Abstract: A retroreflective function member exhibits better retroreflective properties than a cube corner type retroreflective function member, which e has conventionally excelled most in the retroreflective properties is provided. The retroreflective function member is formed by injection molding transparent acrylic resin to provide a substantially plate-shape of which the upper surface, the bottom surface, and right and left surfaces are flat. The front surface is adapted to serve as the incoming and outgoing surfaces and aluminum is deposited on the rear surface to be used as a reflective surface. The outside of the rear surface is protected by a resin.

Abstract: A flush toilet stool includes a toilet bowl and a trap drainage passage connected to the toilet bowl. The toilet bowl has a water jet hole defined in a bottom region thereof and opening toward the trap drainage passage. A pressurizing unit such as a water pump is coupled to the water jet hole for drawing water under lower pressure directly from an external water supply and expelling the water under higher pressure through the water jet hole toward the trap drainage passage to develop a siphon flow to discharge sewage from the toilet bowl through the trap drainage passage.

Abstract: A toilet bowl flushing device controls the rate of flow of flushing water supplied to a toilet bowl so that the toilet bowl can be washed out with a minimum amount of flushing water for a maximum flushing effect. The toilet flushing device includes a water supply system for supplying flushing water through a water supply pipe to a toilet bowl, a flow rate control valve disposed in the water supply pipe, for varying the rate of flow of flushing water supplied to the toilet bowl through control of the opening of the valve, an actuator for actuating the flow rate control valve, and a controller for controlling operation of the actuator. The controller controls operation of the actuator to vary the opening of the valve stepwise with time in one flushing cycle according to a predetermined flow rate pattern so that the flushing water is supplied toilet bowl at a flow ate which varies stepwise with time.

Abstract: An electromechanically controlled thermostatic mixing valve (10) comprises a movable mixing valve member (114) resiliently held between a temperature responsive coiled spring (132) and a bias spring (134). The temperature responsive spring is made of a material such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a modulus of elasticity that varies with temperature. The bias spring is supported by an electric drive (46) controlled by an electric control circuit (32) to adjust the preload on the bias spring. In contrast to the bias spring which is subjected to deformation from its free state to its fully compressed state, the SMA spring is held in such a manner that it is subjected to a limited strain throughout the stroke of the valve member. As a result, premature fatigue of the SMA spring is avoided. Transient fluctuation in water temperature is primarily compensated for by a mechanical feedback control performed by the SMA spring.

Abstract: A water closet flushing apparatus provided with a pressure detector mounted along a water supply pipe, an opening and closing apparatus to open and close a water supply passage provided along the water supply pipe and a control apparatus that uses the pressure detected by the pressure detector to control the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing apparatus so that a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water closet.

Abstract: A water closet flushing apparatus provided with a pressure detector mounted along a water supply pipe, an opening and closing apparatus to open and close a water supply passage provided along the water supply pipe and a control apparatus that uses the pressure detected by the pressure detector to control the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing apparatus so that a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water closet.

Abstract: A water closet flushing apparatus provided with a pressure detector mounted along a water supply pipe, an opening and closing apparatus to open and close a water supply passage provided along the water supply pipe and a control apparatus that uses the pressure detected by the pressure detector to control the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing apparatus so that a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water closet.

Abstract: In a water closet flushing apparatus of the type in which the flushing water from a flushing water supply source is fed through different flushing water feed lines to a bowl portion and a trap discharge passage defined adjacent to the bottom portion of the bowl portion, a water jet injector is provided so as to inject the flushing water jet toward the trap discharge passage, an opening-closing valve is disposed in each of different feed lines, and the operation of the opening-closing valve is controlled by a control unit. The flushing water is flushed into the bowl portion so as to clean the same while the jet of flushing water is injected into the trap discharge passage to cause the same to act as a siphon, whereby waste matter is discharged.

Abstract: An automatically operating valve for regulating water flow, especially a mixing valve for automatically mixing hot water and cold water to obtain a mixed water of a desired temperature is characterized by employing piezoelectric actuators for operating valve bodies thereof. Due to such a construction, the valve can not only fully close or open but also carries out the fine flow amount control by regulating the opening rate or angle of the valve body. Especially in case the automatically operating valve is a mixing valve, the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water can be accurately regulated so that the mixed water of a desired temperature can be always automatically obtained.

Abstract: A water supply control system has a faucet actuating means for actuating a water supply faucet to supply water, a light-emitting means for intermittently emitting light at at least a first period, a light-detecting means for detecting light emitted from the light-emitting means and reflected by a portion of the body of a user of the faucet, and for producing a detected signal indicative of whether the light is detected or not, and a control means for controlling the faucet actuating means to actuate the faucet based on the detected signal from the light-detecting means.

