EP2161381A2 - Height-adjustable WC device - Google Patents

Abstract

The mechanism (10) has a toilet bowl (12) that is height-adjustable by a controllable, liftable and/or lowerable slide (14) at which the bowl is arranged. A front panel (58) is moved with the slide and completely covers the slide. The panel is reset opposite to a fixed panel wall (52) such that the front panel is upwardly movable by an upwardly aligned lifting movement of the slide behind the panel wall. Seals are arranged between the panel and the panel wall and/or strip-like linings. A drive device (16) i.e. spindle drive, is supported behind the panel wall.

Description

The present invention relates to a toilet device with a toilet bowl, which is preferably adjustable by means of a liftable and / or lowerable, slide-like component - carriage - on which the toilet bowl is arranged, height adjustable.

Height-adjustable toilet bowls are known in the art. Such height adjustment is particularly useful to help the elderly or sick people to go to the toilet. It is difficult for these people to sit down on standard toilet bowls, as they are known to have a relatively low (and unchangeable) seat height. However, it is particularly difficult to get up from this low seat height afterwards.

With as required height-adjustable toilet bowl can - appropriate drives provided - the respective height position advantageously be adjusted individually. In this case, height-adjustable toilet bowls are preferably designed such that the toilet bowl is not only adjustable before a toilet is available, but also during the same, that is, while the respective person sits on the toilet bowl.

However, the solutions known in the prior art find little acceptance in the market. Because the known embodiments are special solutions that are particularly aesthetically or visually problematic in addition to functional disadvantages. Because they are immediately recognized by the users as special solutions. Especially older people take these reasons away from installing such toilet facilities with height-adjustable toilet bowl.

Next is often a subsequent assembly of bekanriten height-adjustable solutions not or only very difficult.

From the DE 200 05 988 U1 For example, a toilet facility is known in which the toilet bowl and a cistern positioned above the cistern are mounted on a carriage, which can be moved up and / or down. The cistern is enveloped by a panel, which also moves up and down along with the cistern. A disadvantage of this solution is, inter alia, that the total height of the toilet device, which is determined by the height of the Spülkastenverkleidung, depending on the adjusted height position of the toilet bowl is different. In other words, the vertical maximum dimensions of the toilet device vary depending on the height position of the toilet bowl. This is problematic both aesthetically and functionally. Due to the unusual. Design of moving housing of the cistern, the toilet facility is immediately recognized as a "special construction". Next - unlike conventional pretext solutions of standard toilets - the horizontally extending top of the toilet device not as a storage area for the respective sanitary space required utensils, such as care products and the like, can be used. Because by the lifting and lowering movements of the corresponding top of Spülkastenverkleidung the danger that the utensils would fall down.

Another solution with the same disadvantages discloses the DE 299 18 576 U1 , There, a toilet device with height-adjustable sanitary objects, such as toilet bowl, shown, in which a receiving device for receiving the corresponding sanitary object is movable relative to a stationary support frame upwards. In the upwardly moved state, however, the upper side of the carrying device on the one hand and the upper side of the receiving device on the other hand are no longer flush. The upper edge of the receiving device clearly projects beyond the upper side of the carrying device. Again, therefore disadvantageously changes the vertical dimension of the toilet device depending on the height position of the toilet bowl.

Based on this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet device of the type mentioned above, for the viewer or

User is possible not directly recognizable as a special construction and in particular has a vertical height independent of the height position of the toilet bowl vertical maximum dimension.

This object is achieved by a WC device having the features of claim 1.

The toilet device of the type mentioned is accordingly according to the invention characterized in that the toilet device has at least one, with the carriage mitbewegende and the carriage at least partially, preferably completely covering the front panel, which is set back against a fixed screen wall such that the Front panel is moved by an upward movement of the carriage at least partially upwards behind the stationary screen wall.

The stationary diaphragm wall, namely the upper edge thereof, or another stationary component of the toilet device defines according to the invention the maximum vertical dimension of the toilet device. This maximum dimension is accordingly constant and independent of the set toilet seat height. It is therefore only possible to move the front panel which moves along with the carriage, which pushes ever further behind the diaphragm wall with increasing height.

