CA2208151A1 - Adjustable urinal - Google Patents

Abstract

A urinal for use by persons of either sex. The urinal has a receptacle member and a tube, the receptacle member being pivotally mounted and movable between a variable first position and a second position. The receptacle member is usable by a person for the voiding of waste liquids therein when the receptacle member is in the first position. A tube is located within the receptacle member and adapted to be connected to a supply of water. The tube provides continuous flushing of the receptacle member with water when the receptacle member is in the first position. The receptacle member is connected to a drain for disposal of the waste liquids and water.

Description

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 ADJUSTABLE URINAL

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an adjustable urinal, and especially to a self-flushing adjustable urinal that is unisexual in nature i.e. may be used by either males or females. The adjustable urinal may be a stand alone unit or it may be associated with a conventional toilet.

Background to the Invention A variety of toilets, also known as water closets, are known, and typically have a stationary receptacle member for receiving liquid or solid human waste, with an associated water tank. When used as a urinal, the conventional toilet is typically used by sitting on the seat that is provided as part of the toilet, or in the case of males often by standing in front of the toilet receptacle member and discharging directly into the receptacle member. Use of a conventional toilet as a urinal has a number of disadvantages, including the splashing of urine from the toilet receptacle member onto areas surrounding the toilet, especially when used by a male, associated objectionable noises, difficulties in use particularly by smaller individuals e.g. children who cannot reach the toilet receptacle member without using a stool or other means of elevation, and the large volume of water, e.g. up to about six gallons, for each flushing of the toilet. In addition, installation of a toilet requires a significant area in which to accommodate the toilet and its associated water tank as well as installation of the associated plumbing. Moreover, the CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 toilet and its tank are heavy, which must be taken into account during installation.
A number of adjustable urinals have been developed for use in association with a toilet and which may in some instances be intended to be unisexual. For instance, U.S. 4,137,579 of P.S. Soler describes a urine drain which has a housing attached to a flexible tube, the drain part of which is discharged through the side of the toilet receptacle member. The water inlet is activated by a valve.
U.S. 5,153,947 of E.C. Markles discloses a urinal that is rotated about a horizontal axis into the desired position. It is believed that the receptacle is not designed for females, and it is not variable in height.
The unit flushes only when the toilet flushes and the amount of water used in flushing is not minimal.
U.S. 5,299,328 of W. Walega discloses a toilet that includes a urinal disposed adjacent to the stationary receptacle member of the toilet and which is movable between a retracted position recessed into the tank of the toilet receptacle member and a use position. It is believed that the receptacle is not designed for females, and the amount of water used in flushing is not minimal.
U.S. 5,390,374 of S.E. Hubrig, et al. has a receptacle that does not drain until it is pushed up to a height greater than the top of the toilet receptacle member. Receptacle movement would seem to be awkward for children, and the amount of water used in flushing is not minimal or automatic.
A urinal that is more user-friendly, which uses a minimal amount of water and could be automatic in flushing, and which may be used in locations other than CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 adjacent to a toilet would be useful. It would be advantageous if the urinal is unisexual.

Summary of the Invention A urinal has now been found that may be used in locations other than adjacent to a toilet, and which may be used by both males and females. The urinal is adjustable in height and convenient to use.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a urinal for use by persons of either sex, said urinal being comprised of a receptacle member and a tube, said receptacle member being pivotally mounted and movable between a first position and a second position, said first position being variable and said second position being a retracted position, said receptacle member being usable by a person for the voiding of waste liquids therein when said receptacle member is in the first position, a tube located within the receptacle member and adapted to be connected to a supply of water to said receptacle member, said tube adapted to provide flushing of the receptacle member with water, especially when the receptacle member is in the first position, said receptacle member being connected to a drain for disposal of said waste liquids and water.
In embodiments of the urinal of the present invention, the flushing may be continuous when the urinal is in use or activated independent of such use.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will be particularly described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings in which:

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a side view of an adjustable urinal;
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an adjustable urinal adjacent to a toilet;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a cross-section of the housing of the adjustable urinal;
Figure 4 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the automatic self-flushing device of the urinal;
Figure 5 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an alternate flushing mechanism;
Figure 6 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a drain system for discharge of waste from the receptacle member;
Figure 7 is a schematic representation, in exploded view, of an embodiment of a pivot mechanism used in the adjustment of the urinal;
Figure 8 is a schematic representation, in exploded view, of a tap used to connect the drain pipe to a drain;
and Figure 9 is a schematic representation of an alternate embodiment of the pivot mechanism.

Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 shows an adjustable urinal, generally indicated by 1. Adjustable urinal 1 has a housing 2 connected by urinal pipe 3 to pivot mechanism 4. An embodiment of pivot mechanism 4 is shown in more detail in Figure 7. Water inlet 5 is connected to urinal pipe 3 at the lower end thereof e.g. by tapping into urinal pipe 3, as is urinal drain 6.
Within urinal pipe 3, water inlet 5 is connected to water pipe 7 which extends up urinal pipe 3 to a location CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 at the top of housing 2, as described in more detail below. Water inlet 5 and water pipe 7 could be part of the same pipe. Water pipe 7 is shown as located within urinal pipe 3 and housing 2, but it could be located on the outside of either or both of urinal pipe 3 and housing 2. In the embodiment shown, urine receptacle member 8 is located within housing 2 and is connected at its lower end with drain pipe 9 that extends down and within urinal pipe 3 and is connected to urinal drain 6.
Housing 2 and receptacle member 8 could be the same, rather than separate entities as illustrated in this embodiment i.e. housing 2 per se could be omitted. Drain pipe 9 should have sufficient flexibility for pivoting of the urinal, or otherwise adapted for such pivoting.
- 15 Housing 2 has lid 10, which is optional.
Nonetheless, as described herein, lid 10 may be utilized in activation of the self-flushing mechanism for the adjustable urinal. In the absence of lid 10, the self-flushing mechanism could be activated on movement of housing 2 about pivot mechanism 4.
Figure 2 shows adjustable urinal 1 located in association with a toilet, generally indicated by 20.
Toilet 20 has a toilet receptacle member 21 having lid 22 thereon. Toilet receptacle member 21 is connected to stand 23 which is connected to base 24. Toilet 20 has water tank 25 with tank lid 26, located behind and above toilet receptacle member 21.
Water pipe 27 is shown as connected to water inlet 5 of adjustable urinal 1 as well as to water inlet 28 of water tank 25. Water inlet 5 and water pipe 28 have valves 29 and 30 which may be used to control the flow of water to the adjustable urinal 1 and to water tank 25, or to cut it off completely during installation or for other CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 , reasons. It is understood that the location of the valves with respect to the water pipes could be adjusted.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, drain 6 from adjustable urinal 1 is shown as being fed to base 24 of toilet 20. In this embodiment, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 6, drain 6 is connected under base 24 into the drain beneath toilet 20, using a spacing plate or shim adapted to receive drain 6 and convey fluid to the drain beneath the toilet. In other embodiments, drain 6 could be tapped into the side of stand 23 of toilet 20.
When adjustable urinal 1 is not used in association with toilet 20, drain 6 would be fed to another source of drainage for the urinal.
Figure 3 shows a cross-section of housing 2. Within housing 2, water pipe 7 is shown as extending from urinal pipe 3, not shown but located to the underside of housing 2, upwards within housing 2 to a location adjacent lid 10 .
In another embodiment, water pipe 7 enters receptacle 8 near the bottom (see Fig. 5).
It is understood that the pipes referred to herein may be rigid, but the pipes may also be flexible i.e. be more in the form of tubes or hoses. Lid 10 may open in any direction, but it might be convenient to open lid 10 in a sideways direction, based on the movement of the adjustable urinal, rather than front to back, but this will depend on the actual design of the urinal and its intended location. Water pipe 7 is located within housing 2 but not within receptacle member 8. Receptacle member 8 extends from adjacent to lid 10 down to and smoothly interconnecting with drain pipe 9, which as shown in Figure 1 extends down urinal pipe 3. Urinal pipe 3 and drain pipe 9 could be the same pipe.

