AU2018319043B2

AU2018319043B2 - Toilet with flushing water connection

Info

Publication number: AU2018319043B2
Application number: AU2018319043A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rolf Weiss; Maurus Zwicker
Original assignee: Geberit International AG
Current assignee: Geberit International AG
Priority date: 2017-08-18
Filing date: 2018-06-26
Publication date: 2022-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-26
Also published as: WO2019034311A1; EP3444408B1; AU2018319043A1; DK3444408T3; EP3444408A1; CN110998038A

Abstract

The invention relates to a toilet, comprising a toilet body (1), preferably made of a ceramic, a toilet bowl (2) in the toilet body (1), a flushing water inlet opening in the toilet bowl (2), a line (9) between the flushing water inlet opening (8) and a flushing water connection (5), which flushing water connection is integrated into the toilet body (1), said line being integrated into the toilet body (1), wherein the flushing water connection (5) is arranged behind the toilet bowl (2) and at a distance of at least 5 cm from the rear side of the toilet body (1). The toilet is to be connected by means of a further line pipe piece (6).

Description

Toilet with flushing water connection

The present invention relates to a toilet with a water flush, referred to as a toilet for short and having a corresponding flushing water connection, and to the use there of.

Toilets have long been a standard facility and widely used. According to their func tion, they have a connection for flushing water coming from a flushing water sup ply, such as a cistern or alternatively a flushing water pipe without cistern, but with a flushing valve. A vertical pipe section routinely runs from the cistern downwards to what is known as a flushing bend pipe, in which the direction of the pipe chang es by approximately 90 degrees in relation to the toilet. If there is no cistern, a cor responding flushing water pipe can run horizontally in a wall behind the toilet, for example, and can also be reached via a flushing bend pipe (in other words a knee piece).

A toilet substantially consists of a toilet body, often made from ceramic. The toilet body usually has a rear side to be pushed back against an installation wall. In the case of suspended installation, the toilet body hangs with this rear side against the wall; however, it can also stand on a separate pedestal. The connections are rou tinely effected via the rear side, to which end the toilet body has corresponding fittings for the flushing water and of course also for the waste water on the rear side. The fitter connects these fittings, usually incorporated into the ceramic body, to, for example, the flushing bend pipe and a waste water connection in the wall, in other words the connection providing access to the sewage system, via pipe sec tions cut specially to size where necessary.

The flushing water delivered through the flushing water connection is convention ally distributed to the toilet bowl along a flushing rim. The flushing rim is formed along a top edge of the toilet bowl protruding inwards and distributes the flushing water via a plurality of openings directed downwards akin to a shower head.

An increasing number of toilets with a single flushing water inlet (or only a few such inlets) located in a side wall of the toilet bowl which introduce the flushing water substantially horizontally and along the inside wall of the toilet bowl have recently come onto the market. Such flushing water inlets are often not placed at the rear, but on the side.

In the case of such toilets, the flushing water is usually conducted along a curved pipe bend to the flushing water inlet which can be designed to be incorporated into the toilet body and leads to a fitting on the rear side of the toilet, in other words on the wall plane, similarly to the conventional toilets described above.

"Rear" means the orientation facing backwards from the perspective of a user sit ting on the toilet, in other words behind the user's back and facing the wall. Analo gously, "front" means straight ahead from the perspective of this user. The specifi cations "on the side" and "width direction" are again to be understood from the perspective of this user, to his or her right or left or in the direction of his or her shoulders. This applies to the remainder of this description and the claims.

The present invention addresses, at least in part, problems of the prior art by providing an improved toilet in terms of the flushing water connection.

In this regard, the present invention provides a toilet with a toilet body, a toilet bowl in the toilet body, a flushing water inlet in the toilet bowl of the toilet body, a pipe incorporated into the toilet body between the flushing water inlet and an integrated flushing water connection of the toilet, a pipe section separate from the toilet body for connecting to the flushing water connection of the toilet and connecting the same to a flushing water supply for the toilet, wherein the flushing water connec tion is located behind the toilet bowl and at a minimum distance of 10 cm from the rear side of the toilet body, and wherein the pipe section is flexible to facilitate height adjustment or a plurality of pipe sections are provided to facilitate height adjustment with different height offsets.

Preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims and will be described in further detail below together with the basic idea behind the invention. However, no further distinction will be made between the individual claim categories, therein.

The basic idea behind the invention is to leave a gap between a flushing water connection incorporated into the toilet and the rear side of the toilet body, this gap being at least 10 cm.

The flushing water connection is understood to mean the connection on the toilet body itself, in other words on a pipe section that on the one hand is incorporated into the toilet body itself and leads from the flushing water connection to the flush ing water inlet (into the toilet bowl) on the other hand.

The gap specified according to the invention can be bridged by a corresponding pipe section during connection; this will be discussed in further detail below. This is not incorporated into the toilet body in this case and can also be made of a dif ferent material. With respect to the toilet body itself, the flushing water connection is preferably not connected to the rear side of the toilet body.

This particularly applies to toilets with additional functions, in particular shower toilets, which are a preferred application here. Therein, a certain amount of tech nical arrangements for the shower function and other functions are to be installed between the rear side of the toilet bowl itself and the rear side of the toilet body and/or above this area, which means that the distance between the rear side of the bowl and the rear side of the toilet body is routinely greater than for basic toi lets without this additional function.

An embodiment of the toilet body made from ceramic is preferred. However, the pipe section can be made of plastic, for example. In the case of the ceramic em bodiment of the toilet body, the pipe described between the flushing water inlet and flushing water connection can be designed such that it is implemented using what is known as the hollow casting method.

"Integrated" therefore means made from the same material and using a homoge neous manufacturing method. There are generally no visible boundaries or transi tions from one material to another.

When manufacturing a toilet body made from ceramic with a ceramic pipe for the flushing water routed conventionally to the rear side of the toilet body, the corre sponding fitting is generally connected to other ceramic parts on the rear side, in particular to a frame of the toilet body. However, the inventors identified an in creased incidence of cracks, which may be caused during the manufacture of the ceramic (including firing and drying), but also as a result of the mechanical strain created by the weight of the user after manufacture. The fact that the pipe section for the flushing water creates a certain "lever" exerting forces on the rear side of the toilet body has certainly also proved problematic.

If on the other hand the pipe is routed to the rear side without such a mechanical connection, a relatively long and to this extent "unsupported" pipe section is creat ed which in turn may be susceptible to fractures or cracks.

In addition, this section makes the manufacture of the toilet body unnecessarily expensive, whether it is made from plastic or ceramic.

Furthermore, it has become apparent that the necessary bridging of the gap can be achieved extremely easily, and with the various advantages to be outlined be low, using the pipe section (preferably made from plastic).

The invention is also particularly suitable for the toilets mentioned at the start of this description with a flushing water inlet on the side of the toilet bowl rather than the traditional flushing rim. The pipe bend connecting this flushing water inlet to the flushing water connection can be designed so that it is incorporated into the toilet body, made in particular from ceramic and manufactured using the afore mentioned hollow casting method in particular. Along the length of this pipe bend there are no further transitions between separate sections with changes in diame ters, adhesive joints, seals or similar elements impeding flow, creating potential for problems with dirt, increasing manufacturing expenditure, posing risks of leaks and/or complicating installation.

The flushing water connection is in this context (and generally in this invention) preferably located centrally with regard to the width direction, in other words cen trally behind the toilet bowl. In the case at hand here with the pipe bend, the latter therefore leads not just behind the toilet bowl, but more specifically to the area be hind the centre of the toilet bowl; see also the exemplary embodiment.

The invention means that in the case of those pipe bends that routinely have a non-round (e.g. oval) cross-section the flushing water connection itself can still have a circular cross-section. Common connection techniques can be used, in other words particularly a circular coupling on the flushing water connection on the toilet and the insertion of one end of the pipe with a standard seal. Adhesion, for example, was instead used for non-round cross-sections, which is comparatively expensive and less reliable.

