to the body 108 of
the toilet device, a drain pipe 110 is included, but a drain guide
port 112 is located in the body 108 of the toilet device and above
the stagnant portion and to the connection part 114 provided on its
rear side, the connection portion 62B of the drain hose 14 is
coupled.
[0097] In the event that the existing toilet device 4 is thus
improved, if there is any level difference between the simplified
Western-style toilet 10 and this existing toilet device 4 and the
toilet device 4 is located at a higher position, there is a fear
that the fluid mixture may be accumulated within the drain hose 14.
Consequently, pressure of the above-mentioned air compressor 200 is
adjusted in such a manner that the liquid mixture can be completely
discharged from the drain hose 14.
[0098] Although it is not illustrated, it is able to configure in
such a manner that a blocking lid that blocks the top of the
stagnant portion including the drain guide port 112 is provided and
is closed in relation to drain processing of the simplified
Western-style toilet 10. In such event, it is preferable to adopt
motorized operation for closing this blocking lid.
[0099] When the water-supply and the drain is thus performed by
utilizing the existing toilet 3, water-supplying hose and drain
hose shown in FIG. 9 and follows are used. FIG. 9 shows an example
of the water-supplying hose 12 and FIG. 10 shows an example of the
drain hose 14. When an end 12a of the water-supplying hose 12 is an
end that is connected to a side of a water supply pipe and the
other end 12b thereof is an end that is connected to the simplified
Western-style toilet 10, the end 12a and the other end 12b are
respectively provided with connection portions 60A, 60B, each of
which has a check valve.
[0100] Similarly, of the drain hose 14, an end 14a and the other
end 14b are respectively provided with connection portions 62A,
62B, each of which has a check valve. In this moment, the end 14a
is an end that is connected to a side of the simplified
Western-style toilet 10, but the other end 14b is an end that is
connected to a side of the drain pipe or the like.
[0101] Since the water-supplying hose 12 is used for rinse water
supplied to the body 20 of the toilet device, a vinyl hose having a
small diameter or the like may be used. On the other hands, since
the drain hose 14 enables any liquid mixture formed by breaking the
excrement and the like to be flown therein, a vinyl hose or the
like having a diameter equal to or a slightly larger diameter than
that of the water-supplying hose 12 may be used. This is because
liquid mixture with the rinse water, not solidified excrement, is
treated. FIG. 10 shows a case where the vinyl hose 14 having a
larger diameter than that of the water-supplying hose 12 is
used.
[0102] If diameters of the water-supplying hose 12 and the drain
hose 14 are so selected as to be become the diameters described
above, rudimentary mistake in connection manipulation such that the
water-supplying hose 12 is used as a drain hose or the drain hose
14 is accidentally connected as a water-supplying hose may be
certainly prevented because of difference in their diameters. Of
course, not only in a case where hoses having different diameters
are used but also in a case where hoses having same diameter are
used, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, any marked names such as
"Water-supplying Hose" and "Drain Hose" are stamped on a surface of
each of the hoses, so that any accidental connection may be
certainly prevented. Anti-standardization for shapes or forms of
metal connection fittings in the connection portions enables any
accidental connection to be prevented. The water-supplying hose 12
and the drain hose 14 are colored with different colors so that
such the difference in colors enables any accidental connection to
be also prevented.
[0103] The connection portions 60 (62), each of which has a check
valve, form a hollow valve operation room 64 with a rectangular
profile inside a body 63, as shown in FIG. 11, and a ball member 65
acting as valve action and a push spring 66 urging against it are
provided in the room, thereby enabling the valve to be opened by an
action of water pressure in a direction of an arrow "a". This
prevents backflows from both of the sides of the simplified
Western-style toilet and the water supply pipe.
[0104] On the other hands, when the other connection portions 60B
(62B) of the connection portions 60 (62) are connected to a side of
the simplified Western-style toilet and a side of drain pipe of the
existing toilet device, their internal valves are opened to become
any communicate condition in a case where the connection portions
60 (62) are connected if projection members, not shown, each
retreating the ball member 65 of the check valve against the push
spring 66, are respectively provided in the side of the simplified
Western-style toilet and the side of the drain pipe, or when they
are not connected, their internal valves are closed to prevent
liquid in each of the hoses from being leaked to outside.
