JP2001242167A - Excrete-measuring apparatus of type with lavatory and test liquid-measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the risk of leakage of a liquid other than test liquid in a test liquid-measuring apparatus particularly in an excrete-measuring apparatus of a type which is equipped to a lavatory. SOLUTION: This apparatus has a sensor for measuring components of excrete, a transfer path for transferring the excrete to the sensor and a tank for storing the liquid other than the excrete which is to be supplied to the sensor or the transfer path. The tank is sealed tightly, and the internal capacity of the tank is adapted to fluctuate, according to the change in the quantity of the inside liquid.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a test solution measuring apparatus, and more particularly to a toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a sample liquid measuring device, specifically, a toilet-installed excrement measuring device which supplies a chemical solution such as a buffer solution to a conveying path for conveying excrement to a sensor. .

[0003] The chemical is supplied to a tank provided in a toilet seat (see JP-A-8-304392) or a tank provided in a control unit separate from the toilet seat (JP-A-9-22992).
5).

[0004]

However, it is necessary to pay attention to the contact of the chemical solution with the human body in a sample solution measuring device, particularly a device in an environment used by ordinary people, such as a toilet-installed excrement measuring device. Was.

[0005] That is, particularly when the chemical solution is acidic or alkaline, if the user comes into contact with the chemical solution, there is a possibility that the user will have some effect on the human body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reduce the risk of leakage of a liquid other than a test liquid in a test liquid measuring apparatus, particularly a toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a sensor for measuring a component of excreta, a transport path for transporting excrement to the sensor, and a supply path for the sensor or the transport path are provided. A tank for storing liquid other than excrement, the tank is sealed, and the internal volume is configured to fluctuate according to the fluctuation of the internal liquid amount. I do. The “transport path” used in the present invention includes not only pipes but also pumps, switching valves, and the like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the tank is sealed, and the internal pressure is maintained at a predetermined pressure or higher.

In other words, a conventional tank has been used which has a material and structure which do not deform, such as metal and thick resin, and whose inner volume does not change.

Here, when the tank is emptied, liquid is poured from another container into the tank and replenished. The reason for using such a tank is that the structure is generally simple and there is little danger of breaking.

However, the disadvantage of this tank is that a space is created in the tank by the volume of the consumed liquid, but if the atmosphere is not supplied to this part, the supply of the liquid stops because this space becomes negative pressure. Is the thing. For this reason, a mechanism for supplying air for the reduced amount of liquid is required, and the liquid cannot be completely sealed. Therefore, it is difficult to completely eliminate liquid leakage when the device is transported or falls.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the tank is sealed, the possibility of liquid leakage is low, and even if the tank is sealed, the liquid is consumed and the internal volume of the tank is reduced by the reduced volume. , The pressure in the tank does not become negative, and the liquid can be supplied stably.

More specifically, the amount of liquid supplied and reduced is detected by a flow meter at the tank outlet, and a mechanism for reducing the volume in the tank by that amount or a pressure sensor in the tank is provided. A mechanism for increasing or decreasing the internal volume, or a mechanism in which a part of the tank wall is a movable wall having small friction, and the wall moves following the internal pressure of the tank or the liquid level in the tank is considered.

A plurality of tanks described above can be provided for each type of liquid to be stored.

The liquid other than the excrement is for storing the output value of the sensor when the liquid is supplied to the sensor as a sensor output reference value (calibration liquid) and for maintaining the characteristics of the sensor. If the sensor carries a capture substance that specifically adsorbs to the target substance in the excrement, in addition to the substance (preservation liquid), it is for dissociating the adsorbed component on the sensor element surface (dissociation liquid). Is also good. Further, in addition to those acting on the sensor as described above, a liquid containing a bactericidal and antifungal component acting on bacteria and fungi in the transport path may be used.

As the liquid, a liquid suitable for the above purpose is selected, and therefore, an acidic or alkaline liquid may be selected.

According to the present invention, the tank is provided with a structure or a mechanism for keeping the pressure in the tank substantially constant even if the liquid amount in the tank fluctuates. Specifically, a mechanism is conceivable in which a pressure sensor is provided in the tank and the capacity of the tank is increased or decreased so as to maintain a constant pressure.

In the ninth aspect, all or a part of the tank wall is made of a structure or a material which can be freely expanded and contracted. In this way, even if the tank is sealed, the liquid is consumed and the tank is naturally collapsed by the reduced volume,
The liquid can be supplied stably without negative pressure in the tank. Since this tank has a simple structure and can be generally realized at low cost, it is not fixed to the sample liquid supply device, but the tank is filled with liquid in advance, and the empty tank is replaced, and the empty tank is discarded as it is. By doing so, the operation of refilling the liquid into the tank becomes unnecessary, and the tank can be easily replaced.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a continuous flow path is provided between the tank outlet and the tank bottom inside the tank according to the ninth aspect. It is possible to prevent the stretchable tank walls from adhering to each other, and even if partial adhesion occurs, a liquid flow path is secured. This solves the problem that the tank wall cannot be supplied even though the liquid still remains.

