CN107034964B

CN107034964B - Flushing toilet with straight-through heater and water heater

Info

Publication number: CN107034964B
Application number: CN201610814237.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·巴赫曼
Original assignee: Geberit International AG
Current assignee: Geberit International AG
Priority date: 2015-09-09
Filing date: 2016-09-09
Publication date: 2021-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2036-09-09
Also published as: PT3141668T; PL3141668T3; DK3141668T3; EP3141668A1; ES2674793T3; EP3141668B1; CN107034964A; TR201807085T4

Abstract

The invention relates to a flush toilet with a dual device for heating the flush water, namely with a water heater (11) and a flow-through heater (10). The water heater (11) and the continuous heater (10) are each connected to a separate flushing nozzle (20, 21) by separate lines.

Description

Flushing toilet with straight-through heater and water heater

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a toilet bowl (flush toilet) having a flushing function.

Background

Such appliances have been known for decades and have gained increasing attention in europe in recent years. Technological developments have involved, among other things, hot water production. For this purpose, water heaters (i.e. hot water accumulators with heating devices) and flow-through heaters are known in principle, which have specific advantages and disadvantages, respectively.

Furthermore, a flushing toilet is known from the prior art EP 2357423 a1, in which a water heater is combined as an energy accumulator with a flow-through heater. Here, the two are connected in series and serve to prolong the rinsing time available at a defined temperature. For this purpose, the water heater can produce hot water before the rinsing process and be replenished with water heated by the flow-through heater during the rinsing process, so that the thermal capacity of the water heater is not exhausted too quickly. In this case, the relatively high temperature is mixed with the cold water at the outlet of the water heater in order to set the desired temperature.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is based on the object of further improving the use flexibility of a flush toilet having a combination of a water heater for heating the flushing water and a flow-through heater.

This object is achieved by a flushing toilet with a flow-through heater for heating flushing water and a water heater for heating flushing water and with a nozzle for spraying heated flushing water, wherein a further nozzle is used for spraying heated flushing water, wherein one of the nozzles is assigned to the flow-through heater and the other of the nozzles is assigned to the water heater, each nozzle being connected to the flow-through heater or the water heater via its own nozzle line.

Preferred configurations are the subject matter of the dependent claims and are also set forth in detail below in addition to the basic idea of the invention. No distinction is made here between different claim types, but the features shown should be referred to in all claim types.

The inventors believe that the combination of the water heater and the straight-through heater provides significant advantages in the power capability of flushing the toilet. However, the hitherto unknown possibility is shown, in that, unlike the cited prior art, the series connection of the once-through heater and the water heater is not selected, but instead both are each acted upon by a respective nozzle line, at the end of which a respective nozzle is provided. The possibility therefore arises of: the flushing function can optionally be operated with two water heaters, nozzle lines and nozzles or with only one of the groups, that is to say with only one "flushing branch" (consisting of a water heater or a flow-through heater with associated nozzle line and nozzle).

This results in different alternatives, which are explained in more detail below. In principle, good flushing spray results can still be achieved variably, for example in the case of limited electrical power, i.e. for example in the case of a flow-through heater or a water heater, which can only be used at the same time. Since the two "flush branches" can be operated in parallel with the water heater heated, and a particularly good and high-power flush spray effect is achieved without the need to therefore load a common nozzle with a higher water pressure or a stronger water flow as an optimization. But each nozzle can supply the appropriate amount of water even when only one of the two "flush branches" is operated. This applies, for example, also in the case of unheated water heaters and the use of flow-through heaters or in the case of water heaters which are reheated in the flushing mode and in which the flow-through heater is switched off, i.e. the water temperature is reduced.

The possibilities described relate in particular, but not necessarily but merely by way of example, to the fact that after the switching-on process a flushing function requirement may be present in such a short time interval that the water heater has not yet reached the correct water temperature. That is, a water heater in principle requires more time than a flow-through heater until sufficient hot water is available, and may (although perhaps only in exceptional cases) occur with insufficient time remaining between switch-on and demand for flush water. A satisfactory flushing operation can be achieved with at least one of the two nozzles by means of the invention.

