EP1116469B1

EP1116469B1 - Arrangement for toilet

Info

Publication number: EP1116469B1
Application number: EP01100576.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jan Lokslid; Juha Tikka
Original assignee: Geberit International AG
Current assignee: Geberit International AG
Priority date: 2000-01-10
Filing date: 2001-01-10
Publication date: 2017-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 2021-01-10
Also published as: EP1116469A1; DK1116469T3; FI20000041A0

Description

The invention relates to a support handle unit for a toilet with an integrated load-bearing toilet bowl, which toilet is provided with releasably fastenable support handles according to the preamble of claim 1 or 2.
Such toilets are mainly intended for facilitating the use of the toilet for disabled persons. In previously known solutions, for example shown in US 3,090,051 , the support handles are mounted separately beside the toilet or fastened on the toilet. When the support handles are mounted separately beside the toilet the arrangement can easily be made sufficiently steady and strong to handle the weight or load exerted on the handles by persons using the toilet. However, if the handles are mounted on the toilet as in US 3,090,051 , it has shown that the toilet structure is not able to carry said weight or load directed only on the outer edges of the toilet, whereby the toilet or toilet bowl will break when the handles are used for support. Document US 3,090,051 discloses a support handle unit having the features of the preamble of claims 1 and 2. The object of the present invention is to achieve an arrangement by which the aforementioned disadvantages are avoided and which by simple means provides for an effective and reliable support function and convenient mounting. This is attained by a support handle unit having the features of claim 1 or 2.
The invention is based on the idea to achieve an independent support handle unit that easily may be mounted on a typical toilet, especially also on a toilet already in use, and which does not have an effect on the other parts of the toilet or on its use. The support handle unit is intended to be fastened in the same fastening apertures as the seat ring, or seat cover, below the fastening plane of the seat ring, on the underside of the upper support surface of the load-bearing toilet bowl. In this way there is no need to furnish the toilet with additional fastening apertures and furthermore no supplementary parts appear on the upper support surface, whereby the support surface may be cleaned without any additional measures and the seat ring, or seat cover, can be installed in a usual manner.
For manufacturing reasons the toilet usually, in the area of the fastening apertures for the seat ring, comprises downwardly turned free and often substantially plane surfaces which preferably may be used as support surfaces for support members belonging to the support handle unit. These support members make the unit more stable and therefor safer to use.
The support handle unit is also provided with a connecting means, which connect the support handles or the support members. This improves the stability of the unit and especially the reciprocal stability of the support handles. Most importantly this ensures that the load or weight exerted on the handles is evenly distributed over the toilet or toilet bowl and not only on the outer edges of the toilet or toilet bowl.
The fastening of the support handle unit may be done by only fastening the support members or the support members and the connecting means to the fastening apertures by appropriate fastening means. This is advantageously done according to the respective arrangement of the connecting means and the support handles.
The connecting means may be connected only to the support members or also directly to the support handles, whereby in the latter case the connecting means may function as a turning axis for the support handles.
The connecting means may for example be a straight shaft formed element or an arch formed element, depending on the model and installation of the toilet.
If the toilet is of a floor mounted model, the connecting means preferably are made of a shaft formed element that may be led through the body of the toilet. In a conventional design of the toilet the fastening apertures for the seat ring are situated behind the opening of the toilet bowl, towards the flush box, whereby the body in this area in the first place is constituted of a relatively thin wall part. The shaft element may thus easily be mounted through a bore passing through the wall part.
If the toilet is of a wall mounted model, the connecting means preferably are made of an arch formed element that passes around the body, around the bowl part of the toilet. In such a model the actual toilet bowl is situated against the wall and the outlet is directed towards or opens into a sewer in the wall, whereby the body of the toilet is rounded and uniform, whereby a bore passing through the body would be inconvenient.
The support handles are preferably turnable between a supporting position and a raised position, which provides for flexible use of the toilet. The support handles may furthermore be parallelly or separately turnable, whereby in the latter case accessability may be improved.
The invention is described more in detail in the following, by way of example and with reference to the enclosed schematic drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows in sideview a floor mounted toilet provided with a support handle unit,
Fig. 2 shows a front view of the floor mounted toilet along section II-II of Fig.1, and
Fig. 3 shows in sideview a wall mounted toilet provided with a support handle unit.