[0105] Therefore, even if the connection portion 60A is detached
while the connection portion 60A of the water-supplying hose 12 is
connected to the water supply pipe and the connection portion 60B
thereof is connected to the side of the body 20 of the toilet
device, any liquid in the hose is not leaked; and even if the other
connection portion 60B is detached, any liquid in the hose is not
leaked. Similarly, even if the used drain hose 14 is detached, any
waste liquid in the hose is not leaked to outside.
[0106] FIG. 12 shows a control example in the control unit 50
provided to the simplified Western-style toilet 10. To the
above-mentioned body 20 of the toilet device, the power switch 52
and the open/close switch 55 are provided, and their ON/OFF signals
are supplied to the control unit 50.
[0107] The power switch 52 is turned ON when the simplified
western-style toilet 10 is provided. To the contrary, the
open/close switch 55 is a switch to be turned ON or OFF in relation
to opening or closing operation of the toilet seat lid 23 to close
the upper portion of the toilet seat 21. Consequently, as shown in
FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the open/close switch 55 (open/close
detection sensor switch, etc.) is mounted to the undersurface of
the toilet seat lid 23 in such a manner that it faces the toilet
seat lid 23. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a drain switch 244 is
further provided on the upper surface of a rear side of the body 20
of the toilet device.
[0108] Each driving condition of the electromagnetic valve 24 for
drain, the electromagnetic valve 32 for water-supply, the
electromagnetic valve 33 for washing, the driving motor 46 for
breaking, and the air compressor 200, which have been described
above, is controlled by the control signals from the control unit
50 composed by CPU.
[0109] FIGS. 13A through 13E respectively show an example of
control timings. It is supposed that in a case of the simplified
Western-style toilet 10, the lid body 212 that is a lid for open
and closure is closed when the toilet is not used.
[0110] The simplified Western-style toilet 10 is used after the
toilet seat lid 23 has been opened. The open manipulation of the
toilet seat lid 23 is detected by the open/close detection switch
55 (FIG. 13A). Bowel movement is carried out while the toilet seat
lid 23 is opened. When the excrement and others drop down onto the
lid body 212, the lid body 212 is opened by their own weight and
the excrement and others are dropped into the trap water in the
stagnant portion 18 (see FIG. 6). When the excrement is dropped,
the lid body 212 is automatically closed. This is because the lid
body 212 is always urged toward a side of the reducing size portion
230.
[0111] After the bowel movement has been finished, the toilet seat
lid 23 is closed (FIG. 13A). If it is determined that the lid is
closed, any excrement is broken (or cut out) into fragments for a
period of time Ta (FIG. 13B). It is to be noted that instead of the
detection for the closure operation of the toilet seat lid 23, a
start switch corresponding to the open/close switch 55 may be
operated by any manual operation to start such the breaking
operation. The period of time Ta for breaking operation is set to a
period of time when the excrement, toilet paper, tissue paper and
the like may be suitably broken into fragments. It is normally set
to a period of time of 20 seconds or less, preferably about 5
through 10. This is because they are suitably cut out and broken to
avoid any solids or the like remaining.
[0112] When the breaking operation has been finished, an air
compressor 200 is driven to send compressed air into an interior of
the stagnant portion 18 which is then pressed (FIG. 13E). A period
of time Tb for pressing process is set to a period of time when
internal pressure in the stagnant portion 18 is increased up to a
predetermined value (for example, 2 atmospheric pressures). The
predetermined value of the internal pressure means a pressure such
that the liquid mixture is certainly sent by compression and
drained to the existing toilet device 4 through the drain hose 14.
A period of time Tb when the internal pressure in the stagnant
portion 18 is increased to a predetermined value thereof is set in
advance and this period of time Tb is counted.
