IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,082,607
Granted Patent B2
US 8,082,607 · App. 12/279,106 · Granted Dec 27, 2011

Sanitary cleansing apparatus and toilet apparatus

Assignee: Toto Ltd
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,082,607
App. No.
12/279,106
Granted
Dec 27, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sanitary cleansing apparatus includes: a main body incorporating a water discharge nozzle that squirts water from a water discharge port; a toilet seat rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively anterior position of the main body; a toilet lid rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively posterior position of the main body and generally entirely covering an upper face of the toilet seat and the main body in a closed state; a transmissive window provided at a rear of the toilet lid and formed from a material different from that of the toilet lid; and a human body detection sensor provided in the upper face of the main body and being capable of detecting a human body through the transmissive window in the closed state of the toilet lid.

Claims (52)

1. A sanitary cleansing apparatus comprising:

a main body incorporating a water discharge nozzle that squirts water from a water discharge port;

a toilet seat rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively anterior position of the main body;

a toilet lid rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively posterior position of the main body and entirely covering an upper face of the toilet seat and an upper face of the main body in a closed state;

a transmissive window provided at a rear of the toilet lid, the transmissive window being confined within a periphery of the toilet lid and formed from a material different from that of the toilet lid; and

a human body detection sensor provided in the upper face of the main body and being capable of detecting a human body through the transmissive window in the closed state of the toilet lid.

2. The sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the human body detection sensor includes a lens for focusing infrared radiation emitted from the human body and a pyroelectric element for detecting the infrared radiation.

3. The sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

a recessed portion is provided in the upper face of the main body, and

at least a portion of the lens is embedded in the recessed portion.

4. A sanitary cleansing apparatus comprising:

a main body incorporating a water discharge nozzle that squirts water from a water discharge port;

a toilet seat rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively anterior position of the main body;

a toilet lid rotatably and pivotally supported at a relatively posterior position of the main body and entirely covering an upper face of the toilet seat and an upper face of the main body in a closed state;

a transmissive window provided at a rear of the toilet lid, the transmissive window being confined within a periphery of the toilet lid and formed from a material different from that of the toilet lid, the transmissive window including a window portion thinner than the toilet lid; and

a human body detection sensor provided in the upper face of the main body and being capable of detecting a human body through the transmissive window in the closed state of the toilet lid, wherein

the human body detection sensor includes a lens for focusing infrared radiation emitted from the human body and a pyroelectric element for detecting the infrared radiation,

a recessed portion that is recessed relative to its surroundings is provided in the upper face of the main body,

at least a portion of the lens is embedded in the recessed portion, and another portion of the lens protrudes from the main body, and

the lens of the human body detection sensor is placed below the window portion of the transmissive window in the closed state of the toilet lid.

5. The sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the transmissive window is removably installed on the toilet lid.

6. The sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the toilet lid includes an opening provided at its rear edge,

a rail is provided on one of a side face of the transmissive window and a sidewall of the opening,

a rail groove is provided on the other of the side face of the transmissive window and the sidewall of the opening, an

the transmissive window can be installed on the toilet lid by being slid with the rail engaged with the rail groove.

7. The sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

an engaging protrusion is provided on one of the transmissive window and the opening,

an engaging recess is provided on the other of the transmissive window and the opening, and

the engaging protrusion is engaged with the engaging recess when the transmissive window is installed on the toilet lid.

8. A toilet apparatus comprising:

a sit-down toilet bowl; and

the sanitary cleansing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. The toilet apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the main body is internally equipped with an electrically-driven toilet lid opening/closing device for opening/closing the toilet lid and a toilet bowl washing valve for controlling supply of wash water to the sit-down toilet bowl, and

the human body detection sensor is provided above one of the electrically-driven toilet lid opening/closing device and the toilet bowl washing valve.

10. The toilet apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

an electrically-driven toilet lid opening/closing device for opening/closing the toilet lid is provided in the main body, and

the toilet bowl washing valve and the electrically-driven toilet lid opening/closing device are adjacently placed at a rear of the main body.

11. The toilet apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

a step is provided on a side face of the main body,

in the closed state of the toilet lid, a side face of the toilet lid fits the step, and the side face of the main body and the side face of the toilet lid form a generally continuous common surface.

12. The toilet apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

in the closed state of the toilet lid, the upper face of the main body is in proximity to the toilet lid.

13. The toilet apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a stopper for stopping opening the toilet lid in a state where center of gravity of the toilet lid is located on closed side of vertically upward direction above an axis of the rotation of the toilet lid; and

an elastic body for biasing the toilet lid to opened side.

14. The toilet apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein

in the state of the toilet lid being stopped by the stopper, the toilet lid leans to the closed side.

15. The toilet apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein

in the state of the toilet lid being stopped by the stopper, torque by a biasing force of the elastic body is larger than torque by weight moment of the toilet lid.

16. The toilet apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the main body includes a light-receiving window provided behind the pivotal support of the toilet lid for receiving a signal transmitted from a remote controller.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA, HIROKYUKI; FUJIMURA, HIROKI; NAKAO, SAKI; FUKUDA, TATSUYA
To: TOTO LTD
Reel/Frame 022020/0863 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2006-034730 · Feb 13, 2006 · national
JP 2006-034731 · Feb 13, 2006 · national
JP 2006-152868 · May 31, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090217447A1 · Sep 3, 2009