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 Likewise, urinal drain 6 and drain pipe 9 could be the same pipe.
Flushing tube 40 is located within receptacle member 8. Flushing tube 40 extends from water inlet connector 41 to water terminal 42. Water terminal 42 would normally be a plug or other means of closing the end of flushing tube 40. Water inlet connector 41 would normally have a valve activated by the opening of lid 10, such that water would pass from water inlet pipe 7 through water inlet connector 41 into flushing tube 40 on opening of lid 10. Flushing tube 40 has one or more orifices 43, of which two are shown in Figure 3.
Orifices 43 should be sufficient in number and located such that receptacle member 8 is conveniently and consistently flushed during the period when lid 10 is open, without causing inconvenience to the user. In an embodiment of the invention, flushing tube 40 could be replaced with one or more spray heads or spray nozzles, or other flushing devices.
Receptacle member 8 is shown as having trap 61 located in the bottom thereof, where receptacle member 8 merges into drain pipe 9. Trap 61 has a solid portion, indicated by 62, having vents 63 therein through which liquid may pass. Trap 61 is intended to prevent the passage of solid material e.g. paper, into drain pipe 9, in which it could cause a blockage. It is also understood that trap 61 could be shaped so that drain pipe 9 extends up into trap 61, to a height above vents 63, thereby forming a liquid trap (not shown). Traps of other shapes e.g. S-shaped traps, may be inserted in drain pipe 9 and/or urinal drain 6, in which case a screen may be inserted in receptacle member 8, adjacent CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 to drain pipe 9, to prevent passage of solid material into drain pipe 9.
Figure 4 illustrates an example of the self-flushing mechanism for adjustable urinal 1, although it is to be understood that other valve means could be used to achieve self-flushing of urinal 1 when in use. Water inlet connector 41, which is shown in Figure 3, has inlet box 44. Water pipe 7 enters inlet box 44, thereby becoming flushing tube 40 which, in turn, passes from inlet box 44 through box orifice 45 forming that part of flushing tube 40 as shown in Figure 3. In the embodiment of Figure 4, flushing tube 40 has tube bend 46 which is intended to close off flushing tube 40 so that water does not pass from water pipe 7 and into flushing tube 40 when the adjustable urinal 1 is not in use. Lid 10 has lid plate 47 extending therefrom and coming into contact with flushing tube 40. Lid plate 47 is positioned such that when lid 10 is in the closed position, lid plate 47 presses on flushing tube 40 and causes it to form tube bend 46, thus stopping the flow of water through flushing tube 40. While flushing tube 40 might be construed as being flexible, it could be formed of pipe i.e. be essentially rigid. It is understood that part of flushing tube 40 having tube bend 46 could have different properties e.g. be more flexible, than the remainder of flushing tube 40.
Figure 5 illustrates the shape of an embodiment of a receptacle member 8, and an alternative flushing mechanism that is activated by the opening of the lid 10, by use of push button 106 or by the forward movement of the receptacle 21. Using coupling 66, water inlet pipe 7 is connected to flushing tube 40 which houses spring 101 and ball 102. The interior of flushing tube 40 is shaped CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 so that ball 102 prevents the water from flowing. Push rod 100 extends through the top of receptacle 21 and through water terminal 42 and is used to move ball 102 and let water pass through. The push rod side of flushing tube 40 has a number of orifices 43 for flushing. Shield 105 is attached to push rod 100 between the receptacle 21 and water terminal 42 to prevent water from exiting out of receptacle 21. In one embodiment, the top of push rod 100 has push button 106 which may be depressed in order to move push rod 100. In an alternative embodiment, movement of lid 10 by, for example, horizontal rotation, vertical rotation or sliding, depresses push rod 100. Another alternative embodiment utilizes forward movement of receptacle 21 to depress push rod 100. A valve could be used to control the flow of water to flushing tube 40.
Figure 6 shows a cross-section of drain pipe 9 connected under base 24 of a toilet receptacle member.
In the embodiment of Figure 6, stand 23 is attached to floor 50 by means of nut and bolt combination 51. The standard method of attaching toilet receptacle member to a floor has been modified in the embodiment of Figure 6 by having drain pipe 9 enter under base 24, using spacing plate or shim 52 that is adapted to receive drain pipe 9 and convey fluid therefrom to toilet drain 53. Toilet drain 53 is a drain from toilet receptacle member 21 to a drain system e.g. the sewer. Drain pipe 9 extends under base 24, through spacing plate 52, so as to effect discharge of urine and flushing water from adjustable urinal 1 into toilet drain 53. In the absence of a toilet receptacle member, it is understood that drain pipe 9 would be connected to some other suitable source for discharge of urine and water from adjustable urinal CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 1. Drain pipe 9 and its connection to a drain could utilize one or more pipes for discharge of urine or water. In an embodiment, drain pipe 9, urinal drain 6 and water inlet 5 may be directed to the back of the toilet and encased in a flexible tubing that is fastenable to urinal pipe 3, toilet 20 or the floor, although each could be attached separately. This would increase aesthetic appeal and also provide additional strength, which might be important for use by children.
Figure 7 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of pivot mechanism 4 of Figure 1 for use with the adjustable urinal of the present invention. Urinal pipe 3 is connected to an elbow 55. Elbow 55 is connected in turn with rigid material 56 (shown in the form of a rod), plate 57, non-compressible spring material 58, plate 59 and adapter 60; adapter 60 may be in the form of a threaded nipple. It is intended that the combination of parts shown in the exploded view of Figure 7 would permit urinal pipe 3 to be adjusted to a desired angle, as required by positioning housing 2 in an acceptable position, and to retain urinal pipe 3 at the angle that has been set. The combination of the screw thread on adapter 60 with the non-compressible spring material 58 would effect this ability to position adjustable urinal 1 i.e. the urinal pipe 3, in the desired position. Other pivot mechanisms could be used.
Movement of elbow 55, or parts associated therewith, may be used to open or close a ball valve.
Figure 8 illustrates a tap that could be used to connect urinal drain 6 to drain 64, using a coupling, generally indicated by 66. Coupling 66 has opposed wedge-shaped ends 67 and 68. Coupling 66 is hollow, to allow passage of fluid from urinal drain 6 to drain 64.