[0113] When the period of time Tb has been elapsed, the
electromagnetic valve 24 for drain is driven while the air
compressor 200 is driven, namely, the compressed air is sent to the
interior of the stagnant portion 18 (FIG. 13D). When the
electromagnetic valve 24 for drain is driven to open the drain
opening 27, the excrement and others (liquid mixture) in the
stagnant portion 18 are sent together with the trap water at once
by the compressed air toward a side of the drain hose 14. Since the
drain hose 14 is connected with the existing toilet device 4, the
excrement and others cut out and broken into fragments by the
breaking means 40 is drained to a side of the existing toilet
device 4.
[0114] A period of time Tc for sending-by-compression is normally
set to a period of relatively longer time, for example, about 10
through 30 seconds, in order to prevent the excrement and others
from being remained in the drain hose 14, though there may be a
difference in a set length of the drain hose 14.
[0115] When the period of time Tc has been elapsed, the
electromagnetic valve 24 for drain is turned off and driving of the
air compressor stops (FIGS. 13D, 13E). This enables the drain
opening 27 to be closed. The electromagnetic valve 32 for
water-supply is then activated to start the water supply to the
stagnant portion 18 (FIG. 13C). A period of time Td for
water-supply is set to a period of water supply time when the trap
water in the stagnant portion 18 reaches a predetermined amount. It
is to be noted that the predetermined amount means water supplies
up to an amount where a surface of the trap water exceeds a bent
portion of the S-bent trap portion 22. When the water supply to the
stagnant portion 18 has been completed, its standby condition
therefor occurs.
[0116] It is to be noted that, in this embodiment, an
electromagnetic valve 33 for washing is also driven with
synchronization with the operation of the electromagnetic valve 32
for water-supply, as shown in FIG. 13C. If the electromagnetic
valve 33 operates, water is supplied into the stagnant portion 18
through the rinsing hose 240; the water is concretely jet toward a
rear surface of the lid body 212 and a wall surface of the stagnant
portion 18. Since, by means of this jet by the rinse water, the
rear surface of the lid body 212 and the wall surface of the
stagnant portion 18 are rinsed, the lid body 212 and the interior
of the stagnant portion 18 can be always kept clean.
[0117] Such the rinsing process may be performed before the water
supply to the stagnant portion 18, namely, after the excrement and
others have been sent by compression and drained, not simultaneous
execution of the water supply to the stagnant portion 18 and the
rinsing of the lid body 212 and the like, to send and/or drain the
rinse water therefor at the same time. In this moment, the water
supply to the stagnant portion 18 is then performed after the
electromagnetic valve 24 has been closed.
[0118] If the portable simplified Western-style toilet 10 is moved
or removed, it is preferable to drain the trap water from the
stagnant portion 18. Such the drain processing is separately
performed from the above-mentioned drain process. In this case, as
shown in FIGS. 14A through 14C, the drain switch 244 is turned on,
and the air compressor 200 is then activated (FIGS. 14A, 14B). The
start of the air compressor 200 enables the interior of the
stagnant portion 18 to be pressed (FIG. 14C). After the press
process over a period of time Tf has been finished, the
electromagnetic valve 24 for drain is driven so that the drain
opening can be opened for a predetermined period of time Tg (FIG.
13B).
[0119] This sending-by-compression enables the trap water to be
drained from the stagnant portion 18. The electromagnetic valve 24
for drain is closed with a small amount of delay (.DELTA.Tf)
starting from when the driving of the air compressor 200 stops.
This causes any drain processing of the trap water to be completed.
It is to be noted that the period of time Tf may be set to the
above-mentioned period of time Tb and the period of time Tg may be
set to the period of time Tc.
[0120] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the embodiment in which the connection
part 114 is provided at the existing toilet device 4 and to which
the drain hose 14 is coupled, but as the simplest embodiment, the
drain hose 14 itself is allowed to pass under the bottom surface of
the toilet seat 118 as shown in FIG. 15 and guided to the body 108
of the toilet device. In such event, the tip end of the drain hose
14 is expanded in width as shown in FIG. 15 to alleviate the drain
pressure thereof.
Embodiment 2
[0121] FIG. 17 shows another combination example of cutter members
41. FIG. 2 shows an example in which substantially straight type
cutter members 41 are used for all four breaking mechanisms. The
substantially straight type referred to here is a generic term that
designates the case in which the sizes (outside diameter) of the
cutter blades 43 that constitute the cutter members 41 are composed
of the same ones.
