CA2050787C - Low water toilet with pulsed flush - Google Patents
Low water toilet with pulsed flushInfo
- Publication number
- CA2050787C CA2050787C CA002050787A CA2050787A CA2050787C CA 2050787 C CA2050787 C CA 2050787C CA 002050787 A CA002050787 A CA 002050787A CA 2050787 A CA2050787 A CA 2050787A CA 2050787 C CA2050787 C CA 2050787C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- water
- bowl
- chamber
- flush
- ledge
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- E03D5/00—Special constructions of flushing devices, e.g. closed flushing system
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- E03D3/00—Flushing devices operated by pressure of the water supply system flushing valves not connected to the water-supply main, also if air is blown in the water seal for a quick flushing
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Sanitary Device For Flush Toilet (AREA)
- Vehicle Waterproofing, Decoration, And Sanitation Devices (AREA)
- Bidet-Like Cleaning Device And Other Flush Toilet Accessories (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
A low water flush toilet having a bowl with a horizontal ledge extending around the bowl periphery near its open upper end with a flush water nozzle on the ledge for discharging water in a generally horizontal direction onto the ledge. A pulsator is provided for producing pulses of flush water that are discharged onto the ledge with the water of each pulse flowing at varying velocities such that as the water flows around the ledge, some of the water will fall off the ledge around substantially the entire periphery of the bowl resulting in wetting of the entire bowl surface for cleaning the bowl. The pulsator includes a spring biased piston for discharging pulses of water.
A low water flush toilet having a bowl with a horizontal ledge extending around the bowl periphery near its open upper end with a flush water nozzle on the ledge for discharging water in a generally horizontal direction onto the ledge. A pulsator is provided for producing pulses of flush water that are discharged onto the ledge with the water of each pulse flowing at varying velocities such that as the water flows around the ledge, some of the water will fall off the ledge around substantially the entire periphery of the bowl resulting in wetting of the entire bowl surface for cleaning the bowl. The pulsator includes a spring biased piston for discharging pulses of water.
Description
r~ .
LOW WATER TOILET
WITH PULSED FLUSH
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a low water flush toilet and in particular to a toilet having a pulsator for providing uniform pu~ses o~ flush water to the ~owl to produce consistent and repeatable ~lushing operation.
Water ~hortages and a general trend toward water j conservation have lead to the use of low water ~lush to~lets.
In some geographic areas building codes require the use o~ low water flush toilets. The water supply in a recreational vehicle may be limited such that conservation of ~ sh water by an RV toilet is essential.
1 As a result, many low water f1ush toilets have been ¦ developed. Several of these toilets, however, suffer from one ¦ or mor~ deficiencies. A major problem with several of these j toilets is insufficient cleaning of the bowl surface due to the smaller quant1ty of water used in flushing. ~his deficiency can at often times be caused by failure of the flush water to wet the entire bowl sur~ace. If a portion o~ the bowl surface is not wetted by the ~lu~h water, that surface can not be properly cleaned. One factor contributing to unwetted bowl , sur~aces is the manner in which ~he flush water is delivered to the toilet. Toilets have conventionally been flushed using a .i, :~ ~ . , .
~ rim~eed in which a water manifold extends around the bowl with .
LOW WATER TOILET
WITH PULSED FLUSH
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a low water flush toilet and in particular to a toilet having a pulsator for providing uniform pu~ses o~ flush water to the ~owl to produce consistent and repeatable ~lushing operation.
Water ~hortages and a general trend toward water j conservation have lead to the use of low water ~lush to~lets.
In some geographic areas building codes require the use o~ low water flush toilets. The water supply in a recreational vehicle may be limited such that conservation of ~ sh water by an RV toilet is essential.
1 As a result, many low water f1ush toilets have been ¦ developed. Several of these toilets, however, suffer from one ¦ or mor~ deficiencies. A major problem with several of these j toilets is insufficient cleaning of the bowl surface due to the smaller quant1ty of water used in flushing. ~his deficiency can at often times be caused by failure of the flush water to wet the entire bowl sur~ace. If a portion o~ the bowl surface is not wetted by the ~lu~h water, that surface can not be properly cleaned. One factor contributing to unwetted bowl , sur~aces is the manner in which ~he flush water is delivered to the toilet. Toilets have conventionally been flushed using a .i, :~ ~ . , .
~ rim~eed in which a water manifold extends around the bowl with .
2 ~ ~ Q ~ ~ ~
a number of outlets around the bowl periphery. Water flows downwardly from these outlets to the bowl discharge outlet.
This ar~angement works satisfac~ory in cleaning the bowl when large quantities of water are used to flush the bowl.
Sufficient water is used in each flush to ~fan out" from the outlet to cover the entire bowl surface. However, when this arrangement is used in low water toilets, the water may not fan out sufficiently to wet the entire bowl surface.