The maximum stroke of the carriage on the one hand and the positions and dimensions of the front panel and the diaphragm wall on the other hand are suitably matched to one another. They are preferably coordinated so that the front panel, in particular the upper end edge of the front panel, even in a height of the carriage or the toilet bowl, which corresponds to the achievable maximum stroke, the diaphragm wall or the upper end edge of the diaphragm wall does not exceed in terms of height.

In the lowermost position of the toilet bowl, the upper edge of the front panel advantageously already above the preferably substantially horizontal extending, lower edge of the stationary panel wall run so that the screen wall and front overlap something. As the lifting height increases, the overlapping area between the diaphragm wall and the front panel moving behind the diaphragm wall then increases according to the invention.

As a rule, the front panel will be plate-like and run parallel to the fixed screen wall. In this case, the front panel naturally run at a distance from the stationary diaphragm wall, which allows the process behind the diaphragm wall. Advantageously, however, this distance is kept as low as possible in order to prevent the ingress of dirt or other particles or objects in the space between the front panel and the screen wall as far as possible. In addition, of course, seals may be provided which seal these spaces, such as brush or sliding seals.

Advantageously, the front panel will extend in a generally horizontal distance to the fixed screen wall, which is smaller than 5 cm, preferably smaller than 3 cm, more preferably smaller than 1 cm.

Conveniently, the carriage to which the toilet bowl is attached, by means of a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor up and / or downwardly movable.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, an electromotive spindle drive is used in particular. In this case, the drive motor, in particular the spindle drive motor, is preferably mounted above the carriage, in particular behind the stationary diaphragm wall.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting and / or lowering movement of the toilet bowl is controlled by an operator, in particular remotely controlled. For this purpose, an operator via a manually operable control means, such as a manual control unit, control signals wirelessly or conduction-transmitted to the aforementioned hydraulic, pneumatic or the electric motor or a drive motor associated control unit. Depending on the control signals then corresponding movements of the drive motor are triggered, so that the toilet bowl is moved up or down.

Basically, however, a purely mechanical solution is conceivable in which the toilet bowl is moved by an operator without separate controllable motor, if necessary, up or down. The toilet bowl could be equipped, for example, with a height adjustment device that is based on a pneumatic or hydraulic piston-cylinder unit in which the piston stroke is adjusted by means of a manual or foot-operated mechanical pump device.

As regards the abovementioned spindle drive, it preferably drives, via two gears, at least two threaded rods or spindles, which are connected in a suitable manner to the carriage or mounted thereon. Movements of the spindle drive in a first direction of rotation cause a direction of rotation of the spindles, which move the carriage up, corresponding opposite rotational movements of the spindle drive lead to spindle movements or carriage movements down.

The carriage expediently has a frame-like construction or a frame-like supporting structure to which the front panel is fastened. Preferably, the carriage or the structure comprises two parallel spaced and vertically extending rails. At least two rollers are arranged or mounted on the two rails, which are guided in stationary, vertically extending guide rails of the toilet device. During the lifting or lowering movement of the carriage is therefore guided by the rollers along the guide rails up or down.

One or more trusses can connect the two vertical rails together.

As regards the guide rails, they are arranged in a particular embodiment of the invention on a frame-like mounting frame. Such a mounting frame is usually used for a so-called pre-wall installation. The diaphragm wall and / or the drive motor and / or a transmission connected to the drive motor and / or the at least one threaded rod are advantageously fastened to the mounting frame. The mounting frame is generally formed substantially cuboid, wherein the side surfaces and / or the top are provided with suitable panels.

In a further important embodiment of the invention, the toilet device has a cocurrent moving with the carriage cistern. The front panel covers the cistern at least partially, advantageously completely. The carriage is therefore arranged behind the front panel.

