Toilet bowl flushing system

Abstract

A toilet bowl flushing system according to the invention comprises a toilet bowl flushing device being installable in a low tank having a drain valve and capable of performing an operation of opening the drain valve; and a control unit that stores control information on a plurality of flushing modes, the control unit being capable of programming one of the plurality of flushing modes and supplying the toilet bowl flushing device with a control signal based on the programmed flushing mode. Such a toilet bowl flushing system can selectively use a plurality of flushing modes as appropriate to be adapted to various types of low tanks already on the market. The setting of the flushing mode, as well as the attaching angle of the toilet bowl flushing device, the distance from the output axle to the ball chain lever, the operation angle range of the ball chain lever, and the like can be appropriately varied. As a result, users can benefit from automatic flushing without replacing the low tank.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a toilet bowl flushing system, and more particularly to a toilet bowl flushing system capable of being installed in a flush toilet bowl and automatically supplying flushing water from a low tank to the flush toilet bowl.

BACKGROUND ART

The low tank of a flush toilet bowl has a long history of technological development. For example, there have been disclosures of: an anti-condensation structure for preventing dew condensation on the surface of a low tank (e.g., JP 55-54485U), a drain mechanism (e.g., JP 57-33641), an actuation mechanism (e.g., JP 55-106283U), an operation mechanism (e.g., JP 56-55085U), a handle device (e.g., JP 57-38875U), a mechanism for selectively discharging full/partial flushing water (e.g., JP 60-10026), an electromagnetic driving means to be provided outside a low tank (e.g., JP 60-55136), and the like.

As a toilet bowl flushing device capable of supplying a flush toilet bowl with flushing water both manually and automatically, the inventors have disclosed a lever device for a low tank (JP 2001-65028). This lever device has a spindle motor-driven device having a built-in motor and being installable inside the low tank, and is also provided with a threaded column projected outside of the low tank through a lever opening of the low tank. The spindle motor-driven device can be fixed by firmly sandwiching the outer wall of the low tank between a nut screwed on the threaded column from outside the low tank and the base end portion of the spindle motor-driven device. This configuration facilitates installation of the lever device. Furthermore, this configuration successfully improves the appearance by reducing a clearance between the lever and the low tank to the same extent as that in a conventional hand-cranked low tank.

Various models of low tanks are already on the market. Users can benefit from automatic flushing without replacing the low tank if a toilet bowl flushing system being adaptable to and easy to install in as many of these models as possible can be achieved.

However, it can be seen from the first to eighth patent documents mentioned above that these existing low tanks are indeed very diverse in shape, structure, and size. Therefore, a number of highly technological breakthroughs are needed to achieve a toilet bowl flushing system that can be operably installed in these low tanks in common.

FIG. 59 is a schematic view that illustrates a number of forms of existing low tanks. More specifically, FIG. 59(a) shows a so-called “front handle type” low tank in which an operating handle 100 is provided on the left front of a low tank 200. FIG. 59(b) shows a so-called “right handle type” low tank in which an operating handle 100 is provided on the side face to the observer's right of a low tank 200. FIG. 59(c) shows a so-called “corner type” low tank that can be placed at the corner of a restroom.

It can be seen from these specific examples that there are various forms even with respect to the shape of the low tank 200 and the installed position of its operating handle 100. Furthermore, there are even more diverse modes of mechanisms for selectively discharging full/partial flushing water.

For example, in discharging flushing water for “FULL”, some operating handles 100 are turned to the right, and others to the left. Furthermore, in discharging flushing water for “PARTIAL”, some operating handles 100 are turned in the same direction as in discharging flushing water for “FULL”, and others in the reverse direction. Moreover, in discharging flushing water for “PARTIAL”, some operating handles 100 require a “hold” operation for holding their state of being turned.

Therefore, for common adaptation to these diverse types of existing low tanks, significant ingenuity is required for the size and shape of the toilet bowl flushing device to be installed in the low tank. At the same time, the method of controlling the device also requires achieving a novel toilet bowl flushing system that can be flexibly adapted to existing models.

This invention is based on the recognition of these problems. An object of the invention is to provide a novel toilet bowl flushing system that can be flexibly adapted to various types of existing low tanks.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In order to achieve the above object, a toilet bowl flushing system of the invention comprises a toilet bowl flushing device being installable in a low tank having a drain valve and capable of performing an operation of opening the drain valve; and a control unit that stores control information on a plurality of flushing modes, the control unit being capable of programming one of the plurality of flushing modes and supplying the toilet bowl flushing device with a control signal based on the programmed flushing mode.

According to the above configuration, a motor of the toilet bowl flushing device, for example, can be controlled with respect to its rotation direction, operating time, and the like depending on the structure of the low tank. As a result, a toilet bowl flushing system that can be flexibly adapted to diverse flushing modes of various types of existing low tanks can be provided.

Here, the control signal supplied from the control unit may have a polarity being determined based on the programmed flushing mode. This enables either clockwise or counterclockwise operation to be appropriately determined depending on the low tank for discharging flushing water, and to reliably rotate the motor of the toilet bowl flushing device in a predetermined direction.

The control signal supplied from the control unit may have a pulse width being determined based on the programmed flushing mode. This enables, for example, the motor to be reliably controlled by supplying a control pulse signal having a predetermined width in a flush flushing operation, and on the other hand by appropriately adjusting the pulse width in a hold flushing operation.

At least one of the plurality of control modes may include control for maintaining the drain valve in an open state, and the control signal for maintaining the drain valve in the open state may include a PWM signal. In this case, heating or increased power consumption of the motor can be avoided by controlling the pulse at a predetermined duty within a range in which a predetermined hold state can be maintained.

The toilet bowl flushing device may include a motor, and deceleration means for decelerating an output of the motor, wherein the operation of opening the drain valve may be enabled by a driving output from the deceleration means. This enables the operation of the motor to be controlled by the control signal from the control unit for rotating the motor in a predetermined direction for a predetermined time, and thereby flushing operation can be reliably performed.

Here, at least one of the plurality of control modes may include a first control of turning the drain valve into an open state by driving the motor and a second control of causing the drain valve to transition from the open state to a closed state while braking the motor. This enables the hold operation to be performed by braking the motor without its heating and by slowly closing the drain valve.

The toilet bowl flushing device may include a first output axle for output from the deceleration means and a second output axle for output from the deceleration means, and the operation of opening the drain valve is enabled by at least one of the first and second output axles. This can ensure a reliable and quick flushing operation by selective use of the first and second output axles as appropriate depending on the type of the low tank.

The first output axle and the second output axle may have different deceleration ratios. This can ensure a reliable and quick flushing operation by selective use of the first and second output axles as appropriate for a different torque or rotation angle of the drain valve depending on the type of the low tank.

The control unit may be provided in a toilet seat. This makes it unnecessary to place a separate control unit in a restroom and achieves a toilet bowl flushing system being compact, having a good appearance, and making wiring unnecessary.