[0122] FIG. 17 shows the case in which the breaking mechanism 40A
is configured by use of the substantially straight type cutter
members and so-called substantially bobbin type cutter members. In
this event, the substantially bobbin type is a generic term that
designates the case in which the sizes (outside diameter) of the
cutter blades 43 that constitutes the cutter members 41 have a
larger diameter on both end sides of the cutter member 41, which
varies along the longitudinal direction (rotating axis direction)
from the both end sides thereof toward the center part of the
cutter member 41 as to be reduced gradually.
[0123] In the embodiment of FIG. 17, the first and the third cutter
Members 41A and 41C are substantially straight type ones and the
second and the fourth cutter members 41B and 41D are of the
substantially bobbin type ones. In such case, too, the length of
the fourth cutter member 41D is shorter than others in order to fit
in the shape of the stagnant portion 18. In addition, needless to
say, the adjacent cutter members 41 are arranged in such a manner
that respective cutter blades 43 are meshed with each other.
[0124] By using the cutter members 41 with different shapes in this
way, the degree of meshing of cutter blades 43 varies along the
longitudinal direction thereof. In this embodiment, the meshing is
shallow at the center part thereof and becomes gradually deeper as
it goes toward both ends. Consequently, nearly at the center part
of the portion where the cutter members 41 having a substantially
bobbin type shape mesh with the straight type cutter member 41, a
recessed portion deeper than that in the case of embodiment 1 in
which cutter members 41 having straight type shape mesh with each
other is formed, thereby enabling cutting and breaking processing
to be efficiently performed.
Embodiment 3
[0125] FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are examples of the breaking mechanism
unit 40A which adopts another combination example of the cutter
members 41. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18A, substantially
bobbin shape cutter members are used for all the four cutter
members 41. In order to clarify the meshing condition, in FIG. 18A,
odd-numbered cutter members 41B and 41D are shown by broken
lines.
[0126] In this case, too, the meshing condition of the cutter
member 41 is shallowest at the center, and deepest at both edges.
Consequently, a recessed portion 900 (see FIG. 18B) deeper than
that in the case shown in Embodiments 1 and 2 is formed nearly at
the center of the portion where cutter members 41 having a
substantially bobbin shape mesh with each other, and at the same
time, a tooth tip contour of each of the cutter members 41 having a
substantially bobbin shape forms a curved shape from both edge
sides thereof to the center part thereof as a whole. Consequently,
the excrement and others are easy to be collected at the recessed
portion 900 so that the excrement and others can be effectively cut
and broken.
Embodiment 4
[0127] FIG. 19 is a modified embodiment of a location of the
breaking means 40. In the case of FIG. 1, the breaking means has
been provided to the stagnant portion 18 and the multiple cutter
members 41 are placed side by side in the transverse direction.
[0128] The embodiment of FIG. 19 shows a case in which the breaking
means 40 is provided in the vicinity of an opening (coupling
portion) of the S-bent trap unit 22 that is communicated to the
stagnant portion 18. In this case, the breaking mean 40 is placed
parallel to the vertical direction. The number of rows of the
cutter members 41 which constitutes the breaking mechanism unit
40A, the shape of each of the cutter members 41 (outer diameter of
the cutter blade 43), the numbers of cutter blades 43, and the like
vary depending on a diameter and an area of the opening 22a.
[0129] In the present embodiment, a case in which the breaking
mechanism unit 40A is composed by using two pieces (one pair) of
substantially straight type cutter members 41 will be described.
The cutter member 41 has a length of less than about one half that
in the case of FIG. 2. Disposing drive means 40B for the breaking
mechanism unit 40A to outside of the body 20 of the toilet device
is the same as in the case of FIG. 3.
[0130] Because, even if disposing the breaking mans 40 to the
opening 22a of the S-bent trap unit 22 in this way, excrement and
others can be cut and broken in the same manner as in the case of
FIG. 1, the sewer pipe, etc. are free from clogging by the
excrement and others. By the way, in this case, as the breaking
means 40, the one smaller than that in the case of FIG. 1 must be
used, a period of the breaking processing time Ta is set as to be
longer (about twofold) than that in the case of FIG. 1. It is to be
noted that this breaking processing may be conducted simultaneously
with draining of the excrement and others and trap processing of
the trap water.