Some low water flush toilets also require an inlet water supply pressure in excess of 20 psi. In some r~creational vehicles, as well ag some remotely located buildings, the water ~upply pre~sure may not be ~u~ic~ent to operate these toilets.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet that consistently cleans the bowl surface using a minimum quantity of water.
It is a another object of the invention to provide a toi~et in which the entire bowl surface is wetted during flushing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet that opera~es at a minimum water supply pressure.
It is yet a ~urther object of the present invention to provide a low wa~er flush toilet in which the flush operation is repeatable from one flush to another.
The low water toilet of the present invention utilizes a pulsator to produce pulses of flush water discharged into the bowl rather ~han a steady stream of water. The pulses are discharged from a nozzle in a horiæontal direction onto a generally horizontal ledge around the periphery of the bowl adjacent its upper end. The water discharged at the beginning of each pulse has a higher velocity than thle water discharged at the end of each pulse. The higher velocity water flows a greater distance around the periphery of the bowl prior to falling off the ledge and wetting the bowl surface than the lower velocity water. The differing water velocities in each pulse results in water falling o~f the ledge around the entire periphery o~ the bowl and ~ollowing a generally swirling path around the bowl, wetting the 2ntire bowl ~ur~ace.
The swirling path of the water results in a longer path of travel for the water ~rom the nozzle to the bowl discharge outlet aompared to conventional rim feed toilets in which the flush water flows directly down from the rim to the outlet. The swirl pattern thuæ increases the bowl surface covered hy the water, allowing less water to be used without sacrificing ~lush per~ormance.
The pulsator produces uniform pulses o~ flush water regardless o~ the water supply pressure resulting in consistent and repeatable flush operation.
The single horizontal water discharge onto the ledge coupled with ~he pulsed discharge of water produces a ~lush in which the entire bowl surface is wetted, enabling the surface to ~e cleaned u~ing a minimum quantity of water and also results in a consistent and repeatable flushing operation.
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Further objec~s, features and advantages of the invention become apparent from a consideration of the following description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DE$CRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
, ':
Figure 1 is a partially broken away plan view of the low water flush toilet of the present invention;
Figure 2 i8 a side partial elevational and partial sectional view o~ the toilet o~ F~gure l;
Figure 3 i5 a sectional view oP the pulsator:
Figure 4 is a large sectional view o~ the top portion of the pulsator as seen from substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the pulsator filled with water immediately be~ore discharge o~ a pulse o~ ~lush waterJ :
Figure 6 is a sectional view o~ ~he pulsator similar to Figure 5 with the pulsator ~illed with water immediately after opening the pulsator outlet: and Figure 7 is a sectional view of a pulsator ~ immediately a~t~r discharge o~ a water pulse just prior to 1 closing the pulsator outlet. ~--~ .
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF.THE INVENTION
The low water flush toilet of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and designated generally at 10.
The toilet 10 includes a bowl section 12 open at its upper end and having a lower discharge outlet 14. The inner surface 16 of the bowl 12 is formed with a ledge 18 extending around the bowl near its upper end. As u~ed throughout the specification and claims, the term "ledge" is used to refer to a porti.on o~
the bowl sur~ace 16 having a 810pe or incline ~hat is oloser to horizontal than the slope o~ the surrounding bowl surPace both below and above the ledge. A single ~lush water nozzle 20 directs flush water onto the ledqe 18 so that the flush water flows on the ledge 18 around the periphery of bowl 12. As the velocity of the flush water slows, the water will gradually fall off the ledge 18 flowing over the bowl surface 16 to the out?et 14. A pulsator 22 produces flush water pulses flowing through ~lush water conduit 24 to nozzle 20. Conduit 24 includes a back ~low restrictor 26 to prevent any waker from being drawn back into the conduit 24 from the bowl.
The structure and operation of the pulsator 22 is best shown and described in conjunction with Figures 3 through 7. Pulsator 22 includes a water inlet 28 which receives water from a flush valve 30. Flush valve 30 is normally closed and is lactuated by rod 32 to an open position enabling water to low through .valve 30 into the pulsator 22. The pulsator is 5~
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constructed of a two-piece housing formed by upper housing 4Q
and lower housing 42 joined together by nut and bolt assemblie~
44. The housing ~orms a tubular upper portion 34 and a main body lower portion 36 forming an in~ernal chamber 3~ concentric about axis 39.
A generally inverted cup shaped piston 46 is disposed in the lower portion of the pulsator and is axially movable between a raised position shown in Figure 3 and a lowered position shown in Figure 6. The volume of internal chamber 38 increases as the piston ~6 moves from the raised position to the lowered posi~ion. A biaslng spring ~8 urges the pi~ton 46 ta its raised position corresponding to ~he minimum volume o~
the chamber. A ~ollsock diaphragm 50 is secured to the piston base 52 by a retaining member 54. The retaining member is secured to the piston base by screw and washer assembly,56.
