Patent Publication Number: US-8108952-B2

Title: Controlling apparatus for automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a controlling apparatus for automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device, and more specifically to a controlling apparatus for controlling the lifting and closing of the automated toilet seat and lid device according to the orientation and position of the soles of the feet. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The common household toilet is the European toilet, i.e., for sitting, instead of squatting. Therefore, a common argument is whether the toilet seat and lid should stay lifted or closed, and which user (the male or the female) is responsible for lifting and closing. Also, an even more common complaint is that many users consider lifting and closing the toilet seat or lid inconvenient or unhygienic. 
     Some designs are developed to solve the aforementioned inconvenience, for example, the use of spring to make the toilet seat automatically lifted when not pressed. While the spring-based lifting device saves the users from the act of lifting, the female user or the male user for the excretion purpose must hand-press the toilet seat before using the toilet. Another concern is that it may be considered not hygienic keeping the toilet lid lifted while flushing after using the toilet as the swirl caused by the flushing may carry the microbes or bacteria in the excretion or urine in the air. Also, a closed lid may reduce the flushing noise. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a controlling apparatus for automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device. The controlling apparatus of the present invention is of the shape of a mat, placed in front of the toilet so that when a user stands on the mat in front of the toilet, the controlling apparatus can detect whether the user is standing facing or back to the toilet. By detecting the user&#39;s standing direction, the controlling apparatus sends a single to control the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to behave accordingly. Therefore, when the user stands facing the toilet, the controlling apparatus sends the signal to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to lift the toilet seat and lid. When the user stands back to the toilet, the controlling apparatus sends the signal to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to lift the lid, but keep the toilet seat down. When the user leaves the mat, the controlling apparatus sends the signal to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to close the toilet seat and lid and flush. Hence, the user only needs to walk to the toilet and stand on the mat, or walk to the toilet and turn around and stand on the mat, the controlling apparatus can automatically control the lifting and closing of the toilet seat and lid. 
     To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a controlling apparatus for automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device, including a mat, at least a detection module, and a control module. The detection module is located inside the mat. The control module is electrically connected to the detection module and an automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device. The detection module includes a plurality of detection circuits. Each detection circuit can output a voltage signal according to the point where in the circuit the user steps on and applies the force. The control module includes a control comparison circuit. After receiving the voltage signals from the plurality of detection signals, the control comparison circuit can determine and output signals to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to activate certain operations, such as lifting lid only, lifting both toilet seat and lid, or closing the toilet seat and lid and flushing. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a careful reading of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be understood in more detail by reading the subsequent detailed description in conjunction with the examples and references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of the footprint when a user using a toilet; 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of the theory the present invention being based on; 
         FIG. 3  shows the block diagram of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows a dissected view of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the lower layer plate of the detection module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the insulation layer plate of the detection module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the upper layer plate of the detection module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8A  shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the circuit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8B  shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the circuit of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  shows an actual application of the present invention applied to a toilet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary use of the theory on which the present invention is based. As shown in  FIG. 1 , when a user stands to urinate, the user must face a toilet  1 . Because the majority of the users are slightly out-toeing (i.e., when standing, the distance between the tips of the soles of the feet is slightly more apart than the heels of the soles of the feet, the footprint will be as solid footprint  21  shown in  FIG. 1 . When a user uses toilet  1  by sitting, the user must turn his/her back to toilet  1 , and then sit down on toilet  1 . The footprint of a user sitting will be as dotted footprint  22  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of the detection theory of the present invention. A mat  4  is placed in front of toilet  1 . A circuit  3  including three segments arranged as the letter “E” with missing the center stroke is located on either left or right half of mat  4 .  FIG. 2  shows the detection circuit on the left half of mat  4  when facing toilet  1 , and the orientation of letter “E” with missing stroke is mirrored. A circuit  3  includes a first detection line  31 , a base line  32  and a second detection line  33 . When the footprint of the user is footprint  21 , the footprint steps on first detection line  31  and second detection line  33 . As the majority of the users are slightly out-toeing as aforementioned, when the user stands with footprint  21 , the step point on first detection line  31  has a longer distance to base line  32  than the step point on second detection line  33  to base line  32 . Similarly, when the footprint of the user is footprint  21 , the footprint steps on first detection line  31  and second detection line  33 . As the majority of the users are slightly out-toeing as aforementioned, when the user stands with footprint  22  (facing from the toilet), the step point on first detection line  31  has a shorter distance to base line  32  than the step point on second detection line  33  to base line  32 . Therefore, the present invention uses the distances between the step points to the base line to determine whether the user is facing or facing from the toilet. The actual determining mechanism is using the distance to change the output voltage of the circuits. 
       FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of the block diagram of the present invention. A controlling apparatus of the present invention includes a mat  4 , at least a detection module  5  and a control module. Detection module  5  is located inside mat  4 . Control module  6  is electrically connected to detection module  4  and an automated toilet and lid lifting and closing device  7 , respectively. Detection module  5  includes a plurality of detection circuits. The present embodiment includes two detection circuits, first detection circuit  51  and second detection circuit  52 . Each detection circuit  51 ,  52  will output a voltage signal when the detection circuit is stepped upon, and the voltage is related to the point at which the detection circuit is stepped upon. Control module  6  includes a control comparison circuit  61  for receiving voltage signals from the plurality of detection circuits, determining and outputting appropriate control signal to automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  to activate corresponding actions. 