Embodiment 5
[0131] FIG. 20 shows another embodiment of the breaking means 40.
This embodiment is a case in which pairs of guide members 70 (70A,
70B) and cutter members 41 (41A, 41B) constitute the breaking
mechanical unit 40A. It is the case in which the breaking means 40
is provided in the stagnant portion 18.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 21, too, the pair of guide members 70A, 70B
are oppositely disposed with a predetermined clearance maintained
in such a manner that they face each other, and a pair of cutter
members 41A and 41B are rotatably disposed between them.
[0133] One guide member 70A are composed by arranging multiple
guide plates 48 (48a, 48b, . . . ) with a predetermined clearance
(pitch) maintained in the longitudinal direction thereof (i. e., a
direction of a rotary shaft of the cutter member 41) as shown in
FIG. 22. They are mutually fixed by fixing guide shafts 45a shown
in FIG. 21.
[0134] The other guide member 70B, which is contrast to this guide
member 70A, has multiple guide plates 49 (49a, 49b, . . . ) in the
same manner and they are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and are
mutually fixed by fixing guide shafts 45b. The guide plates 49 are
arranged with half a pitch deviated from the guide plates 48 of one
guide member 70A. In addition, the guide plates 48, 49 have their
tops formed into tapers 51a, 51b in such a manner as to be directed
inwards as shown in FIG. 21. For a pair of the cutter members 41A,
41B, substantially straight type cutter members are used.
[0135] The rotary shaft 42a of one cutter member 41A is, at its
both edges, pivoted by the both end guide plates 48a, 48n in the
one guide member 70A. Consequently, the portions which correspond
to the rotary shaft 42a, of multiple guide plates existing in the
both end guide plates 48a and 48b have holes each having a diameter
that do not interfere with the rotation of the rotary shaft 42a in
this embodiment. A part of the rotary shaft 42a may be cut away.
Multiple cutter blades 43 that constitute the cutter member 41A are
allowed to regulate their arrangement pitches in such a manner that
they are fitted within the clearances between the guide plates 48
(48a, 48b, 48c, . . . , 48n) with a small clearance provided.
[0136] In the similar manner, in the other cutter member 41B, the
rotary shaft 42b is pivoted by both end guide plates 49a, 49n,
which constitute the other guide member 70B, and the multiple
cutter blades 43 are allowed to regulate their arrangement pitches
in such a manner that they are fitted within the clearances between
the guide plates 49 with a small clearance provided.
[0137] The cutter blade 43 of one cutter member 41A and the cutter
blade 43 of the other cutter member 41B are arranged so that their
parts overlap with each other, as shown in FIG. 21. For a shape of
the blade (an edge of the blade) of the cutter blade 43, saw-teeth
as shown in FIG. 21 are illustrated but the present invention is
not limited thereto.
[0138] Even when the breaking mechanism unit 40a is configured in
this way, a small clearance is formed between each of the guide
plates 48 and each of the cutter blades 43 (also, between each of
the guide plates 49 and each of the cutter blades 43) and
furthermore, the cutter members 41A, 41B are arranged to partly
overlap with each other so that a small clearance is formed between
the side surfaces, respectively, of the overlapping cutter blades
43, 43, thereby enabling the excrement and others to be finely cut
(cross-cut) so that they can be broken into liquid mixture by
rotating the pair of cutter members 41A, 41B in a direction to mesh
with each other.
[0139] Because in the guide plates 48, 49 facing each other, tapers
51a, 51b are formed in such a manner that things fall in towards
the cutter members 41A, 41B, the excrement and others fallen into
the stagnant portion 18 are easy to collect at a center part
thereof. This enables the excrement and others to be effectively
cut and broken.
Embodiment 6
[0140] The embodiments described have been cases in which the
present invention is applied to any portable type simplified
Western-style toilets. The following will describe a case in which
the present invention is applied to any fixed type Western-style
toilets.