Further, in claim 11, claim 9 or claim 10
The retractable tank is stored in a case that does not deform, and the supply port of the tank is fixed to the case. With this structure, handling similar to that of a conventional tank can be realized, and it is possible to prevent the tank wall surface from being accidentally damaged.

That is, since a tank in which all or a part of the tank wall surface can be freely expanded and contracted is generally made of a thin material such as a resin film, handling such as packing, transportation and liquid exchange is not easy. This is because there is a possibility that the tank wall may be damaged by mistake.

Further, a plurality of tanks are stored in one case, and the supply ports of the tanks are arranged close to each other. Furthermore, if the connection between the tank and the pipe is configured to be connected to a plurality of supply ports at a time, the pipe connection for tank replacement can be performed at once, and there is no complexity.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toilet-installed type excrement measuring device, comprising: a sensor for measuring a component of the excrement;
A transport path for transporting excrement to the sensor, and a tank for storing liquid other than excrement supplied to the sensor or the transport path, and the tank is detachable and replaceable with respect to the transport path. In addition, it is sealed when it is attached to the transport path.

That is, the conventional tank is fixed to the apparatus, and when the tank is emptied, liquid is injected into the tank from another container and replenished.

However, a drawback of this tank is that when refilling an empty tank with liquid, an operation of transferring the liquid from another container to the tank occurs, and there is a risk that the liquid may be leaked accidentally during this operation. The refilling operation itself is complicated.

On the other hand, in the present invention, if another tank is filled in advance with liquid and the empty tank is replaced, and the empty tank is discarded as it is, the work of refilling the tank with liquid is performed. Can be easily replaced because it is unnecessary, and since it is sealed when it is attached to the transport path, there is little risk of liquid leakage.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a sensor for measuring the components of a reagent, a transport path for transporting the reagent to the sensor, and a liquid other than the reagent supplied to the sensor or the transport path are stored. And a tank, wherein the tank is hermetically sealed, and is configured such that the internal volume fluctuates in accordance with the fluctuation of the internal liquid volume.

[0028] In a reagent solution measuring apparatus according to a fourteenth aspect, the tank is sealed, and the internal pressure is maintained at a predetermined pressure or higher.

In the reagent measuring apparatus according to a fifteenth aspect, the tank is detachable and replaceable with respect to the transport path, and is sealed when attached to the transport path.

The liquid described above may be acidic or alkaline.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to examples and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the entire configuration of a reagent solution measuring apparatus according to the present invention. The test solution measuring device is, for example, a tank A (22) tank B (23) tank C (2
4) Having these chemicals and the sample to be measured (8)
A liquid supply device (18) that switches or mixes and feeds the solution to the biosensor body (20) through a pipe in a predetermined order;
It is composed of a biosensor main body (20) that reacts with the supplied liquid and outputs an electric signal, and a signal processing unit that converts an electric signal from the biosensor main body (20) into a measured value.

As shown in FIG. 10, this test solution measuring device is arranged in a control analysis unit 104 separate from the toilet seat, or as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in a housing 122 provided in the toilet seat. Placed in

As the number of measurements by the test solution measuring device increases, the amount of liquid in each chemical solution tank decreases, and the chemical solution is replenished when each chemical solution tank becomes empty. Here, depending on the type of biosensor, it is necessary to use a chemical such as a strong acid that may affect the human body. However, there is a need for a liquid supply device that does not come into contact with the chemical solution.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the entire tank of the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The tank is provided with a sealing mechanism such as a fixed wall (1) and an O-ring (2) made of a non-deformable metal such as stainless steel or a resin material. The tank is made of a metal or resin material such as stainless steel. It is composed of a wall (3) movable in the vertical direction according to a change in pressure, and a supply port (4) for supplying a liquid.

A pressure sensor (5) for detecting the pressure in the tank by a load cell method or the like is installed on the movable wall, and a control device (6) for controlling the sensor to keep the pressure constant.
Connect to The movable wall is moved up and down by, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism (7) and a motor (8) by this control device. Needless to say, the object can be achieved even if the movable wall is moved not only vertically but also horizontally or obliquely.