       FIG. 4  shows an exemplar embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, mat  4  includes a mat cover upper layer  41  and a mat cover lower layer  42 . Detection module  5  and control module  6  are embedded inside mat  4 . In this embodiment, detection module  5  includes  3  layers of soft plates, from the bottom up, lower layer plate  53 , insulation layer plate  54  and upper layer plate  55 . The related circuits of aforementioned first detection circuit  51  and second detection circuit  52  are formed on aforementioned lower layer plate  53  and upper layer plate  55 . Detection module  5  further includes a switch circuit  56  for switching on/off the operation of detection module  5 . The related circuits of switch circuit  56  are also formed on aforementioned lower layer plate  53  and upper layer plate  55 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , lower layer plate  53  is located at the bottom, with an upward surface having a lower layer circuit  511  of first detection circuit  51 , a first switch circuit  561  of switch circuit  56  and a lower layer circuit  521  of second detection circuit  52 . A part of lower layer circuit  511  and lower layer circuit  521  is made of high impedance conductive material, namely, resistor segment  5111  and resistor segment  5211 . Resistor segments  5111 ,  5211  are positioned in parallel with each other. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , insulation layer plate  54  is located in the middle layer, made of an insulation plastic sheet. Insulation layer plate  54  includes a plurality of circuit contact holes,  541 , circuit contact holes  542  and switch circuit contact holes  543 . The locations of aforementioned contacts are different. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , upper layer plate  55  is located at the top, with a downward surface having an upper layer circuit  512  of first detection circuit  51 , a second switch circuit  562  of switch circuit  56  and an upper layer circuit  522  of second detection circuit  52 . Upper layer circuit  521  and upper layer circuit  522  include a plurality of contact elements  5121 ,  5221 . The locations of contact elements  5121  are corresponding to aforementioned circuit contact holes  541  and resistor segment  5111 . The locations of contact elements  5221  are corresponding to aforementioned circuit contact holes  542  and resistor segment  5211 . 
     When mat  4  is stepped on, upper layer plate  55  is pressed and contact elements  5121  will contact resistor segment  5111  through circuit contact holes  541  so that first detection circuit  51  will form a circuit loop and output a voltage signal. Similarly, contact elements  5221  will contact resistor segment  5211  through circuit contact holes  542  so that second detection circuit  52  will form a circuit loop and output a voltage signal. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , control module  6  further includes a control comparison circuit  61  and a timer  62 . Control comparison circuit  61  includes at least a comparator  611  for receiving and comparing voltage signals from first detection circuit  51  and second detection circuit  52 . Control comparison circuit  62  further includes other logic circuits for determining and outputting a control signal to automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  according to the output from comparator  611 , or using timer  61  to activate automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  to operate after an appropriate duration. For example, control module  6  can be set to perform the detection and voltage signal comparison after the step is stabilized or after a period of delay to avoid transient error caused by unstable steps. Control module  6  can also be set to send a signal to close the lid and flush after detection the disappearance of the steps and a period of appropriate delay in order to determine that the user has finished using the toilet. 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  show a schematic view of the exemplary circuit of the present invention, including a part of circuits of detection module  5  and control module  6 . First switch circuit  561  and second switch circuit  562  are designed as the switch of detection module  5 . When the user steps on mat  4  to cause the connection of switch circuit  56 , the power is turned on. In this embodiment, detection module  5  further includes a power unit  57 . Power unit  57  can be a battery to provide the power for the operation of detection module  5  and control module  6 . Alternatively, detection module  5  and control  6  can also draw power from automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  directly. 
     The present invention uses resistor segments  5111 ,  5211  as variable resistors. According to the distances between step points on the circuits and the non-resistor segment of lower layer circuits  511 ,  521 , the resistance of the circuit segment can be determined. As shown in  FIG. 8A , when the user is facing the toilet, the current passing through first detection circuit  51  (i.e., lower layer circuit  511 , resistor segment  5111 , and upper layer circuit  512 ) experiences a resistance higher than the passage through second detection circuit  52  (i.e., lower layer circuit  521 , resistor segment  5211  and upper layer circuit  522 ). Therefore, the voltage signal transmitted through upper layer circuit  512  to comparator  611  is higher than upper layer circuit  522 , and the comparison result is a low output. On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 8B , when the user is facing away from the toilet, the current passing through first detection circuit  51  experiences a resistance lower than the passage through second detection circuit  52 . Therefore, the voltage signal transmitted through upper layer circuit  512  to comparator  611  is lower than upper layer circuit  522 , and the comparison result is a high output. 
       FIG. 9  shows a schematic view of the actual application of the present invention applied to a toilet  1 . When a user walks to toilet  1  and stands on mat  4  of the present invention, footprint  21  steps on the plurality of detection circuits of detection module  5  inside mat  4 . Each detection circuit forms a loop at the step point and the switch circuit switches on the power. Control module  6  compares the voltage signals from detection module  5  and outputs control signals to automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  to operate accordingly. Furthermore, if automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  also includes an electronic flushing control device, control module  6  also sends a control signal to activate the flush when a user finishing using the toilet. 
     In the above embodiment, control module  6  is located inside mat  4 . However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Control module  6  can be also located inside automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device  7  and is electrically connected to detection module  5  inside mat  4  through a connection wire. 
     In the above embodiment, detection module  5  is located on the left half of mat  4 . However, the detection module can also be used on both halves to avoid erroneous interpretation. Alternatively, a single detection module  5  can be located on a half of mat  4  with the other half having a switch circuit  56  to ensure that the user has both feet standing in position for activating the detection execution. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.