The outer periphery 57 o~ the diaphragm is enlarged in section forming a sealing ring sandwiched between the upper and lower housings 40 and 42 forming a seal between the housings.
Diaphragm 50 de~ines the lower boundary o~ the internal chamber 38. ~s the piston 46 is lowered, moving the diaphragm lower, the volume of internal chamber 38 increases. The lower housing 42 is open below piston 46. , , . When valve 30 is opened, `the pressure of water flowing into chamber 38 ~orces the piston 46 downwaxd in opposition to biasing spring 48, increasing the volume of cham~er 38 as water flows therein. Energy is stored in spring 48.
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The top of upper housing 40 ~orms a discharge ori~ice 58 concentric about axis 39 leading to ~itting 60 which is secured to upper housing 40 by ~hreaded collar 61 and is sealed by seal member 63. Fitting 60 is coupled to the flush water conduit 24, directing flush water from the pulsator to the flush water nozzle 20.
The discharge orifice 58 is closed by cap 62 fixed to the top of spool 64. A seal 66 surrounding cap 62 forms a leak tight engagement of the cap with the neck 86 leading to orifice 58. The spool 64 is generally cylindrical with upper and lower ~ins 68 and 70 respectively ex~ending radially outward to guide axial motion o~ the spool as described below. The spool body includes openings 72 to admit water into the interior of the spool.
As shown in Figure 3, the discharge orifice 58 is closed and the pi~ton 46 is in the raised position. With the valve 30 closed, the water pressure in chamber 38 will be substantially atmospheric as discussed below. When valve 30 is open, water will ~low into chamber 38 increasing the internal pressure until it is suf~icient to overcome biasing spring 48, enabling the piston 46 to be lowered. The water within spool 64 will act upon the interior sur~ace of cap 62 holding the spool 64 in place closing outlet orifice 58. The opposing pressure on cap 62 in ~he fitting 60 is either atmospheric .
pressure or the pressure of water in the conduit 24. The .
ret~ining member 54 includes a stem 74 extending longitudinally into the interior o~ spool 64 to couple the piston with the ~7~
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spool. A collar 75 is attached to stem 74 by a rotating interlocking coupling. Collar 75 is pushed up against the enlarged head 77 of the stem by release spring 76 surrounding the stem. Spring 75 is retained between raclial shoulder 78 on collar 75 and shoulder 80 extending radially inwardly from spool 64. As the pistsn 46 is lowered, the stem 7~ is àlso lowered, compressing the release spring 76. The water pressure in the spool exerts a gxea~er upward force on the spool than the downward force exerted by the spring 76. When the piston 46 approaches its lowered position, the lower annular surface 82 of the collar 75 contacts the radial shoulder 80 at the bas~
o~ the spool. In this po~ition, the release ~pring 76 is fully compressed. Continued downward movement of the piston 46 retracts the spool 64 from orifice 5~. Figure 5 illustrates the pulsator 22 when the spool has been slightly retracted from orifice 58. Once the orifice is opened, the fluid pressure acting on both sides of the cap 62 is substantially equalized, enabling the compressed spring 76 to move spool 64 downward to the position shown in Figur~ 6.
The water ~low rate through the outlet orifice 58 is greater than the lncoming flow rate ~hrough inlet 28 such that the pressure within the internal chamber is decr~as~d sufficiently for biasing ~pring 48 to move the piston 46 upward, discharging a substantial portion of the water in a single pulse.
As the piston 46 approaches the raised position, the cap 6Z of the spool will restrict the flow of water through ~ Q ~
outlet orifice 58 as the spool cap approaches the neck 86. As a result of the reduced flow rate through outlet orifice 58 and the continuing water inflow through inlet 28, the chamber begins to fill again, moving the piston downward in opposition to the biasing spring 48 beginning the next cycle of the pulsator. The pulsator continues to cycle, discharging pu1ses of flush water, as long as the valve 30 remains open.
A bleed hole 88 is formed in cap 62. In the event that the valve 30 is closed while the internal chamber 38 is partia}ly ~illed, the bleed hole 88 allows the pressure in the chamber 38 to slowlv b~ relieved by water Plowing through th~
bleed hole 88 into the ~lush condult 24. This enables the internal pulsator pressure to be relieved while it is idle between flushes.
~I The bleed hole 88 also aids in removing water from the system for winterization when the toilet is installed in recreational vehicles, summer homes and the like. By disçonnecting the incoming water source and providing a lower drain opening, the water in the ~lush conduit 2~ as well as the pulsator can be drained from the system.