In the prior art, a multiplicity of rinsing arms with two spray nozzles is known, wherein each spray nozzle usually has a special constructional function, i.e. for example either for anal rinsing or private parts rinsing. Accordingly, the nozzle is typically moved into this position along the rinse arm and/or for the spray angle; furthermore, they are usually provided specifically for providing a different water flow quality (e.g. greater pressure) than for private parts washing, for example for anal washing. In the case of the present invention, however, the two nozzles mentioned are preferably arranged adjacently at a distance of up to 1.5cm, preferably up to 1.2cm or even 1.0 cm. Furthermore, they preferably have largely the same water jet angle. Finally, they are preferably largely identical in construction, which of course primarily relates to the nozzle itself and not necessarily to the supply line. Although the supply lines preferably also have the same cross section (in order to ensure substantially the same spray quality), they may have different profiles with regard to the geometry of the interior of the rinse arm. Additionally or alternatively, the two nozzle jets can be balanced by means of a pump adjustment or a regulating valve adjustment.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a connecting line is connected between the outlet of the flow-through heater provided for heating water and the outlet of the respective water heater, in particular a switchable valve is provided therein, by means of which the line can be opened or closed. This line increases the flexibility and, for example, makes it possible to: in the case of a flow-through heater, the hot water can also flow through a line which originally connects the water heater to the nozzle assigned to the water heater, in order, for example, to clean the flow-through heater with hot water and to discharge the cold water contained therein before the respective nozzle is operated. Such a cleaning process is known in respect of the mentioned cold water being squeezed out by the hot water before the actual function of the nozzle, in order to avoid the user getting in contact with the cold water first in the flushing. During the cleaning process, the respective water used for cleaning purposes in or on the rinse arm may for example be used or be discarded unused.

In particular, a control device is preferably provided, which is designed such that, after a switching-on process, the nozzle lines which are acted upon by the flow-through heater are first cleaned with water heated in the flow-through heater and then the nozzle lines which are to be acted upon by the water heater (in the future) are cleaned.

Furthermore, this sequence of cleaning processes is also preferred when the mentioned connecting lines are not present or are not used in the way set forth. However, it is also preferred here to first clean the nozzle line between the flow-through heater and its nozzle and only then to clean the other nozzle line between the water heater and its nozzle, in the case considered here the water coming from the water heater and supplied correspondingly later for heating.

Finally, in the case of the mentioned connecting line between the flow-through heater and the two outlets of the water heater, the heated water from the flow-through heater (at an early point in time) is used for introduction into the water heater, in particular in the context of the cleaning process described for this purpose. The water in the water heater can thereby be heated in an enhanced manner and/or be mixed better by the water heater during heating and/or particularly heat cold water regions at low temperatures. For the last aspect it is pointed out that the outlet of the water heater is forced to channel water in the lower region of the water heater in order to be able to utilize the entire water heater capacity, and there is generally a tendency in water heaters to: a temperature layer is formed upon heating.

If the flow-through heater is to have a water reservoir in its water supply line, this is preferably connected to the water heater via an overflow. The water reservoir of the once-through heater can thus be filled together with the water heater, i.e. the filled water is first passed into the water reservoir of the once-through heater via the water supply line and then into the water heater via the overflow opening.

It was already mentioned at the outset that in the case of the heated rinsing water which is required prematurely for a water heater, only the rinsing branch of the flow-through heater is used first. Preferably, two flushing branches are used when the water heater can provide hot water, in order to achieve a particularly intensive flushing function. The flow-through heater is now operated and the stored heat in the water heater is utilized. This can of course be done according to the corresponding operation of the user. As an additional or alternative advantage of the invention, it is also conceivable to use only the flushing branch of the flow-through heater after the hot water storage in the water heater has been exhausted (or in any case after the temperature therein has dropped too much). This possibility can of course also be taken into account independently of the procedure described when the flushing function is required prematurely.

In general, it is believed that the presence of separate nozzle lines and nozzles for the flow-through heater and the water heater achieves a number of different advantages, since these lines can be used entirely generally simultaneously, but also individually and separately from one another.

Drawings

The present invention will be explained in detail below based on examples.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram for illustrating an embodiment, an

Fig. 2 shows the distal end of the rinse arm in cross-section for purposes of illustrating embodiments.