The toilet device can be installed in the manner described as a front wall installation. It is also conceivable, however, a back wall solution.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch eine erfindungsgemäße WC-Einrichtung,

Fig. 2

einen weiteren Längsschnitt durch die WC-Einrichtung der Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

den Längsschnitt der WC-Einrichtung gemäß Fig. 2 mit gegenüber der Fig. 2 nach oben verfahrenem Klosettbecken, und

Fig. 4

einen Querschnitt durch die WC-Einrichtung entlang der Fig. 1 in Hinterwand-installation.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the appended subclaims, the following description of preferred embodiments and from the accompanying drawings. Show:

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section through a toilet device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

another longitudinal section through the toilet facility of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

the longitudinal section of the toilet device according to Fig. 2 with respect to the Fig. 2 upstairs lavatory basin, and

Fig. 4

a cross section through the toilet facility along the Fig. 1 in the back wall installation.

In the drawings, a toilet device 10 is shown. This comprises a height-adjustable toilet bowl 12, which is controlled raised and lowered in the manner shown below. The lifting and lowering of the toilet bowl 12 facilitates especially the elderly and sick people the toilet.

In order to enable this lifting and lowering, the toilet bowl 12 is attached to a carriage 14, which can be moved by means of a subsequently explained in more detail drive device 16 up or down.

The carriage 14 in this case comprises a frame-like support structure 18 of vertically, horizontally or inclined to the horizontal rails 20, 22 and 24th

At the vertically, mutually parallel and spaced, lateral rails 20 of the carriage 14 rollers 26 are fixed, namely per lateral rail 20 each at least two. The rollers 26 are positioned at a vertical distance from each other and are guided in U-shaped, vertically and parallel spaced guide rails 28.

The guide rails 28 are held or attached to a frame-like mounting frame 30 of the toilet device 10, which has a substantially cuboid contour. The frame-like mounting frame 30 includes a plurality of vertically extending and a plurality of horizontally extending rails or profiles 32 and 34. The mounting frame 30 is in a pretext installation of the toilet device 10 in a Bathroom or the like positioned in a conventional manner at the installation site and where appropriate attached. In general, the mounting frame 30 is placed and fixed for this purpose at the installation site on the ground or surface, usually ajar back or adjacent to a vertical room wall. Similarly, the mounting frame 30 but also for a known per se rear wall installation ( Fig. 4 ), in which the frame 30 is positioned behind corresponding room walls 29 or in corresponding wall recesses.

The carriage 14 extends approximately in the vertical plane defined by the front vertical rails 32 of the mounting frame 30, but slightly recessed backwards. This will be explained later.

As for the drive device 16 of the WC device 10, it is designed as a spindle drive. In this case, it includes an upper horizontal rail 34 cross member - the mounting frame 30 fixed electric motor 36. The electric motor 36 is positioned so that its output side 38 and output shaft is directed downward. By means of suitable connection shafts 40, 42 running horizontally in opposite directions, the output side 38 of the motor 36 is operatively connected to two gear units 44, 46.

Each gear unit 44, 46 in turn, which are each positioned slightly above the lateral vertical rails 20 of the carriage 14, each drives one, behind the respective vertical rail 20 extending vertically downwardly directed threaded rod or spindle 48 and 50 at. Each threaded rod or spindle 48, 50 is mounted on the carriage 14 by means of a mother attached to the associated vertical rail 20 of the carriage 14 - or a corresponding sleeve with internal thread. Depending on the direction of rotation of the electric motor 36, the spindles 48, 50 move in one or the other direction of rotation. Accordingly, the carriage 14 is moved along the guide rails 28 together with toilet bowl 12 within or on the mounting frame 30 upwards or downwards.

The visible in the space, visible outer sides of the mounting frame 30 are provided with suitable, only partially illustrated, plate-like panels. Thus, for example, the vertically extending, left and right sides 47, 49 of the frame 30 and the horizontally extending, upper side 51, covered accordingly.