A flapper va~ve 90 is positioned in the tube 60 immediately above the outlet ori~ice 58. Extension 92 o~ the cap 62 extends through orifice 58 preventing the flapper valve from completely closing the ori~ice 58. It has been found that as the spool closes orifice 58, the water Plowing through fit~ing 60 produces a slight vacuum upstream, causing a portion of the water to flow backwards from fitting into the pulsator.
g_ The backflowing water can prevent the spool from fully closing the orifice 58. Flapper valve 60 prevents the backflowing water from effecting the position of the spool.
The water from each pulse is discharged onto the ledge 18 in the bowl 12. The water discharged a~ the beginning of each pulse has a higher velocity than the water at the end of the pulse. The water velocity is reduce~ at the end of the pulse due to the ~act that the force of t~e spring is progressively spent during the course of each pulse discharge.
The higher velocity water travels a greater ~istance around the bowl bePore falling o~ the ledge than does the lower velocity water. As a consequence, water will Pall o~P ~he lodge ~round substantially the entlre periphery o~ the ~owl resulting in the entire bowl surface being wetted and cleaned with water from each pulse.
The ledge and water dischaxge onto the ledge produces a swirling or rotating flow of the water in the bowl. The swirling water travels a greater distance over the bowl surface compared to water ~rom a conventional rim ~eed toilet that ~lows straight down the bowl sur~ace ko the bowl outlet. By combining the rotational travel of the water with the pulse discharge of varying water velocities, the entire bowl surface is cleaned using a minimum quantity of water.
The desired discharge volume of each pulse will be based on the siz~ and shape of the toilet bowl. The water pr~ssure within each pulse varies between approximately 4 and 8 psi. The supply water pressure must be greater than 8 psi to produce full compression of the spring 4~. The onboard water supply pressure in a recreational vehicle may vary from 10 to 20 psi. When the toilet i5 connected to a municipal water system the pressure may be any where between a low of 20 psi to as much as 100 psi. To avoid overpowering the spring 48, creating a situation where the spring remains depressed and never moves to the shut off portion, a pressure reyulator (not shown) is required upstream of the pulsator 22. The pressure is regulated to no more than 35-~0 psi. The pulsator 22, which uses the spring 48 to supply pre~sure to each pulse, will produce consistent and repeatable ~lush operation re~ardless of the water supply pressure.
It is to be understood that the invention i5 not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spiri~ and scope of the invention as defined in the Lollowlng claim~.
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a number of outlets around the bowl periphery. Water flows downwardly from these outlets to the bowl discharge outlet.
This ar~angement works satisfac~ory in cleaning the bowl when large quantities of water are used to flush the bowl.
Sufficient water is used in each flush to ~fan out" from the outlet to cover the entire bowl surface. However, when this arrangement is used in low water toilets, the water may not fan out sufficiently to wet the entire bowl surface.
Some low water flush toilets also require an inlet water supply pressure in excess of 20 psi. In some r~creational vehicles, as well ag some remotely located buildings, the water ~upply pre~sure may not be ~u~ic~ent to operate these toilets.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet that consistently cleans the bowl surface using a minimum quantity of water.
It is a another object of the invention to provide a toi~et in which the entire bowl surface is wetted during flushing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet that opera~es at a minimum water supply pressure.
It is yet a ~urther object of the present invention to provide a low wa~er flush toilet in which the flush operation is repeatable from one flush to another.
The low water toilet of the present invention utilizes a pulsator to produce pulses of flush water discharged into the bowl rather ~han a steady stream of water. The pulses are discharged from a nozzle in a horiæontal direction onto a generally horizontal ledge around the periphery of the bowl adjacent its upper end. The water discharged at the beginning of each pulse has a higher velocity than thle water discharged at the end of each pulse. The higher velocity water flows a greater distance around the periphery of the bowl prior to falling off the ledge and wetting the bowl surface than the lower velocity water. The differing water velocities in each pulse results in water falling o~f the ledge around the entire periphery o~ the bowl and ~ollowing a generally swirling path around the bowl, wetting the 2ntire bowl ~ur~ace.
The swirling path of the water results in a longer path of travel for the water ~rom the nozzle to the bowl discharge outlet aompared to conventional rim feed toilets in which the flush water flows directly down from the rim to the outlet. The swirl pattern thuæ increases the bowl surface covered hy the water, allowing less water to be used without sacrificing ~lush per~ormance.
The pulsator produces uniform pulses o~ flush water regardless o~ the water supply pressure resulting in consistent and repeatable flush operation.
The single horizontal water discharge onto the ledge coupled with ~he pulsed discharge of water produces a ~lush in which the entire bowl surface is wetted, enabling the surface to ~e cleaned u~ing a minimum quantity of water and also results in a consistent and repeatable flushing operation.
