FLUSH TOILET
20230035354 · 2023-02-02
Inventors
- Yusuke ETO (Kitakyushu-shi, JP)
- Takahiro MARUYAMA (Kitakyushu-shi, JP)
- Wataru ISHIMI (Kitakyushu-shi, JP)
- Taketo OKUBO (Kitakyushu-shi, JP)
- Seiya NAKASHIMA (Kitakyushu-shi, JP)
Cpc classification
E03D2201/40
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E03D11/025
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E03D11/08
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E03D3/10
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E03D11/13
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
E03D11/13
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E03D11/02
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
A flush toilet includes a toilet main body made of ceramics, a control unit, a supply source that enables water supply or power supply to the control unit, and a flexible elongated member connecting the supply source and the control unit. The toilet main body includes a rear storage configured to store at least a part of the control unit. The rear storage includes an upper storage region, a lower region, and a lower communication region. The flexible elongated member extends from an upper connecting end portion toward a lower connecting end portion, to be inserted from the upper storage region into the lower communication region, and then extends from inside of the lower communication region to outside of the toilet main body, without extending through the lower region.
Claims
1. A flush toilet comprising: a toilet main body made of ceramics, the toilet main body including a bowl configured to receive waste, a water discharge trap including an inlet connected to a lower portion of the bowl and an exit configured to discharge waste in the bowl, and a skirt formed on each outer side of the bowl and the water discharge trap; a control unit provided more rearward than the bowl of the toilet main body, the control unit including at least a function of controlling discharge and stopping of flush water to the bowl; a supply source provided below the control unit and outside the toilet main body, the supply source enabling water supply and/or power supply to the control unit, and a flexible elongated member configured to connect the supply source and the control unit; and wherein the toilet main body made of ceramics further includes a rear storage configured to store at least a part of the control unit, and the rear storage includes a supporting wall configured to support the control unit and configured to divide a region more rearward than the bowl of the toilet main body into upper and lower regions, and the supporting wall provides an upper storage region formed in the region above the supporting wall and configured to store at least a part of the control unit; a lower region formed in the region below the supporting wall and separated from the upper storage region, the lower region including the exit of the water discharge trap; and a lower communication region formed adjacent to and separated from the lower region, the lower communication region being configured to communicate between the upper storage region and outside of the toilet main body without communicating with the lower region, and wherein the flexible elongated member includes an upper connecting end portion connected to the control unit, and a lower connecting end portion connected to the supply source, and the flexible elongated member extends from the upper connecting end portion toward the lower connecting end portion and is inserted from the upper storage region into the lower communication region, and then the flexible elongated member extends from inside of the lower communication region to the outside of the toilet main body without extending through the lower region, and then the lower connecting end portion is connected to the supply source.
2. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the skirt includes a rear wall and a side wall which respectively form a back surface and a side surface of the skirt, at least a part of the side wall or the rear wall of the skirt forms a double wall, and the double wall includes an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall being forming an outer surface of the skirt and an inner wall being provided inside the outer wall, at least a part of the double wall being forming a double wall chamber in the lower communication region of the rear storage between the outer wall and the inner wall, the inner wall of the double wall forming the double wall chamber includes an inner communication hole formed to penetrate so as to communicate between the upper storage region and the double wall chamber, and the outer wall of the double wall forming the double wall chamber includes an outer communication hole formed to penetrate so as to communicate between the double wall chamber and the outside of the toilet main body, and the flexible elongated member extends from the upper connecting end portion of the upper storage region toward the lower connecting end portion and is inserted from the upper storage region into the double wall chamber through the inner communication hole in the double wall, and then the flexible elongated member extends from inside of the double wall chamber to the outside of the toilet main body through the outer communication hole of the double wall without extending through the lower region, and then the lower connecting end portion is connected to the supply source.
3. The flush toilet according to claim 2, wherein the inner wall in the double wall forming the double wall chamber includes a horizontal wall forming a substantially horizontal wall surface, the inner communication hole is formed to penetrate the substantially horizontal wall surface of the horizontal wall, the outer wall in the double wall forming the double wall chamber includes a vertical wall forming a vertical wall surface extending in an up-down direction, and the outer communication hole is formed to penetrate the vertical wall surface of the vertical wall.
4. The flush toilet according to claim 3, wherein the inner communication hole has a center axis positioned more rearward than a center of the horizontal wall in a front-rear direction, and the outer communication hole is formed in the outer wall of the double wall in the rear wall of the skirt.