The toilet seat may further comprise a private parts flushing device for flushing user's private parts with water or warm water. This enables a sophisticated automatic toilet bowl system that can share a power supply unit and the like with the private parts flushing device and at the same time have an additional function of flushing private parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates the overall configuration of a toilet bowl flushing system according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view that illustrates a toilet bowl flushing system of the embodiment of the invention being installed in a flush toilet bowl;

FIG. 3 shows a list that summarizes typical flushing modes for various types of low tanks on the market;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram that illustrates more specifically the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a signal flow in the toilet bowl flushing system of the specific example of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that shows a second specific example of the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that shows a third specific example of the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view that shows the relevant part of a toilet bowl flushing device of the working example of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view that shows a power train shaft 80 being attached to the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view that shows a power train shaft 80 being attached to the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view that shows a power train shaft 80 being attached to the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram that shows the relevant arrangement of the internal structure of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 according to the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram that schematically shows the internal structure of the toilet bowl flushing device of the working example of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view that shows a cross section of coupling between the fourth-stage gear 46 and the shaft 22;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a driver circuit for driving a motor 42 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a PWM-controlled energization waveform;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart that illustrates a driving scheme for the motor 42 when full flushing is performed;

FIG. 18 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a partial hold operation for four seconds by introducing PWM control;

FIG. 19 is a flow chart that shows a partial flushing hold operation with a strong braking control being introduced;

FIG. 20 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a strong braking control through duty control;

FIG. 21 is a flow chart that shows a hold control with a weak braking control by cogging torque being introduced;

FIG. 22 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a weak braking control through duty control;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view that shows a toilet bowl flushing system of the working example being installed in a flush toilet bowl having a “right handle type” low tank 200;

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above;

FIG. 25 is a schematic view that illustrates the connection between the toilet bowl flushing device 10 and the toilet seat 400;

FIG. 26 is a schematic view that illustrates the connection between the toilet bowl flushing device 10 and the toilet seat 400;

FIG. 27 is an assembly diagram of a valve driving part being attached to the first output axle 70;

FIG. 28 is an assembly diagram of a valve driving part being attached to the first output axle 70;

FIG. 29 is an assembly diagram of the toilet bowl flushing device being installed in the low tank 200;

FIG. 30 is an assembly diagram of the toilet bowl flushing device being installed in the low tank 200;

FIG. 31 is a schematic view that shows ball chains 220 and 230 being fixed at one end to the tip of the ball chain levers 84 and 85, respectively;

FIG. 32 is a schematic view for illustrating the flushing mode;

FIG. 33 is a schematic view that shows the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention being installed in a “right handle type” low tank 200 having another flushing mode;

FIG. 34 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above;

FIG. 35 is a schematic view for illustrating the flushing mode of the low tank 200;

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram that shows one example of initialization operation;

FIG. 37 is a schematic view that shows the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention being installed in a “front handle type” low tank 200 having still another flushing mode;

FIG. 38 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above;

FIG. 39 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of attaching a ball chain lever 87 to the second output axle 72 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 40 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the low tank 200;

FIG. 41 is a schematic view for illustrating the flushing mode of the low tank 200;

FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram that shows one example of initialization operation;

FIG. 43 is a schematic view that shows a “FULL” label being stuck on the “PARTIAL” switch of the remote controller 510;

FIG. 44 is an illustration that shows a specific example of simplifying the initialization operation by selectively using the switches of the remote controller 510;

FIG. 45 is a schematic view that shows a user instruction to be stuck on the remote controller 510;

FIG. 46 is a schematic view that shows the change of appearance due to the user instruction being stuck on the remote controller 510;

FIG. 47 is an assembly diagram of a slit cover 98 being used in installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 48 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device in the low tank via tilt washers;

FIG. 49 is an enlarged partial cross section of the installation portion of the toilet bowl flushing device using the tilt washers;

FIG. 50 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the low tank 200 with the tilt washers 90 and 91 being arranged in a predetermined orientation;

FIG. 51(a) is an assembly diagram that shows installation of the toilet bowl flushing device 10, and FIG. 51(b) is a schematic view of labels for distinguishing “FULL” and “PARTIAL” being stuck after the operating handle 100 is attached;

FIG. 52 is an assembly diagram in which a ball chain lever 84 is directly plugged into the shaft 80 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 and fixed with a pin 86;

FIG. 53 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84;

FIG. 54 is a schematic view that illustrates the structure of the ball chain lever 84 where FIG. 54(a) is a top view, FIG. 54(b) is a left side view, FIG. 54(c) is a vertical cross section, FIG. 54(d) is a right side view, and FIG. 54(e) is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 55 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the rotation angle range of the toilet bowl flushing device 10;

FIG. 56 is a schematic diagram that shows a low tank with a manual operating handle having a rotation angle of 125° for “FULL” and 650 for “PARTIAL”;

FIG. 57 is a schematic diagram that shows the rotation angle when the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84 is reversed;

FIG. 58 is a schematic diagram that shows the rotation angle when the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84 is reversed; and

FIG. 59 is a schematic view that illustrates a number of forms of existing low tanks.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates the overall configuration of a toilet bowl flushing system according to an embodiment of the invention.

More specifically, the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention comprises a toilet bowl flushing device 10 and a control unit 500 connected thereto. The toilet bowl flushing device 10 includes a motor, and is installed in a low tank of the flush toilet bowl system. The drain valve of the low tank is actuated by the motor.

On the other hand, the control unit 500 is programmed to one of a plurality of flushing modes 1, 2, . . . , and supplies a control signal according to the flushing mode to the motor incorporated in the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to control its operation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view that illustrates a toilet bowl flushing system of this embodiment being installed in a flush toilet bowl. More specifically, in the specific example shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 500 is incorporated in a toilet seat 400. A user or installer can install the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in a low tank 200, attach the toilet seat 400 (control unit 500) to a toilet bowl 300, and connect them with a connection cord. A predetermined initialization operation is then performed on the control unit 500. Consequently, an optimal one of a plurality of flushing modes 1, 2, . . . is programmed. That is, a control signal adapted to the flushing mode for the low tank 200 with the toilet bowl flushing device 10 installed therein is supplied to the toilet bowl flushing device 10 for its appropriate operation.

FIG. 3 shows a list that summarizes typical flushing modes for various types of low tanks on the market.

More specifically, this figure shows six kinds of typical flushing modes. For example, in “Flushing Mode 1”, for discharging “FULL” flushing water, a control signal (e.g., 24 volts DC) for rotating the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 (see the inset in FIG. 2) in the CW (clockwise) direction is supplied for one second. For discharging “PARTIAL” flushing water, a control signal for rotating the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction is supplied for one second. To this end, when a DC brash motor or the like is used as a motor incorporated in the toilet bowl flushing device 10, the polarity of the control signal (e.g., 24 volts DC) supplied to the motor should be changed appropriately in response to the flushing mode.

Furthermore, for “PARTIAL FLUSHING” in “Flushing Mode 5”, for example, a signal for rotating the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the counterclockwise direction is supplied for four seconds. This is a so-called “hold mode”, which corresponds to an operation of holding the drain valve for partial flushing water of the low tank 200 in an open state for about four seconds. That is, the duration of the control signal supplied to the motor of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 should be changed appropriately in response to the flushing mode.

Moreover, in this hold operation, while a continuous control signal (e.g., 24 volts DC) may be supplied for four seconds, it is desirable to perform PWM (pulse width modulation) control in order to avoid heat generation of the motor. More specifically, the hold operation can be performed while reducing heat generation of the motor by supplying the toilet bowl flushing device 10 with a pulsed control signal within a duty range capable of holding the drain valve in the open state. That is, it is desirable to change also the pulse waveform of the control signal supplied to the motor appropriately in response to the flushing mode. This will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 15 to 22.