Further, as shown in the figure, the entire wall surface of one of the tank wall surfaces may be movable, but a portion of one of the tank wall surfaces may be movable.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an entire tank of a liquid supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The tank is provided with a sealing mechanism such as a fixed wall (1) and an O-ring (2) made of a metal or resin material such as stainless steel which does not deform, and made of a metal or resin material such as stainless steel, for example. It is composed of a wall (3) movable in the vertical direction according to the change, and a supply port (4) for supplying a liquid.

If the pressure fluctuation due to temperature is negligible, the pressure change in the tank occurs only when the liquid is supplied and the liquid in the tank decreases, so the supply port (4) or the piping connected to the supply port is used. A flow sensor (9) of a float type or the like is installed in the section, and the sensor is connected to a control device (6) for controlling to lower a movable wall in proportion to a decrease in the liquid.

The object can also be achieved by lowering the movable wall by the control device by, for example, the reduced volume of the liquid by the rack and pinion mechanism (7) and the motor (8). If the flow rate of the liquid is known in advance, no sensor is required, and the object can be achieved by lowering the movable wall at a constant speed in accordance with the liquid feeding time.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an entire cross section of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The tank is provided with a sealing mechanism such as a fixed wall (1) and an O-ring (2) made of a metal or resin material such as stainless steel which does not deform, and is made of a metal or resin material such as stainless steel and the pressure change in the tank. And a supply port (4) for supplying a liquid.

Here, the movable wall is pressed downward by, for example, a coil spring (10) which is adjusted to balance with the friction of the sealing mechanism and move up and down in accordance with a change in the pressure in the tank. With this mechanism, the movable wall moves according to the tank internal pressure, and the same object can be achieved with a simpler structure.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the entire configuration of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The tank wall surface (11) is formed by bonding a stretchable sheet of, for example, resin, rubber, paper, metal or the like having a thickness of about 0.1 mm by welding or bonding. Alternatively, a multi-layer sheet of resin, rubber, paper, metal, or the like having a different material and having a thickness of about 0.1 mm may be attached by a similar method. A connection port that is not deformed by resin, metal, or the like is provided at the tank outlet (12) by, for example, welding or bonding to connect with a pipe.

When the liquid is consumed, the wall of the tank shrinks,
The shape changes as shown in FIG. Further, in the figure, when the liquid decreases, the entire surface of the tank shrinks uniformly. However, if the tank has a bellows structure or the like, the direction in which the liquid decreases and shrinks can be limited. Further, the tank is not fixed to the sample liquid supply device, but has a mechanism that can be attached to and detached from the pipe at the tank outlet (12). Therefore, prepare a replacement tank filled with liquid in advance, remove the empty tank from the pipe, replace it with a replacement tank, and simply reconnect the pipe, so there is no need to refill the tank with chemical solution, so it is easy And can be replaced without touching the liquid.

If a pipe is connected to the tank outlet (12) and a function such as a check valve is provided to open the tank and supply a chemical solution only after the pipe is connected, the leak can be reliably ensured even if the pipe is disconnected. And a safe tank can be realized.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the entire configuration of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. A tube connection joint (13) is installed inside the tank at a tank outlet (12) of resin, metal, or the like, and a tube (14) made of, for example, resin that reaches near the bottom of the tank is connected to this joint. By connecting the tank connection port and the vicinity of the tank bottom (15) with this tube, it is possible to prevent the thin tank walls from sticking to each other outside the tube, and to ensure that the tank walls are tight to each other between the tank connection port and the liquid level. The remaining liquid, even if it occurs, is surely sent to the tank outlet through the tube.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a tank structure of a liquid supply device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. For example, three elastic tanks are housed in a case (16) made of resin or metal with small deformation. At the upper part of the front of the case, a hole for fixing the connection port of the tank is installed as close as possible without interfering with the connection port, and the connection port (17) of the tank is fixed to this hole. The liquid supply device can be connected to a plurality of connection ports with a single touch by, for example, a single connection portion as shown in FIG. Therefore, even when a plurality of tanks are replaced at one time, they can be replaced by a single simple operation. Only the connection port of the tank is fixed to the case, and the other parts have a structure that can freely expand and contract inside the case. By adopting such a structure, handling such as packing, transportation, and liquid exchange is easy, and there is no possibility of accidentally damaging the thin tank wall which can expand and contract during handling.

The present embodiment has the following effects by the above configuration. Even if the amount of liquid in the tank fluctuates, the structure or mechanism that keeps the tank pressure constant can completely seal the liquid,
And reliable supply of liquid can be guaranteed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the device from overturning or leaking during transportation, so that a more secure and airtight liquid supply device can be realized.

Furthermore, by making the wall surface of the tank a stretchable material or structure, the liquid can be completely sealed with a simpler structure than the structure described in the preceding paragraph, and leakage at the time of replenishing the liquid, transportation of the device, and overturning can be achieved. Leakage can be eliminated, and a more secure and airtight liquid supply device can be realized when the tank is replaced or used.

Furthermore, if a continuous flow path is provided between the tank outlet and the tank bottom surface by using a tube or the like, it is possible to prevent a defective liquid supply due to close contact between the tank walls which can expand and contract, and to achieve a higher reliability. A liquid supply device can be realized.

The structure in which one or more telescopic tanks are stored in a case having a non-deformable structure facilitates handling such as packing, transportation, and liquid exchange. And a safe liquid supply device without breakage can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a reagent solution measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an entire cross section of a tank of the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an entire cross section of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an entire cross section of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a shape of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention after liquid consumption.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of a tank of a liquid supply device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a tank structure of a liquid supply device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a tank connection part of a liquid supply device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram in which the reagent solution measuring device according to the present invention is disposed in a control analysis unit 104 separate from a toilet seat.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a toilet bowl and a toilet seat provided with the reagent solution measuring device according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram in which the reagent solution measuring device according to the present invention is disposed in a housing 122 provided in a toilet seat.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fixed tank wall 2 O-ring 3 Vertically movable wall 4 Supply port 5 Pressure sensor 6 Control device 7 Rack and pinion mechanism 8 Motor 9 Flow rate sensor 10 Coil spring 11 Tank wall surface 12 Tank outlet 13 Joint 14 Tube 15 Tank bottom surface Reference Signs List 16 Case 17 Connection port 18 Liquid supply device 19 Liquid supply unit 20 Biosensor main body 21 Signal processing unit 22 Tank A 23 Tank B 24 Tank C 25 Sample 104 Control analysis unit 122 Housing

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2D038 ZA03 2G045 AA36 BB14

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A sensor for measuring a component of excrement, a transport path for transporting excrement to the sensor, and a tank for storing liquid other than excrement supplied to the sensor or the transport path. A toilet-installed excrement measuring device, characterized in that the tank is hermetically sealed and the internal volume is varied in accordance with the variation of the internal liquid volume. 2. A sensor for measuring excrement components, a transport path for transporting excrement to the sensor, and a tank for storing liquid other than excrement supplied to the sensor or the transport path. , And the tank is hermetically sealed, and the internal pressure is maintained at a predetermined pressure or higher. 3. The toilet-installed excrement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of tanks are provided for each type of liquid to be stored. 4. The toilet installation according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is for storing an output value of the sensor when the liquid is supplied to the sensor as a sensor output reference value. Type excrement measuring device. 5. The toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is for maintaining characteristics of the sensor. 6. The sensor carries a trapping substance that specifically adsorbs to a target substance in excrement, and the liquid is for dissociating adsorbed components on the sensor element surface. Item 4. The toilet-installed excrement measuring device according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 7. The toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is acidic or alkaline. 8. The toilet according to claim 1, wherein the tank has a structure or a mechanism for keeping the pressure in the tank substantially constant even when the amount of liquid in the tank fluctuates. Stationary excrement measurement device. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all or part of the wall surface of the tank is expandable or contractable.
9. A toilet-installed excrement measuring device according to any one of claims 8 to 8. 10. The toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a continuous flow path is provided between the tank outlet and the tank bottom inside the tank. 11. The toilet-installed excrement measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the tank is housed in a case having a non-deformable structure, and a supply port of the tank is fixed to the case. . 12. A sensor for measuring excrement components, a transport path for transporting excrement to the sensor, and a tank for storing liquid other than excrement supplied to the sensor or the transport path. And the tank is detachable and replaceable with respect to the transport path,
A toilet-installed excrement measuring device, wherein the excrement measuring device is sealed when attached to the transport path. 13. A sensor for measuring a component of a reagent, a transport path for transporting the reagent to the sensor, and a tank for storing a liquid other than the reagent supplied to the sensor or the transport path. And a tank is hermetically sealed, and the internal volume is changed in accordance with a change in the internal liquid amount. 14. A sensor for measuring a component of a reagent, a transport path for transporting the reagent to the sensor, and a tank for storing a liquid other than the reagent supplied to the sensor or the transport path. And a tank is hermetically sealed, and the internal pressure is maintained at a predetermined pressure or higher. 15. A sensor for measuring a component of a reagent, a transport path for transporting the reagent to the sensor, and a tank for storing a liquid other than the reagent supplied to the sensor or the transport path. And the tank is detachable and replaceable with respect to the transport path,
The reagent solution measuring device is sealed when it is attached to the transport path. 16. The reagent measuring device according to claim 13, wherein the liquid is acidic or alkaline.