In Fig. 1 reference numeral 1 indicates a sanitary space, with a floor 2 and a wall 3 (Fig. 3) and with a toilet 4. The toilet, or water-closet, is of a floor mounted model. The toilet 4 comprises an integrated load-bearing toilet bowl 5 with a substantially circular or oval upper support surface 6. The toilet is provided with a raisable seat ring 7, which in a lowered position is supported on the upper support surface 6 of the toilet bowl 5. The seat ring 7 comprises a ring part 8, which is turnably fastened to a fastening part 9. The fastening part 9 is fastened with fastening means, for example with screws or bolts 19, wedge elements or corresponding fastening means, in therefor intended fastening apertures 10 in the body 14 of the toilet 4 at the upper support surface 6 on each side of the toilet. The toilet may be provided with a seat cover at wish.
The toilet 4 is provided with a support handle unit comprising a support member 11 and a support handle 12 on both sides of the toilet. Each support member 11 is fastened in the same aperture 10 as the seat ring 7, with the above mentioned fastening means. The support handles 12 are turnably mounted in the support members 11. The fastening apertures 10 of the seat ring lie in the vicinity of the flush box 13, behind the opening of the toilet bowl 5, in an area where the upper support surface 6 runs substantially aligned with the flush box 13, i.e. substantially straight in comparison to the area in the vicinity of the front side of the toilet bowl 5 which has a circular or oval form. The body 14 of the toilet usually follows the form of the toilet bowl 5 so that the body 14, in the area 15 of the fastening apertures 10, narrows and mainly constitutes a relatively thin wall part. In the area 15 of the fastening apertures 10 the body 14 of the toilet 4 comprises downwardly facing, substantially plane surfaces 16. These surfaces 16 provide suitable support surfaces for the support members 11 of the support handle unit.
The support handle unit is provided with a connecting means 17 in the form of a shaft formed element, which connects the support members 11 and the support handles 12 mounted on both sides of the toilet. The fastening means 19 fastening the seat ring 7 and the support members 11 may also pass through the connecting means 17 as shown in Fig. 2 to further secure the support handle unit. The support handles 12 are preferably arranged separately turnable between a supporting position (shown with a uniform line; 12) and a raised position (shown with a broken line; 12a) in the support members 11. The support handles 12 may also be directly connected to the connecting means 17a, which thereby at the same time would constitute a turning shaft for the support handles, as shown by way of example in Fig. 3 in connection with the wall mounted toilet.
In Fig. 3 is shown a wall mounted toilet 4 or water-closet. In this figure corresponding parts are indicated with the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1 and 2. A notable difference follows from the wall mounting, which influences the form of the body 14 of the toilet. In a toilet of this type the outlet (not shown) of the toilet bowl 5 is directed towards the wall 3, whereby the body also surrounds the outlet. This means that the body has a certain volume in the area 18 of the fastening apertures 10, whereby a bore through the body for the connecting means of the support handles is not desirable. The connecting means in this case comprises an arch formed element 17a, which connects the support members 11 and the support handles 12 arranged on both sides of the toilet. The connecting means is connected directly to the support handles as shown in Fig. 3.
As is apparent from the above described examples the support handle unit according to the invention is a unit that may be easily mounted on most types of toilets or closets in that its fastening is made in already existing, for the seat ring intended holes. Furthermore the main parts of the support handle unit may be mounted on the under side of the upper support surface of the toilet and below the flush box, which ensures a hygienic solution and free passage to the seat ring.
Additionally the form of the toilet, toilet bowl and body may vary, whereby the form and mounting of the support members and the support handles may be accommodated accordingly.
The combined effect of the support members and the connecting means of the support handle unit ensure an even distribution of the load or weight directed on the support handles.
The drawing and the thereto attached specification are only intended for clarifying the idea of the invention. In detail, for example design and mounting of the support members and support handles, type of fastening means, form and place of the connection means, etc., the invention may vary within the scope of the ensuing claims.

Claims

Support handle unit for a toilet with an integrated load-bearing toilet bowl (5) comprising an upper support surface (6) intended for receiving a seat ring (7), or a seat cover, which is releasably fastenable to fastening apertures (10) provided in connection with the upper support surface (6), said support handle unit comprising two support members (11), each being provided with a support handle (12, 12a) and being releasably fastenable to one of the fastening apertures (10) below the upper support surface (6) on both sides of the toilet bowl (5) and comprising connecting means, characterized in that the connecting means is a shaft formed element (17) or an arch formed element (17a) connecting the support members (11) directly to each other, said connecting means being located below the upper support surface (6) when the support handle unit is mounted on the integrated load-bearing toilet bowl (5).
Support handle unit for a toilet with an integrated load-bearing toilet bowl (5) comprising an upper support surface (6) intended for receiving a seat ring (7), or a seat cover, which is releasably fastenable to fastening apertures (10) provided in connection with the upper support surface (6), said support handle unit comprising two support members (11), each being provided with a support handle (12, 12a) and being releasably fastenable to one of the fastening apertures (10) below the upper support surface (6) on both sides of the toilet bowl (5) and comprising connecting means connecting the support handles (12) directly to each other, characterized in that the connecting means is a shaft formed element (17) or an arch formed element (17a), said connecting means being located below the upper support surface (6) when the support handle unit is mounted on the integrated load-bearing toilet bowl (5).
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that only the support members (11) are fastened to the fastening apertures (10) by fastening means (19) or that the support members (11) and the connecting means (17) are fastened to the fastening apertures (10) by fastening means (19).
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the toilet (4) is of a floor mounted model, whereby the connecting means comprises the shaft formed element (17) which passes through the body (14) of the toilet.
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the toilet (4) is of a wall mounted model, whereby the connecting means comprises the shaft formed element (17a) which passes around the body (14) of the toilet.
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support handles are turnable between a supporting position (12) and a raised position (12a).
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support handles are separately turnable.
Support handle unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support handles are parallelly turnable.