AU2010200992A1

AU2010200992A1 - Arrestable WC hinge device

Info

Publication number: AU2010200992A1
Application number: AU2010200992A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Matthias Autzen
Original assignee: Evac GmbH
Current assignee: Evac GmbH
Priority date: 2009-03-23
Filing date: 2010-03-16
Publication date: 2010-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 2030-03-16
Also published as: DK2233052T3; EP2233052A2; RU2512058C2; JP2010248892A; JP5593102B2; AU2010200992B2; EP2233052A3; CN101843459B; CN101843459A; EP2233052B1; RU2010110963A; DE202009003907U1; ES2442346T3

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT APPLICANT: EVAC GmbH Invention Title: ARRESTABLE WC HINGE DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method Df performing it known to me: Arrestable WC hinge device The i vention relates to a hinge device for a lid and/or seat of a toilet in a moving vehicle, with at least one holding element which are rotatably mounted to a fastening flange for fastening the lid or he seat and are integrally connected to a locking groove which is formed as a depression and i teracts, for arresting the lid in a raised position, with a resiliently yielding arresting ele 5 ment Hinge devices designed in this way are distinguished, for the purposes of suitability in moving vehicles, such as in particular carriages for rail-bound trains, but also coaches or other vehicles subje t to transverse or longitudinal accelerations, in that the toilet lid, which is rotatably mounted by the hinge, and/or the toilet seat, which is rotatably mounted by the hinge, is pre 10 vented, at least in the folded-up position, sometimes also in the folded-down position, from accidentally folding down or folding up by an arresting device embodied in the hinge. Hinges functioning in this way are in principle previously known. Thus, for example, a wide spread design of hinges of this type is configured in such a way that the lid or seat is fastened to two rotatably mounted holding elements each having an arresting groove. This arresting 15 groove interacts with an arresting rod arranged parallel to the mounting shaft -2 of the holding element. This arresting rod has two radial boreholes by means of which radially extending spring elements are arranged and centred in both end regions of the arresting rod. These spring elements make the arresting rod resiliently yielding in the radial direction, so that the arresting grooves in the holding elements lock, in a specific pivoting position of the holding 5 elements about their axis of rotation, on the arresting rod and can then hold the lid or seat in this arrested position. A par icular requirement placed on hinge devices of the type mentioned at the outset is a robust design which can resist the dynamic loads occurring during operation and preferably, in addition, forces acting as a result of vandalism. For this reason, the above-described hinge 10 device according to the prior art is designed in such a way that the holding elements are mounted so as to be able to rotate about a solid shaft which is connected on both sides to a respective fastening flange, and furthermore the arresting rod is guided so as to be displacea ble in relation to these fastening flanges. Although this design produces a highly stable con struction, the fitting of the hinge device is, on account of the need, which exists on the one 15 hand, to fasten on both sides the solid shaft for the holding elements and the guidance, which is on tie other hand required, of the spring elements for the elastic yielding of the arresting rod and t e guidance, which is carried out at the same time, of the arresting rod, extremely com plex and can be carried out in an efficient manner only either using specially produced fitting aids or by two persons. Because hinge devices of this type are used in public or semi-public 20 areas, it is in particular not possible to simplify the fitting by using freely accessible screws or the like, as a basic wish is for the hinge device not to be able to be dismantled, or to be able to be dismalantled only using special tools. The invention is based on the object of providing a hinge device which has an arresting func tion ard can be fitted in a manner simplified over the prior art without thereby relinquishing the 25 properties with regard to resistance to vandalism or attempts at dismantling. According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the arresting element is embodied as an arresting rod, which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and resiliently yields radially to the axis of rotation of the holding elements, and is arranged in such a way that it can rotate during the locking and unlocking of the locking groove on the rod for preventing a relative 30 movement between the surfaces of the arresting element as it enters into contact and the holdin element.