As described above, low tanks on the market have a variety of flushing modes. In this respect, according to the invention, these flushing modes can be stored in advance in the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system and a predetermined initialization operation can be used to select and program an optimal one of them. For example, when the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention is installed in a low tank 200 of the “Flushing Mode 2” type, a user or installer can operate the control unit 500 as an initialization operation to select and program the “Flushing Mode 2”. A control signal of “Flushing Mode 2” can then be supplied to the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in response to a command of “FULL” or “PARTIAL” flushing to perform an appropriate flushing operation.

In this way, according to the invention, the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system can store a plurality of flushing modes in advance and one of them can be appropriately selected and programmed to achieve flexible adaptation to various types of existing low tanks. As a result, users can install the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention to benefit from automatic flushing without replacing the existing low tank.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram that illustrates more specifically the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention.

More specifically, in this specific example, the control unit 500 comprises an operating unit 510 and a driving unit 520. The operating unit 510, which has switches and the like, can receive user's intentions as input. The driving unit 520 has a flushing mode determining unit 520A and a driving signal supplying unit 520B. The flushing mode determining unit 520A selects and programs an optimal flushing mode in response to the type of the low tank having the toilet bowl flushing device 10 installed therein. The driving signal supplying unit 520B supplies a predetermined driving signal to the toilet bowl flushing device 10 based on the flushing mode programmed by the flushing mode determining unit 520A.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a signal flow in the toilet bowl flushing system of the specific example. In this specific example, data for a plurality of flushing modes 1, 2, . . . is stored in advance in the flushing mode determining unit 520A. This data can be stored in a ROM (read only memory) or the like, for example. The operating unit 510 can send out a mode selection signal 502 and a flushing command signal 504. A user or installer can appropriately send out these signals 502 and 504 from the operating unit 510 according to a predetermined operating procedure.

First, a user or installer performs a predetermined initialization operation on the operating unit 510. The mode selection signal 502 is then sent to the flushing mode determining unit 520A. Upon receiving the mode selection signal 502, the flushing mode determining unit 520A selects a predetermined mode (e.g., “Flushing Mode 2”) among the flushing modes 1, 2, . . . stored in the flushing mode determining unit 520A in response to the content of the mode selection signal 502, and commands the driving signal supplying unit 520B to operate according to the flushing mode (e.g., “Flushing Mode 2”). That is, the driving signal supplying unit 520B is configured so as to output a control signal adapted to the flushing mode 2 upon receiving the flushing command signal 504 from the operating unit 510.

After the initialization operation is thus performed, a predetermined operation of a user for discharging “FULL” or “PARTIAL” flushing water causes the operating unit 510 to transmit a corresponding flushing command signal 504 to the driving signal supplying unit 520B. The driving signal supplying unit 520B then transmits a control signal 508 corresponding to the programmed flushing mode (e.g., “Flushing Mode 2”) to the toilet bowl flushing device 10. Upon receiving the control signal 508, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 performs a “FULL” or “PARTIAL” flushing operation adapted to the low tank.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that shows a second specific example of the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention. More specifically, in this specific example, the operating unit 510 and the driving unit 520 are provided as separate units and coupled via wired or wireless connection. The operating unit 510 is typically configured as a remote controller. The operating unit 510 and the driving unit 520 can be appropriately placed around the low tank 200, around the toilet bowl 300, or elsewhere. When signals are wirelessly transmitted between the operating unit 510 and the driving unit 520, any of various media such as infrared or other radiation, radio waves, and sounds can be used as a signal transporting medium.

In this specific example, a user or installer can perform the initialization operation and operations for discharging flushing water on the operating unit 510 placed at hand. The processes performed by these operations can be the same as those described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and hence are not described in detail.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that shows a third specific example of the control unit 500 of the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention. More specifically, in this specific example again, the operating unit 510 and the driving unit 520 are provided as separate units and coupled via wired or wireless connection. As described above, the operating unit 510 is typically configured as a remote controller.

However, in this specific example, the operating unit 510 has a flushing mode determining unit 510A and a flushing command signal transmitting unit 510B. A plurality of flushing modes are stored in advance in the flushing mode determining unit 510A. When a user or installer performs a predetermined initialization operation, one of the plurality of flushing modes is selected to command the flushing command signal transmitting unit 510B to transmit a flushing command signal adapted to this flushing mode.

After the initialization operation is thus performed, a predetermined operation of a user for discharging “FULL” or “PARTIAL” flushing water causes the flushing command signal transmitting unit 510B to transmit a corresponding flushing command signal 504 to the driving unit 520. The driving unit 520 then transmits a control signal 508 corresponding to the received flushing command signal 504 to the toilet bowl flushing device 10. Upon receiving the control signal 508, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can perform a “FULL” or “PARTIAL” flushing operation adapted to the low tank.

In any of the toilet bowl flushing systems described above as the first to third specific examples, one of the plurality of flushing modes 1, 2, . . . stored in advance in the control unit 500 can be appropriately selected by the initialization operation. This enables to achieve a toilet bowl flushing system that can be flexibly adapted to various types of low tanks on the market.

In the following, the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention is described in more detail with reference to a working example.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view that shows the relevant part of a toilet bowl flushing device of the working example.

FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views that show a power train shaft 80 being attached to the toilet bowl flushing device 10.

More specifically, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 has a screw protruding portion 20 and a driving unit 40. A shaft 22 protrudes at the tip of the screw protruding portion 20. On the other hand, a first output axle 70 and a second output axle 72 are provided on the side of the driving unit 40 facing inside the tank. Note that in FIG. 10, the tip of the second output axle 72 is not shown.

It is desirable that rotation torque outputted by the first output axle 70 be different from that outputted by the second output axle 72. The first and second output axles 70, 72 can be selectively used as appropriate to be adapted to any of various types of existing low tanks and to drive its water flow mechanism. That is, rotation torque and rotation angle required for the output axle depend on the structure of the low tank. According to this specific example, the two output axles 70 and 72 can be adapted to a wide range of such different requirements.

The cross section of the power train shaft 80 perpendicular to its rotation axis has a generally cruciform shape with rotational symmetry in steps of 90°. That is, it has fourth-order rotational symmetry. In this way, any member (not shown) attached to the shaft 80 can have a different attaching angle in steps of 90°, and can be adapted to low tanks of various structures.

A connection cord 76 for supplying a control signal from the control unit 500 is connected to the driving unit 40.

An operating handle 100, not shown, is attached to the shaft 22 protruding outside the low tank. Also when this operating handle is operated manually, the manual rotation torque is transmitted to each of the output axles 70 and 72 through the shaft 22. In this case, in order to prevent addition of cogging torque of the motor incorporated in the driving unit 40, it is desirable to provide a predetermined idling angle or add a clutch mechanism to the power axle of the motor. In this respect, the configuration described in the Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-292508) that the inventors previously filed in the Japanese Patent Office can be used.

Next, the internal structure of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of this working example is described with reference to specific examples.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram that shows the relevant arrangement of the internal structure of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 according to the embodiment of the invention. More specifically, this figure shows the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of this embodiment being installed inside the low tank 200. The low tank 200 illustrated in this figure has an anti-condensation layer 204 made of foamed material and the like on the surface of its inner wall in order to prevent “dew condensation” on its outer wall. A lid 270 is provided on top of the tank.

The toilet bowl flushing device 10 of this embodiment comprises an input shaft 22, a decelerating means 41, a motor 42, and an output axle 70.

The input shaft 22 protrudes outside the tank through an opening 202 provided in the outer wall of the low tank 200. An operating handle, not shown, is attached as appropriate to the tip of the input shaft 22. Operation of this operating handle by a user enables manual input of rotation driving force A.