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 Coupling 66 is coated with a suitable sealant or sealing ring, not shown, before being pressed into orifice 65 in drain 64. Wedge-shaped end 67 is of a shape and material to enable the end to be pushed into orifice 65 and be retained therein; in practice, end 67 may be pushed into drain 64 to effect a good seal. The sealant provides a seal against the leakage of liquid. Similarly, wedge-shaped end 68 is inserted and sealed into urine drain 6.
While Figure 8 illustrates a tap directly into a drain, 64, it is understood that a wedge shaped flaring on the end of the drain line could be passed through holes in the floor and drain pipe of the toilet. A sealing hose would then be pushed over it and the drain line pulled through the holes to complete a tap. It is also to be understood that such tapping techniques could be used to connect a source of water to the urinal. The ends of the ball valve may be sealed and tapped into using this method.
In order to provide a vent to a drain trap e.g. an S-shaped trap, an air line may be tapped into drain pipe 9 or urinal pipe 6. Such an air line (not illustrated) may be connected to an appropriate location in the drainage system of the building in which the urinal is located. For example, the air line could follow the drain line under the toilet to a location open to toilet drain 53, similar to urinal drain 6 but separated from the end of urinal drain 6.
It is understood that the parts of the tapping of the water supply, drainage or venting may be reinforced to prevent removal.
A variety of methods of tapping into water supply lines may be used, including use of holes drilled in the water supply line and the use of tapping mechanism CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 frequently used to attach humidifier systems to water supply lines. It is understood that some methods may not comply with plumbing or other by-laws in some jurisdictions, and thus could not be used.
Figure 9 illustrates a guide, 200, that may be used with rigid material 56, plates 57, 59 and non-compressible spring material 58.
In an alternate embodiment, rigid material 56 extends into adapter 60, or other male threaded fitting, to contact non-compressible spring material 58, and washers 57,59. Washer 59 is preferably curved.
Alternatively, washer 59 could be a pair of washers. In another embodiment, washers 57, 59 are placed with the non-compressible spring material 58 around the threaded part of the adapter 60 or other appropriate male threaded fitting. Other embodiments could be used. The guide can be shaped at the end to connect to the opening handle of a ball valve to turn the valve off and on with rotational movement of elbow 55. In another embodiment, a ball valve is screwed onto a nipple, after inserting a washer and a plate into the female end of the ball valve. The other end of the valve is also sealed. A rod connecting the on/off lever of the valve to the stem enables the movement of the stem to open and close the valve.
In use, a person pulls the housing down to an acceptable height, and lifts (opens) the lid, if present, on the housing. The housing remains at that height. The self-flushing mechanism is activated, usually by the opening of the lid although flushing could be activated by movement of the housing to its use position. The person then urinates in the receptacle member, and returns the housing to its retracted or storage position.
The flushing of the receptacle member would normally then CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 cease, although in embodiments described herein flushing could continue, preferably at a lower rate.
In the alternate embodiment of Figure 5, flushing could be activated using the push button. Such flushing would normally be independent of use of the urinal i.e.
activated by the user of the urinal. However, using the same embodiment, opening of a lid on the receptacle could open the valve and effect continuous flushing.
Alternatively, movement of the receptacle to the first position could open the valve and effect continuous flushing.
The adjustable urinal of the present invention is a free-standing urinal for both males and females. It uses a unisexual configured small receptacle which is designed to quietly capture urine without the usual splashing on surrounding areas. The receptacle is attached to a pipe.
The pipe is attached to a 90~ elbow which in turn is attached to an pivot mechanism that may be attached to the floor, as has been shown in the drawings herein, or to some other suitable location.
The receptacle may be raised or lowered to any height and will remain there during use until the user moves it. Therefore the invention is easily used by toilet-trained people of all heights and ages including children who, when using the conventional toilet to urinate, have required help to reach the receptacle member of the toilet.
In the embodiment that has been illustrated, the lowering of the receptacle is enabled by the rotation of the elbow on the pivot mechanism. The pivot mechanism has a male thread that the female thread of the elbow screws onto. The thread is pre~erably configured so that as the receptacle member/housing is lowered the elbow is CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 tightened. To make the receptacle member stay at the desired height, a non-compressible spring material is compressed by the advancement of the elbow on the pivot mechanism. The resulting force enables the receptacle member to stay at the desired position. It is understood that other means may be used to make the receptacle member remain at the desired height.
In embodiments, the receptacle may be adapted to move in a lateral motion, to facilitate use in tight or awkward places. The receptacle shape may be varied for the same reasons or, for instance, to be more user friendly for physically challenged persons.
In normal use in a household, the adjustable urinal may be adapted to use less than one gallon of water a day to flush away voided urine.
The present invention has been described with reference to a self-flushing mode, in which the urinal flushes when the lid of the receptacle member is opened.
In this mode, flushing begins when the lid is opened and stops when the lid is closed. In the embodiment described in the drawings, the rate of flow of water is controlled by folding a flexible tube. The water flow is shut off by folding the tube tightly and turned on by unfolding the tube slightly. The rate of flow of water may be further controlled by use of a valve in the inlet water pipe, as described herein. Alternate methods of control of flow of flushing water may be used. For example, the movement of a lid or of the receptacle per se could be used to open the valve of the embodiment shown in Figure 5. For instance, such movement could depress the push rod and so open the valve.
Alternatively, a push button could be used to open the valve, on demand, e.g. by depressing the push rod.