~ ~ . ' - ' 3 rJ
Further objec~s, features and advantages of the invention become apparent from a consideration of the following description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DE$CRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
, ':
Figure 1 is a partially broken away plan view of the low water flush toilet of the present invention;
Figure 2 i8 a side partial elevational and partial sectional view o~ the toilet o~ F~gure l;
Figure 3 i5 a sectional view oP the pulsator:
Figure 4 is a large sectional view o~ the top portion of the pulsator as seen from substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the pulsator filled with water immediately be~ore discharge o~ a pulse o~ ~lush waterJ :
Figure 6 is a sectional view o~ ~he pulsator similar to Figure 5 with the pulsator ~illed with water immediately after opening the pulsator outlet: and Figure 7 is a sectional view of a pulsator ~ immediately a~t~r discharge o~ a water pulse just prior to 1 closing the pulsator outlet. ~--~ .
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF.THE INVENTION
The low water flush toilet of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and designated generally at 10.
The toilet 10 includes a bowl section 12 open at its upper end and having a lower discharge outlet 14. The inner surface 16 of the bowl 12 is formed with a ledge 18 extending around the bowl near its upper end. As u~ed throughout the specification and claims, the term "ledge" is used to refer to a porti.on o~
the bowl sur~ace 16 having a 810pe or incline ~hat is oloser to horizontal than the slope o~ the surrounding bowl surPace both below and above the ledge. A single ~lush water nozzle 20 directs flush water onto the ledqe 18 so that the flush water flows on the ledge 18 around the periphery of bowl 12. As the velocity of the flush water slows, the water will gradually fall off the ledge 18 flowing over the bowl surface 16 to the out?et 14. A pulsator 22 produces flush water pulses flowing through ~lush water conduit 24 to nozzle 20. Conduit 24 includes a back ~low restrictor 26 to prevent any waker from being drawn back into the conduit 24 from the bowl.
The structure and operation of the pulsator 22 is best shown and described in conjunction with Figures 3 through 7. Pulsator 22 includes a water inlet 28 which receives water from a flush valve 30. Flush valve 30 is normally closed and is lactuated by rod 32 to an open position enabling water to low through .valve 30 into the pulsator 22. The pulsator is 5~
2~ 7~ ~
constructed of a two-piece housing formed by upper housing 4Q
and lower housing 42 joined together by nut and bolt assemblie~
44. The housing ~orms a tubular upper portion 34 and a main body lower portion 36 forming an in~ernal chamber 3~ concentric about axis 39.
A generally inverted cup shaped piston 46 is disposed in the lower portion of the pulsator and is axially movable between a raised position shown in Figure 3 and a lowered position shown in Figure 6. The volume of internal chamber 38 increases as the piston ~6 moves from the raised position to the lowered posi~ion. A biaslng spring ~8 urges the pi~ton 46 ta its raised position corresponding to ~he minimum volume o~
the chamber. A ~ollsock diaphragm 50 is secured to the piston base 52 by a retaining member 54. The retaining member is secured to the piston base by screw and washer assembly,56.
The outer periphery 57 o~ the diaphragm is enlarged in section forming a sealing ring sandwiched between the upper and lower housings 40 and 42 forming a seal between the housings.
Diaphragm 50 de~ines the lower boundary o~ the internal chamber 38. ~s the piston 46 is lowered, moving the diaphragm lower, the volume of internal chamber 38 increases. The lower housing 42 is open below piston 46. , , . When valve 30 is opened, `the pressure of water flowing into chamber 38 ~orces the piston 46 downwaxd in opposition to biasing spring 48, increasing the volume of cham~er 38 as water flows therein. Energy is stored in spring 48.
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The top of upper housing 40 ~orms a discharge ori~ice 58 concentric about axis 39 leading to ~itting 60 which is secured to upper housing 40 by ~hreaded collar 61 and is sealed by seal member 63. Fitting 60 is coupled to the flush water conduit 24, directing flush water from the pulsator to the flush water nozzle 20.
The discharge orifice 58 is closed by cap 62 fixed to the top of spool 64. A seal 66 surrounding cap 62 forms a leak tight engagement of the cap with the neck 86 leading to orifice 58. The spool 64 is generally cylindrical with upper and lower ~ins 68 and 70 respectively ex~ending radially outward to guide axial motion o~ the spool as described below. The spool body includes openings 72 to admit water into the interior of the spool.
As shown in Figure 3, the discharge orifice 58 is closed and the pi~ton 46 is in the raised position. With the valve 30 closed, the water pressure in chamber 38 will be substantially atmospheric as discussed below. When valve 30 is open, water will ~low into chamber 38 increasing the internal pressure until it is suf~icient to overcome biasing spring 48, enabling the piston 46 to be lowered. The water within spool 64 will act upon the interior sur~ace of cap 62 holding the spool 64 in place closing outlet orifice 58. The opposing pressure on cap 62 in ~he fitting 60 is either atmospheric .
pressure or the pressure of water in the conduit 24. The .