[0141] In this case, the above-mentioned breaking means 40 is also
disposed in the stagnant portion 18. FIG. 23 shows the case in
which the breaking means 40 that is provided with the breaking
mechanism unit 40A described in the Embodiment 1 is applied
thereto.
[0142] To an upper part of the stagnant portion 180, a blocking lid
250 which blocks a part of the stagnant portion 180 is provided. A
center part of the blocking lid 250 is made into a predetermined
opening 250a, and other end of the blocking lid 250 has a flange
unit 255 so that it can be mounted to the inner circumferential
wall 108a of the body 108 of the toilet device on its both of upper
and lower sides of the end surfaces thereof.
[0143] By affixing this flange unit 255 to the inner
circumferential wall 108a by use of adhesives, etc., the blocking
lid 250 can be mounted (fixed) to the body 108 of the toilet
device. By locating the opening 250a nearly at the center of the
blocking lid 250, the excrement and others can be fallen into the
stagnant portion 180 without allowing them to come into contact
with the blocking lid 250.
[0144] The blocking lid 250 is removably provided to the inner
circumferential wall 108a. This allows the blocking lid 250 to be
removed to clean it periodically, so that it can be hygienic.
[0145] On the top of the body 108 of the toilet device, a control
unit 300 containing a CPU is mounted. By this control unit 300, any
controls, etc. for the breaking means 40 are executed. FIG. 24
shows one example of a control circuit system in which ON-OFF
signals of the power switch 225 and the open/close switch 226 (see
FIG. 24) are supplied to the control unit 300. In the control unit
300, controls of an electromagnetic solenoid 117 and an
electromagnetic valve 113 in addition to a driving motor for
breaking are carried out.
[0146] FIG. 26 shows a control timing example, and the blocking lid
250 is controlled to be normally closed. As the toilet seat lid 230
opens and loses, the open/close switch 226 is activated (turns ON
and OFF) (FIG. 25A and FIG. 25B). While the toilet seat lid 230 is
open, the evacuation is carried out, and the toilet seat lid 230 is
then closed. When it is detected that the toilet seat lid 230 is
closed, the blocking lid 250 is closed (FIG. 25C). When this lid
closure is detected, the driving motor 46 is energized and breaking
processing starts (FIG. 25D). The breaking processing referred to
here is a cutting and breaking processing similar to the above
cases.
[0147] When breaking processing for a period of predetermined time
is finished, an electromagnetic valve 113 is opened and rinsing
processing for the blocking lid 250 takes place (FIG. 25E). Upon
completion of the rinsing processing, the blocking lid 250 is
opened (FIG. 25C). Thereafter, the existing operation button (not
illustrated) provided to the Western-style toilet is operated and
the excrement and others are drained (including trap processing of
trap water) (FIG. 25F).
[0148] Thus, even when the present invention is applied to the
fixed type existing Western-style toilets, the excrement and others
including toilet paper, tissue paper, used sanitary items, etc. as
described above can be cut and broken and then, drained, and
thereby clogging of the sewer pipe or the like can be completely
eliminated.
Embodiment 7
[0149] FIG. 26 shows another embodiment of a fixed type
Western-style toilet to which the present invention is applied. In
the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, a swing type open/close lid
mechanism 260 is adopted in place of the blocking lid 250. In this
embodiment, a reducing size portion 270 is provided at an upper
side of the stagnant portion 180, and to the lower surface of the
reducing size portion 270, the open/close lid mechanism 260 is
provided so that this reducing size portion 270 is blocked and the
stagnant portion 180 is hermetically sealed.
[0150] The reducing size portion 270 is configured as an annular
flange unit and protrudes towards the inner surface of the stagnant
portion 180 by a predetermined length. As it is clear from FIG. 26,
the reducing size portion 270 is provided so that its entirety can
be slightly tilted toward a side of the drain unit 182. On a side
of lower surface of the reducing size portion 270, the open/close
lid mechanism 260 that can block this reducing size portion 270 is
provided.