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 In another embodiment, the movement in the pivot mechanism may be used to turn a ball valve on and off.
In a further embodiment, the water flushes constantly through the receptacle member at a very slow rate i.e. at no time is the flow of water shut off. The actual rate of water flow can be adjusted by the user, if desired, by use of the valve described herein. In a variation, it is understood that a combination of methods could be used, in which there is a constant flow of water but the flow of water is increased when the lid is opened.
The water is released through holes in the flushing tube in the receptacle. A variety of flow patterns could be used.
The receptacle member is drained using a pipe that extends from the bottom of the receptacle member. As described herein, the pipe may be fed directly to a suitable drain. Alternatively, the pipe may be fed into the toilet, either under the base in the toilet, as described, or by tapping into the stand or base of the toilet or into some other drainage means. In a further embodiment, the urinal of the invention may be integral with a toilet, not merely drained into a toilet drain.
It is understood that the drainage from the receptacle member to the drain may include a trap, as is known, to prevent odours from the drain from passing back up to the receptacle member.
The invention requires simple connections to the drainage system and a fresh water plumbing system and therefore can easily be installed in any room of a building, especially when compared to the installation of a conventional or specially configured toilet or urinal.

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 The presen~ invention provides a urinal that may be used by both sexes, as well as by children. It may be located adjacent to a toilet or at another location that has a supply of water for flushing and a drain. It is easy to use.
As it will be appreciated, solid discs of scent may be used with the urinal. Sanitary covers may also be used. The urinal could also be fitted with a bidet.
The urinal may be fabricated using the parts described herein. However, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that some such parts may be integrally manufactured as a unit e.g. by injection or blow moulding. For example, the receptacle and stem may be manufactured as an integral unit. A variety of materials may be used to fabricate the urinal or parts thereof, including fibreglass, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene.
The present invention is illustrated by the following examples.
EXAMPLE I
A water system of Figure 5 was tested at water pressures of between about 145 and 160 pSi, using the embodiment in which constant flushing was achieved on movement of the push rod.
The system was operated for 25 000 cycles without visible signs of any failure.
Tests also showed that spray holes in tubing as disclosed herein could be operated using a volume of water from a municipal water supply system equivalent to about 18 years of usage, without evidence of build-up of calcium or magnesium carbonates from the water supply.

CA 022081~1 1997-06-16 EXAMPLE I I
A pivot mechanism utilizing a bolt that extends through the elbow and through a guide having plates and polyurethane non-compressible spring material, with the last plate contacting a threaded nipple, was tested through 25 000 cycles without visible signs of failure.

EXAMPLE I I I
A total of 126 taps of a type disclosed herein were connected to a fresh-water plumbing line at a pressure of 150 psi. There were no signs of failure i.e. no signs of leakage.
EX~MPLE IV
An embodiment of a urinal as described herein was subjected to normal use by one person in a residential bathroom for a period of approximately six months. The urinal was found to operate successfully, using less than a gallon of water per day.

Claims (21)

1. A urinal for use by persons of either sex, said urinal being comprised of a receptacle member and a tube, said receptacle member being pivotally mounted and movable between a first position and a second position, said first position being variable and said second position being a retracted position, said receptacle member being usable by a person for the voiding of waste liquids therein when said receptacle member is in the first position, a tube located within the receptacle member and adapted to be connected to a supply of water to said receptacle member, said tube adapted to provide flushing of the receptacle member with water, said receptacle member being connected to a drain for disposal of said waste liquids and water.

2. The urinal of Claim 1 in which the opening of the lid activates the flushing of the receptacle member.

3. The urinal of Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the urinal is used in association with a toilet.

4. The urinal of Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the urinal is located away from a toilet.

5. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-3 in which the urinal is drained into part of a toilet, said part of the toilet being below the toilet receptacle member thereof.

6. The urinal of any one of Claims 1, 2 and 4 in which the urinal drains directly into a drain.

7. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-6 in which the tube has orifices therein to effect the flushing of the receptacle member.

8. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-7 in which the tube is flexible.

9. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-7 in which the tube is rigid.

10. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-9 in which the tube is bent to control flow of flushing water.

11. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-10 in which the receptacle member is located within a housing.

12. The urinal of Claim 11 in which the receptacle member is connected to the drain by tapping into the drain.

13. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-12 in which the supply of water is provided to the urinal by tapping a source of water.

14. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-13 in which movement of the receptacle member to the first position activates the flushing of the receptacle member.

15. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-13 in which the receptacle member is adapted to be flushed continuously.

16. The urinal of Claim 15 in which the receptacle member is continuously flushed with water when the receptacle member is in the first position.

17. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-7 in which the flushing action is activated by pushing a button.

18. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-9 in which flushing is activated by pushing a ball that controls flow of water.

19. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-9 in which a ball valve is used to control water flow.

20. The urinal of any one of Claims 1-13 in which the receptacle member is adapted to flush after use.

21. The urinal of Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the urinal is integral with a toilet.