EP1247910B1 - Odour-trap for waterless urinal - Google Patents

Abstract

Water trap for a water-free or low-water urinal comprises a beaker-like housing (1) having an inlet (9) at an upper end and an outlet (8) at a lower end leading into a discharge pipe, and a siphon (5, 6) blocking the passage of gas from the outlet to the inlet. An exchangeable insert (4) in the form of an inlet funnel forming a urine collector opens into a pipe (4b) having a relatively small internal width. Preferred Features: The pipe opens at a lower end into a region (4c) to form an Erlenmeyer-type flask. The insert forms an exchangeable unit with the housing. The insert has at least one siphon, preferably at least two ring siphons arranged in a cascade.

Description

The invention relates to an odor trap for a waterless or low-water urinal according to the preamble of claim 1.

Odor stoppers of this type have long been known. They have the significant advantage that a water connection to the urinal and a flushing device are not required or require little water. In such urinals, however, there is the difficulty to ensure the required hygiene and to avoid odor largely. In the prior art, there are already numerous proposals. By the US 4,026,317 An odor trap has become known which has a funnel-shaped and exchangeable insert. The odor trap is intended for a sewer and is not particularly suitable for a waterless or low-water urinal. Traps for water-poor urinals are from the GB 2 137 247 A and DE 2 853 212 A have become known, each having a replaceable insert.

In the WO 97/15735 there is disclosed an odor trap in which a sealing layer of oil is provided. The US 5,711,037 shows an odor trap in which in the inlet a cup-shaped float is inserted, which is closed at the top and open at the bottom. The WO 99/57382 discloses an odor trap in which under the inlet opening Spherical float is arranged, which undergoes a buoyancy in the collected urine and thus closes the opening. When used, the float releases the opening for a short time so that the urine can drain into the siphon. In this trap, however, there is the difficulty that remains in the float constantly a residual amount of urine, which significantly contributes to the formation of odor.

The invention has for its object to provide an odor trap of the type mentioned, which is characterized by an even lower odor expansion and yet is functionally reliable.

The object is achieved in a generic odor trap according to claim 1. The tube at the lower end of the inlet funnel reduces an upward flow of air with odors. Before the outgassed odors can enter the tube, they at least partially condense on the surface of the downwardly dilating region. The proportion of the odorous substances is thus largely retained by the surfaces mentioned or the condensation on these surfaces and by the reduction of the passage opening. Experiments have shown that the condensation is particularly effective when said surfaces are formed similar to those of a Erlenmeyer flask. Alternatively, hemispherical surfaces are also suitable, along which the exiting air must flow and at which the outgassed odorous substances at least partially condense.

Further advantageous features emerge from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

Figur 1

ein Vertikalschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemässen Geruchsverschluss,

Figur 2

ein weiterer Vertikalschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemässen Geruchsverschluss

Figur 3

eine räumliche Ansicht des Geruchsverschlusses nach den Figuren 1 und 2,

Figur 4

ein Vertikalschnitt durch einen Geruchsverschluss nach einer Variante,

Figur 5

ein weiterer Schnitt durch den Geruchsverschluss gemäss Figur 4,

Figur 6

eine räumliche Ansicht des Geruchsverschlusses, wobei ein Einsatz herausgehoben ist, und

Figur 7

eine räumliche Ansicht des Geruchsverschlusses gemäss den Figuren 4 und 5.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show it:

FIG. 1

a vertical section through an inventive trap,

FIG. 2

a further vertical section through an inventive odor trap

FIG. 3

a spatial view of the odor trap after the Figures 1 and 2 .

FIG. 4

a vertical section through an odor trap according to a variant,

FIG. 5

another section through the odor trap according to FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6

a spatial view of the odor trap, with an insert is lifted out, and

FIG. 7

a spatial view of the odor trap according to the FIGS. 4 and 5 ,

The in the FIGS. 1 to 3 Odor trap 10 shown has a cup-shaped housing 1, which is composed of an upper housing part 2 and a lower housing part 3. The two parts 2 and 3 can be firmly connected to each other, for example, be welded. At the lower end of the housing 1, an outlet 8 is arranged, which is to be connected to a drain line, not shown here. In the lower housing parts 3, an overflow container 5 is used with upper openings 5a, in which a dip tube 6 is inserted. The overflow tank 5 and the dip tube 6 form with collected urine 7 a siphon, which prevents the rising of air and odors from the drain line into the inlet 9.