In addition - and this is particularly important - but also the front 53 of the mounting frame 30 are covered and the front side 57 of the carriage 14. The toilet device 10 according to the invention should optically come as close as possible to a standard toilet facility. For this purpose, the front side 53 of the mounting frame 30, namely the side facing the toilet bowl 12 side, covered in the upper part with a plate-like diaphragm wall 52. The screen wall 52 is attached to the front vertical rails 32 of the mounting frame 30. In the present exemplary embodiment, it covers approximately the upper quarter of the mounting frame front side 53 and, as a result, inter alia the electric motor 36 located behind the diaphragm wall 52, the two gear units 44, 46 and the connecting shafts 40, 42.

The upper horizontal edge 54 of the diaphragm wall 52 extends a few centimeters above the upper side 51 of the cuboid mounting frame 30. The lower horizontal edge 56 of the diaphragm wall 52 ends a few centimeters below the transmission units 44, 46 arranged behind it.

In the region of the carriage 14, the front side 53 of the mounting frame 30 itself is unclad. Only the front, left and right vertical rails 32 of the frame 30 are covered by not shown, strip-shaped cladding panels. Overall, therefore, initially results in a rectangular, unclad section 55 of the mounting frame front side 53. In this section 55 of the carriage 14 is positioned.

For a viewer of the toilet facility 10, however, a uniform and closed image of panels should nevertheless result. Therefore, according to the invention, a cladding of the carriage arranged in the cutout 55 is provided, namely a front panel or front panel 58.

This front plate 58 is formed in the upper region thereof substantially rectangular and fixed to the rails 20, 22, 24 of the carriage 14. In the lower area, however, the front panel 58 has cutouts for the toilet bowl 12. In summary, the contour of the front panel 58 follows the outer contours of the vertical rails 20 and the inclined rails 24. Instead of a single front panel 58, the carriage can of course also be covered with several individual plates.

According to the invention, the front plate 58 is set back slightly towards the rear wall 52 and optionally opposite to the lateral, strip-shaped lining panels which cover the rails 32. The front panel 58 and the side Cladding panels on the one hand and the diaphragm wall 52 on the other hand run in other words, although parallel to each other, but with some (horizontal) distance in successively arranged levels.

For a viewer who viewed the toilet facility from the front, the overall result is a closed picture of the panels 52, 58 and the side panel panels. The toilet device 10 is thus optically approximated to the installations of standard toilets as far as possible. Only with extremely close inspection, the offset edges between the diaphragm wall 52 and the strip-shaped panels of the mounting frame 30 on the one hand and the carriage 14 covering the front panel 58 on the other hand can be detected.

Conveniently, the front panel 58 and the diaphragm wall 52 and the strip-shaped panels are made optically identical, for example, by the surfaces of the panels are tiled.

In order to prevent ingress of dirt and / or to allow a smooth operation of the front panel relative to the diaphragm wall, one or more seals may be arranged in the gaps between the front panel 58 and stationary panel wall 52 and the strip-shaped panels.

As in particular in Fig. 1 can be clearly seen, in which the toilet bowl 12 is shown in its lowest position, the top edge 60 of the front panel 58 is slightly covered in this lowermost position of the screen wall 52. In other words, the upper end portion of the front plate 58 and the lower end portion of the diaphragm wall 52 already slightly overlap in this position.

Due to the fact that the front plate 58 is slightly set back from the diaphragm wall 52 in the described manner, the front plate 58 or the upper end region of the front plate 58 can advantageously be moved further behind the diaphragm wall 52 when the carriage 14 together with the toilet bowl 12 is moved by an operator above is proceeded. Regardless of the height position of the toilet bowl 12, therefore, the dependent on the corresponding dimensions of the mounting frame 30 vertical dimension of the toilet device 10 remains constant.

The front panel 58 is formed so as to slightly overlap with the strip-shaped panels of the front rails 32. This is not mandatory. In principle, it is also conceivable that the front plate 58 of the carriage 14 on the one hand and the strip-shaped linings of the mounting frame 30 on the other hand extend in a common plane and are flush at the respective edges.