5. The flush toilet according to claim 2, wherein the double wall chamber is formed below the upper storage region, and the elongated member is inserted from inside of the upper storage region through the inner communication hole into the double wall chamber.
6. The flush toilet according to claim 2, wherein the elongated member includes the upper connecting end portion connected to a front or side portion of the control unit, and the elongated member once extends diagonally forward and downward or laterally and diagonally downward, then the elongated member is directed diagonally rearward and downward to the inner communication hole, and after that the elongated member is inserted into the outer communication hole through the inner communication hole via the double wall chamber without extending through the lower region, and then the elongated member is guided to the outside of the toilet main body.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023] and
[0024]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Hereinafter, a flush toilet according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an entire configuration of the flush toilet according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be schematically described with reference to
[0026] Next, as shown in
[0027] Next, as shown in
[0028] Next, as shown in
[0029] Next, the water discharge trap 12 of the toilet main body 4 includes the inlet 12a provided at the bottom portion of the bowl 8, an ascending pipe 12b that ascends from the inlet 12a, and a descending pipe 12c that descends from the ascending pipe 12b, and a part between the ascending pipe 12b and the descending pipe 12c is a top portion 12d. Also, as shown in
[0030] Next, each configuration of the flush water supply device 6 of the flush toilet 1 according to the present embodiment will be schematically described with reference to
[0031] Moreover, the constant flow valve 30 of the valve unit 28 is for reducing flush water passing from the stop cock 24 on the main water passageway 2 and through the splitter hardware 26 to or below a predetermined flow rate. Additionally, for example, in a mode where the flush toilet 1 is provided with a private part washing device (not shown), a water supply pipe (not shown) for supplying flush water to the private part washing device (not shown) may also be connected to the splitter hardware 26. In addition, when the private part washing device (not shown) is omitted, the splitter hardware 26 may be omitted. Furthermore, at the valve unit 28, when an opening operation is performed on the electromagnetic valve 34 by the controller 36, the main valve 32 is opened, and flush water passing from the constant flow valve 30 and through the main valve 32 is supplied to the switching valve 18 at the branch part B on the downstream side of the main water passageway 2. The switching valve 18 is capable of supplying flush water from the main water passageway 2 to the rim-side water supply channel 2a and a tank-side water supply channel 2c at a same timing, and a ratio between water supplied to the rim side and water supplied to the tank side may be freely changed.
[0032] Next, the flush water supply device 6 includes a tank device T that enables flush water supplied from the main water passageway 2 to be supplied to the toilet main body 4. The tank device T includes the storage tank 20 that is coupled to a rear side of the toilet main body 4 and that is for storing flush water supplied from the main water passageway 2, and the pump (the pressure pump 22) for feeding the flush water in the storage tank 20 to the toilet main body 4 under pressure. Furthermore, the rim-side water supply channel 2a that communicates with the rim conduit 14 of the toilet main body 4, and the tank-side water supply channel 2c that is connected to the storage tank 20 are provided on a downstream side of the branch part B on the downstream side of the main water passageway 2. Accordingly, flush water that is supplied from the main water supply source WO to the branch part B of the main water passageway 2 is used as water to be supplied to at least one of the rim-side water supply channel 2a to be supplied to the rim and the tank-side water supply channel 2c to be supplied to the tank.
[0033] Furthermore, the flush water supply device 6 includes a pump water supply channel 2d that extends from a downstream side of the tank-side water supply channel 2c to the pressure pump 22, and the jet-side water supply channel 2b that extends on a downstream side from the pressure pump 22. Accordingly, with the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment, flush water that is supplied from the main water passageway 2 and that is directly under tap water pressure may be supplied from the rim-side water supply channel 2a of the flush water supply device 6 to the rim spout port 14a, via the rim conduit 14 of the toilet main body 4, and water may thus be spouted from the rim spout port 14a (so-called “rim spouting”). Furthermore, the flush water supplied from the main water passageway 2 to the flush water supply device 6 may flow through the tank-side water supply channel 2c, the storage tank 20, the pump water supply channel 2d and the pressure pump 22 of the flush water supply device 6 and then be supplied from the jet-side water supply channel 2b to the jet spout port 16a, via the jet conduit 16 of the toilet main body 4, and water may thus be spouted from the jet spout port 16a (so-called “jet spouting”). That is, the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment may function as a so-called hybrid flush toilet 1 that is capable of using, in combination, rim spouting that uses flush water that is supplied from the main water passageway 2 and that is directly under tap water pressure, and jet spouting that uses flush water that is from the storage tank 20 and that is pressurized by the pressure pump 22.