Detailed Description

On the upper left side of fig. 1, a fresh water interface, generally designated 1, of a flush toilet according to the present embodiment is depicted. Fresh water flows out of the fresh water supply line 2 through the particle filter 3 and the regulating valve 4 and the switching valve 5 to the vertical separation section 6, which is defined for hygienic reasons. From this isolated section a line 7 leads to a water tank, generally designated 8. The tank is divided into two parts, namely a fresh water tank 9 for a straight-through heater 10 on the left and a water heater 11 with an electric heating device 12 on the right. The fresh water tank 9 and the boiler 11 are connected to one another via an overflow 13, so that both can be filled jointly via the fresh water connection 1 and the line 7. The water heater 11 has a heating device 12 and a temperature sensor 19.

A line 14 connects the outlet of the fresh water tank 9 and the flow-through heater 10, which has sensors for the water volume flow and the water temperature upstream and downstream of the flow-through heater in the usual manner, by means of a pump, not numbered. Downstream of the flow-through heater 10, a line 15 leads the water which heats up in operation through a particle filter 16 to a flow-through valve 17.

On the other hand, the water heater 11 has an outlet arranged below, on which a T-piece is provided. The outlet of the T-piece 18 leads via a pump to the right to a not shown flushing arm, i.e. to a so-called booster nozzle 20 of the flushing arm.

The connection of the valve 17 also leads to the flushing arm, i.e. to the anal nozzle 21 of the flushing arm, which is arranged directly beside the booster nozzle 20. Finally, the valve 17 is connected to the other port of the tee 18 by a connecting line 22.

Fig. 2 shows a section of the distal end of the flush arm 24 in the bowl rim 23 of the flush toilet according to the invention. The flush toilet has in the usual way a toilet bowl, for which only a section of the bowl rim 23 is visible. At the pot rim 23 there is a channel-like opening, visible in fig. 2, in and behind which the flushing device is fitted. The rinsing device comprises a rinsing arm 24 which in fig. 2 extends from the upper left to the lower right and has the two already mentioned

nozzles

20 and 21 at its right end (distal end).

Even though the exact design of the nozzle is not very important for the invention, it should be mentioned that two spherical swirl chambers 25 are provided in the central region of the cross-section of the flushing arm, for which reference is made to EP 2628546 of the prior art. These swirl chambers emit, at their ends which are on the upper side in fig. 2, a swirling water flow which flows out through the

nozzle openings

20 and 21 of increasing diameter and which now entrains air from the environment inside the rinse arm. The two

nozzles

20 and 21 are relatively closely adjacent and have a spacing of about twice the nozzle opening diameter (on the upper wash arm surface).

Nozzle 20 is called a booster nozzle and nozzle 21 is called an anal nozzle; both are identical in their geometry and are supplied through a pipe of the same cross-section. These lines are not shown here, but are located in front of and behind the sectional plane.

Below the swirl chamber 25, a movable nozzle arm 26 is visible, which carries a nozzle opening, not numbered, at its right-hand (distal) end and can be used for vaginal rinsing as required. For this purpose, water is supplied through the channel 27, which drives the arm 26 out against the force of the helical spring, which is not numbered, and loads it. This part of the flushing device is not important for the present invention.

Above the channel 27 there is a channel 28, which channel 28 communicates with the ventilation means of the

nozzles

20 and 21 according to fig. 2. Furthermore, the channel 28 can guide the water flowing out through the

nozzles

20 and 21 in the fully retracted state of the flushing arm 24 (not shown).

Furthermore, in fig. 2, a washing device 29 can be seen, which forms the distal end of the guide of the rinse arm 24 and is held in the basin rim 23. The washing device may be supplied with water through the passage 30 and used to clean the outer surface of the rinse arm 24 as it is advanced and retracted. Prior art EP 2626478 is cited for this purpose.

Further details of the structure of a typical toilet flush are also given in the two cited documents.

In contrast to many flushing devices of the prior art, the two

nozzles

20 and 21 arranged on the upper side of the flushing arm are not used here for different constructional purposes, but both (with the same structure, the same spray direction and directly adjacent) are used for anal cleaning. In the prior art, the second nozzle opening is typically provided for vaginal cleansing, which in the present invention may be performed by the nozzle arm 26.

Instead, both

nozzles

20 and 21 have the advantage that the hot water supply system of fig. 1 can be simultaneously acted upon, in particular the booster nozzle 20 via a T-piece on the outlet of the boiler 11 and the anal nozzle 21 via the valve 17 and the flow-through heater 10. But they may also be operated individually without thereby changing their individual injection characteristics.

A typical procedure in operation is as follows: the flushing of the toilet bowl can identify the user, for example by means of an infrared sensor, which causes the control device to switch on the water heater 11, in particular its heating device 12. This may also already occur when the user is just in the vicinity of the flushing toilet. If the beginning of the use of the toilet is then detected, for example by a contact sensor, the control device can switch on the flow-through heater 10 and the pump in the line 14 instead of the water heater 11 and adjust the valve 17 in such a way that the hot water flushes the nozzle line up to the flushing nozzle 21 and the cold water is discharged. This can also be done before the flushing arm 24 is retracted, so that the water flowing out of the nozzles 21 fulfills a certain cleaning function in respect of the flushing arm.

Then, for example, after the flushing function has been triggered, the nozzle line between the booster nozzle 20 and the water heater 11 can be flushed with hot water via the connecting line 22 (with the valve 17 in the corresponding position), to be precise again using the flow-through heater 10. At the same time, for example, one third of the volume flow of water can be introduced into the boiler 11 via the T-piece 18 in order to bring about better mixing there, in particular to heat up the cold region near the outlet.

The rinse arm can then be cleaned in a known manner when it is moved out, for example also with water heated by the flow-through heater 10, and with the valve 17 in a position not explained in detail here, the water passes through the connection 30 into the washing apparatus 29. If the flushing arm 24 is extended, the two

nozzles

20 and 21 can be used, wherein the valve 17 closes the connecting line 22, each nozzle being supplied by the water heater 11 or by the flow-through heater 10 via its own nozzle line.

If the requirement for the flushing function is instead made so early that the last-mentioned operation is not meaningful because of an insufficient water temperature in the boiler 11, it is possible to operate only the anal nozzle 21 with water heated by the flow-through heater 10 as an emergency procedure, while the booster nozzle 20 is operated when there is a sufficient water temperature in the boiler 11.

Of course, other processes (also independently of this embodiment) are also possible, for example using only the boiler water and the booster nozzle 20 for normal flushing functions (as long as the boiler water is sufficiently hot) and the anal nozzle 21 being switched on only when desired (which means that the flow-through heater 10 is switched on). In this case, the nomenclature of the nozzles can also be interchanged, since the anal nozzle 21 then functions to some extent as a booster nozzle.

The present exemplary embodiment generally shows that the separate line connections between the two nozzles and the associated

water heating device

10 or 11 make it possible to achieve different advantages, which can be used in a flexible manner. When the connecting line 22 is present, this also relates to the cleaning process up to the booster nozzle 20 in the case of maintenance of the energy content in the water heater 11.

Claims

1. Flushing toilet with a flow-through heater (10) for heating flushing water and a water heater (11) for heating flushing water and with flushing nozzles (20, 21) for spraying heated flushing water, characterized in that a further flushing nozzle (21, 20) for spraying heated flushing water is provided, wherein one of these flushing nozzles (20, 21) is assigned to the flow-through heater (10) and the other of these flushing nozzles (21, 20) is assigned to the water heater (11), and each flushing nozzle (20, 21) is connected to the flow-through heater (10) or the water heater (11) by means of a respective nozzle line,

wherein a connecting line (15, 22) having an openable and closable valve (17) is provided between the outlet of the continuous heater (10) and the outlet of the water heater (11).

2. The flushing toilet according to claim 1, wherein the two flushing nozzles (20, 21) are arranged at a mutual distance of at most 1.5 cm.

3. The flushing toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both flushing nozzles (20, 21) are designed for the same spray angle of the water jet.

4. The flush toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two flush nozzles (20, 21) are structurally identical.

5. A flush toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein there is a water reservoir (9) in the water supply line (7, 14) of the flow-through heater (10), which water reservoir (9) is connected in the water supply line (7, 14) of the flow-through heater (10) with the water heater (11) via an overflow (13) so that both can be jointly filled upstream of the water reservoir (9) via the water supply line (7, 14).

6. The flushing toilet according to claim 1, wherein a control device is provided which is designed to initially clean the nozzle line acted upon by the flow-through heater (10) and the flushing nozzle (21) acted upon by the flow-through heater (10) with hot water from the flow-through heater (10) during the switching-on process, and to clean the nozzle line acted upon by the water heater (11) and the flushing nozzle (20) acted upon by the water heater (11) with hot water afterwards in time.

7. The flushing toilet according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the control device is designed to cause the nozzle line loaded by the water heater (11) to be flushed with water heated by the flow-through heater (10) during the switching-on process via a connecting line (15, 22) between the outlet of the flow-through heater (10) and the outlet of the water heater (11).

8. The flushing toilet according to claim 7, wherein the control device is designed to divert a portion of the water heated by the flow-through heater (10) from the connecting line (15, 22) into the water heater (11) there.

9. The flush toilet of claim 8, wherein the control device is designed to: after the switching-on process and when the user operates the flushing function for flushing a toilet bowl so early that only the flow-through heater (10), the nozzle line loaded by the flow-through heater and the flushing nozzle (21) loaded by the flow-through heater are used for the flushing function when the water in the water heater (11) is not yet or not yet fully heated, and the flow-through heater (10) and the water heater (11) and the nozzle line and the flushing nozzle (21, 20) respectively loaded by them are simultaneously used for the flushing function when the flushing function is operated later.

10. Method for operating a flush toilet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein sometimes only one of the two nozzle lines leads flush water, sometimes both nozzle lines lead flush water.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein after a switch-on process and when the user operates the flushing function of flushing a toilet bowl so early that only the through-heater (10), the nozzle line loaded by it and the flushing nozzle (21) loaded by it are used for the flushing function when the water in the water heater (11) has not yet or not yet been completely heated, and when the flushing function is operated later the through-heater (10) and the water heater (11) and the nozzle line and the flushing nozzle (21, 20) respectively loaded by them are simultaneously used for the flushing function.

12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the nozzle lines loaded by the flow-through heater (10) and the rinsing nozzles (21) loaded by the flow-through heater (10) are first rinsed with hot water from the flow-through heater (10) during switching-on, and the nozzle lines loaded by the water heater (11) and the rinsing nozzles (20) loaded by the water heater (11) are rinsed with hot water afterwards in time.

13. Method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein during switching-on the nozzle line loaded by the water heater (11) is flushed with water heated by the flow-through heater (10) through the connecting line (15, 22) between the outlet of the flow-through heater (10) and the outlet of the water heater (11), wherein a portion of the water heated by the flow-through heater (10) is diverted from the connecting line (15, 22) into the water heater (11).

14. Use of a flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for carrying out a method according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

15. A control device configured for controlling operation of a toilet bowl, characterized in that,

the flushing toilet is designed with a flow-through heater (10) for heating flushing water and a water heater (11) for heating flushing water and with flushing nozzles (20, 21) for discharging heated flushing water, and with further flushing nozzles (21, 20) for discharging heated flushing water, wherein one of the flushing nozzles (20, 21) is assigned to the flow-through heater (10) and the other of the flushing nozzles (21, 20) is assigned to the water heater (11), and each flushing nozzle (20, 21) is connected to the flow-through heater (10) or the water heater (11) by means of a respective nozzle line,

The control device is configured such that sometimes only one of the two nozzle lines leads flushing water, sometimes both nozzle lines lead flushing water, and

after the switching-on process and when the user operates the flushing function for flushing a toilet bowl so early that only the flow-through heater (10), the nozzle line loaded by the flow-through heater and the flushing nozzle (21) loaded by the flow-through heater are used for the flushing function when the water in the water heater (11) is not yet or not yet fully heated, and the flow-through heater (10) and the water heater (11) and the nozzle line and the flushing nozzle (21, 20) respectively loaded by them are simultaneously used for the flushing function when the flushing function is operated later.

16. Control device according to claim 15, wherein the control device is configured such that, during switching-on, the nozzle lines loaded by the flow-through heater (10) and the flushing nozzles (21) loaded by the flow-through heater (10) are first rinsed with hot water from the flow-through heater (10), and the nozzle lines loaded by the water heater (11) and the flushing nozzles (20) loaded by the water heater (11) are rinsed with hot water afterwards in time.

17. Control device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the control device is configured such that, during switching-on, a nozzle line loaded by the water heater (11) is flushed with water heated by the flow-through heater (10) through a connecting line (15, 22) between the outlet of the flow-through heater (10) and the outlet of the water heater (11), wherein a portion of the water heated by the flow-through heater (10) is diverted from the connecting line (15, 22) into the water heater (11).