IE914260A1 - Water closet - Google Patents

Abstract

The W.C. of the invention is of the type comprising a bowl (1), a flushing water tank (3) for the flushing water (7), a siphon (2), a flap and optionnally a seat which provide for a sealed closing when they are closed to the edge (8) of said bowl (1); the release of the flushing water, (7) sets the bowl (1) in an overpressure condition, the flap (5) and eventually the seat (4) are provided with means which make tight the closing when said bowl (1) is in overpressure and, said flap (5) includes a means for blocking its opening when it is in a sealed closed position. The invention applies to a W.C. flap.

Description

This invention relates to a water closet (W.C.) in which the seat flap becomes sealed during release of the column of water. The release of the column of flush water puts the bowl under excess pressure, the closure of the bowl (seat to rim of the bowl) being hermetic under the action of the column of water.

Numerous patents have been filed for reducing the consumption of flushing water in W.Cs. These many devices necessitate complete installation of circuits for entry of flushing water and discharge of waste water. It follows that the investment is too great having regard to the savings which may be made.

These patents are the following: FR-A-2,613,397 : Vacuum drain device comprising a drain material discharge unit, for example, a toilet bowl connected to a vacuum drain by a normally closed drain valve. The device further comprises a control device for the drain valve and an air entry duct which may admit air into the vacuum drain separately from the drain discharge unit. The air entry duct comprises an air entry valve which controls the entry of air to the vacuum drain. The air entry valve opens in a timed relationship with the opening of the drain valve and closes after the closing of the drain valve. This device enables a reduced level of noise to be obtained.

FR-A-2,618,817 : Sanitary toilet installation of the W.C. type with direct gravity discharge and liquid cleansing without a flush effect, characterised in that it comprises a bowl having substantially the shape of a body of revolution of decreasing cross-section from its upper open portion, which forms the seat, towards the base, which comprises a discharge opening, and in that said bowl comprises means for introducing a limited dose of cleansing liquid in the form of a pressurised jet having a sufficient volume to wet at least all of the lower half of the wall of the bowl, and said means are displaceably mounted between an active or projecting position disposed in the vertical axis of the bowl and a set-back or inactive position, and these cleansing liquid introducing means are formed by a nozzle situated on the lower surface of a seat flap cover, directed towards the internal space of the bowl, the nozzle being situated on the central vertical axis of the bowl and thus suited to discharge of a group of multidirectional jets forming a cone with a cone angle at least equal to 150°.

FR-A-2,620,151 : Water flushing system for W.C. permitting adaptation of the consumption of water to actual needs, characterised in that its tank termed as primary tank contains a secondary tank of a lesser but fixed capacity. Each of these two tanks has its own control.

It is as a result thus possible to choose the volume of the water flush as a function of requirements ; three litres, seven litres or ten litres.

This invention has its place in all domestic, industrial or other locations, where there are savings to be made.

FR-A-2,641,561 : Development for exhauster-extractor W.C. bowls, characterised in that the exhauster-extractor is driven in rotation by means of a hydraulic turbine driven by the pressurised water of the supply system.

The water which leaves the body of the turbine is used to carry out the cleansing of the bowl by means of the ducting.

In certain lavatories, devices for depressurising the bowl have been installed; in general, it is a question of exhausting bad smells.

FR-A-2,611,772 : The present invention is a displaceable manner of extracting foul air, making use of an assembly of accessories consisting of at least one nozzle of flat cross-section placed between the lavatory bowl and the seat cover and at least one flexible shaft connected to an extraction opening topped with a technical member, thus bringing about an exhaust flow under control of this latter.

Other lavatories termed marine lavatories utilize the reduced pressure created by a pump to introduce the flush water and evacuate the waste water. In this case, the seat flap and optionally the seat are fluid tight to utilize the reduced pressure during pumping. Due to the particular circumstances of these lavatories, it is necessary to use valves and a vacuum pump.

Operation of the valves must be carried out in succession and in a precise order. Specific pipework arrangements are required for this type of lavatory.

GB-1,536,773 : A lavatory comprising a cover, a seat, and a bowl which becomes fluid tight when the cover is closed and which has a cleansing liquid inlet. The lavatory also comprises a sealing member in the form of a ring, which must be compressed between the cover and the seat or between the seat and the bowl, this ring being accommodated in an endless groove situated in one of said two units. The groove has a base and an internal wall which defines a recess. The recess is of wedge-shaped transversal cross-section.

The transversal cross-section of the sealing member is substantially quadrilateral. This quadrilateral has an acute angle which is placed in the recess. The opposite corner has a flexible lip situated in the diagonal of the quadrilateral and projecting from one side of the sealing member in such a manner as to be able to engage the other of said two units. A pump is provided to discharge the excrement from the bowl and to create a partial vacuum in the interior of the bowl which must cause spontaneous entry of the flushing liquid into the bowl through the liquid inlet.

US-A-2,155,286 : This patent describes use of vacuum in a toilet seat. The object of this patent is to reduce the noise and to reduce the smells, and this by the creation of this vacuum. The vacuum is created by the use of appropriate material in the seat. Holes enable deodorising products to be released. There is no excess pressure, no hermetic closing, and no action for improving the discharge of the water or for reducing the consumption of water.

US-A-2,155,551 : This patent is an improvement of the above patent; same technique, same object.

US-A-4,736,472 : This patent describes a mechanical device for holding the seat flap on its seat to prevent a child from putting its hands into the bowl of the W.C. or throwing something into the bowl.

The W.C. according to the invention tends to reduce the consumption of water while only modifying, in existing installations, the seat flap and/or the seat.