[0034] Now, an upper float switch 38 and a lower float switch 40 are disposed inside the storage tank 20. A water level inside the storage tank 20 may be detected by these float switches 38, 40. For example, the upper float switch 38 is switched on when the water level inside the storage tank 20 reaches a predetermined water storage level, and the controller 36 detects an on state of the upper float switch 38 and causes the electromagnetic valve 34 to close. For its part, the lower float switch 40 is switched on when the water level inside the storage tank 20 falls to a predetermined water level below the predetermined water storage level that is detected by the upper float switch 38, and the controller 36 detects an on state of the lower float switch 40 and causes the pressure pump 22 to stop. Furthermore, the pressure pump 22 is for causing flush water stored in the storage tank 20 to be discharged from the jet spout port 16a, by suctioning the flush water into the pump water supply channel 2d and pressurizing the flush water in the pump water supply channel 2d into the jet-side water supply channel 2b.
[0035] With the structures described above, at a time of normal toilet flushing, the controller 36 detects an operation of a toilet flushing switch (not shown) by a user, for example, and causes the electromagnetic valve 34, the switching valve 18, and the pressure pump 22 to sequentially operate. Discharging of water from the rim spout port 14a and the jet spout port 16a is thus sequentially started, and flush water used to flush the bowl 8 is discharged from the water discharge trap 12, together with waste in the bowl 8. Furthermore, when flushing is over, the controller 36 opens the electromagnetic valve 34, and the switching valve 18 is switched to the tank-side water supply channel 2c side, and flush water in the main water passageway 2 is used to refill the storage tank 20. Then, when the water level inside the storage tank 20 rises and the upper float switch 38 detects a specified water storage amount, the controller 36 closes the electromagnetic valve 34, so that the main valve 32 closes the main water passageway 2, and supply of water is thereby stopped. Moreover, each unit of the flush water supply device 6 (control unit) is stored in a rear storage V0 (of which more later) in a region more rearward than the bowl 8 of the toilet main body 4.
[0036] Next, specific description will be given to the rear storage V0 where the flush water supply device 6 (control unit) is stored in the toilet main body 4 of the flush toilet 1 according to the present embodiment, and a peripheral structure of the rear storage V0 with reference to
[0037] First, as shown in
[0038] Next, as shown in
[0039] Next, as shown in
[0040] Next, as shown in
[0041] Now, as shown in
[0042] Now, as shown in
[0043] Next, as shown in
[0044] Also, as shown in
[0045] Next, description will be given to an operation of the flush toilet 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above with reference to
[0046] Additionally, according to the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment, the inner communication hole 50 of the inner wall 42d, penetrating to communicate between the upper storage region V1 and the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I), can be formed penetrating the substantially horizontal wall surface of the horizontal wall 48d of the inner wall 42d in the double wall E, and the outer communication hole 52 of the outer wall 42c, penetrating to communicate between the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I) and the outside of the toilet main body 4, can be formed penetrating the vertical wall surface of the vertical wall 42e of the outer wall 42c in the double wall E. Accordingly, when the water supply hose 54 is inserted from inside of the upper storage region V1 into the inner communication hole 50 and extended from inside of the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I) through the outer communication hole 52 to the outside of the toilet main body 4, the water supply hose 54 does not have to be bent excessively, and can be smoothly inserted. Therefore, for example, the permanent deformation or damage due to the kink or the like can be effectively inhibited from occurring in the flexible water supply hose 54.
[0047] Furthermore, according to the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment, the inner communication hole 50 has the center axis A1 positioned more rearward than the center A2 of the horizontal wall 48d in the front-rear direction, and the outer communication hole 52 is formed in the outer wall 42c of the double wall E in the rear wall 42a of the skirt 42. Therefore, the inner communication hole 50 of the horizontal wall 48d can be disposed on a rear wall 42a side of the skirt 42, compared to when the center axis A1 of the inner communication hole 50 is positioned at the same position as or in front of the center A2 of the horizontal wall 48d in the front-rear direction. Consequently, a distance between the inner communication hole 50 and the outer communication hole 52 can be reduced, and hence when the water supply hose 54 is inserted into the inner communication hole 50 and the outer communication hole 52, the hose can be easily guided into the respective communication holes 50, 52. Thereby, it is not necessary to bend or sharply angle the flexible water supply hose 54. Also, since the center axis A1 of the inner communication hole 50 is positioned more rearward than the center A2 of the horizontal wall 48d in the front-rear direction, it is not necessary to excessively bend and deform the flexible water supply hose 54 so that the hose does not interfere with a front part or the like of the flush water supply device 6, when performing, for example, a work of connecting the upper connecting end portion 54b of the water supply hose 54 to the part (water supply pipe elbow 28a) of the valve unit 28 of the flush water supply device 6 in a state where the water supply hose 54 is inserted into the inner communication hole 50 and the outer communication hole 52. As a result, the permanent deformation or damage due to the kink or the like can be more effectively inhibited from occurring in the flexible water supply hose 54. Furthermore, by reducing the distance between the inner communication hole 50 and the outer communication hole 52, it is possible to suppress a thickness of the double wall E that forms the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I) between the inner communication hole 50 and the outer communication hole 52 into which the water supply hose 54 is inserted, so that the whole toilet main body 4 can be reduced in size.