In the housing 1, an insert 4 is inserted from above, which is supported on the dip tube 6 and which is secured at an upper end with a removable retaining ring 12 at the upper edge of the housing 1. The insert 4 has an inlet funnel 4a, which extends substantially over the entire width of the housing. 1

The in the Fig. 1-3 Odor trap 10 shown has a cup-shaped housing 1, which is composed of an upper housing part 2 and a lower housing part 3. The two parts 2 and 3 can be firmly connected to each other, for example, be welded. At the lower end of the housing 1, an outlet 8 is arranged, which is to be connected to a drain line, not shown here. In the lower housing parts 3, an overflow container 5 is used with upper openings 5a, in which a dip tube 6 is inserted. The overflow tank 5 and the dip tube 6 form a siphon with collected urine 7, which prevents the rising of air and odors from the drain line into the inlet 9.

In the housing 1, an insert 4 is inserted from above, which is supported on the dip tube 6 and which is secured at an upper end with a removable retaining ring 12 at the upper edge of the housing 1. The insert 4 has an inlet funnel 4a, which extends substantially over the entire width of the housing. 1 extends and which is relatively flat and has an opening angle of substantially more than 45 °. The inlet funnel 4a opens into an open tube 4b, whose light width is substantially smaller than the conically widened area. The tube 4b opens at a lower end into a conically widening region 4c, which has a corresponding conical inner side 4d. As can be seen, the tube 4b and the region 4c have the shape of an Erlenmeyer flask, with only the bottom missing. If odors are emitted from the surface 7a of the urine 7, they pass into the insert 4. On the inclined wall 4d of the region 4c these odorants are partially condensed and pass back into the urine 7. The constriction through the tube 4b also reduces the Flow of air up into the inlet 9. The insert with the inlet funnel 4a, the tube 4b and the area 4c forms a unit and can be exchanged after the removal of the retaining ring 12. Since the unit 4 made of plastic can be produced very inexpensively, a relatively frequent replacement is quite justifiable and very quickly feasible.

The in the Fig. 4-7 Odor trap 20 shown also has the above-mentioned housing 1 with the outlet pipe 8 and an inlet 9. The odor trap 20 differs from the odor trap 10 by an insert 11, but which is also one piece and interchangeable. The insert 11 has an inlet funnel 111, which corresponds to the inlet funnel 4a and which opens into a comparatively short tube 11k with a comparatively small range of light. Below the tube 11k, the wall merges into a hemispherical region 11b, in which a hemispherical part 11d is secured by webs 11f. Between the region 11b and the part 11d there is a gap 11c which is open to a passage 11a. The part 11d forms a siphon with an annular part 11h. Of the Part 11d immerses here with a lower edge in the urine, not shown here, which collects in the annular part 11h. A sleeve-shaped portion 11g of the part 11h forms a vertical passage. Odor substances that are emitted by the urine 7 pass through the passage 11i into the interior of the part 11d. However, these odors can not escape therefrom because the passage into the space 11c is blocked by the siphon formed by the part 11h and the part 11d. However, odors exhausting from the urine of this siphon may enter the room 11c. However, as the air flows up the passage 11a, these odors will at least partially condense on the inside of the region 11b and will flow back into the said siphon. The amount of the off-odors that can get into the space 11c is much smaller than the amount of the odors that can vent from the urine 7 because the surface of the siphon formed by the parts 11h and 11d is substantially smaller than the surface of urine 7.

The Fig. 6 shows the insert 11 to which the immersion body 5 is attached. The immersion body 5 can thus be exchanged in a simple manner together with the housing 1.

Claims (3)

1. An odor trap for a waterless or a low-water urinal, comprising a cup-shaped housing (1) having an inlet (9) located on an upper end and an outlet on a lower end that leads into a drain line (8), a siphon (5, 6) configured to block the passage of gas from the outlet (8) to the inlet (9) and a replaceable insert (4, 11) in the form of an urine collector in the shape of an inlet funnel configured to empty into a tube (4b, 11 k) with an inside diameter, which is essentially smaller than the width of the inlet funnel, characterized in that the tube (4b, 11 k) emergies at a lower end into a downwardly widening area, which area has a conical or hemispherical inside, at which urine condenses and returns to the siphon (5, 6), wherein the inlet funnel, the tube (4b, 11 k) and the downwardly widening area form a unit.
2. The odor trap as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the insert (4, 11) forms a replaceable unit with the housing (1).
3. The odor trap as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the insert (11) forms at least the siphon.

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