SMART TOILET WITH MULTI SENSING ELECTRIC FIELDS
A smart toilet with multi sensing fields comprises a toilet body, two or more proximity capacitive sensing electric field means and a flushing control unit. A toilet body, comprising a bowl face which forms a bowl area, and a and a cavity arranged inside the toilet body. The two or more proximity capacitive sensing electric field means, which are arranged in the cavity; an proximity capacitive sensing electric field is formed around the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means; said proximity capacitive sensing electric field means individually generate proximity capacitive sensing information according to a change of the electric field energy caused by the proximity capacitive sensing electric field corresponding to a sensed object. The flushing control unit, which receives the proximity capacitive sensing information, and controls the bowl area flushing according to one or more logic operation results in the received proximity capacitive sensing information.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a toilet, more particularly to a smart toilet which has multi sensing electric fields.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to improve environmental sanitation and life quality, people continuously improve toilets, ranging from squatting pots, pedestal pans to modern smart toilets. The smart toilets provide not only filth flushing function but also various convenient and comfortable functions for users. For example, automatic cover lifting, automatic cushion lifting and automatic water amount adjustment. Theses functions enable users to use toilets without any touch, so as to prevent bacteria infection.
To achieve the above functions, the smart toilets should be equipped with infrared ray sensors for sensing to make actions. In sensing by the infrared ray sensors, any obstacle is not allowed between the transmitting terminal and the sensing terminal, and thus the transmitting terminal must be installed on the exposed toilet body instead of the inside. For example, a hole is drilled on the toilet to install transmitting terminal or an additional sensor is installed adjacent to the toilets for sensing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONHowever, in the invention the infrared ray sensor will be installed on the toilet body. The sensor will be exposed to wet environment of the washroom and affected by damp, and even electric leakage may occur. Next, any obstacle between the transmitting end of the infrared ray sensors and the induced object shall be eliminated in setting of the sensor, or the misjudgment may occur. The temperate sensing infrared ray may have misjudgment or missing judgment if the temperature of object (shell temperature) changes.
Thus, this invention intends to provide a smart toilets with multi sensing electric fields to solve the problems.
The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to overcome defects of the prior art, which provide a smart toilet with multi sensing fields comprises a toilet body, comprising a bowl face which forms a bowl area, and a cavity arranged inside the toilet body; two or more proximity capacitive sensing electric field means, which are arranged in the cavity; an proximity capacitive sensing electric field is formed around the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means; said proximity capacitive sensing electric field means individually generate proximity capacitive sensing information according to a change of the electric field energy caused by the proximity capacitive sensing electric field corresponding to a sensed object; and a flushing control unit, which receives the proximity capacitive sensing information, and controls the bowl area flushing according to one or more logic operation results in the received proximity capacitive sensing information, wherein the flushing control unit controls flushing timing, flushing duration, and/or flush water amount.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means is a line, a plane or a body sensing unit.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means are disposed corresponding to the bowl face, front side, back side and/or bottom of the toilet body.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing information includes size, position, motion direction/speed of the sensed object.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric fields have different sensitivity.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the flushing control unit comprises a solenoid valve and a flushing pipe; the solenoid valve is arranged on the flushing pipe, and an outlet of the flushing pipe is disposed on the bowl face.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field covers space at the upper side of the bowl area of the toilet body.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field covers space at the front side of the toilet body.
A preferred embodiment in the present invention, a manual valve is further provided therewith to control flushing via hand.
By adopting the above improvement of the technical scheme, the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means don't need to be exposed in the wet environment, so as to increase longer lifespan and avoid the risk of electric leakage, and also maintain the appearance of the toilet instead of change of the toilet structure for installing the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means. The sensing accuracy also doesn't be affected by the object blocked. Moreover, by adopting installation of a plurality of proximity capacitive sensing electric field means, the toilet will facilitate complicated action judgment and directly finish the flush timing, flush duration, the flush water amount or the operation of toilet instead of the control by user's hands, the invention not only has advantage of good sanitation, but also improve the convenience of the toilet.
The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.
With reference to
The toilet body (1) is made of insulation material (such as ceramics), comprising a bowl face (1) which forms a bowl area (12), and a cavity (13) arranged inside the toilet body (1).
The proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) and (22) can from the proximity capacitive sensing electric fields around themselves. The proximity capacitive sensing electric field has different effective sensing range according to the energy intensity. It covers a space (15 cm) in a main direction. The proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) and (22) are installed in the cavity (13). The proximity capacitive sensing electric fields (210) and (220) are formed around the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) and (22). The proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) and (22) can generate proximity capacitive sensing information (11) and (12) according to field energy change of the sensed object B which the sensing electric fields (210) and (220) correspond to. The proximity capacitive sensing information includes size, position and motion direction/speed of the sensed object B. In the embodiment, the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) and (22) are means for sensing plane. However, this invention is not only limited to this but in other embodiments, as shown in
For example, in the embodiment herein, the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means (21) is located at front side of the toilet body (1) in front of which the proximity capacitive sensing electric field (210) is formed (within 15 cm) to sense proximity of the sensed object B (such as foot). Another proximity capacitive sensing field means (22) is located on the bowl face (11) of the toilet body (1), and the proximity capacitive sensing electric field (220) is formed on the upper side of the bowl area (12) (approximately 15 cm) to sense proximity of the sensed object B (hip). When the sensed object B is close to 15 cm of front side of toilet body (1), energy of the proximity capacitive sensing electric field (210) also changes, and the electric field proximity capacitive sensing means (21) generates proximity capacitive sensing information (11). Likewise, when the sensed object B is close to upper side of the bowl area (12) of the toilet body (1), energy of the proximity capacitive sensing electric field (220) also changes, and the proximity capacitive sensing electric field component (22) generates proximity information (12). Next, the proximity capacitive sensing information (11) and (12) is transmitted to the analysis mechanism (3).
The analysis mechanism (3) will analyze size, position and motion direction and/or speed of the sensed object B after receipt of one or more pieces of proximity capacitive sensing information (11) and (12). Furthermore, it transmits the control signal to the flushing control unit according to the logic operation results.
The flushing control unit (4) electrically connects the analysis mechanism (3) to control flushing, time and/or flushing water amount. The flushing control unit comprises a solenoid valve (41), a flushing pipe (42) and a water tank (43). The solenoid valve (41) is installed in the flushing pipe (42), and an outlet (421) of the flushing pipe (42) is located on top of the bowl surface, and the other outlet connects the water tank (43). The flush control mechanism (4) controls startup and shutdown of solenoid valve (41) and time length according to the received control signals, so as to control flushing, flushing time and/or flushing water amount.
As shown in
As shown in
With reference to
In the embodiment of
Claims
1. A smart toilet with multi sensing fields comprises:
- a toilet body, comprising a bowl face which forms a bowl area, and a cavity arranged inside the toilet body;
- two or more proximity capacitive sensing electric field means, which are arranged in the cavity; an proximity capacitive sensing electric field is formed around the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means; said proximity capacitive sensing electric field means individually generate proximity capacitive sensing information according to a change of the electric field caused by the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means corresponding to a sensed object; and
- a flushing control unit, which receives the proximity capacitive sensing information, and controls the bowl area flushing according to one or more logic operation results in the received proximity capacitive sensing information, wherein the flushing control unit controls flushing timing, flushing duration, and/or flush water amount.
2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field element is a line, a plane or a body sensing element.
3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field means are disposed corresponding to the bowl face, front side, back side and/or bottom of the toilet body.
4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing information includes size, position, motion direction/speed of the sensed object.
5. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric fields have different sensitivity.
6. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the flushing control unit comprises a solenoid valve and a flushing pipe; the solenoid valve is arranged on the flushing pipe, and an outlet of the flushing pipe is disposed on the bowl face.
7. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field covers space at the upper side of the bowl area of the toilet body.
8. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity capacitive sensing electric field covers space at the front side of the toilet body.
9. The structure defined in claim 1, a manual valve is further provided therewith to control flushing via hand.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2014
Publication Date: Jan 22, 2015
Inventor: CHING-YEN HSU (New Taipei City)
Application Number: 14/331,241
International Classification: E03D 5/10 (20060101); E03D 5/09 (20060101); E03D 1/34 (20060101);