IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,051,381
Granted Patent B2
US 7,051,381 · App. 10/201,019 · Granted May 30, 2006

Sanitary cleansing device

Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,051,381
App. No.
10/201,019
Granted
May 30, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a sanitary cleansing device includes a casing to be attached onto a rear portion of a toilet bowl, a toilet seat rotatably connected to the casing, a toilet lid rotatably connected to the casing for selectively covering the toilet seat, a first human detection sensor placed at a position in the casing such that the first human detection is made free from recognizing the toilet lid which is in its closed state, a second human detection sensor placed at a position in the casing such that the second human detection is made free from recognizing the toilet seat when the toilet seat is in its opened state and the toilet lid is in its opened state, and an automatic open/close mechanism opening/closing at least one of the toilet lid and the toilet seat upon receipt of a signal from either of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor.

Claims (31)

1. A sanitary cleansing device comprising:

a toilet seat for permitting an individual to sit over a toilet bowl;

a toilet lid for selectively covering the toilet seat;

a first human detection sensor placed at a front portion of a casing such that the first human detection is made free from recognizing the toilet lid which is in its closed state; the first human detection sensor being capable of detecting an individual's approach to the toilet bowl when the toilet lid is closed;

a second human detection sensor placed at the front portion of the casing such that the second human detection is made free from recognizing the toilet seat when the toilet seat is in its opened state and the toilet lid is in its opened state; and

an automatic open/close mechanism pivoting the toilet lid and/or the toilet seat upon receipt of a signal from either of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor.

2. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein (1) when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the respective closed states, only the first human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not an individual accesses to the toilet bowl, (2) when the toilet seat is in its closed state and the toilet lid is in its opened state, one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not an individual accesses to the toilet bowl, the other is being made to detect whether or not the individual sits on the toilet seat, and (3) when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the respective opened states, only the second human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not an individual accesses to the toilet bowl.

3. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first human detection sensor is capable of being switched to detect whether or not an individual accesses the toilet bowl, while the second human detection sensor is capable of being switched to detect whether or not the individual sits on the toilet seat.

4. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a position detection device which is capable of detecting three conditions (1) the toilet seat and toilet lid are in the respective closed states, (2) the toilet seat and toilet lid are in the closed and opened states, respectively, and (3) the toilet seat and toilet lid are in the respective opened states.

5. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the position detection device is in the form of a pair of magnet sensors which are in association with the toilet seat and the toilet lid, respectively.

6. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor is in the form of a ranging type photoelectric sensor.

7. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the automatic open/close mechanism is configured to open at least one of the toilet lid and the toilet seat when the first human detection sensor detects an individual's approach to the toilet bowl when the toilet lid is closed.

8. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to be connected to at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the automatic open/close mechanism to open or close at least one of the toilet lid and the toilet seat based on an output from the at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor.

9. A sanitary cleansing device comprising:

a toilet seat for permitting a user to sit over a toilet bowl;

a toilet lid for selectively covering the toilet seat;

a first human detection sensor placed at a position such that the first human detection sensor is made free from recognizing the toilet lid which is in its vertical-upright position

a second human detection sensor placed at a position such that the second human detection sensor is made free from recognizing the toilet seat when the toilet seat is in its vertical-upright position and the toilet lid is in its horizontal-down position; and

an automatic open/close mechanism causing the toilet lid, the toilet seat, or the toilet lid and the toilet seat as a unit to rotate relative to the toilet bowl between a vertical-upright position and a horizontal-down position upon receipt of a signal from either of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor

wherein the first human detection sensor is capable of detecting an individual's approach to the toilet bowl when the toilet lid is closed.

10. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a position detection device which is capable of detecting three conditions (1) the toilet seat and toilet lid are in the respective horizontal-down positions, (2) toilet seat and toilet lid are in the horizontal-down and vertical-upright positions, respectively, and (3) the toilet seat and toilet lid are in the respective vertical-upright positions.

11. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the position detection device is in the form of a pair of magnet sensors which are in association with the toilet seat and the toilet lid, respectively.

12. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor is in the form of a ranging type photoelectric sensor.

13. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein each of the toilet seat and the toilet lid has a rotation axis at its rear end portion, the rotation axis being placed in front of each of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor.

14. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor are arranged vertically.

15. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein (1) when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the respective horizontal-down position, only the first human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not the user accesses to the toilet bowl, (2) when the toilet seat is in the horizontal-down position and the toilet lid is in the vertical-upright position, one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not the user accesses to the toilet bowl, the other is being made to detect whether or not the user sits on the toilet seat, and (3) when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the respective vertical-upright positions, only the second human detection sensor is made to detect whether or not the user accesses to the toilet bowl.

16. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the first human detection is capable of being switched to detect whether or not the user accesses to the toilet bowl, while the second human detection sensor is capable of being switched to detect whether or not the user sits on the toilet seat.

17. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the automatic open/close mechanism is configured to rotate at least one of the toilet lid and the toilet seat to the vertical-upright position when the first human detection sensor detects an individual's approach to the toilet bowl when the toilet lid is closed.

18. A sanitary cleansing device as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising a controller configured to be connected to at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the automatic open/close mechanism to rotate at least one of the toilet lid and the toilet seat between the vertical-upright and horizontal-down positions based on an output from the at least one of the first human detection sensor and the second human detection sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2002
From: FURUKAWA, HIDEKI; TORII, TOSHIYUKI; MAKINO, YOSHIFUMI
To: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 013370/0843 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2001-230560 · Jul 30, 2001 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20030019023A1 · Jan 30, 2003