-3 According to the invention, direct guidance of resiliently yielding elements on radial boreholes of the arresting rod is thus dispensed with and, instead, the arresting rod is mounted rotatably. This offers a host of advantages. A first, fundamental advantage consists in the fact that, in the hinge device according to the invention, the elastic yieldingness of the arresting element can 5 be pr vided either by resilient yielding of the arresting rod itself or - preferably - by spring elements supported on the mounting journal, which is provided for the rotary movement, of the arrest ng rod. This differently designed configuration allows simplified fitting of the hinge de vice, as the double fitting, which is inevitable as a result of the guidance of the spring elements according to the prior art, to the fastening of the mounting rod of the holding elements and the 10 guidance of the arresting rod is dispensed with. A further advantage consists in the fact that the ro atability of the arresting rod can prevent frictional movement between the faces, which enter nto contact, of the holding elements and the arresting rod. This prevents the structure of the hi ge device from becoming weakened by wear over the course of its time of use and, as a result, becoming impaired in its functioning or becoming susceptible to vandalism. 15 Depending on whether arresting is desirable merely in the folded-up position or else in the closed position of the lid or seat, one or two arresting grooves can be formed on the holding element(s). The arresting grooves are in this case preferably designed with edges which are round d in such a way that the arresting process is achieved as a result of a continuously rising application of force and an application of force which decreases continuously toward the 20 arresting position, with a local minimum in the arresting position. According to a first preferred embodiment, there are provided for the lid two holding elements and/oi for the seat two holding elements which are preferably mounted so as to be able to rotate about a common shaft and which also preferably interact with a single arresting rod for arresting each holding element. As a matter of principle, it must be understood that the hinge 25 device according to the invention could be embodied with a single holding element which is correspondingly large in order to fasten a lid or seat thereto and to rotatably or arrestably mouni it. However, in particular, provision is made for the hinge device according to the inven tion to allow both a lid and a seat to be rotatably and in each case arrestably mounted, wherein this can be carried out either by in each case an appropriately designed holding element or by 30 two or more appropriately designed holding elements for the respective lid and the respective seat. Accor ing to still a further preferred embodiment, provision is made for the holding element(s) to be mounted so as to be able to rotate about a shaft which extends horizontally in the instal- -4 lation position and which is connected to a flange plate by means of a connecting piece for fasten ng the hinge. The connecting piece can in this case preferably be arranged perpendicularly to the shaft about which the holding elements are rotatably mounted. In particular, the shaft can be 5 screwd to the connecting piece. It is still more preferable if the connecting piece and the flange plate are embodied on a one piece cast part. This specific configuration of the production of the connecting piece and the flange plate as a comm n, one-piece cast part is a result of the specifically simplified fitting processes which are 10 possible using the hinge device according to the invention. That is to say, whereas it is advan tageous in the previously known prior-art hinge device described at the outset, in order to simply large-scale fitting, firstly to fasten the shaft, which is used for mounting the holding elements, and the arresting rod running parallel thereto to the connecting pieces running perpendicularly thereto and only then to fasten, for example to weld-on, the flange plates, with 15 the spring attached thereto and guided thereon for resiliently supporting the arresting rod, to the connecting pieces, in the hinge device according to the invention simple fitting can be carried out even when the connecting piece and hinge plate are already securely connected to each other, either by a welding process or by design as a one-piece cast part. It is st ll more preferable if two fastening flanges are provided that each comprise a connecting 20 piece, the connecting pieces being connected to each other by means of a round rod which is preferably on top in the installation position, on which the holding element(s) are rotatably mounted and an arresting rod, which is preferably on the bottom in the installation position, being mounted to the connecting pieces so as to be displaceable in rotation and translation along the connecting pieces. This configuration firstly allows a robust construction of the hinge 25 devicE according to the invention and also simplifies fitting. In this case, it is particularly preferred if the round rod and the arresting rod are arranged parallel to each other. As a result of this parallel arrangement, an arresting function is made possible, even when a plurality of holding elements are arranged simultaneously on the round rod, b) one and the same arresting rod.

-5 Accor ing to a further development, the round rod has at both ends a thread, preferably an outer hread, by means of which it is connected to a corresponding thread on the connecting piece , the thread being embodied at one side of the round rod as a left-hand thread and the thread being embodied at the other side of the round rod as a right-hand thread. This configu 5 ration allows the round rod to be screwed at the same time into the two external connecting pieces and thus allows an overall design that is able to withstand vandalism or dismantling. Furthermore, it is preferable in the configuration of the hinge device with the connecting piece and flange plate if an annular element, which is elastic in the axial direction, extends between the fla ge plate and arresting rod and serves to provide the elastic movability of the arresting 10 rod, is arranged around the connecting piece. This manner of arranging an elastic annular eleme t ensures a captive arrangement of the element providing the resilience and at the same ime allows this spring element to be guided in a secure and fitting-friendly manner. In this case, provision may in particular be made for the elastic annular element to be a tube piece nade of a rubbery-elastic plastics material or a coil spring and for preferably the holding 15 eleme it(s), the arresting element and/or the fastening flange(s) to be made of a corrosion resist nt material, preferably of a special steel. The rubbery-elastic material used may in this case le a silicone-based plastics material, for example. Finally, it is also preferable if the rotatable mounting of the holding elements, the rotatable mount ng of the arresting rod and the translatory movement of the arresting rod are mounted 20 by means of plastics material bushes. This configuration and the foregoing configuration provide an embodiment of the hinge device according to the invention that overall is corrosion-resistant, that withstands even the use of aggressive detergents and nevertheless ensures operation functioning without lubrication and with al nost no wear. 25 A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the appended figures, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hinge device according to the prior art; Figure 2 is a partly cut-away front view of an embodiment of the hinge device according to the inventi n; -6 Figur 3 is a plan view onto the hinge device from Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view onto the hinge device from Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hinge device from Figure 2. As may be seen firstly from Figure 1, a hinge device according to the prior art has two external 5 flange plates 1, 2 which can be used to fasten the hinge device to a wall or a toilet bowl, for example. Holding bars 3, 4, each extending vertically upward, are fastened to the flange plates 1, 2. n the one hand, an upper round rod, extending horizontally between the two holding bars, nd, on the other hand, a lower arresting rod, extending parallel to the upper round rod, are fa tened to these holding bars. A total of four holding elements 7-10 are rotatably mounted 10 to the upper round rod 5. The holding elements have, on the one hand, a longer end, in each of which two boreholes are arranged for fastening a lid or seat, and a short end in which an arresting groove is arranged. The arresting groove is formed in such a way that it interacts with the aresting rod 6. Figure 1 shows the holding elements in the arrested position. Also provided, as may be seen, 15 are spring elements 11, 12 which are each associated with each flange plate, extend between the flahge plate and arresting rod and are guided on the arresting rod through radial boreholes arranged therein. These spring elements 11, 12 allow a translatory resilient movement, lying perpe dicular to the direction of extension, of the arresting rod so that the hinge device is able to perform its function. 20 As mzy be seen from Figure 2, the hinge device according to the invention also has flange plates 101, 102 which are arranged laterally and serve to fasten the hinge device to a wall or a toilet bowl. Each of the flange plates 101, 102 is embodied as a one-piece cast part together with a connecting piece 103, 104 extending perpendicularly to the face of the flange plate. At the end of the connecting pieces 103, 104 that opposes the flange plate, a round rod 105 is 25 screw d into the connecting pieces in the radial direction to the connecting pieces. This screw conne tion is caused by a left-hand outer thread on the round rod with a correspondingly left hand inner thread in the connecting piece 104 and by a right-hand outer thread on the round rod in a correspondingly right-hand inner thread in the connecting piece 103. In this way, the round rod 105 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis and in the process be screwed at the 30 same ime into the stationary connecting pieces 103, 104.