[0151] The open/close lid mechanism 260 is of a swing type and has
a lid body 262 which constitutes the open/close lid mechanism 260,
and one end of this lid body 262, in the example of the drawing,
the right end part is made into a rotating shaft unit 264, and this
rotating shaft unit 264 is swingably pivoted with respect to the
body 108 of the toilet device so that the rotating shaft unit 264
is located on a lower surface part 272 of the reducing size portion
270. This pivot unit is water-tightly pivoted to the body 108 of
the toilet device.
[0152] The lid body 262 is urged to bring its circumferential
surface in contact with an edge part 274 of the lower surface of
the reducing size portion 270. The lid body 262 is formed to have a
shape that conforms to the edge part 274 and, at the same time, an
urging spring 276 is wound around between the rotating shaft unit
264 and the wall surface of the underside part 272 so that the lid
body normally comes into contact with the edge part 274 to seal the
stagnant portion 180 hermetically.
[0153] If a fixed type Western-style toilet is configured in this
way, when excrement falls onto the lid body 262, a side of the
forward end of the lid body 262 opens by its own weight, and the
excrement falls into the trap water of the stagnant portion 180.
When the excrement falls, the lid body 262 automatically returns to
its original position by any action of the spring and blocks the
upper part of the stagnant portion 180.
[0154] When the rinsing operation button (flush valve operation
button) 280 is operated, rinse water flows into the stagnant
portion 180 via the upper surface of the lid body 262 while running
around the inner circumferential surface 108a of the body 108 of
the toilet device. Because the operation condition of the rinsing
button 280 is controlled by the control unit 30, when this rinsing
processing is carried out, the breaking means 40 is simultaneously
driven, and the excrement which has fallen into the breaking means
40 and toilet paper, etc. which has flowed in together with rinse
water are broken (cut and crushed). Because any sanitary items,
etc. flow into the stagnant portion 180 together with rinse water,
driving the breaking means 40 for a predetermined time period in
relation to the rinsing processing can cut and crush them to drain
them.
[0155] By the way, in FIG. 26, an embodiment in which the lid body
262 is held substantially horizontal in the closed state is shown,
but because the reducing size portion 270 is provided to be
slightly tilted to the side of the drain unit 182 as described
above, mounting the lid body 262 itself which constitutes the
open/close lid mechanism 260 tilted to the side of the drain unit
182 enables all the excrement and others, which have fallen onto
the upper surface of the lid body 262, to be completely fallen into
the stagnant portion 180.
[0156] It is to be noted that a case to dispose valve unit members
(electromagnetic valve, etc.), which can be remotely controlled by
the control unit 300, in place of the flush valve 280 in the route
of a feed-water pipe, not shown, provided between the rinse water
tank 5 and the body 108 of the toilet device can be considered. In
such event, as is the case of other embodiments, the driving-start
time of the breaking means 40 and the rinse water supply time may
vary appropriately. This enables the breaking means 40 to operate
for a period of predetermined time and then rinse water to be
supplied after breaking processing has been completed.
[0157] In addition, in the present embodiment, too, it is needless
to say that to the breaking mechanism unit 40A, various kinds of
breaking mechanisms shown in other examples can be applied. The
same thing can be applied to the open/close lid mechanism 260, too.
In short, when the present invention is applied to the fixed type
Western-style toilets, by disposing at least one set of
above-mentioned cutter members 41 to the stagnant portion 180 of
the body 108 of the toilet device, breaking processing of the
excrement such as stools, toilet paper, used sanitary items, etc.
which accumulate in the stagnant portion 180 can be carried out. In
addition, by equipping the open/close lid mechanism 260 to the
upper part of the stagnant portion 180, any feeling of being in
danger due to disposing of the cutter members 41 at the stagnant
portion 180 and to which the user of the present Western-style
toilet device is susceptible can be eased.
[0158] By the way, it is needless to describe in detail that
various breaking means 40 shown in Embodiments 2 through 5 can be
applied to the fixed type Western-style toilets shown in
Embodiments 6 and 7.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0159] The present invention can be used for existing Western-style
toilets and simplified Western-style toilets as a nursing-care
supporting device for nursing and personal care facilities and
at-home nursing care, etc.
* * * * *