In the upper area of the front panel 58, actuation means, namely actuation fields 61 for actuating the flushing of the toilet facility, can be recognized, which can be designed exactly as is the case with standard WCs. As with known in the art, raisable and lowerable toilet facilities a toilet bowl connecting pipe 62 for the wastewater is flexible and of sufficient length to allow the lifting and lowering operations of the toilet bowl 12.

In the present case, the cistern, not shown, is also arranged on the carriage 14 and is thus moved together with the toilet bowl 12 upwards or downwards. The cistern is at least largely also covered by the front panel 58 and thus not visible from the outside.

As regards the operation of the control of the spindle drive 16, so many possibilities are conceivable. Preferably, the electric motor 36 can be controlled remotely wirelessly or by wire. An operator can control the up and down movements of the toilet bowl 12 in this case with a corresponding manual control unit, in particular even while he is sitting on the toilet bowl 12.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

WC facility

12

toilet bowl

14

carriage

16

driving device

18

supporting structure

20

rail

22

rail

24

rail

26

roll

28

guide rails

29

room walls

30

mounting frame

32

vertical rails

34

horizontal rails

36

electric motor

38

output side

40

connecting shafts

42

connecting shafts

44

gear unit

46

gear unit

47

left frame side

48

threaded rod

49

right frame side

50

threaded rod

51

upper frame side

52

screening wall

53

front landing page

54

top edge

55

rectangular cutout

56

lower edge

57

Front sled

58

front panel

60

top edge

61

fields of activity

62

connections

Claims (15)

Toilet device with a toilet bowl (12), which is adjustable in height by means of a preferably controllable raised and / or lowered, slide-like component (14) - slide - on which the toilet bowl (12) is arranged, characterized in that the toilet Means (10) at least one, with the carriage (14) mitbewegende and the carriage (14) at least partially, preferably completely covering the front panel (58) which is set back relative to a fixed screen wall (52) such that the front panel ( 58) by an upward lifting movement of the carriage (14) at least partially upwards behind the fixed screen wall (52) is movable. Toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front panel (58) is plate-like and runs parallel to the stationary screen wall (52). Toilet device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stationary diaphragm wall (52) has a substantially horizontally extending edge, behind or behind which the front panel (58) is movable. Toilet apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front panel (58) extends at a distance from the fixed screen wall (52), which allows the process behind the screen wall (52). Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front panel (58) extends at a plate-like formation at a distance from the fixed panel wall (52) which is smaller than 5 cm, preferably smaller than 3 cm, particularly preferably less than 1 cm. Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the front panel (58) and stationary screen wall (52) one or more seals are arranged, which seal one or more gaps between these components and / or harmful frictional movements between front panel ( 58) and fixed diaphragm wall (52) prevent or reduce. WC device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage (14) by means of a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor (36) can be raised and / or lowered, preferably by means of at least one electric motor-driven spindle drive (16) at least one - more preferably at least two - on the carriage (14) mounted threaded rod (48, 50) drives. Toilet device according to claim 7, characterized in that the drive (16), preferably the spindle drive, is mounted above the carriage (14), in particular behind the stationary diaphragm wall (52). Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the toilet device (10) via a with the carriage (14) directly or indirectly connected, with the carriage (14) mitbewegenden cistern has. Toilet device according to claim 9, d.g., That the cistern is at least partially, preferably completely covered by the front panel (58). Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage (14) has a frame-like construction to which the front panel (58) is attached. Toilet device according to claim 11, characterized in that the cistern on the frame-like construction of the carriage (14) behind the front panel (58) is arranged, so that the front panel (58) covers the cistern at least partially, preferably completely. Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage (14) has wheels or rollers (26) which are guided in stationary, vertically extending guide rails (28) of the toilet device (10). Toilet device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rails (28) are arranged laterally on a particular frame-like mounting frame (30). WC device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stationary diaphragm wall (52) and / or the motor (36) and / or a gear (44, 46) connected to the motor (36) and / or the at least one threaded rod (48, 50) are attached to the mounting frame (30).

Images