Abstract: A toilet bowl flushing device washes out a toilet bowl while controlling the flow rate of flushing water supplied to the toilet bowl for a maximum flushing effect. The toilet bowl flushing device includes water supply apparatus for supplying flushing water to the toilet bowl, the water supply apparatus including a flow rate control valve for controlling a rate of flow of flushing water to be supplied to the toilet bowl, an actuator for actuating the flow rate control valve, and a control subsystem operable according to a predetermined flow rate pattern program for controlling operation of the actuator to vary the rate of flow of flushing water in one flushing cycle with respect to time from a time to start flushing the toilet bowl to a time to finish flushing the toilet bowl.

Abstract: A washing device for parts of human body comprises a thermostatic mixing valve which is disposed at a junction of a cold water supply passage and a heated water supply passage, a latching solenoid valve which is mounted on a heated water drainage passage branched out from said heated water supply passage and a latching solenoid valve which is mounted on a mixed hot water supply passage. Due to such construction, electric power for heating water is no longer necessary in the toilet bowl and electric power for mixing heated water and cold water to produce mixed hot water to be ejected from an ejecting nozzle also becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, electric power for operating the solenoid valve is minimized by means of a latching solenoid. Accordingly, the overall consumption of electric power necessary for operating and controlling the washing device can be minimized thus enabling the use of a small dry cell or battery as an electric power source of the washing device.

Abstract: An automatically operating valve for regulating water flow, especially a mixing valve for automatically mixing hot water and cold water to obtain a mixed water of a desired temperature is characterized by employing piezoelectric actuators for operating valve bodies thereof. Due to such a construction, the valve can not only fully close or open but also carries out the fine flow amount control by regulating the opening rate or angle of the valve body. Especially in case the automatically operating valve is a mixing valve, the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water can be accurately regulated so that the mixed water of a desired temperature can be always automatically obtained.

Abstract: An automatically operating valve for regulating water flow, especially a mixing valve for automatically mixing hot water and cold water to obtain a mixed water of a desired temperature is characterized by employing piezoelectric actuators for operating valve bodies thereof. Due to such a construction, the valve can not only fully close or open but also carries out the fine flow amount control by regulating the opening rate or angle of the valve body. Especially in case the automatically operating valve is a mixing valve, the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water can be accurately regulated so that the mixed water of a desired temperature can be always automatically obtained.

Abstract: An automatically operating valve for regulating water flow, especially a mixing valve for automatically mixing hot water and cold water to obtain a mixed water of a desired temperature is characterized by employing piezoelectric actuators for operating valve bodies thereof. Due to such a construction, the valve can not only fully close or open but also carries out the fine flow amount control by regulating the opening rate or angle of the valve body. Especially in case the automatically operating valve is a mixing valve, the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water can be accurately regulated so that the mixed water of a desired temperature can be always automatically obtained.

Abstract: A multiple purpose instantaneous gas water heater comprises a combination of a larger combustion capacity type first burner with a smaller combustion capacity type second burner. Each of the burners can be controlled by a proportional combustion control method and/or an intermittent combustion control method. It is possible to combine these functions within a microcomputer system so as to use each or both burners selectively, or both together, so that it is possible to select water from a wide range of hot water temperatures or to select a target temperature.

Abstract: A multiple purpose instantaneous gas water heater comprises a combination of a larger combustion capacity type first burner with a smaller combustion capacity type second burner. Each of the burners can be controlled by a proportional combustion control method and/or an intermittent combustion control method. It is possible to combine these functions within a microcomputer system so as to use each or both burners selectively, or both together, so that it is possible to select water from a wide range of hot water temperatures or to select a target temperature.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cold/hot water discharging apparatus which is used for cold/hot water massage shower, and the like. In order to alternately switch and supply hot water of a predetermined temperature supplied from a hot water source to a discharge portion, a valve of a cold/hot water mixing tap is driven by a motor and is reciprocated in a pre-set period between a position where high temperature hot water is discharged and low temperature hot water is discharged. In each of the periods for discharging low/high temperature hot water, an optimum gain of this period is determined from the previous period and previous gain so as to shorten the discharge period of cold/hot water and to obtain a stable curve of the discharge hot water.

Abstract: A washing device for parts of human body being such as anus or private part of female is disclosed. Such washing device is substantially characterized in that the heated-water supply source and the cold-water supply source which are connected with a heated-and-cold-water mixing valve respectively are both installed outside of a toilet chamber or a bathroom and a mixed-water ejecting nozzle is connected to a downstream end of a mixed-water supply passage which has an upper end thereof connected to an outlet opening of the heated-and-cold-water mixing valve. Due to such construction, the washing deivce can extremely improve the heating efficiency so as to enable the considerable energy saving and can unnecessitate the installation of the heat exchangers in the washing device so as to make full use of a narrow space of a toilet chamber or a bathroom.

Abstract: A hot/cold water mixing device includes a hot water supply valve disposed in a hot water feed pipe for regulating the amount of hot water passing therethrough, a cold water supply valve disposed in a cold water feed pipe for regulating the amount of cold water passing therethrough, a water mixture pipe connected between the hot and cold water feed pipes and a water outlet, and a control mechanism for controlling an actuating mechanism to open and close the hot and cold water supply valves complementarily to each other.