ret~ining member 54 includes a stem 74 extending longitudinally into the interior o~ spool 64 to couple the piston with the ~7~
2 ~ 3 ,) ?~
spool. A collar 75 is attached to stem 74 by a rotating interlocking coupling. Collar 75 is pushed up against the enlarged head 77 of the stem by release spring 76 surrounding the stem. Spring 75 is retained between raclial shoulder 78 on collar 75 and shoulder 80 extending radially inwardly from spool 64. As the pistsn 46 is lowered, the stem 7~ is àlso lowered, compressing the release spring 76. The water pressure in the spool exerts a gxea~er upward force on the spool than the downward force exerted by the spring 76. When the piston 46 approaches its lowered position, the lower annular surface 82 of the collar 75 contacts the radial shoulder 80 at the bas~
o~ the spool. In this po~ition, the release ~pring 76 is fully compressed. Continued downward movement of the piston 46 retracts the spool 64 from orifice 5~. Figure 5 illustrates the pulsator 22 when the spool has been slightly retracted from orifice 58. Once the orifice is opened, the fluid pressure acting on both sides of the cap 62 is substantially equalized, enabling the compressed spring 76 to move spool 64 downward to the position shown in Figur~ 6.
The water ~low rate through the outlet orifice 58 is greater than the lncoming flow rate ~hrough inlet 28 such that the pressure within the internal chamber is decr~as~d sufficiently for biasing ~pring 48 to move the piston 46 upward, discharging a substantial portion of the water in a single pulse.
As the piston 46 approaches the raised position, the cap 6Z of the spool will restrict the flow of water through ~ Q ~
outlet orifice 58 as the spool cap approaches the neck 86. As a result of the reduced flow rate through outlet orifice 58 and the continuing water inflow through inlet 28, the chamber begins to fill again, moving the piston downward in opposition to the biasing spring 48 beginning the next cycle of the pulsator. The pulsator continues to cycle, discharging pu1ses of flush water, as long as the valve 30 remains open.
A bleed hole 88 is formed in cap 62. In the event that the valve 30 is closed while the internal chamber 38 is partia}ly ~illed, the bleed hole 88 allows the pressure in the chamber 38 to slowlv b~ relieved by water Plowing through th~
bleed hole 88 into the ~lush condult 24. This enables the internal pulsator pressure to be relieved while it is idle between flushes.
~I The bleed hole 88 also aids in removing water from the system for winterization when the toilet is installed in recreational vehicles, summer homes and the like. By disçonnecting the incoming water source and providing a lower drain opening, the water in the ~lush conduit 2~ as well as the pulsator can be drained from the system.
A flapper va~ve 90 is positioned in the tube 60 immediately above the outlet ori~ice 58. Extension 92 o~ the cap 62 extends through orifice 58 preventing the flapper valve from completely closing the ori~ice 58. It has been found that as the spool closes orifice 58, the water Plowing through fit~ing 60 produces a slight vacuum upstream, causing a portion of the water to flow backwards from fitting into the pulsator.
g_ The backflowing water can prevent the spool from fully closing the orifice 58. Flapper valve 60 prevents the backflowing water from effecting the position of the spool.
The water from each pulse is discharged onto the ledge 18 in the bowl 12. The water discharged a~ the beginning of each pulse has a higher velocity than the water at the end of the pulse. The water velocity is reduce~ at the end of the pulse due to the ~act that the force of t~e spring is progressively spent during the course of each pulse discharge.
The higher velocity water travels a greater ~istance around the bowl bePore falling o~ the ledge than does the lower velocity water. As a consequence, water will Pall o~P ~he lodge ~round substantially the entlre periphery o~ the ~owl resulting in the entire bowl surface being wetted and cleaned with water from each pulse.
The ledge and water dischaxge onto the ledge produces a swirling or rotating flow of the water in the bowl. The swirling water travels a greater distance over the bowl surface compared to water ~rom a conventional rim ~eed toilet that ~lows straight down the bowl sur~ace ko the bowl outlet. By combining the rotational travel of the water with the pulse discharge of varying water velocities, the entire bowl surface is cleaned using a minimum quantity of water.
The desired discharge volume of each pulse will be based on the siz~ and shape of the toilet bowl. The water pr~ssure within each pulse varies between approximately 4 and 8 psi. The supply water pressure must be greater than 8 psi to produce full compression of the spring 4~. The onboard water supply pressure in a recreational vehicle may vary from 10 to 20 psi. When the toilet i5 connected to a municipal water system the pressure may be any where between a low of 20 psi to as much as 100 psi. To avoid overpowering the spring 48, creating a situation where the spring remains depressed and never moves to the shut off portion, a pressure reyulator (not shown) is required upstream of the pulsator 22. The pressure is regulated to no more than 35-~0 psi. The pulsator 22, which uses the spring 48 to supply pre~sure to each pulse, will produce consistent and repeatable ~lush operation re~ardless of the water supply pressure.