The W.C. is of the type comprising a bowl, a flushing system, a syphon, a seat flap, and optionally a seat, characterised in that release of the column of cleansing water places the bowl under excess pressure, the seat flap and optionally the seat of the bowl being provided with means for rendering hermetic the closing of the flap of the seat onto the rim of the bowl solely while said bowl is under excess pressure, and that said seat flap comprises blocking means for preventing it from opening when in a hermetically closed position in such a manner as to resist said excess pressure.

The blocking means for holding the seat flap in a closed position resides in its weight which is greater than the weight of the column of cleansing water, in such a manner that the seat flap is not lifted up when the column of cleansing water is released into the bowl and thus resists the excess pressure.

The blocking means for the seat flap is a hook which holds the seat flap in a hermetically closed position.

The seat flap is hermetic during excess pressure of the bowl by means of a seal which co-operates with the rim of the bowl or with that of the seat.

The seat also comprises a sealing member which ensures fluid tightness, during excess pressure of the bowl, between the lower surface of the seat and the rim of the bowl.

The accompanying drawings are given by way of indicative and non-limiting example. They depict a preferred embodiment according to the invention. They will permit ready understanding of the invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a conventional W.C. in which the seat flap and the seat are not closed in a hermetic manner.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a W.C. with a seat flap and a seat which are hermetic while they are closed and lowered onto the bowl.

In Figure 1, the conventional W.C. consists of; a bowl 1, a syphon 2, a flush water system 3, a seat 4, and a seat flap or lid 5.

This conventional lid 5 and its seat 4 are not provided with means ensuring a hermetic closure when the valve 6 of the flush water system 3 is opened. The flushing water 7 must reach a certain height in the bowl 1 above the level of the syphon 2 to trigger discharge of the waste water. The waste water swirls around in the bottom of the bowl 1 and all of the waste water is not always discharged.

When the flushing water 7 falls into the bowl 1, excess air escapes in the direction of arrows Fl, because the lid 5 and the seat 4 do not ensure hermetic sealing at the rim 8 of the bowl 1.

This type of conventional W.C. operates with an average of ten litres of water.

The W.C. according to the invention may operate with as little as four litres of water. The seat flap or lid and optionally the seat, if there is one, must ensure a hermetic closure when they are closed, lowered onto the rim of the bowl. Only the lid and optionally the seat need to be modified. All of the rest of the conventional W.C. may be retained. It then suffices to reduce the volume of flushing water contained in the flushing system, for example by: modifying the adjustment of the float, adding bricks, adding sealed sandbags.

In Figure 2, the lid 9 and the seat 10 are respectively provided with means such as the gaskets 11, 12, which ensure fluid tightness when the lid 9 and the seat 10 are closed.

When the valve 6 of the flush water system 3 is opened, the volume of flushing water 7 creates an excess pressure as it descends towards the bowl 1 which is closed in a hermetic manner by virtue of the fluid tight lid 9 and seat 10, causing discharge of a large part of the waste water contained in the bottom of the bowl 1 before said flushing water 7 reaches the bottom of the bowl 1, and this without waiting for the flushing water 7 to raise the level in the syphon 2 to trigger its discharge. By simple over-pressure, the waste water is discharged more rapidly, thus requiring much less flushing water, see arrows F2, Fg.

In order to hold the seat flap or lid in the hermetically closed position while the excess or overpressure prevails, the W.C. of the invention is provided with blocking means. The blocking means may consist in the weight of the seat flap and optionally the seat being greater than the weight of the column of cleansing or flush water, so that the seat flap or lid is not raised up on release of the flush water into the bowl. In this manner, the weight of the lid and optionally the seat ensures that the excess pressure is retained within the W.C. bowl.

Alternatively, the blocking means may be provided by way of a hook or catch, which is engaged during operation of the W.C. to ensure retention of the excess or overpressure within the toilet bowl. Such a catch or hook may be located on the unit so as to maintain the seat and lid in engagement with the sealing member extending around the rim of the toilet bowl and to maintain sealing contact between the lid and the seat, as appropriate.

References 1. Bowl 2. Syphon 3. Flush water system 4. Seat 5. Lid 6. Valve for flush water system 7. Flushing water 8. Rim of the bowl 9. Lid 10. Seat 11. Gasket 12. Gasket Arrows Fl, F2, F3

Claims (8)

1. W.C. of the type comprising a bowl, a flush water system, a syphon, a lid, and optionally a seat, wherein release of a column of flush water places the bowl under an excess pressure, the lid and optionally the seat of the bowl being provided with means rendering hermetic the closing of the lid of the seat on the rim of the bowl only while said bowl is under excess pressure, and said lid comprises blocking means for preventing opening of the lid when in a hermetically closed position, in such a manner as to resist said excess pressure.

2. W.C. according to Claim 1, wherein the blocking means for holding the lid in a closed position resides in the weight of the lid, which is greater than the weight of the column of flush water in such a manner as to prevent rising up of the lid at the moment of release of the column of flush water into the bowl.

3. W.C. according to Claim 1, wherein the blocking means for the lid is a hook, which holds the lid in a hermetically closed position.

4. W.C. according to Claim 1, wherein the lid is hermetically sealed, during excess pressure of the bowl, by means of a gasket or sealing member which co-operates with the rim of the bowl or with that of the seat.

5. W.C. according to Claim 1, wherein the seat also comprises a gasket or sealing member which ensures fluid tightness, during excess pressure of the bowl, between the lower surface of the seat and the rim of the bowl.

6. Lid for a W.C. of the type comprising a bowl, a flush water system, a syphon, a lid, and optionally a seat, according to any of Claims 1, 2, 3, or 4, comprising at least one sealing means ensuring hermetic closing against the rim of the bowl with or without a seat, the closing being hermetic to the excess pressure of the bowl caused by release of the column of flush water.

7. A W.C. substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A lid for a W.C. substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.