[0048] According to the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment, the water supply hose 54 can be smoothly handled by inserting the hose into the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I) formed below the upper storage region V1. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress a thickness of the side wall 42b of the skirt 42 and a width of the whole toilet main body 4 in a left-right horizontal direction, compared to when the hose is inserted into the double wall chamber I formed on a lateral side of the upper storage region V1. Therefore, the whole flush toilet 1 can be reduced (slimmed) in size.
[0049] According to the flush toilet 1 of the present embodiment, the water supply hose 54 has the upper connecting end portion 54b connected to a front or side portion of the flush water supply device 6, and the hose once extends diagonally forward and downward or laterally and diagonally downward, and is then directed diagonally rearward and downward to the inner communication hole. Therefore, the hose can be efficiently inserted into the outer communication hole 52 through the inner communication hole 50 via the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I), without extending through the lower region V2, and can be efficiently guided to the outside of the toilet main body 4. Furthermore, the flexible water supply hose 54 is inserted from the inside of the upper storage region V1 into the lower communication region V3 (double wall chamber I), without extending through the lower region V2, so that the handleability of the water supply hose 54 in the limited space of the rear storage V0 of the toilet main body 4 can be further improved while suppressing the deformation load of the middle path of the water supply hose 54 between the part (water supply pipe elbow 28a) of the valve unit 28 of the flush water supply device 6 and the supply source of flush water (splitter hardware 26 or stop cock 24). Therefore, for example, the permanent deformation or damage due to the kink or the like can be effectively inhibited from occurring in the flexible water supply hose 54.
[0050] Next, description will be given to a flush toilet 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention with reference to
[0051] According to the flush toilet 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention described above, when a water supply hose 54 is inserted from inside of an upper storage region V101 into the inner communication hole 150, and extended from inside of the lower communication region V103 (double wall chamber I) through the outer communication hole 152 to outside of the toilet main body 104, the water supply hose 54 does not have to be excessively bent, and can be smoothly inserted. Also, a distance between the inner communication hole 150 and the outer communication hole 152 in the front-rear direction can be reduced, so that the whole toilet main body 104 can be reduced in size while acquiring the upper storage region V101. Furthermore, by reducing the distance between the inner communication hole 150 and the outer communication hole 152 in the front-rear direction, the water supply hose 54 can be easily guided into the respective communication holes 150, 152, when inserting the hose into the inner communication hole 150 and the outer communication hole 152. Therefore, the flexible water supply hose 54 does not have to be bent or sharply angled. Consequently, for example, permanent deformation or damage due to kink or the like can be effectively inhibited from occurring in the flexible water supply hose 54.
[0052] In the flush toilets 1, 100 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention described above, an embodiment is described in which the water supply hose 54 is adopted as the flexible elongated member, but this embodiment is not restrictive, and the present invention is also applicable to another embodiment. For example, in another embodiment of the flexible elongated member, two water supply hoses may be used including a toilet flushing water supply hose 54 that supplies toilet flushing water to the flush water supply device 6, and a private part washing water supply hose that supplies private part washing water to the private part washing device (not shown), and these two water supply hoses may be inserted into inner communication holes 50, 150 and outer communication holes 52, 152, respectively. Alternatively, a further another embodiment of the flexible elongated member may be applied to a wiring hose into which a plurality of power supplying wires are inserted, to supply power to the flush water supply device 6, the private part washing device (not shown), a heater device (not shown) with cold district specifications and the like arranged in the toilet main body 4, 104, and this wiring hose may be inserted into each of the inner communication hole 50, 150 and the outer communication hole 52, 152.
[0053] Although the present disclosure has been explained with reference to specific, preferred embodiments, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that modifications and improvements can be made while remaining within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is determined solely by appended claims.