It is to be understood that the invention i5 not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spiri~ and scope of the invention as defined in the Lollowlng claim~.
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Claims (5)
1. A low water flush toilet comprising:
a bowl having an open upper end and a bottom discharge outlet through which waste is flushed from said bowl, said bowl having a ledge near the upper end thereof;
a flush water nozzle disposed in said bowl for discharging flush water onto said ledge to flow circumferentially around said bowl on said ledge, said water falling off said ledge and flowing circumferentially over said bowl surface to said discharge outlet; and means for flushing waste from said bowl with flush water discharged from said nozzle into said bowl, said flush means including valve means for connection with a water supply separate from said toilet and having a water pressure above a predetermined minimum, said valve means being normally closed, actuator means for opening said valve means when desired, and pulse means disposed between said valve means and said nozzle for producing a pulse of flush water for discharge into said bowl through said nozzle, the water of said pulse being discharged into said bowl at varying velocities so that water falls off said ledge to wet substantially all of said bowl as said water flows to said discharge outlet.
a bowl having an open upper end and a bottom discharge outlet through which waste is flushed from said bowl, said bowl having a ledge near the upper end thereof;
a flush water nozzle disposed in said bowl for discharging flush water onto said ledge to flow circumferentially around said bowl on said ledge, said water falling off said ledge and flowing circumferentially over said bowl surface to said discharge outlet; and means for flushing waste from said bowl with flush water discharged from said nozzle into said bowl, said flush means including valve means for connection with a water supply separate from said toilet and having a water pressure above a predetermined minimum, said valve means being normally closed, actuator means for opening said valve means when desired, and pulse means disposed between said valve means and said nozzle for producing a pulse of flush water for discharge into said bowl through said nozzle, the water of said pulse being discharged into said bowl at varying velocities so that water falls off said ledge to wet substantially all of said bowl as said water flows to said discharge outlet.
2. The low water flush toilet of Claim 1 wherein said pulse means produces pulses of water with the water of each pulse being discharged with varying velocity.
3. The water flush toilet of Claim 1 wherein said pulse means includes a water inlet, an internal water chamber, an outlet orifice, a closure for opening and closing said outlet orifice and variable volume means for varying the volume of said chamber, said variable volume means being operable to rapidly decrease the volume of said chamber once said chamber is filled with water to a maximum volume whereby water in said chamber is discharged through said orifice in a single pulse.
4. The low water flush toilet of Claim 3 wherein said variable volume means includes moveable piston means and spring means for biasing said piston means to a position corresponding to the minimum volume of said chamber, said spring means being overcome by water pressure from said inlet when said chamber is in communication with said water supply whereby said piston is moved to a position increasing the volume of said chamber as water flows into said chamber.
5. The low water flush toilet of Claim 4 further comprising means coupling said piston means to said closure for moving said closure to a position opening said orifice when said piston means reaches the maximum volume position of said chamber, the opening of said orifice decreasing the water pressure in said chamber sufficiently for said spring means to move said piston means to said minimum volume position discharging water from said chamber.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US07/581,530 US5073994A (en) | 1990-09-12 | 1990-09-12 | Low water toilet with pulsed flush |
| US581,530 | 1990-09-12 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2050787A1 CA2050787A1 (en) | 1992-03-13 |
| CA2050787C true CA2050787C (en) | 1994-01-11 |
Family
ID=24325551
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002050787A Expired - Fee Related CA2050787C (en) | 1990-09-12 | 1991-09-06 | Low water toilet with pulsed flush |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US5073994A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0475310B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH0694684B2 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU635691B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2050787C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69100934T2 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2048544T3 (en) |