-7 An aresting rod 106 runs parallel to the round rod 105. The arresting rod 106 is designed as a circul r hollow profile and mounted on rotary journals 113, 114 so as to be able to rotate by means of sliding bearings 106a, 106b arranged in its interior. The rotary journals 113, 114 each extend radially to the connecting pieces 103, 104 and are guided on these connecting 5 pieces 103, 104 in a translatory manner in the longitudinal direction thereof by means of cor responding bearing rings 113a, 114a. In this way, the arresting rod 106 can be displaced in relation to the round rod 105 along the connecting pieces 103, 104, as a result of which the distan e between the round rod 105 and arresting rod 106 changes while substantially main taining the parallel position thereof. 10 A tota of four holding elements 107-110 are mounted on the round rod 105 so as to be able to rotate by means of plastics material sliding bushes. Each of the holding elements 107-110 has a first end, at each of which two boreholes are formed for fastening a lid or seat to the holding elem nt. In addition, each of the holding elements 107-110 has a locking groove 107a-110a which 15 opposes, in relation to the axis of rotation, the holding portion with the two boreholes and is designed as a depression formed congruently with the outer contour of the arresting rod 106. FigurEs 2-5 show the hinge device with the holding elements in the locked position. As may be seen, in this locked position, the holding portions of the holding elements 107-110 are posi tioned so as to be laterally offset and at a slightly different angle to one another in such a way 20 that, im this arrested position, both a lid fastened to the holding elements 107, 109 and a seat fastened to the holding elements 108, 110 can be held securely in the arrested position. A respective spring element 115, 116, which is designed as a rubbery-elastic annular body, is arran ed between the annular sleeve 113a, 114a, with which the arresting rod 106 is guided on the connecting piece 103, 104 so as to be displaceable in translation, and the flange plate 25 101, 102. The spring elements 115, 116 cause a compressive spring force which counteracts a move nent of the arresting rod 106 away from the round rod 105. In this way, the arresting rod is ela tically pretensioned, in the illustrated position of the holding elements, in the direction toward the round rod 105 and as a result pressed into the arresting grooves of the holding elements 107-110; this secures their position. 30 The h nge device according to the invention can be produced in a particularly simple manner. The squence of production is as follows: -8 Firstly the holding elements 107-110 are preproduced as one-piece cast parts and likewise the c nnecting pieces 103, 104, each having a hinge plate 101, 102 moulded thereon, are prepr duced as one-piece cast parts. As the first fitting step, the spring elements 115, 116 are then threaded onto the respective 5 connecting pieces 103, 104 and slid up to the flange plate 101, 102. Subsequently, the prefit ted assembly made up of the annular body 113a, 114a with the bearing journal 113, 114 faste ed thereto is slid onto the connecting pieces and slid up to the spring elements 115, 116. Subsequently, the four holding elements 107-110 are slid onto the round rod 105 and after wards the round rod 105 and the arresting rod 106 are inserted in a mutually parallel position 10 between the two connecting pieces 103, 104 and the bearing journals 113, 114 are inserted into t e arresting rod 106. This position of the connecting pieces relative to the arresting rod can b combined and joined together by rotating the round rod 105. The flange device as a whole can be protected in a simple manner against dismantling by vandalism by using a high strength screw securing means in the connection between the round rod 105 and the connect 15 ing pieces 103, 104. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires other wise, :he word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be under stood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclu ion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 20 The rference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an ac knowl dgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowl dge in Australia.

Claims

1. Hinge device for a lid and/or seat of a toilet in a moving vehicle, with at least one holding element which are rotatably mounted to a fastening flange for fastening 5 the lid or the seat and are integrally connected to a locking groove which is formed as a depression and interacts, for arresting the lid in a raised position, with a resi liently yielding arresting element, characterized in that the arresting element is embodied as an arresting rod, which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and resiliently yields radially to the axis of ro 10 tation of the holding elements, and is arranged in such a way that it can rotate dur ing the locking and unlocking of the locking groove on the rod for preventing a rel ative movement between the surfaces of the arresting element as it enters into contact and the holding element. 15

2. Hinge device according to Claim 1, characterized in that there are provided for the lid two holding elements and/or for the seat two holding elements which are preferably mounted so as to be able to rotate about a common shaft and which also preferably interact with a single ar resting rod for arresting each holding element. 20

3. Hinge device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holding element(s) is/are mounted so as to be able to ro tate about a shaft which extends horizontally in the installation position and which is connected to a flange plate by means of a connecting piece for fastening the 25 hinge.

4. Hinge device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the connecting piece and the flange plate are embodied on a one-piece cast part. 30

5. Hinge device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two fastening flanges are provided that each comprise a connecting piece, the connecting pieces being connected to each other by means of a round rod which is preferably on top in the installation position, on which the -10 holding element(s) are rotatably mounted and an arresting rod, which is preferably on the bottom in the installation position, being mounted to the connecting pieces so as to be displaceable in rotation and translation along the connecting pieces. 5

6. Hinge device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the round rod and the arresting rod are arranged parallel to each other.

7. Hinge device according to one of the preceding claims, 10 characterized in that the round rod has at both ends a thread, preferably an outer thread, by means of which it is fastened into a corresponding thread on the con necting pieces, the thread being embodied at one side of the round rod as a left hand thread and the thread being embodied at the other side of the round rod as a right-hand thread. 15

8. Hinge device according to one of the preceding Claims 3-6, characterized in that an annular element, which is elastic in the axial direction, ex tends between the flange plate and arresting rod and serves to provide the elastic movability of the arresting rod, is arranged around the connecting piece. 20

9. Hinge device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic annular element is a tube piece made of a rub bery-elastic plastics material or a coil spring and in that preferably the holding element(s), the arresting element and/or the fastening flange(s) are made of a cor 25 rosion-resistant material, preferably of a special steel.

10. Hinge device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotatable mounting of the holding elements, the rotatable mounting of the arresting rod and the translatory movement of the arresting rod 30 are mounted by means of plastics material bushes.

11. A hinge device substantially as hereinbefore described.