EP1041206A2

EP1041206A2 - Lavatory unit

Info

Publication number: EP1041206A2
Application number: EP00650024A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Brady
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-03-31
Filing date: 2000-03-31
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Also published as: EP1041206A3; IES20000244A2

Abstract

A lavatory unit in the form of a female urinal can be connected to any water supply. A timer valve (24) on the supply pipe (22) delivers a fixed volume of water to an overflow container (18). The water overflowing from the overflow container is delivered to the bowl (10) of the urinal by a network of pipes (20). In this way, the operation of the urinal is independent of the type of supply, and can be installed with minimal effort in a wide variety of locations.

Description

This invention relates to a lavatory unit, more particularly to such a unit in the form of a female urinal.
The majority of toilet facilities for women are provided as standard w.c. units which require a good deal of space when compared with the space required by male urinals. Standard w.c. units require a cistern which takes up space and which generally expends a large amount more water for a single flush than a male urinal. Accordingly it would be advantageous to have a female urinal which is more economical, uses less water and occupies less space than a w.c unit.
According to the invention there is provided a female urinal comprising an open-topped receptacle for receiving urine, a water supply pipe including a timer valve, an overflow container into which water from the supply pipe is discharged when the valve is open, and means for directing water overflowing from said container under gravity to the interior rim of the receptacle to flush it.
In the present context a timer valve is a type of valve which is opened by operation of a manual actuator, such as a push-button or lever, and, when released, automatically closes after a certain period of time. They are commonly used in public washrooms instead of conventional taps to avoid water wastage by users forgetting to turn off the tap. One type of timer valve is known as a non-concussive self-closing valve.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a female urinal according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the urinal of Fig. 1 showing the internal plumbing arrangements thereof;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plumbing arrangements of an alternative embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 4 is a plan view from above of the receptacle of the embodiment of Fig. 4;
Fig. 5 is a plan view from above of a cover for use with the receptacle of Fig. 5; and
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the receptacle and cover of Figs. 4 and 5 when assembled, taken along the line VI-VI.
Referring to Fig. 1, a female urinal comprises an open-topped receptacle 10, hereinafter referred to as a bowl, for receiving urine. The bowl 10 is mounted in a cabinet or housing 12 and has a conventional liquid waste system 13 (shown in dotted outline). Access to the waste system is via a removable panel 14 in the side of the cabinet. The remainder of the plumbing is hidden by front and top panels 12a,12b.
Referring additionally to Fig. 2, the urinal can be seen with panels 12a,12b removed. An outer container or tank 16 is mounted above and to the rear of the bowl 10, and contains a relatively small inner overflow container 18. A plurality of pipes 20 lead from the base of the outer container 16 to locations spaced around the interior rim of the bowl 10.
A water supply pipe 22 includes a non-concussive push-button valve 24 and, when the valve 24 is open, water from the supply pipe 22 is discharged into the overflow container 18. The water supply pipe 22 is connected to any convenient source of water, for example a header tank for a bank of such urinals or the general water supply for the building. The urinal is independent of any particular type of water supply.
In use, when it is desired to flush the bowl 10, the push-button on the valve 24 is pressed in. This releases a certain volume of water, determined by the "on" period of the valve 24, the water supply pressure and the diameter of the pipe 22, into the overflow container 18. Typically the valve 24 would be set to supply 2 litres of water. Water overflowing from the latter flows into the outer container 16 and then down through the pipes 20 to the interior rim of the bowl 10 where the water exits from the pipes 20 to flush the bowl.
It will be seen that irrespective of the nature of the water supply to the pipe 22, or the pressure of the water supply, the flow of water from the overflow container 18 to the bowl 10 is by gravity only, thereby avoiding unnecessary splashing in the bowl and effectively "isolating" the water used to flush the bowl from the characteristics of the water supply.
The cabinet 12 is shown mounted on a pedestal 26, the height of which may be varied to suit different groups of users. For example, in a school environment, a lower pedestal or no pedestal may be used, for accessibility by children. The urinal may alternatively be mounted against a wall such as on cantilever brackets. Alternatively, the urinal may be provided as a portable unit for temporary connection to a water supply and waste outlet.
Fig. 3 shows the plumbing detail of a second embodiment of the invention, i.e. the cabinet and bowl are omitted and the components shown are equivalent to the tank 16, overflow container 18, pipes 20, supply pipe 22 and valve 24 of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2.
The embodiment of Fig. 3 has a supply pipe 122 and non-concussive valve 124 as in the first embodiment. A tank 116 again receives a fixed volume of water from the supply pipe 122.
A perforated sidewall 130 divides the tank 116 into two containers, namely an overflow container 132 and a secondary container 134. A pair of pipes 136 run from the bottom of secondary container 134 to a ring 138 formed of perforated pipe.
In use, the valve 124 is actuated by the user causing 2 litres of water to flow into overflow container 132. The water immediately begins to drain through the perforations 140 in sidewall 130 into the secondary container 134. From there the water drains through the pipes 136 into the ring 138. Drainage holes 142 in the ring 138 cause the water to run down the sides of the bowl (not shown in Fig. 3).
Figs. 4 and 6 show the ring 138 in place in a bowl 110. Referring back to Fig. 3, it can be seen that the drainage holes 142 are disposed on the outer side of the ring, below the centreline, such that when in place in a bowl, the water is directed onto the surface of the bowl near the internal rim 144. From there the water drains to a central waste pipe 113.
A cover 146 (Fig. 5) fits over the internal rim 144 to hide the ring 138 from view. The cover comprises an outer frame 148 defining a central aperture. The user sits on the frame 148 when urinating. Because the urinal is not designed to receive solid waste a convex cut-out 150 at the rear of the frame is intended to inhibit defecation and a concave cut-out 152 at the front provides greater access for urination.
Advantages of the urinal are:

It can use any convenient water supply.
It is available for immediate use since, as compared to conventional toilets, there is no cistern filling time before flushing.
It can be set to use substantially less water than a conventional cistern-operated flushing mechanism; typically 2 litres per flush as compared to 8 litres for a cistern.
It occupies less floor space than a conventional ladies toilet which do not have dedicated urinals.
It is simpler and cheaper to install; for example, being a urinal it does not need a soil pipe.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

A female urinal comprising an open-topped receptacle for receiving urine, a water supply pipe including a timer valve, an overflow container into which water from the supply pipe is discharged when the valve is open, and means for directing water overflowing from said container under gravity to the interior rim of the receptacle to flush it.
A female urinal according to claim 1, wherein said overflow container comprises a container having a perforated sidewall through which said water leaks under gravity when the level of the water rises above the or each perforation.
A female urinal according to claim 2, wherein the means for directing water under gravity comprises a secondary container located adjacent the overflow container, and one or more conduits leading from the bottom of the secondary container to the receptacle.
A female urinal according to claim 3, wherein said overflow container and said secondary container are each defined within a tank, said perforated sidewall dividing said tank into the respective containers.
A female urinal according to claim 1, wherein said overflow container comprises an open-topped container which is closed on all sides and at the base, and wherein the means for directing water under gravity comprises a larger tank within which the overflow container is situated, and one or more conduits leading from the bottom of the secondary container to the receptacle.
A female urinal according to any one of claims 3-5, wherein said conduit or conduits discharge water directly into the interior rim of the receptacle.
A female urinal according to any one of claims 3-5, wherein said conduit or conduits discharge water into a length of perforated pipe located in the interior rim of the receptacle.
A female urinal according to claim 7, wherein said length of perforated pipe forms an open or closed loop running around part or all of the circumference of the interior rim.
A female urinal according to any preceding claim, further comprising a cover mounted over the interior rim to form a seat for users.
A female urinal according to any preceding claim, wherein the timer valve is a non-concussive self-closing valve.