Another advantage that can be achieved with the invention lies in a reduction of the pipe connections or individual pipe sections required by designing a relatively long section of pipe for the pipe section that is to be connected to (or is already connected to) the flushing water connection on the toilet. Once installed, it can then extend backwards beyond the toilet body and be connected to the flushing water supply within the wall, in other words behind the front of the wall. It can be connected directly to the flushing bend pipe, for example. Conventionally this pipe bend was made from plastic, for example, if the section of pipe incorporated into the toilet body did not already extend as far as the rear side of the toilet, particular ly if a curved pipe bend along the toilet bowl was not designed to be incorporated into the toilet body. A straight section of pipe was routed forwards from the cistern and cut to the appropriate length. By extending the pipe section to be connected to the (incorporated) flushing water connection into the wall, the number of pipe sec tions and the number of transitions can be reduced comparatively speaking.

Further potential advantageous uses of the invention include the capacity to adjust the height of the flushing water connection. This connection can be effected, for example, by selecting between a number of differently shaped pipe sections. A difference in height can thus be compensated on a case-by-case basis. If the toilet itself is to be mounted at a height to be selected from a certain adjustment range, the mechanical attachments can be performed with slots, for example. In many cases, the waste water connection is already height-adjustable or can be made height-adjustable in the same way as the flushing water connection.

Furthermore, the pipe section can have a connection opening on the lateral sur face of its shell which can be used in different ways. The connection opening can generally be provided, for example, and be provided with a screw-on cover, for example. The connection opening can then be used, for example, when installing a flushing water restrictor. A flushing water restrictor of this kind can thus adapt the flushing water flow to individual situations if the flushing water might flow in with too much kinetic energy due to a given predetermined height of fall to the cistern or a predetermined pressure in the pipe. This can particularly be advantageous for toilets with the flushing water inlet on the side of the bowl that has already been mentioned on a number of occasions, in particular to prevent flushing water spurt ing out. EP 3 064 663 Al provides further explanation of this.

Alternatively (or in addition, where there is a further connection opening, for exam ple), an odour extraction unit can be connected to extract unpleasant odours from the toilet bowl via the flushing water pipe. Finally, additives can be added, for ex ample a device such as a cage for detergents or disinfectants (in tablet form, for example) can be inserted through the connection opening.

Another advantage of the invention can arise if the pipe section in the area behind the toilets is thinner than a corresponding ceramic pipe section due to being de signed in plastic, thereby saving valuable space. This space can then be used to install shower device components, for example. In this context, it may also be ad vantageous to initially omit the pipe section during installation and to fully install only the shower device components and only then insert the pipe section. This creates valuable "clearance" for installing other parts in individual cases.

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not an acknowledgement or suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be combined with any other piece of prior art by a skilled person in the art.

The invention will be explained in further detail below using an exemplary embod iment, whereby the individual features may also be material to the invention in other combinations and may, as already mentioned, relate implicitly to all catego ries of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a toilet with a pipe section according to the invention as seen obliquely from above at the front/to the right; Figure 2 shows an analogous view, but with a different pipe section; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the toilet with the pipe section from Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section with the pipe section from Figure 2, where by a further longitudinal section with the perspective inverted, showing a flushing water inlet, is added in this case; Figure 5 shows a cross-section as seen from the rear, namely from slightly be hind the flushing water inlet from Figure 4, and therefore shows a pipe bend incorporated into the toilet body; Figure 6 shows a perspective view analogous to Figures 1 and 2 with the pipe section from Figure 1, but including an additional connection opening;

Figure 7 shows a longitudinal section with the pipe section from Figure 5, its connection opening and a restrictor incorporated into this opening; and Figure 8 is the same as to Figure 6, but with the cover of the connection opening removed.

A toilet body made from ceramic having an opening in a toilet bowl 2 visible in the front and an opening 3 visible there behind for installing shower device compo nents is indicated in Figure 1 with reference number 1. The depression indicated with 4 is used for the passage of a shower arm, not shown here, of the shower device, also not shown. The flushing water connection 5 can be seen to the right behind this, to which the pipe section 6 is connected. 7 indicates a pipe section for the waste water connection 14 underneath this. The pipe sections 6, 6', 7, 7' are made from plastic.

