IP Library Granted Patent US 11,627,848
Granted Patent B2
US 11,627,848 · App. 16/444,928 · Granted Apr 18, 2023

Toilet seat warm-air device and control method

Inventor: Desheng Liao (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: Kohler Co.
A47K13/305E03D9/08H05B3/42H05B3/0071H05B6/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,627,848
App. No.
16/444,928
Granted
Apr 18, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A toilet air heating device, control method and a toilet including such device/method, which include an air heating fan, an external air duct, an internal air duct, an air heating wire component, a drive mechanism, and a controller. The internal air duct is accommodated inside the external air duct and telescopes, as driven by the drive mechanism, along the extension direction of the external air duct. An air outlet of the air heating fan is sequentially in communication with the air heating wire component, the external air duct, and the internal air duct. An internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct includes an auxiliary heater. The controller is in communication connection with each of the air heating wire component, the air heating fan, the drive mechanism and the auxiliary heater.

Claims (48)

1. A toilet air heating device, comprising:

an air heating fan;

an external air duct;

an internal air duct located inside the external air duct and selectively repositionable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein an internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct includes an auxiliary heater;

an air heating wire component, wherein an air outlet of the air heating fan is sequentially in communication with the air heating wire component, the external air duct, and the internal air duct;

a drive mechanism configured to telescopically move the internal air duct relative to the external air duct along an extension direction of the external air duct; and

a controller in communication connection with each of the air heating wire component, the air heating fan, the drive mechanism, and the auxiliary heater and configured to, in response to a start instruction, actuate the auxiliary heater and cause the drive mechanism to move the internal duct into the extended position.

2. The toilet air heating device of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises:

a drive motor fixed on one side of the internal air duct; and

an internal air duct side rack disposed on a side wall of the internal air duct, which is close to the drive motor.

3. The toilet air heating device of claim 2 , wherein an output shaft of the drive motor includes one or more drive gears thereon, and the internal air duct side rack meshes with the one or more drive gears.

4. The toilet air heating device of claim 3 , wherein the drive motor is in communication connection with a master controller of the controller, and the master controller controls the drive motor to rotate clockwise, rotate counter-clockwise, or stop rotation.

5. The toilet air heating device of claim 1 , wherein the internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct is provided with an air duct structure that tilts upwardly.

6. The toilet air heating device of claim 5 , wherein the air duct structure comprises a plurality of air outlet louvers arranged at the internal air duct outlet and extending from the internal air duct outlet, and the plurality of air outlet louvers have gaps therebetween in communication with the internal air duct outlet.

7. The toilet air heating device of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:

an air heating wire component controller in communication connection with the air heating wire component; and

a master controller in communication connection with the air heating fan, the drive mechanism, and the auxiliary heater, respectively.

8. The toilet air heating device of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary heater includes at least one of an infrared lamp tube and a ceramic heating rod.

9. The toilet air heating device of claim 8 , wherein a temperature sensor is arranged between the air outlet of the air heating fan and the external air duct.

10. The toilet air heating device of claim 1 , wherein:

the controller controls the air heating wire component to heat, controls the air heating fan to blow the air, controls the drive motor to drive the internal air duct to extend out along the extension direction of the external air duct, and controls the auxiliary heater to heat in response to the start instruction; and

the controller controls the air heating wire component to stop heating, controls the auxiliary heater to stop heating, controls the air heating fan to stop blowing the air, and controls the drive motor to drive the internal air duct to retract back along the extension direction of the external air duct in response to a stop instruction.

11. A toilet, comprising:

a toilet body;

a seat disposed on the toilet body, wherein the toilet body at the back of the seat includes an accommodating cavity having a through hole; and

a toilet air heating device integrated with at least one of the toilet body and the seat, wherein the toilet air heating device comprises:

an air heating fan;

an external air duct;

an internal air duct located inside the external air duct, wherein an internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct includes an auxiliary heater;

an air heating wire component, wherein an air outlet of the air heating fan is sequentially in communication with the air heating wire component, the external air duct, and the internal air duct;

a drive mechanism configured to telescopically move the internal air duct relative to the external air duct along an extension direction of the external air duct; and

a controller in communication connection with each of the air heating wire component, the air heating fan, the drive mechanism, and the auxiliary heater and configured to, in response to a start instruction, actuate the auxiliary heater and cause the drive mechanism to move the internal duct into an extended position; and

wherein the internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct of the toilet air heating device can extend out from the through hole, and wherein the auxiliary heater is coupled to the internal air duct outlet to form an integral piece with the internal air duct outlet.

12. The toilet of claim 11 , wherein the internal air duct is driven by the drive mechanism to extend along the extension direction of the external air duct until the internal air duct outlet reaches a preset position underneath of the seat.

13. The toilet of claim 12 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises:

a drive motor fixed on one side of the internal air duct; and

an internal air duct side rack disposed on a side wall of the internal air duct, which is close to the drive motor.

14. The toilet of claim 13 , wherein an output shaft of the drive motor includes one or more drive gears thereon, and the internal air duct side rack meshes with the one or more drive gears.

15. The toilet of claim 14 , wherein the drive motor is in communication connection with a master controller of the controller, and the master controller controls the drive motor to rotate clockwise, rotate counter-clockwise, or stop rotation.

16. The toilet of claim 11 , wherein the internal air duct outlet of the internal air duct is provided with an air duct structure that tilts upwardly, the air duct structure comprises a plurality of air outlet louvers arranged at the internal air duct outlet and extending from the internal air duct outlet, and the plurality of air outlet louvers have gaps therebetween in communication with the internal air duct outlet.

17. The toilet of claim 11 , wherein the controller comprises:

an air heating wire component controller in communication connection with the air heating wire component; and

a master controller in communication connection with the air heating fan, the drive mechanism, and the auxiliary heater, respectively.

18. The toilet of claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary heater includes at least one of an infrared lamp tube and a ceramic heating rod.

19. The toilet of claim 18 , wherein a temperature sensor is arranged between the air outlet of the air heating fan and the external air duct.

20. The toilet according to claim 11 , wherein:

the controller controls the air heating wire component to heat, controls the air heating fan to blow the air, controls the drive motor to drive the internal air duct to extend out along the extension direction of the external air duct, and controls the auxiliary heater to heat in response to the start instruction; and

the controller controls the air heating wire component to stop heating, controls the auxiliary heater to stop heating, controls the air heating fan to stop blowing the air, and controls the drive motor to drive the internal air duct to retract back along the extension direction of the external air duct in response to a stop instruction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 4, 2019
From: DESHENG, LIAO
To: SHANGHAI KOHLER ELECTRONICS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 049672/0735 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201810633976.0 · Jun 20, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190387934A1 · Dec 26, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,419,472