JP-7855964-B2 - Bathroom lighting control system

JP7855964B2JP 7855964 B2JP7855964 B2JP 7855964B2JP-7855964-B2

Inventors

中村玄
白石隆司

Assignees

ＴＯＰＰＡＮホールディングス株式会社

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20220803

Claims (5)

The bathroom door, which opens into the bathroom when opened, is equipped with a transparent panel, and a dimming sheet is placed on the exterior surface of the transparent panel and reversibly switches from transparent to opaque by the supply of a voltage signal. A power supply circuit that switches the supply and stop of the voltage signal based on the input of the control unit, A bathroom lighting system comprising: A bathroom dimming system characterized by comprising an interlock switch connected in series between the power supply circuit and the dimming sheet, which closes the voltage signal supply circuit when the bathroom door is closed and opens the supply circuit when the bathroom door is opened.
The bathroom dimming system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit monitors the closing and opening of the supply circuit, and stops generating the voltage signal when it detects the opening by the interlock switch.
The aforementioned transparent plate is a door transparent plate, The dimming sheet is a first dimming sheet, The aforementioned voltage signal is a first voltage signal, The supply circuit is a first supply circuit, The bathroom wall is further equipped with a transparent wall panel. The bathroom dimming system further comprises a second dimming sheet, which is positioned on the exterior surface of the transparent wall panel and reversibly switches from transparent to opaque upon supply of a second voltage signal. The bathroom dimming system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit switches between supplying and stopping the supply of the second voltage signal based on the input of the operating unit, via a second supply circuit that connects the second dimming sheet to the power supply circuit without the interlock switch.
The transparent panel provided in the bathroom door is one, The bathroom dimming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dimming sheet is attached to the exterior surface of the transparent plate to constitute the exterior surface of the bathroom door.
The transparent plate is an indoor substrate, The bathroom door further comprises an exterior substrate that is positioned on the exterior side relative to the interior substrate, The bathroom dimming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dimming sheet is sealed between the indoor substrate and the outdoor substrate.

Description

This disclosure relates to a bathroom dimming system equipped with a dimmable sheet that reversibly switches from transparent to opaque. A dimmable sheet comprises a dimmable layer and a pair of transparent electrode sheets sandwiching the dimmable layer. The dimmable layer comprises a transparent resin layer that partitions multiple voids and a liquid crystal composition that fills the voids. A voltage signal supplied between the two transparent electrode layers changes the refractive index difference between the liquid crystal composition and the transparent resin layer. Changing the refractive index difference between the liquid crystal composition and the transparent resin layer reversibly changes the state of the dimmable sheet from transparent to opaque. A reverse-type dimmable sheet includes an alignment layer between the dimmable layer and the transparent electrode layer. The liquid crystal compound, receiving an alignment restricting force from the alignment layer, makes the dimmable sheet transparent when the voltage signal supply is stopped. Supplying a voltage signal that applies a force to the liquid crystal compound that resists the alignment restricting force makes the dimmable sheet opaque (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-137452 Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a bathroom lighting control system.Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the dimming sheet.Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the bathroom lighting control system.Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the bathroom lighting control system.Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the bathroom lighting control system. [Bathroom lighting control system] As shown in Figure 1, the bathroom 50 is divided into bathroom spaces 50S by a bathroom perimeter wall. The bathroom perimeter wall comprises a transparent wall and a bathroom door. The transparent wall is an example of a bathroom wall and comprises a transparent wall panel 51. The bathroom door comprises a transparent door panel 52 and a detection part 52T. The constituent materials of each transparent panel 51, 52 may be transparent resin or transparent inorganic glass, independently of each other. An example of transparent resin is one selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyacrylate, polyolefin, and polycarbonate. An example of transparent inorganic glass is one selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon oxide nitride, and silicon nitride. The detection unit 52T is positioned close to the interlock switch 30 when the bathroom door is closed. The detection unit 52T causes the interlock switch 30 to detect that the bathroom door is closed. The detection unit 52T also causes the interlock switch 30 to detect that the bathroom door is open. The detection unit 52T may interact with the interlock switch 30 magnetically or mechanically. The dimming sheets 10 are placed on the transparent wall panel 51 and the transparent door panel 52, respectively. The dimming sheets 10 constitute a bathroom dimming system. Each dimming sheet 10 is independently sandwiched between two transparent substrates. Figure 2 shows an example where the dimming sheets 10 are sandwiched between two transparent substrates. [Dimming sheet 10] As shown in Figure 2, the two transparent substrates sandwiching the dimming sheet 10 are an indoor substrate 53A and an outdoor substrate 53B. The indoor substrate 53A faces the bathroom space 50S. The indoor substrate 53A may be a different transparent plate from each of the transparent plates 51 and 52, or it may be each of the transparent plates 51 and 52. The indoor substrate 53A and the outdoor substrate 53B may each be made of the transparent resin described above, or transparent inorganic glass, independently. The dimming sheet 10 is bonded to each substrate 53A and 53B via a water-resistant interlayer. The dimming sheet 10 is sealed between the indoor substrate 53A and the outdoor substrate 53B. The dimming sheet 10 may also be attached to the exterior surface of each transparent panel 51 and 52. The transparent adhesive layer for attaching the dimming sheet 10 to each transparent panel 51 and 52 is an OCA film (Optical Clear Adhesive film). The dimming sheet 10 attached to the exterior surface of the wall transparent panel 51 constitutes the exterior surface of the bathroom wall. The dimming sheet 10 attached to the exterior surface of the door transparent panel 52 constitutes the exterior surface of the closed bathroom door. The dimming sheet 10 uses a reverse drive system. The dimming sheet 10, when used in a reverse system, transitions from transparent to opaque upon supply of voltage signals VA and VB, and returns from opaque to transparent upon cessation of the supply of voltage signals VA and VB. In other words, the dimming sheet 10, when used in a reverse system, reversibly switches from transparent to opaque