The same situation can be seen in Figure 2, although a pipe section 6' is marked which runs straight, whereas the pipe section 6 from Figure 1 creates a small dif ference in height. The longitudinal section in Figure 3 shows the difference in height created by the pipe section 6 and also the inner shape of the bowl.

The difference in height is advantageous here for compensating for the relatively low position of the flushing water connection due to the depression 4 for the show er arm. The pipe section 7 is therefore straight. The toilet must be mounted ac cordingly higher in accordance with Figure 2 (and 4).

Figure 4 shows longitudinal sections placed next to each other at the same height, whereby the view on the right corresponds to Figure 3, but the pipe sections 6' and 7' from Figure 2 are inserted. On the left, the pipe sections are omitted, and the fittings are seen in isolation. In particular, the flushing water inlet 8 can be seen here, which communicates with the flushing water connection 5.

Figure 5 shows a cross-section through the toilet body 1 from Figures 1 to 4, but widthways (vertical sectional plane) and looking to the rear. In particular, a pipe bend 9 creating this link can be seen on the right-hand side. It is designed as a single piece with the ceramic toilet body, using the hollow casting method. It runs hidden from sight inside an external cladding wall 10 and an internal wall of the toilet bowl 11.

When the toilet is flushed, the flushing water therefore proceeds from a flush mounted cistern, not shown, through a flushing bend pipe, also not shown, directly (with no interface) into the pipe section 6 or 6', and via this and the flushing water connection 5 into the pipe bend 9, to reach the bowl 2 through the flushing water inlet 8. In the bowl, the flushing water completes a circular and downward helical movement which is supported by the inner shape of the bowl, this being the sub ject of a separate patent application. The flow of flushing water certainly wets the internal walls (shown) of the toilet bowl 2 fully and the flushing water is then dis charged via the siphon bend shown, the waste water connection 14 and the pipe section 7 or 7' connected to the latter.

As can easily be seen from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 on the one hand and on the other hand 3 and 4 (right), the height can be adapted by choosing between different pipe sections 6, 6'. As mentioned, the mechanical attachment can be ad justed with slots. In this case, the height adjustment at the sewage pipe end is re solved in a similar way to that used for the flushing water pipe, namely by using different pipe sections 7, 7'. However, the facility for adjusting the height of the waste water connection generally already present in the wall could also be used.

It can also be seen that the rear side of the toilet body 1 (at the rear on the right in Figures 1 and 2, and on the right-hand side in Figures 3 and 4 (on the right)) is mechanically decoupled from the flushing water supply pipe and also the sewage pipe. At the same time, the flushing water supply pipe is designed to be conducive to flow, seamless, and favourable in terms of production, in other words to be in corporated into the rest of the toilet body 1 using the hollow casting method, in a substantial area, namely starting from the flushing water connection 5 and pro ceeding through the pipe bend 9 to the flushing water inlet 8.

The transition required at the flushing water connection 5 is unavoidable (any where) but takes place in this exemplary embodiment directly at the pipe section 6, which in turn is routed directly to the flushing bend pipe, meaning that a minimum number of transitions and parts are used. The link between the pipe sections 6, 6' and 7, 7' and the ceramic toilet body 1, in other words connections 5 and 14, is designed to be inserted with standard elastomer seals. These links are reliably and permanently leaktight and are easily accessible at the point shown compared to, for example, a transition also conceivable in the direct vicinity of the flushing water inlet 8, see also EP 3 064 663 Al. The gap between the flushing water con nection 5 and the connection plane, in other words the plane of the wall, is 12.5 cm in this exemplary embodiment.

Figure 6 shows a view like that in Figure 1, although a cover 12 for a connection opening 13 included on the top side of the lateral side of the shell of the pipe sec tion 6 can be seen in an area of the pipe section 6 in the vicinity of the flushing water connection 5, whereas this opening is shown without a cover in Figure 8. Figure 7 shows a cross-section that is otherwise identical to Figure 3, whereby a flushing water restrictor 14 is marked that is designed such that it is incorporated into the cover 12 and is used to adapt the flushing water flow to the individual pressure conditions. Reference is again made here to EP 3 064 663 Al.

An odour extraction unit, which is not shown (but is shown in a similar form in EP 3 064 663 Al), can also be connected to the connection opening 13, for example, to which end the connection opening can be placed on the side, for example, instead of on top. Furthermore, a cage for a cleaning or disinfectant tablet or similar addi tives can also be installed in the connection opening 13, for example.

Finally, it can easily be seen by comparing Figures 1 and 3 that the opening 3 on the top of the toilet body 1 clearly visible in Figure 1 and the space underneath this offer considerably more space for installing a range of components, if at least pipe section 6 and possibly also pipe section 7 are initially omitted and only inserted once assembly of these components is complete. To this extent, the invention is also particularly suitable for combination with a toilet with an additional function, in particular a shower device.

As the toilet shown in accordance with Figure 3, for example, can also be con nected with a completely standard straight pipe section 6', the invention is also aimed at the toilet body 1 without the pipe section (or pipe sections). By the same token, a toilet can also be deemed to include the toilet seat not shown and the lid not shown (or the shower device), although these are not essential to the inven tion, are missing from the exemplary embodiment and are therefore not a manda tory element of the subject-matter of the invention.

Claims

1. A water toilet including: a toilet body, a toilet bowl in the toilet body, a flushing water inlet in the toilet bowl of the toilet body, a pipe incorporated into the toilet body between the flushing water inlet and an integrated flushing water connection of the toilet, a pipe section separate from the toilet body for connecting to the flushing water connection of the toilet and connecting the same to a flushing water supply for the toilet, wherein the flushing water connection is located behind the toilet bowl and at a minimum distance of 10 cm from the rear side of the toilet body, and wherein the pipe section is flexible to facilitate height adjustment or a plurality of pipe sections are provided to facilitate height adjustment with different height offsets.

2. The toilet according to claim 1, wherein the flushing water inlet is located on the side or front of the toilet bowl and is connected to the flushing water connection via a pipe bend forming the incorporated pipe, with said pipe bend running along one side of the toilet bowl.

3. The toilet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the flushing water con nection is located centrally to the toilet with regard to a width direction.

4. The toilet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flush ing water connection has a circular cross-section.

5. The toilet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the toilet body is made from ceramic, wherein the incorporated pipe between the flushing water inlet and the flushing water connection is preferably manu factured using the hollow casting method.

6. The toilet according to any one of the preceding claims, designed for sus pended wall-mounting on its rear side.

7. The toilet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pipe section is made from plastic.

8. The toilet according to claim 7, wherein the pipe section is dimensioned such that when connected to the flushing water connection it protrudes to the rear over the toilet body and can be connected to the flushing water supply, and in particular to a flushing bend pipe, in a wall and behind a front side of the wall in front of which the toilet is to be installed.

9. The toilet according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the pipe section has an additional connection opening in the lateral surface.

10. The toilet according to claim 9, with a flushing water restrictor for insertion into the connection opening of the pipe section.

11. The toilet according to claim 9 or claim 10, with an odour extraction unit for connecting to the connection opening in the pipe section.

12. The toilet according to any one of claims 9 to 11, which is designed for add ing additives, in particular cleaning or disinfectant tablets, to the flushing water through the connection opening of the pipe section.

13. A use of the toilet according to any one of the preceding claims for connec tion to a flushing water supply, wherein the flushing water connection of the toilet is connected to a flushing water supply via a pipe section or the pipe section mentioned in claim 7, with said pipe section being provided sepa rately from the toilet body.

14. The use according to claim 13 of a toilet according to claim 10, wherein a flushing water restrictor, an odour extraction unit or a device for adding ad ditives to the flushing water is mounted or is to be mounted in the connec tion opening of the pipe section.