Families Citing this family (17)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5305475A (en) * | 1992-11-13 | 1994-04-26 | Kohler Co. | Pump operated plumbing fixture |
| AUPM560794A0 (en) * | 1994-05-16 | 1994-06-09 | Nossol, Werner Ludwig | Toilet bowl flushing system |
| AU689259B2 (en) * | 1994-05-16 | 1998-03-26 | Form-It Services Pty Limited | Waste receptacle |
| US6397405B1 (en) | 2000-04-11 | 2002-06-04 | Thetford Corporation | Flush toilet for RV's and boats |
| US8032956B2 (en) * | 2005-11-21 | 2011-10-11 | Ideal Standard International Bvba | Multi-phase, high energy flushing system |
| US7765625B2 (en) | 2006-02-17 | 2010-08-03 | Thetford Corporation | Flush toilet assembly |
| US20080060121A1 (en) * | 2006-09-08 | 2008-03-13 | Dan Marius Andreiu | Low flow hygienic apparatus and methods |
| US8082605B2 (en) * | 2006-09-08 | 2011-12-27 | Dan Marius Andreiu | Low flow hygienic apparatus and methods |
| USD583031S1 (en) * | 2007-10-09 | 2008-12-16 | Thetford Corporation | Toilet |
| USD654575S1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2012-02-21 | Thetford Corporation | Wall mounted toilet |
| USD654576S1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2012-02-21 | Thetford Corporation | Wall mounted bidet |
| US9879437B2 (en) * | 2013-02-05 | 2018-01-30 | Bertram Y. ITO | Transportable restroom |
| US9340963B2 (en) | 2013-02-05 | 2016-05-17 | Bertram Y. ITO | Transportable restroom |
| US9957701B2 (en) | 2013-02-05 | 2018-05-01 | Bertram Y. ITO | Roof assembly for a transportable restroom |
| US9719239B2 (en) | 2014-03-18 | 2017-08-01 | Kohler India Corporation Private Limited | Dual-jet toilet |
| EP3119946A1 (en) | 2014-03-21 | 2017-01-25 | Kohler Co. | Toilet comprising a jet hole |
| CN110409582B (en) * | 2019-08-07 | 2024-06-11 | 厦门铱科卫浴科技有限公司 | Water outlet box of pressure type flushing system and toilet bowl using same |
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| FR348766A (en) * | 1904-12-10 | 1905-04-26 | Martial Andre | Wardrobe appliance |
| US866368A (en) * | 1906-02-23 | 1907-09-17 | Monroe N Callender | Flushing apparatus. |
| US1242200A (en) * | 1914-03-13 | 1917-10-09 | Robert M Keating | Flushing-valve. |
| US1521355A (en) * | 1923-01-30 | 1924-12-30 | Beaton & Cadwell Mfg Company | Flush valve |
| US2068406A (en) * | 1935-10-21 | 1937-01-19 | Edith F Freed | Fluid flow control apparatus |
| US2907049A (en) * | 1952-08-08 | 1959-10-06 | Richardson Lawrence | Method for flushing toilets and the like |
| US3251068A (en) * | 1964-01-03 | 1966-05-17 | Kenneth A Milette | Portable water closet with valved bowl |
| SU432306A1 (en) * | 1972-07-17 | 1974-06-15 | PULSER | |
| FR2213383B1 (en) * | 1972-09-04 | 1976-08-13 | Ragot Claude | |
| US3860973A (en) * | 1973-04-04 | 1975-01-21 | Itt | Toilet construction |
| JPS5110023B2 (en) * | 1973-08-28 | 1976-04-01 | ||
| GB1482201A (en) * | 1973-11-22 | 1977-08-10 | Thetford Aqua Prod Ltd | Toilet |
| FR2381923A1 (en) * | 1977-02-23 | 1978-09-22 | Fogautolube Sa | Detergent pump operated by water pressure - supplies detergent and water in correct proportions for washing metal articles |
| US4204812A (en) * | 1978-02-22 | 1980-05-27 | Avm Corporation | Vacuum system |
| US4232409A (en) * | 1978-08-21 | 1980-11-11 | Minh Van Pham | Pneumatic assisted flushing apparatus for toilets |
| US4185337A (en) * | 1978-09-26 | 1980-01-29 | Thetford Corporation | Portable toilet with improved flush apparatus |
| DE8117090U1 (en) * | 1981-04-24 | 1981-11-26 | Ermital AG, 9494 Schaan | RINSING DEVICE FOR WATER CLEANERS |
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| DE3536967A1 (en) * | 1985-10-17 | 1987-04-23 | Schmidt Heinrich | Process and device for flushing a sanitary installation |
| US4926508A (en) * | 1987-10-27 | 1990-05-22 | Thetford Corporation | Portable toilet with battery operated flush assembly |
| JP2603698B2 (en) * | 1988-08-12 | 1997-04-23 | 松下電工株式会社 | Simple flush toilet |
-
1990
- 1990-09-12 US US07/581,530 patent/US5073994A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1991
- 1991-09-06 JP JP3226944A patent/JPH0694684B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1991-09-06 CA CA002050787A patent/CA2050787C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1991-09-07 DE DE91115157T patent/DE69100934T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1991-09-07 ES ES91115157T patent/ES2048544T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1991-09-07 EP EP91115157A patent/EP0475310B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1991-09-09 AU AU83768/91A patent/AU635691B2/en not_active Ceased
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ES2048544T3 (en) | 1994-03-16 |
| DE69100934D1 (en) | 1994-02-17 |
| EP0475310A2 (en) | 1992-03-18 |
| CA2050787A1 (en) | 1992-03-13 |
| JPH0694684B2 (en) | 1994-11-24 |
| US5073994A (en) | 1991-12-24 |
| DE69100934T2 (en) | 1994-04-28 |
| JPH04254630A (en) | 1992-09-09 |
| AU635691B2 (en) | 1993-03-25 |
| AU8376891A (en) | 1992-03-19 |
| EP0475310B1 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
| EP0475310A3 (en) | 1992-07-01 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |