JP-2022535522-A5 -

Dates

Publication Date

20230516

Application Date

20200504

Description

This disclosure relates to a spray canister device, particularly a spray canister device used in a toilet seat assembly. Toilet seat assemblies are known to include bidets and other features for washing and cleaning the user's perineum. Such assemblies are of interest in the medical field for individuals who are unable to effectively care for themselves or wash or clean themselves without assistance. For many of these individuals, excessive moisture in the perineum becomes a persistent problem. For example, excessive moisture can cause many problems such as redness, peeling, rashes, and yeast infections. Although known toilet seat assemblies are designed to wash and dry the user's perineum, such skin problems can still occur. To address these concerns, various medications or sprays may be applied to an individual's perineum to protect the skin from incontinence, wound drainage, or excessive moisture from sweat. Such medications may be incorporated into the toilet seat assembly so that they are applied after the washing and drying process to further prevent skin damage or infection due to the accumulation of excess moisture. For administering medication, the toilet seat assembly may include an atomizing spray assembly configured to spray the medication onto the perineum. However, replacing the medication canister can be difficult for individuals who may have limited dexterity due to old age or other related conditions such as arthritis. The currently available options present some difficulty for individuals with limited dexterity because replacing the canister requires precise alignment within the toilet seat assembly. It would be beneficial to have a spray canister device for a toilet seat assembly that can be securely installed and removed, and that features an improved alignment structure to ensure that the spray canister device is properly positioned without requiring manual alignment by the user during installation. This is a perspective view of a spray canister device including a canister housing, a canister, and a tray, the tray being slidably coupled to a chassis element and connected to a motor to cause slidable movement.Figure 1 is a perspective view of the canister housing and canister, where the canister is located in the sleeve portion of the canister housing.This is a front view, slightly above, of a canister, including an actuator cap with a spray nozzle for spraying the liquid product contained within the canister.Figure 3 is a perspective view of the canister, with the actuator cap removed from the canister, revealing the pressurized discharge port of the canister.This is a perspective view of a canister housing having an annular sleeve portion, an end portion with a cap shape, a handle, an opening, and a protruding finger portion extending into the opening.Figure 5A is a perspective view of the opposite side of the canister housing, showing two elongated rails extending along the annular sleeve portion of the canister housing, and a locking structure extending between them.This is a plan view of the canister enclosure, showing the inside of the canister enclosure and the V-shaped protrusion on the inner surface of the cap-shaped portion of the canister enclosure.This is a perspective view of a portion of the canister housing, showing the opening, the protruding finger section, and the V-shaped projection.This is a perspective view of the canister actuator cap, showing the nozzle and a recessed notch corresponding to the V-shaped projection inside the cap-shaped portion of the canister housing.Figure 8 is a perspective view of the tray and chassis element of Figure 1, showing a tray slidably coupled to the chassis element, where the proximal side of the tray includes a curved side wall and a pair of elongated slots for receiving the elongated rails of the canister housing, and the tray further includes a pressing member and a pair of rib members for securing the canister.This is a perspective view of the chassis elements, with the tray removed, showing the track section, sensor opening section, gear opening section, multiple clip members, and fastening members.This is a perspective view of the distal side of the tray, showing a toothed rack for engaging the pinion gear to allow the tray to slide within the track section of the chassis element.This is a perspective view of a portion of the bottom of a spray canister device, showing a pinion gear rotatably coupled to a motor, and the engagement between the pinion gear and the toothed rack of the tray via gear openings in the chassis elements.This is a perspective view of a tray slidably coupled to a chassis element, showing a force sensor for detecting the applied force and a pressure sensor for detecting whether the canister housing and canister are engaged by the tray.Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the spray canister device, showing the spray canister device in the extended position, where the pinion gear is engaged with the toothed r