The decelerating means 41 has a plurality of gears for decelerating the output of the motor 42 and transmitting it to the output axle 70. The output axle 70 protrudes in the direction opposite to the input shaft 22. In addition, a second output axle 72 (not shown) different from the output axle 70 is provided to enable extraction of output from the decelerating means 41.

The output axle 70 is provided generally in parallel to the input shaft 22, is coupled to the input shaft 22, and protrudes toward the inside of the low tank 200. At the same time, the output axle 70 is coupled to the decelerating means 41 as appropriate to enable extraction of the output thereof. While the output axle 70 and the input shaft 22 are coaxial in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto. A power transmission member (e.g., shaft 80 and the like shown in FIGS. 9 to 11) is attached to the tip of the output axle 70 as appropriate, which enables the drain valve provided in the low tank 200 to be subjected to an opening operation by manual input A or by output from the decelerating means 41.

In the configuration described above, the arrangement between the motor 42 and the decelerating means 41 is first described. As viewed from the protruding end of the input shaft 22, the motor 42 is placed closer than the decelerating means 41. That is, the motor 42 is placed closer to the low tank wall 200 than the decelerating means 41. Moreover, the motor 42 has a driving axle 42A that is generally in parallel to the output axle 70 and the input shaft 22 and oriented in the same direction as the output axle 70, that is, toward the inside of the low tank 200.

It can be seen from FIG. 12 that an anti-condensation layer 204 is closely placed directly below the opening 202 of the low tank intended for installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention. In most existing low tanks, since the opening 202 is placed close to the top of the tank, the lid 270 of the tank is closely placed directly above the opening 202. Furthermore, in many tanks, the lid 270 also serves as a “hand wash basin”. For this reason, the lid 270 protrudes downward and comes close to the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention as the distance from the tank sidewall increases.

In this respect, according to the invention, various elements constituting the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can be placed in a unique arrangement as shown in FIG. 12 to prevent interference with both the anti-condensation layer 204 and the lid 270, and at the same time to minimize both the length L from the tank inner wall 200 and the height H perpendicular to the direction of the input and output axles.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram that schematically shows the internal structure of the toilet bowl flushing device of the working example. Note that this figure is a conceptual diagram for illustrating power transmission relations. The dimensions and arrangement of various elements do not necessarily reflect the actual ones.

The toilet bowl flushing device 10 of this working example has therein a motor 42 serving as a driving source and five stages of gears 43 to 47 serving as the decelerating means 41. Rotation torque of the fourth-stage gear 46 is outputted to the first output axle 70. Rotation torque of the fifth-stage gear 47 is outputted to the second output axle 72. When a high-speed brush motor operating at 24 volts DC is used as the motor 42, the deceleration ratio of the first to fourth stages can be set to about 1/100. The deceleration ratio of the fifth stage gear can be set to about 1/2 to facilitate adaptation to various types of low tanks.

The shaft 22 is provided with a shaft return spring 52 and thereby biased to its neutral state. Similarly, the fourth-stage gear 46 is provided with a gear return spring 53 and thereby biased to its neutral state.

In order to prevent addition of cogging torque of the motor 42 during manual operation by the operating handle 100, the fourth-stage gear 46 is coupled to the shaft 22 with a predetermined idling angle.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view that shows a cross section of coupling between the fourth-stage gear 46 and the shaft 22. More specifically, the shaft 22 is placed at the inner center of the fourth-stage gear 46. The shaft 22 is coupled to the operating handle 100 and the first output axle 70. Projections 22P and 46P are formed on the outer face of the shaft 22 and on the inner face of the gear 46, respectively. FIG. 14 shows the neutral state. When the shaft 22 (i.e., operating handle 100) is rotated from this state in the direction indicated by the arrow, the shaft 22 can be rotated independently of the gear 46 in the range up to abutment of the projection 22P against the projection 46P of the gear 46. That is, the shaft 22 can be rotated in this range without being subjected to cogging torque of the motor 42 and load of the gear return spring 53. In this way, the operating handle 100 can be manually operated in an agile fashion.

On the other hand, when the shaft 22 is driven by the motor 42, the gear 46 runs idle in the direction indicated by the arrow from the neutral state shown in FIG. 14. Upon abutment of its projection 46P against the projection 22P of the shaft 22, the gear 46 is coupled to the shaft 22 and the torque is transmitted to the output axle. That is, the range up to abutment of the projection 46P against the projection 22P is provided as an idling angle.

Next, a driver circuit for driving such a toilet bowl flushing device 10 is described.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a driver circuit for driving a motor 42 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10. More specifically, this driver circuit is incorporated, for example, in the driving unit 520 described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

The driver circuit illustrated in FIG. 15 has switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 for controlling the rotation direction and rotation amount of the motor 42, a positive characteristic thermistor 71d for preventing overcurrent from flowing into the motor 42, diodes d1 and d2 for avoiding application of back electromotive force or the like during braking control to the CPU or the like incorporated in the driving unit 520, operating unit 510, or the like, and diodes d3 and d4 for forming a current path during braking control.

For example, when the motor 42 is rotated in the forward direction, the switching elements Tr1 and Tr4 are turned on, and Tr2 and Tr3 are turned off. When it is rotated in the reverse direction, Tr1 and Tr4 are turned off, and the switching elements Tr2 and Tr3 are turned on.

On the other hand, when the motor 42 is strongly braked, one of the switching elements Tr3 and Tr4 is turned on and the other switching element is turned off. For example, when the motor 42 is braked in this manner after rotated a predetermined amount, biasing force of the gear return spring 53 and the shaft return spring 52 incorporated in the toilet bowl flushing device 10 rotates the shaft of the motor 42, which then begins to return to the neutral state shown in FIG. 14. At this time, since the motor 42 acts as a generator, its electromagnetic induction field serves for regenerative braking.

Furthermore, the diodes d1 and d2 enables to prevent this back electromotive force from being applied to the CPU and the like incorporated in the control unit 500 and the like.

Furthermore, for weak braking, all the switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 should be turned off. That is, in this case, cogging torque of the motor 42 serves for braking.

As described above, the switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 can be appropriately turned on to perform duty control by pulse width modulation (PWM).

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a PWM-controlled energization waveform.

More specifically, when each of the switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 is driven, the rotation speed can be controlled by a pulsed energization waveform (e.g., 24 volts DC) as illustrated in FIG. 16. For example, at the time of forward or reverse rotation, the cycle G can be set to 1 millisecond (PWM driving frequency of 1 kHz), and at the time of braking, the cycle G can be set to 8 milliseconds (PWM driving frequency of 125 Hz). Here, “ON-duty H %” indicates that the duration of on-state accounts for H % of one cycle (G milliseconds). For example, G=1 millisecond and H=30% indicates that the on-state occurs for 0.3 millisecond (1 millisecond×30%) in one cycle.

In the following, specific examples are described in which the driving scheme for the motor 42 is appropriately switched in response to the flushing mode.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart that illustrates a driving scheme for the motor 42 when full flushing is performed.

More specifically, when the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 is rotated for about one second in the clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) direction as described above with reference to FIG. 3, the motor 42 can be driven with a duty of 100%. In this case, the motor 42 is provided with a maximum driving force, which can quickly rotate the output axle to perform full flushing.

On the other hand, in performing partial flushing that requires a hold operation for about four seconds as described above with reference to FIG. 3, continuous driving current may be supplied to the motor 42 with a duty of 100%. However, the motor 42 may be heated during the hold period. In this case, it is desirable to control supplied power by PWM control.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a partial hold operation for four seconds by introducing PWM control.

In this case, at steps S22 and S23, driving with 100% duty is first performed for one second. This causes the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to be quickly rotated to the hold position for partial flushing. Subsequently, at steps S24 and S25, the motor is driven by PWM control. That is, the driving duty at step S24 should be set to provide power such that the motor 42 can keep the valve open in the partial flushing state against the biasing force of the shaft return spring 52 and the gear return spring 53. Specifically, for example, the driving duty at step S24 can be set to 80%. This can prevent heating of the motor 42 even when the partial flushing state is held for four seconds.

Furthermore, the partial flushing hold operation may be performed by performing braking control on the motor 42.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart that shows a partial flushing hold operation with a strong braking control being introduced.

More specifically, at steps S32 and S33, driving with 100% duty is first performed for one second to quickly rotate the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to the hold position for partial flushing. Subsequently, at steps S34 and S35, the switching element Tr3 or Tr4 is turned on to perform a strong regenerative braking control. The motor 42 then slowly returns to its neutral state (the state shown in FIG. 14) by the braking control against the biasing force of the shaft return spring 52 and the gear return spring 53. Therefore, the drain valve of the low tank can be kept open, which effectively achieves an operation similar to the partial hold operation. Furthermore, in this case again, the motor 42 is not heated since no external power is supplied thereto during steps S34 and S35.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a strong braking control through duty control.

More specifically, when strong braking is performed at step S44, the switching element Tr3 or Tr4 is turned on by duty control as illustrated in FIG. 16. The duty can be appropriately selected to control braking force minutely and to appropriately control the rate at which the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 returns to its neutral state (the state shown in FIG. 14). This also enables fine tuning of the flow rate of water in the partial flushing hold operation to enhance water-saving effect.

FIG. 21 is a flow chart that shows a hold control with a weak braking control by cogging torque being introduced.

More specifically, at steps S52 and S53, driving with 100% duty is performed for one second to quickly rotate the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to the hold position for partial flushing. Subsequently, at step S54, all the switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 are turned off to perform a weak braking control by cogging torque of the motor 42. In this case again, the motor 42 slowly returns to its neutral state (the state shown in FIG. 14) by the braking control against the biasing force of the shaft return spring 52 and the gear return spring 53. Therefore, the drain valve of the low tank can be kept open, which effectively achieves the partial hold operation. Determination of which to select the strong braking control shown in FIG. 19 or the weak braking control shown in FIG. 21 can be appropriately made by considering the biasing force of the return springs 52 and 53, flow rate of flushing water required in the partial flushing hold operation, and the like.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart that shows a specific example of performing a weak braking control through duty control. More specifically, at step S64, the switching elements Tr1 to Tr4 are turned off by duty control as shown in FIG. 16. In this case again, the duty can be appropriately selected to control braking force minutely and to appropriately control the rate at which the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 returns to its neutral state (the state shown in FIG. 14). This enables fine tuning of the flow rate of water in the partial flushing hold operation to enhance water-saving effect.

In the foregoing, reference has been made to FIGS. 17 to 22 to describe specific examples in which control of the motor 42 is appropriately changed in response to the flushing mode. However, the invention is not limited to these specific examples. For example, in the hold operation, the strong braking and the weak braking may be combined. Alternatively, one of these types of braking may be appropriately combined with the forward or reverse driving of the motor 42.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view that shows a toilet bowl flushing system of the working example being installed in a flush toilet bowl having a “right handle type” low tank 200. FIG. 24 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above.

More specifically, the toilet bowl flushing system of the working example has a configuration illustrated in FIG. 6, comprising an operating unit 510 of a remote controller, a driving unit 520 incorporated in the toilet seat 400, and a toilet bowl flushing device 10.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are schematic views that illustrate the connection between the toilet bowl flushing device 10 and the toilet seat 400.

More specifically, a connection port 402 is provided on the back of the toilet seat 400 provided on top of the toilet bowl 300. A connection cord 76 connected to the toilet bowl flushing device 10 contained in the low tank 200 is drawn out of an air vent hole 290 provided on the back of the low tank 200 and the connection plug 78 at its tip is connected to the connection port 402 of the toilet seat 400.

The toilet seat 400 includes a driving unit 520, not shown, which can appropriately control the operation of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 by appropriately supplying it with a driving signal of 24 volts DC. That is, a user can conveniently discharge flushing water in the toilet bowl by operating a switch at hand (operating unit 510) of the remote controller appropriately placed on the wall or elsewhere in a restroom, without operating the operating handle 100 provided on the low tank 200.

Furthermore, a human sensor can be provided on the toilet seat 400 (control unit 500) to operate the toilet bowl flushing device 10 so as to discharge pre-flushing water when, for example, a user approaches or sits on the toilet seat 400. That is, before the toilet bowl 300 is used, pre-flushing water can be discharged to wet its inner surface, thereby preventing accretion of dirt and the like and maintaining cleanliness.

On the other hand, the human sensor can also be used to operate the toilet bowl flushing device 10 so as to automatically discharge flushing water in the toilet bowl 300 when the user leaves or stands up from the toilet seat 400. This enables the so-called “automatic flushing”, which achieves a toilet bowl flushing system that is also user-friendly for the aged, the physically challenged, children, and others.

Moreover, such a toilet seat can be combined with a so-called private parts flushing device. That is, a more sophisticated and user-friendly toilet bowl flushing system is achieved by incorporating a device for flushing the private parts of a user seated on the toilet seat 400 with water (warm water). In this case, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can also be operated so as to discharge flushing water in response to termination of private parts flushing, for example.

FIGS. 27 and 28 are assembly diagrams of a valve driving part being attached to the first output axle 70. FIGS. 29 and 30 are assembly diagrams of the toilet bowl flushing device being installed in the low tank 200.

First, as shown in FIG. 27, a shaft 80 is fixed to the first output axle 70 using a screw 81. Then, as shown in FIG. 28, the shaft 80 is inserted into a spacer 82 and fixed using a pin 83, and ball chain levers 84 and 85 are each attached near the tip of the spacer 82 using a pin 86.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 29, the screw protruding portion 20 is caused to protrude from an opening 202 of the low tank 200 and fixed with a nut 92 via washers 90 and 91 so as to sandwich the outer wall of the low tank 200. Then, as shown in FIG. 30, a stopper 93 is fixed to the tip of the shaft 22 using a screw 94, over which an operating handle 100 for manual operation is press-fitted and fixed.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 31, ball chains 220 and 230 are fixed at one end to the tip of the ball chain levers 84 and 85, respectively, which extend vertically downward from the spacer that horizontally protrudes into the low tank 200. An upper drain valve 240 and a lower drain valve 250 are connected to the other end of these ball chains 220 and 230, respectively, as shown in FIG. 23. Flushing water is discharged in the toilet bowl 300 by pulling up these drain valves.

Here, as shown in FIG. 32, the low tank 200 has a flushing mode of rotating the operating handle 100 in the clockwise (CW) direction to perform “full flushing” and in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction to perform “partial flushing”. Both of them are performed flushingly and do not need holding.

Accordingly, the ball chain lever 85 has a predetermined idling angle relative to the spacer 82. More specifically, as shown in the inset of FIG. 23, when the output axle 70 is rotated in the direction of arrow A (CW), the ball chain levers 84 and 85 are both rotated to pull up the ball chains 220 and 230, thereby opening both the upper drain valve 240 and the lower drain valve 250. In this way, flushing water for “FULL” is discharged in the toilet bowl 300.

On the other hand, in the inset of FIG. 23, when the output axle 70 is rotated a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow B (CCW), the ball chain lever 84 is rotated therewith in an interlocked manner, but the ball chain lever 85 runs idle and remains directed vertically downward. As a result, only the ball chain 220 is pulled up to open the upper drain valve 240 alone. In this way, flushing water for “PARTIAL” is discharged in the toilet bowl 300.

This flushing mode in which “full flushing” corresponds to “CW” and “partial flushing” corresponds to “CCW” is set to the default (initialized) state, for example, of the toilet bowl flushing system of this working example. That is, when the toilet bowl flushing device 10 is installed in this type of low tank, any initialization operation by the remote controller 510 can be eliminated.

Next, a situation is described in which the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention is installed in a flush toilet bowl having another flushing mode.

FIG. 33 is a schematic view that shows the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention being installed in a “right handle type” low tank 200 having another flushing mode.

FIG. 34 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above.

This low tank 200 has a single drain valve 240 and a ball chain 220 connected thereto.

FIG. 35 is a schematic view for illustrating the flushing mode of the low tank 200. More specifically, “full flushing” is performed by rotating the lever 100 in the clockwise (CW) direction, and “partial flushing” is performed by rotating and holding the lever 100 in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction. When the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention is installed in a flush toilet bowl having such a flushing mode, the remote controller 510 is used to perform initialization operation.

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram that shows one example of initialization operation.

More specifically, first, the “STOP” switch 511 provided on the remote controller 510 is pushed for ten or more seconds. The liquid crystal display 512 of the remote controller 510 then begins to blink. This blinking indicates that the switching mode for switching the flushing modes is entered. Next, the “PARTIAL” switch 513 of the remote controller is pushed for five or more seconds. A “blip, blip” sound is then emitted from the driving unit 520 provided on the toilet seat 400. This signals to a user or installer that the flushing mode determining unit 520A of the driving unit 520 has switched the flushing modes based on the switching signal from the operating unit 510 in the block diagram shown in FIG. 6.

Subsequently, when the “STOP” switch 511 of the remote controller is pushed, the liquid crystal display 512 stops blinking and the initialization operation is completed.

The initialization operation described above ensures that the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention performs a clockwise (CW) flush operation at the time of “full flushing” and a counterclockwise (CCW) hold operation at the time of “partial flushing”.

FIG. 37 is a schematic view that shows the toilet bowl flushing device 10 of the invention being installed in a “front handle type” low tank 200 having still another flushing mode.

FIG. 38 is a schematic view of the inside of the low tank 200 as viewed from above.

This low tank 200 also has a single drain valve 240 and a ball chain 220 connected thereto. The ball chain lever 87 is connected to the second output axle 72 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10. This is because this type of low tank 200 has a long ball chain lever 87, which requires large rotation torque around the output axle for opening the drain valve 240. That is, in this specific example, the rotation torque of the second output axle 72 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can be made larger than that of the first output axle 70.

FIG. 39 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of attaching a ball chain lever 87 to the second output axle 72 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10. FIG. 40 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the low tank 200.

More specifically, in the case of the “front handle type”, as shown in FIG. 39, a ball chain lever 87 having a long stroke is fixed using a screw 88. Note that a boss 87R is provided at the installation portion of the ball chain lever 87. This boss 87R serves as a receptacle for the screw 88 and also functions as a “stopper” in cooperation with a rib 72R (see FIG. 10) provided beside the output axle 72. That is, abutment of the boss 87R against the rib 72R stops rotation of the ball chain lever 87. In this way, excessive rotation of the ball chain lever 87 can be prevented.

Note that as described above with reference to FIG. 13, the rotation torque of the second output axle 72 is larger than that of the first output axle 70. Therefore, a rib 72R provided beside the second output axle 72 for serving as a “stopper” would undergo a large mechanical load, which may break the rib 72R. In this case, the first output axle 70 can be used to achieve a “stopper” function. More specifically, an angle restricting member having a boss 80R as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 is attached to the first output axle 70. A rib 70R provided beside the first output axle 70 is abutted against the boss 80R to restrict the rotation range of the first output axle 70. Since the first output axle 70 is interlocked with the second output axle 72 as described above with reference to FIG. 13, the rotation range of the second output axle 72 can be restricted.

FIG. 41 is a schematic view for illustrating the flushing mode of the low tank 200. In this low tank, there is no distinction between “full flushing” and “partial flushing”, and the lever 100 is rotated in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction to perform flushing in both cases. When the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention is installed in a flush toilet bowl having such a flushing mode, the remote controller 510 can be used to perform the following initialization operation, for example.

FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram that shows one example of initialization operation.

More specifically, first, the “STOP” switch 511 provided on the remote controller 510 is pushed for ten or more seconds. The liquid crystal display 512 of the remote controller 510 then begins to blink. This blinking indicates that the switching mode for switching the flushing modes is entered. Next, the “FULL” switch 514 of the remote controller is pushed for five or more seconds. A “blip, blip” sound is then emitted from the driving unit 520 provided on the toilet seat 400. Subsequently, when the “STOP” switch 511 of the remote controller is pushed, the liquid crystal display 512 stops blinking and the initialization operation is completed.

The initialization operation described above ensures that the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention performs a flush flushing operation by counterclockwise (CCW) rotation for both “full flushing” and “partial flushing”.

In this case, there is no substantial distinction between “full flushing” and “partial flushing”, both of which cause an equal quantity of flushing water for “full flushing” to flow. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 43, a “FULL” label may be stuck on the “PARTIAL” switch of the remote controller 510.

Incidentally, when a predetermined mode is selected from a plurality of flushing modes in the initialization operation, it is cumbersome if the operation procedures are nested too deeply or the number of operations on the switches is too large. In this respect, when the remote controller 510 is used to perform the initialization operation, a plurality of switches can be selectively used to simplify the operation.

FIG. 44 is an illustration that shows a specific example of simplifying the initialization operation by selectively using the switches of the remote controller 510.

More specifically, in this specific example, the default (initialized) state corresponds to “Flushing Mode 1”. From this state, for example, the “STOP” switch 511 of the remote controller 510 can be pushed for ten or more seconds to enter the switching mode for switching the flushing modes. At this time, as described above, a user or installer can be appropriately informed by the blinking of the liquid crystal 512 or the like.

From this state, for example, by pushing the “PARTIAL” switch 513 for five or more seconds, the flushing mode can be switched to “Flushing Mode 2”. At this time, the mode switching can be confirmed by a “blip, blip” sound emitted from the driving unit 520. The flushing mode can be locked to “Flushing Mode 2” by pushing the “STOP” switch 511.

On the other hand, by pushing the “PARTIAL” switch 513 once again for five or more seconds, the flushing mode can be switched to “Flushing Mode 3”. At this time, this mode switching can be confirmed by a “blip, blip, blip” sound emitted from the driving unit 520.

In this way, each time the “PARTIAL” switch 511 is pushed for five or more seconds, the flushing mode can be switched in the following sequence: “Flushing Mode 1”, “Flushing Mode 2”, “Flushing Mode 3”, “Flushing Mode 5”, and again “Flushing Mode 1”.

Similarly, in the switching mode, each time the “FULL” switch 514 is pushed for five or more seconds, the flushing mode can be switched in the following sequence: “Flushing Mode 1”, “Flushing Mode 5”, “Flushing Mode 6”, “Flushing Mode 7”, and again “Flushing Mode 1”. At this time again, a sound or the like for confirmation of the mode switching can be appropriately emitted from the driving unit 520.

In this way, according to the invention, the switches of the remote controller 510 can be selectively used as appropriate to enable switching of, for example, seven different flushing modes by at most five operations on the switches.

Furthermore, in this case, a user instruction can be stuck on the remote controller 510 to facilitate the initialization operation.

FIG. 45 is a schematic view that shows a user instruction to be stuck on the remote controller 510.

FIG. 46 is a schematic view that shows the change of appearance due to the user instruction being stuck on the remote controller 510.

As shown in FIG. 46(b), a user instruction 600 describing the procedure of the initialization operation can be stuck to the remote controller 510 to facilitate and ensure the initialization operation. Furthermore, on the occasion of the initialization operation, among the switches provided on the remote controller 510, only the “STOP” switch 511, “PARTIAL” switch 513, and “FULL” switch 514 have to be operated. Hence, when the user instruction 600 is designed so that only these switches and the liquid crystal 512 appear on top and the other switches are hidden, the initialization operation can be significantly facilitated and ensured.

After the sequence of initialization operation is completed, the user instruction 600 can be removed from the remote controller 510 to enable normal use by a user.

According to the invention, one of a plurality of flushing modes can be stored in advance in the control unit 500. The one flushing mode can be selected and operated for adaptation to various types of existing low tanks. Therefore, without newly replacing the low tank, users can install the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the existing low tank and perform a predetermined initialization operation using the control unit 500 to introduce the toilet bowl flushing system. As a result, conveniently, a user-friendly flush toilet bowl with various features including the automatic flushing feature described above can be achieved at low cost.

Furthermore, when the low tank is of a different type, it is often the case that its flushing mode is different and the structure inside the low tank is also different. It is therefore convenient to enable appropriate adjustment of the installation angle of the toilet bowl flushing device, the distance to the ball chain lever, the pull-up length of the ball chain, and the like. These features are described in the following.

For example, as shown in FIG. 47, for installation of the toilet bowl flushing device 10, a slit cover 98 can be provided through which the connection cable 76 can be passed in advance.

Furthermore, “tilt washers” can be provided at a portion attached to the low tank to adjust the installation angle of the toilet bowl flushing device for adaptation to various types of low tanks. More specifically, when the low tank is of a different type, it is often the case that the flushing mode is different and the structure of the low tank is also different at the same time. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, it may be required to select one of a plurality of flushing modes in the control unit 500 and also to adjust the installation angle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in accordance with the structure of the low tank. In this case, the “tilt washers” can be used to adjust reliably and easily the installation angle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10.

FIG. 48 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device in the low tank via tilt washers.

More specifically, the screw protruding portion 20 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 is inserted into the opening 202 of the low tank 200 and clamped with a nut 92 so as to sandwich the low tank 200 by washers 90 and 91. At this time, each of the washers 90 and 91 can be a “tilt washer” shaped as shown into a tilted configuration so that one edge is thick and the other edge is thin.

FIG. 49 is an enlarged partial cross section of the installation portion of the toilet bowl flushing device using such tilt washers.

By using “tilt washers” having a varied thickness as the washers 90 and 91, the relative angle of the axis C of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 with respect to the wall of the low tank 200 can be tilted a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction. As a result, the arrangement of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 inside the low tank 200 can be adjusted to an optimal angle.

For example, the low tank 200 is typically ceramic. For “mold extraction” in its manufacturing process, its opening is often shaped as slightly expanding upward. That is, the side face of the low tank 200 is not parallel to the vertical direction, but tilted. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 49, the tilt washers 90 and 91 can be used for fixation to install the toilet bowl flushing device 10 so that its axis C is horizontal.

Furthermore, the tilt washers 90 and 91 can be inserted around the screw protruding portion 20 with at least two or more different angles. That is, the washers 90 and 91 can be attached to the screw protruding portion 20 with predetermined angles of rotation. Specifically, for example, the washer 90 can be inserted in steps of 90° rotation relative to the protrusion base 20B. The washer 91 is inserted so that its boss 91P is engaged with the slit 20C (see FIG. 11; provided in steps of 90°) of the screw protruding portion 20. That is, the washer 91 can also be inserted around the screw protruding portion 20 in steps of 90° rotation.

As a result, by attaching the tilt washers 90 and 91 with appropriate rotation, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can be installed in a desired tilted direction.

For example, FIG. 50 is an assembly diagram that shows a process of installing the toilet bowl flushing device 10 in the low tank 200 in an arrangement that the tilt washer 90 is thick on the observer's right and the tilt washer 91 is thick on the observer's left.

If the tilt washers 90 and 91 are arranged in this manner, then as shown in FIG. 51(a), the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can be installed inside the low tank 200 so as to tilt in the direction indicated by the arrow (on the observer's left). This enables to prevent the toilet bowl flushing device 10 from, for example, interfering with the bottom of a hand wash basin (not shown) provided in the lid of the low tank 200 or with an overflow pipe (not shown) or other parts provided in the low tank 200.

Note that FIGS. 48 to 51(a) are merely an example. Besides, for example, the toilet bowl flushing device 10 can be installed inside the low tank 200 so as to tilt on the observer's right or upward. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 51(b), after the operating handle 100 is attached, a label for distinguishing “FULL” and “PARTIAL” may be stuck thereon.

Furthermore, when the low tank is of a different type, it is often required to change its flushing mode and also to adjust the distance from the output axle of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to the ball chain lever 84. In this case, according to the invention, the spacer 82 can be omitted.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 52, a ball chain lever 84 can be directly plugged into the shaft 80 of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 and fixed with a pin 86. To this end, the shaft 80 should be provided with fixing grooves 80A, 80B, and the like. More specifically, the ball chain lever 84 can be reliably fixed by mating these fixing grooves 80A, 80B with the pin 86. Optimal ones of a plurality of fixing grooves 80A, 80B can be selected for adaptation to a variety of low tanks.

In order to share the parts and decrease the number of parts, it is desirable to enable the ball chain lever 84 to be inserted and attached at the tip 82B of the spacer 82 as shown in FIG. 28 and the like, and at the same time to be inserted and attached to the shaft 80 as shown in FIG. 33.

To this end, the cross-sectional shape of the tip 82B of the spacer 82 should be substantially identical to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 80. In other words, the shape of the insertion hole of the connecting portion 82B of the spacer 82 (the shape being substantially identical to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 80 except dimensional difference for smooth insertion) should be generally identical to the cross-sectional shape of the tip 82B of the spacer 82. In this case, in order to smoothly insert the shaft 80 into the spacer 82, the insertion hole of the connecting portion 82B should have a size slightly greater than the shaft 80. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 80 and the cross-sectional shape of the tip 82B of the spacer 82 do not need to be perfectly identical, but needs only to be substantially identical so that they can be unrotatably inserted into an insertion hole 84H of the ball chain lever 84 described later.

In this way, the ball chain lever 84 can also be inserted and fixed at the tip 82B of the spacer 82, and at the same time can be inserted and fixed to the shaft 80. This enables to share the parts, to decrease the number of parts, and at the same time to eliminate problems such as mix-up of parts in installation on the site.

Furthermore, the distance from the output axle 70 (or 72) of the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to the ball chain lever 84 can be adjusted in a wide range. Therefore, the ball chain lever 84 can be smoothly rotated without interfering with various elements provided inside the low tank such as an overflow pipe 260 and feed water pipe 270. This can be combined with the function of switching the flushing modes to provide a toilet bowl flushing device adaptable to various types of low tanks.

Furthermore, according to the invention, the pull-up length of the ball chain can be made variable by changing the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84. This is described in the following with reference to FIGS. 53 to 58.

FIG. 53 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84.

As illustrated in this figure, the ball chain lever 84 can be inserted and fixed to the shaft 80 either in the orientation A or in the reverse orientation B.

FIG. 54 is a schematic view that illustrates the structure of the ball chain lever 84. More specifically, FIG. 54(a) is a top view, FIG. 54(b) is a left side view, FIG. 54(c) is a vertical cross section, FIG. 54(d) is a right side view, and FIG. 54(e) is a bottom view thereof.

The ball chain lever 84 of this specific example is provided with an insertion hole 84H having a generally cruciform shape. This insertion hole 84H is matched with the generally cruciform cross section of the shaft 80 and can be inserted around the shaft 80 to prevent it from running idle. Furthermore, since the insertion hole 84H and the shaft 80 each have a cross-sectional shape with fourth-order rotational symmetry, one of the four different attaching angles can be arbitrarily selected as described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

Moreover, according to the invention, the protruding direction P of the ball chain lever 84 can be inclined relative to the symmetry axis of the insertion hole 84H to variously change the pull-up length of the ball chain.

FIG. 55 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the rotation angle range of the toilet bowl flushing device 10. More specifically, in this specific example, the shaft 80 is rotated 80° in the direction of arrow A for discharging “PARTIAL” flushing water, and rotated 110° in the direction of arrow B for discharging “FULL” flushing water. On the other hand, existing manual low tanks vary in the rotation angle for “PARTIAL” and “FULL”.

For example, as shown in FIG. 56, there exists a low tank (type I) with a manual operating handle having a rotation angle of 125° for “FULL” and 65° for “PARTIAL”. On the other hand, there exists another low tank (type II) in which the rotation angle is 95° for both “FULL” and “PARTIAL”. According to the invention, the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84 can be reversed to adapt the toilet bowl flushing device 10 to both of these types of low tanks.

FIGS. 57 and 58 are schematic diagrams that show the rotation angle when the attaching orientation of the ball chain lever 84 is reversed. That is, these figures are schematic diagrams as viewed in the direction of arrow Z in FIG. 55.

In the case of the attaching orientation illustrated in FIG. 57, the ball chain lever 84 in its neutral state is inclined 15° in the left rotation direction from the vertical downward direction as shown in FIG. 57(a). When the shaft 80 of the toilet bowl flushing device is rotated 80° clockwise from this state, the inclination angle of the ball chain lever 84 becomes 65° from the vertical downward direction as shown in FIG. 57(b).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 57(c), when the shaft 80 is rotated 110° counterclockwise, the inclination angle of the ball chain lever 84 becomes 125° from the vertical downward direction.

That is, attaching the ball chain lever 84 to the shaft 80 in this orientation results in the pull-up length of the ball chain generally corresponding to the rotation angle of 65° for the “PARTIAL” operation and 125° for the “FULL” operation.

In contrast, in the specific example shown in FIG. 58, the ball chain lever 84 is inserted around the shaft 80 in the reverse orientation relative to that shown in FIG. 57. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 58(a), the ball chain lever 84 in its neutral state is inclined 15° in the right rotation direction from the vertical downward direction. When the shaft 80 is rotated 80° clockwise from this state, the inclination angle of the ball chain lever 84 becomes 95° from the vertical downward direction as shown in FIG. 58(b).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 58(c), when the shaft 80 is rotated 110° counterclockwise, the inclination angle of the ball chain lever 84 again becomes 95° from the vertical downward direction.

That is, attaching the ball chain lever 84 to the shaft 80 in this orientation results in the pull-up length of the ball chain generally corresponding to the rotation angle of 95° for both the “PARTIAL” and “FULL” operations. In this case, as shown in FIG. 54(a), a mark 84M (shown as “E” and “C” in this figure) for distinguishing the insertion orientation can be provided on the ball chain lever 84 to ensure the assembly without mistaking the insertion orientation.

As described above, according to the invention, the ball chain lever 84 can be inserted around the shaft 80 reversibly, and its protruding direction P is inclined relative to the symmetry axis S of the insertion hole 84H. Thereby the pull-up length of the ball chain corresponding to “FULL” and “PARTIAL” can be made variable. As a result, not only the flushing mode but also the operation range can be made variable and a toilet bowl flushing device adaptable to various types of low tanks can be provided.

Embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific examples. However, the invention is not limited to these specific examples.

That is, any variations of the toilet bowl flushing device and the toilet bowl flushing system of the invention in which the elements thereof are adapted by those skilled in the art are also encompassed within the scope of the invention if they include the features of the invention.

More specifically, any specific structure, operation procedure, type of stored flushing modes, and the like of the control unit 500 that are appropriately adapted by those skilled in the art are also encompassed within the scope of the invention as long as they include the features of the invention.

Furthermore, any outline shape and size of the toilet bowl flushing device 10, type of the motor incorporated therein, the number of gears in the deceleration means and the deceleration ratios thereof, the arrangement thereof, and the like that are appropriately adapted by those skilled in the art are also encompassed within the scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above in detail, according to the invention, a capability of selecting and programming one of a plurality of flushing modes can be added to the control unit of the toilet bowl flushing system. These flushing modes can be selectively used as appropriate to adapt the toilet bowl flushing system to various types of low tanks already on the market. The setting of the flushing mode, as well as the attaching angle of the toilet bowl flushing device, the distance from the output axle to the ball chain lever, the operation angle range of the ball chain lever, and the like can be appropriately varied. As a result, users can benefit from automatic flushing without replacing the low tank.

Claims

1. A toilet bowl flushing system comprising:

a toilet bowl flushing device being installable in a low tank having a drain valve and capable of performing an operation of opening the drain valve; and

a control unit that stores control information on a plurality of flushing modes, the control unit being capable of programming one of the plurality of flushing modes and supplying the toilet bowl flushing device with a control signal based on the programmed flushing mode.

2. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 1, wherein the control signal supplied from the control unit has a polarity being determined based on the programmed flushing mode.

3. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control signal supplied from the control unit has a pulse width being determined based on the programmed flushing mode.

4. A toilet bowl flushing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

at least one of the plurality of control modes includes control for maintaining the drain valve in an open state, and

the control signal for maintaining the drain valve in the open state includes a PWM signal.

5. A toilet bowl flushing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the toilet bowl flushing device includes:

a motor, and

deceleration means for decelerating an output of the motor, and wherein

the operation of opening the drain valve is enabled by a driving output from the deceleration means.

6. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of control modes includes a first control of turning the drain valve into an open state by driving the motor and a second control of causing the drain valve to transition from the open state to a closed state while braking the motor.

7. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein

the toilet bowl flushing device includes a first output axle for output from the deceleration means and a second output axle for output from the deceleration means, and

the operation of opening the drain valve is enabled by at least one of the first and second output axles.

8. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 7, wherein the first output axle and the second output axle have different deceleration ratios.

9. A toilet bowl flushing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control unit is provided in a toilet seat.

10. A toilet bowl flushing system according to claim 9, wherein the toilet seat further comprises a private parts flushing device for flushing user's private parts with water or warm water.