DK2175077T3 - Rinse locker stuffed body - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cistern, in particular a concealed cistern, for a water closet or a urinal with a cistern body and with a container for the cistern arranged in the cistern body, with a housing and with at least one chamber which is arranged in the housing and which defines a filling volume, wherein the housing, in the lower region of the at least one chamber, has an opening which, in the state installed as intended, faces downwards and is arranged in such a manner that the at least one chamber, in the state installed as intended, can be filled with flushing water and/or air, and wherein the housing has another opening in the upper region of the at least one chamber. Such a container and such a cistern are known from FR 2 784 128 Al.

Further containers and cisterns are described in US 2008/0034488 Al, US 6,212,699 Bl, DE 40 22 342 Al and US 5,148,555.

Cisterns, in particular concealed cisterns for water closets or urinals, are known in the most diverse embodiments. Conventional cisterns comprise a cistern body, which is provided with a water connection, a float, a drain valve and a flush pipe connection. In the case of a flushing procedure induced by the user by means of a key, the flushing water present in the cistern body is released and flows away via the drain valve which is in an operative connection with the float. As soon as the minimum level for this flushing procedure is reached, the float, which has also moved downwards due to the fallen water level in the cistern body, causes the closure of the drain valve.

The functioning principle of many drain valves available on the market today and the associated floats is devised such that, according to an adjusted desired flushing water quantity, they close as follows depending on the cistern water level. The cistern begins the procedure from the highest water level in the cistern body and always uses the geodetic highest level for flushing. The filling volumes of the cistern body are usually adjustable to large flushing quantities between 4,5 and 9 litres. Thus, for example, a 9 litre cistern body with an adjustment of a large flushing quantity of 6 litres flushes from 9 litres down to 3 litres or with an adjustment for a large flushing quantity of 4,5 litres flushes from 9 litres down to 4,5 litres residual water level.

If it is desired, for the purpose of further water saving, to reduce the large flushing volume further, the filling valve must be subsequently adjusted differently, so that the cistern body fills with a smaller flushing water quantity. However, there is the object that, to achieve smaller water quantities in this way, the geodetic water level of the cistern body and necessarily therefore the flushing capacity of the cistern is also reduced, which has an unfavourable effect for the flushing capacity of the water closets or urinals.

Another possibility for achieving a reduction in the water quantities is to design a new cistern, which is specially aimed at the geodetic water level and corresponding water volumes, for example the development of a cistern body with a water volume of only 3,5 litres. It is true that with such a cistern the geodetic water level can be maintained compared to larger cisterns. However, it is a disadvantage that, in the case where it emerges after the installation that the drain pipe system is not designed for this relatively small flushing quantity of for example 3,5 litres, there is no possibility of increasing the filling volume in the cistern body again without the cistern being replaced by another model and, in the case of a concealed cistern, the wall having to be chiselled open again.

In US 2008/0034488 Al, the user can adjust on the flush whether he wishes to flush with the full water volume accumulated in the cistern or with a water volume reduced by the volume of the container housing. This therefore involves a so-called dual flush. The design of a dual flush, however, is relatively costly in production, and therefore costintensive, and moreover is also difficult to install.

In the case of the initially mentioned FR 2 784 128 Al, a valve and an operating mechanism for the valve, which transmits the loading of the toilet seat caused by the weight of a person to the valve and thus opens the latter, are disposed outside the cistern and therefore subject to the risk of deliberate manipulation or damage. In the opened state, the valve permits the flooding of the chamber of the container, whereas flooding is prevented in the closed state of the valve. A manipulation of or damage to the operating mechanism or the valve can thus have an adverse effect on the function of the container and therefore the cistern.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to ensure, with a cistern, a object-free functioning of an adaptation of the flushing water quantity using simple means.

According to a first teaching of the present invention, with a cistern, in particular a concealed cistern, for a water closet or a urinal with a cistern body and with a container for the cistern arranged in the cistern body, with a housing and with at least one chamber which is arranged in the housing and which defines a filling volume, wherein the housing, in the lower region of the at least one chamber, has an opening which, in the state installed as intended, faces downwards and is arranged in such a manner that the at least one chamber, in the state installed as intended, can be filled with flushing water and/or air, and wherein the housing has another opening in the upper region of the at least one chamber, the object derived and set out above is achieved by the fact that the container also comprises a plug, by means of which the further opening can be closed, so that, when the further opening is closed by the plug, the at least one chamber, in the state installed as intended, is filled with air when filling the cistern and displaces water, and when the further opening is not closed by the plug, the at least one chamber, in the state installed as intended, is flooded with water when filling the cistern.

Embodiments of the cistern are the subject-matter of the sub-claims.

The container according to the invention has the advantage that, in the state installed as intended, it can displace the flushing water present in the cistern when at least one chamber in the housing of the container is filled with air. An exchange of air and flushing water inside the chamber can take place through the at least one opening, in other words the air quantity inside the housing of the container can thus be regulated. The less air and the more water present in the housing, the greater the usable flushing water volume in the cistern body. By means of the container according to the invention, there is the possibility, when the cistern is operated for the first time, of filling the latter with flushing water while initially maintaining a maximum air filling of the at least one container chamber, so that for example a maximum water volume of 3,5 litres is reached in the cistern body, and then, if need be, of adapting the maximum water volume to the personal and/or local circumstances, in that the chamber or one of a plurality of chambers or all the chambers initially completely filled with air are flooded with flushing water, until the desired maximum water volume is reached in the cistern body.

According to an embodiment of the cistern according to the invention, at least two chambers are arranged in the housing of the container, wherein the one chamber preferably has a larger filling volume than the other chamber. A particularly straightforward adaptation to the personal or local circumstances can thus be carried out even by technical laymen, in that for example only one of the chambers is completely flooded with water, wherein the air previously present therein escapes and the maximum water volume is thus raised to a first value. It is advisable here, for example, to flood the smaller chamber first. If it is then found that this still does not lead to the desired result, the smaller chamber can again be filled with air during the following flushing procedure, which preferably takes place automatically as a result of a water level that has sunk below the container after the flushing, and the second larger chamber can be flooded with flushing water. If this is still not sufficient, both or all the chambers present can be flooded.

In order to enable the flooding of the given chamber or chambers in the simplest possible way, the housing of the container, in the lower region of the at least one chamber, in particular beneath the at least one chamber, has an opening which faces downwards. The housing can be constituted without a bottom, the absent bottom forming the opening of the chamber. Furthermore, the housing has another opening in the upper region of the at least one chamber, in particular above the at least one chamber, said opening being able to be closed. The further opening can be closed with a plug, in particular a rotatable plug.

The adaptation of the maximum flushing water quantity in the cistern body can then take place in the following way. If for example a container is provided with a smaller and a larger chamber, the two upper openings can initially remain closed when the cistern is operated for the first time, the effect of which is that both chambers are completely filled with air and the maximum water volume in the cistern body assumes the smallest possible value. If the maximum water volume is to be raised to the next higher value, the upper opening of the smaller chamber can be permanently opened by removing a plug, for example, before the next flushing procedure, as result of which the chamber is flooded, whilst the larger chamber continues to be filled with air. A still higher value for the maximum water volume can be achieved by the fact that the upper opening of the smaller chamber is closed again with the plug and, instead of this, the upper opening of the larger chamber is opened. During the next flushing procedure, the smaller chamber is again filled with air through its lower opening, whilst the larger chamber is again permanently flooded with water. If the obtained maximum water volume is still not sufficient, both chambers can be opened by removing the plugs.

According to a further embodiment of the cistern according to the invention, the housing of the container can be provided with holding means for the fixing in the cistern. On the one hand, guide grooves are conceivable as holding means, said guide grooves being able to interact with corresponding projections in the cistern, in particular at the inner side of the cistern body. As a further holding means, a projection can be provided which interacts with the water connection pipe of the cistern, in particular in such a way that buoyancy of an air-filled container is prevented in the presence of a cistern body filled with flushing water. The guide grooves and projections interacting with one another prevent swivelling of the container inside the cistern body. The projections can of course also be provided on the container and corresponding grooves on the cistern body.

According to yet a further embodiment, the housing of the container can be made at least partially of plastic, in particular PP (polypropylene). A container made of plastic can particularly easily be produced especially air-tight and with a long durability.

According to an embodiment of the cistern according to the invention, the container can be fixed detachably in the cistern body, preferably by means of the projections and/or corresponding guide grooves arranged at the inner side of the cistern body. It is thus also possible to assemble and dismantle a corresponding container subsequently. A cistern with a preassembled container can of course also be produced, wherein the container is preferably assembled fixedly. The cistern body can also be constituted in one piece with the container.

As described above, an adaptation of the maximum water volume in the cistern body can be achieved in a particularly straightforward manner by the fact that the chambers of the container are provided with closeable openings at the upper side and are permanently open at the lower side. Especially in this case, which is not however essential, it is advantageous according to a further embodiment of the cistern according to the invention when, in the maximally filled state of the cistern body, the upper opening of each chamber is situated completely below the water surface of the flushing water present in the cistern body. It is also advantageous when, in the emptied state, the lower opening of each chamber is situated completely above the water surface of the flushing water that is possibly still present in the cistern body. To adapt the maximum water volume, the user thus merely has to release or close one or more of the upper openings, as result of which, in the maximally filled state of the cistern body, the chambers open at the top are automatically filled with flushing water, and as a result of which, after the flushing procedure in the emptied state of the cistern body, the chambers closed at the top are automatically filled with air.

There are many possibilities for constituting and developing the cistern according to the invention. In this regard, reference is made on the one hand to the claims following claim 1, and on the other hand to the description of an example of embodiment in connection with the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of embodiment of a container for a cistern according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the container from fig. 1 and

Fig. 3 shows an example of embodiment of a cistern according to the invention with an installed container.

Fig. 1 shows a container 1 with a cistern 2, as it is represented in fig. 3, wherein container 1 comprises a housing 3 and two chambers 4a and 4b arranged in housing 3.

As can be seen in fig. 2, the two chambers 4a and 4b each define different filling volumes, i.e. chamber 4a a larger filling volume Fi and chamber 4b a smaller filling volume F2.

Furthermore, housing 3 in the represented case comprises four openings, which are arranged in such a way that the two chambers 4a and 4b, in the state of the container installed as intended, can be filled with flushing water and/or air. Thus, larger chamber 4a has at its lower side an opening 5a, which is formed by the fact that a bottom has been dispensed with in housing 3. Smaller chamber 4b correspondingly has at its lower side, since a bottom has also been dispensed with, an opening 5b. Furthermore, an opening 6a closeable with a plug 7a is provided above chamber 4a and an opening 6b likewise closeable with a plug 7b is provided above smaller chamber 4b.

As can clearly be seen in figures 1 and 2, housing 3 comprises lateral guide grooves 8, which interact with corresponding projections 9, which as shown in fig. 3 are formed at the inner side of cistern body 10. With a cistern open at the top, a corresponding container 1 can thus easily be inserted on site.

Furthermore, a projection 11 is formed as a further holding means at the upper side of housing 3 of container 2, said projection, as shown in fig. 3, pressing from below against water connection pipe 12. When cistern 2 is filled, projection 11 prevents container 1 from floating up in the case where chambers 4a and 4b are filled with air. Guide grooves 8 and corresponding projections 9 also prevent container 1 from being able to move laterally inside cistern body 10.

The mode of functioning of container 1, which here is made of plastic, and the mode of functioning of cistern 2 provided therewith is as follows.

When cistern 2 is operated for the first time with installed container 1, chambers 4a and 4b are initially closed at their upper wall side by plugs 7a and 7b and are therefore permanently filled with air. The achievable maximum water volume in cistern body 10 is the thus reduced by filling volume Fi and filling volume F2 of the two chambers 4a and 4b.

If the maximum water volume is not sufficient for optimum flushing, corresponding chambers 4a or 4b can be flooded with flushing water by removing respective plugs 7a or 7b. For example, plug 7b can first be removed from opening 6b of smaller chamber 4b, whilst the other chamber 4a still remains closed at the top. The maximum water volume in cistern 10 is thus reduced only by filling volume Fi of container 1.

If the maximum water volume is then still not sufficient, then, in addition to smaller chamber 4b, larger chamber 4a can also be flooded with flushing water by removing plug 7a, or just larger chamber 4a can be flooded, whilst smaller chamber 4b is closed again at the top by plug 7b, so that, during the next flushing procedure in the emptied state of cistern body 10, the flushing water previously present in chamber 4b flows away through lower opening 5b and chamber 4b is thus again permanently filled with air.

With container 1 according to the invention and cistern 2 according to the invention, it is possible as described above to easily adapt the maximum water volume, preset with the application as intended, to the personal and local circumstances.

Claims (11)

A flushing box (2), in particular a flush flushing flushing box, for a WC or urinal, - having a flushing box body (10) and - having a filler body (1) arranged in the flushing box (2) with a housing (3) and with at least one chamber (4a) arranged in the housing (3a) defining a filling volume (F-ι, F2), wherein the housing (3) in the lower region of the at least one chamber (4a, 4b) has an opening (5a, 5b) which face downwards in a determined manner and are arranged in such a way that the at least one chamber (4a, 4b) can be filled with flushing water and / or air in the determined state, and the housing ( 3) in the upper region of the at least one chamber (4a, 4b) has a further opening (6a, 6b), characterized in that the filler body (1) additionally has a plug (7a, 7b) with which the further opening ( 6a, 6b) can be closed so that when the additional aperture (6a, 6b) is closed by means of the plug (7a, 7b), the at least one chamber (4a, 4b) is in a determined built-in condition. when filling the flushing box (2) is filled with air and displacing water and, when the additional opening (6a, 6b) is not closed by means of the plug (7a, 7b), the at least one chamber (4a, 4b) in The built-in condition is submerged by filling the rinsing box (2). Flushing box (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two chambers (4a, 4b) are arranged in the housing, whereby one chamber (4a) preferably has a larger filling volume (F-ι) than the other chamber ( 4b). Rinse box (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (3) is designed without bottom. Flushing box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug (7a, 7b) is a rotatable plug. Flushing box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (3) is provided with holding means for fastening in the flushing box. Rinse box (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that guide notes (8) are provided as holding means which can cooperate with corresponding projections (9) in the rinsing box (2). Flushing box (2) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that a protrusion (11) is provided as holding means, which can cooperatively with the water connection pipe (12) of the flushing box (2). Flushing box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (3) consists at least in part of plastic, in particular PP. Rinse box (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that the filler body (1) is detachably fixed in the rinsing box body (10), preferably by means of the projections (9) arranged on the inside side of the rinsing box body (10). Flushing box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper opening (6a, 6b) of each chamber (4a, 4b), when the flushing box body (10) is in the maximum filled state, is completely below the water surface of the flushing water contained in the flushing box body (10) for determining use. Flushing box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower opening (5a, 5b) of each chamber (4a, 4b) in the emptied state is completely above the water surface of the flushing water, which may still be present in the flushing box body ( 10) by destined use.