EP3763890A1

EP3763890A1 - Flushing group for toilet bowl and toilet bowl using said flushing group

Info

Publication number: EP3763890A1
Application number: EP20185243.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Natalino Malasorti
Original assignee: Ceadesign Srl
Current assignee: Ceadesign Srl
Priority date: 2019-07-10
Filing date: 2020-07-10
Publication date: 2021-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-10
Also published as: IT201900011310A1; EP3763890B1

Abstract

A flushing group (1) for toilet bowls comprising: a tank (3) for the accumulation of water; a drain pipe (4) adapted to connect the tank (3) to a toilet bowl; a loading pipe (5) that connects a water network with the tank (3); an overflow pipe (6) that connects the tank (3) with the toilet bowl; a vent pipe (7) that connects the volume of air (8) present above the level (2a) of the volume of water (2) contained in the tank (3) with the external environment; shut-off means (9) of the flow of water along the drain pipe (4) and along the loading pipe (5). The elements contained in the tank (3) are static elements and comprise: the terminal section (5a) of the loading pipe (5); the terminal section (6a) of the overflow pipe (6); the terminal section (7a) of the vent pipe (7). The tank (3) comprises an annular hollow body formed by two or more tubular parts (3a, 3b, 3c; 31a, 31b; 32a) connected together.

Description

The invention concerns a flushing group for toilet bowl.
The invention also concerns a toilet bowl using the aforesaid flushing group.
As is known, each toilet bowl is provided with a flushing group which is put into operation by the user to rinse the bowl after each use.
The most well-known and widely used flushing groups include a built-in tank or applied close to the wall, in which the flushing water is contained.
An inlet pipe connected to the water network conveys the water into the tank to keep the desired level inside, while an outlet pipe, called the drain pipe, conveys the flushing water by gravity into the toilet bowl to which it is connected.
Inside the tank there are movable elements which comprise a shutter that can be operated by the user and which opens the flow of flushing water along the drain pipe after each use of the toilet bowl and floating means which are associated with a shut-off tap of the inlet pipe which stops the introduction of water when, after use, inside the tank it has reached the desired level.
Flushing groups of this type are described in patent documents US 2008/0083056 , CN 106 120 964 .
Flushing groups comprising a tank in which the flushing water is confined within a chamber delimited by an elastic membrane which expands when the aforesaid chamber is supplied with water coming from the water supply network are also known.
After filling and on command of the user, the opening of a shut-off valve arranged in the drain pipe conveys the water from the container into the toilet bowl using the thrust that the previously dilated elastic membrane exerts on the mass of water.
In some other known embodiments, in the tank there is an elastic membrane which divides the volume defining two independent and opposed chambers, wherein the first chamber contains the flushing water and is connected to the water network and to the toilet bowl, while the second chamber contains a pressurized aeriform element.
When the user activates the shut-off valve arranged in the drain pipe, the flushing water flows into the toilet bowl due to the thrust generated by the pressure of the gas contained in the second chamber which acts against the elastic membrane.
In this case, the thrust generated by the pressure of the gas is added to the spontaneous gravity drop.
Flushing groups of this type are described in the patent document WO 2012/071022 , while a flushing group in which the tank containing the flushing water of the toilet bowl is pressurized is described in the patent document EP 2 937 480 .
Patent document US 2016/02742 which describes a discharge manifold and a toilet bowl which uses the aforesaid discharge manifold is also known.
Furthermore, the patent document GB 04374 A A.D. 1911 , which describes a tank with a circular shape for flushing a toilet bowl and a support element which allows the tank to be fixed to a wall, is known.
The tank is made of a single block, preferably in cast iron, and has a cylindrical seat which houses a projecting element belonging to the support element.
The projecting element supports the tank and allows to rotate it according to the longitudinal axis defined by the projecting element itself so as to identify the correct connection of the tank to the pipes.
All the flushing groups described above have the drawback that, in order to obtain the flow of flushing water along the drain pipe, the dynamic elements described above, and therefore floats, shut-off valves, elastic membranes to which reference was made in the short descriptions above must be obligatorily housed inside the tank containing the drain pipe.
These dynamic elements are subject to displacements, for example the opening and closing movements of the valves, or expansion movements in the case of elastic membranes, and these movable elements are consequently subject to breakage and wear and must therefore be periodically replaced.
Their replacement is expensive, both for their intrinsic cost but above all for the long time that their replacement requires especially when they are installed in built-in tanks.
Furthermore, for the flushing groups provided with a valve for opening the flow along the drain pipe commanded by a button and a tap for restoring the level of water commanded by a float, the drawback of the high noise that they produce after each use is known.
The present invention intends to overcome the listed drawbacks.
In particular, a first object of the invention is to realise a flushing group for toilet bowls which, with respect to known flushing groups, does not have movable elements inside the tank.
A further object is that the flushing group of the invention has a silent operation.
Another object is that the tank of the flushing group of the invention is a simpler construction than the known flushing groups.
It is a not least object of the invention to provide a toilet bowl which uses the aforesaid flushing group.
The objects listed are achieved by the flushing group according to the main claim to which reference will be made.
Other characteristics of the invention are contained in the dependent claims.
Advantageously, the elimination of movable elements, and therefore subject to wear and breakage inside the tank, improves the operating reliability of the flushing group with respect to the known flushing groups.
Furthermore, advantageously, since there are no elements subject to wear and breakage in the tank, it is not necessary to carry out, after installation, any intervention that requires access to the inside of the tank itself.
Still advantageously, the greater operating reliability combined with the lower realisation cost consequent to the greater execution simplicity and the lower maintenance cost make the flushing group of the invention particularly economical.
Therefore, it is particularly suitable for installation in communities, hotels and restaurants, in public places and the like.
The listed objects and advantages and any others will be better highlighted below during the description of a preferred embodiment of the system of the invention, which is given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawing tables in which:

figs. 1 and 2 represent two axonometric views of the flushing group and of the toilet bowl using it, both object of the invention;
fig. 3 represents an axonometric view of a detail of the flushing group represented in figs. 1 and 2;
fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of the detail of fig. 3;
fig. 5 represents an axonometric view of an embodiment variant of the detail of fig. 3;
fig. 6 represents a longitudinal section of the detail of fig. 5;
fig. 7 represents an axonometric view of another embodiment variant of the detail of fig. 3;
fig. 8 represents a longitudinal section of the detail of fig. 7;
fig. 9 represents an axonometric view of a detail of figs. 1 and 2;
fig. 10 represents a longitudinal section of fig. 9.

The flushing group for toilet bowl that is the object of the invention is represented in figures 1 and 2 where it is indicated as a whole with 1.
The flushing group 1, also with reference to figures 3 and 4, comprises a tank 3 for the accumulation of the flushing water and a loading pipe 5 for the conveyance of the water inside the tank 3 adapted to be connected to a water network, not represented.
The flushing group 1 also comprises a drain pipe 4 and an overflow pipe 6 which are both adapted to be connected to a toilet bowl, for example to the toilet bowl 50 represented in figures 1 and 2.
In particular, the drain pipe 4 conveys the flushing water from the tank 3 to the toilet bowl 50 to be flushed, while the overflow pipe 6 serves to ensure that the volume of water 2 inside the tank 3 is kept at the desired level 2a.
In the event that the level 2a should be exceeded, the overflow pipe 6 spontaneously conveys the overabundant water into the toilet bowl 50.
The flushing group 1 also comprises a vent pipe 7 which connects the volume of air 8 present in the tank 3, above the level 2a of the volume of water 2 contained therein, with the external environment to maintain the balance of the pressures between the two environments.
Externally to the tank 3 there are also shut-off means 9 of the water flows along the drain pipe 4 and along the loading pipe 5 which comprise solenoid valves 91, 92 that will be described later in the description and which are electrically connected to a command unit 12 provided with a command button 13 available to those who use the flushing group 1.
According to the invention, all the elements that are contained inside the tank 3 are static elements and are made up of:

the terminal section 5a of said loading pipe 5 coming from said water supply network,
the terminal section 6a of said overflow pipe 6 communicating with said toilet bowl,
the terminal section 7a of said vent pipe 7 communicating with the external environment.

The aforesaid sections 5a, 6a, 7a are inserted in the tank 3 so that the open end 6b of the terminal section 6a of the overflow pipe 6 defines the level 2a of the volume of water 2 contained in the tank and the open ends 5b and 7b, respectively of the terminal section 5a of the loading pipe 5 and of the terminal section 7a of the vent pipe 7, are arranged above the level 2a and therefore above the open end 6b of the overflow pipe 6.
In this way, the open end 5b of the loading pipe 5 remains spaced from the level 2a of the volume of water 2 and this prevents any pollution of the volume of water 2 from being transmitted by contact to the loading pipe 5 and that it goes up therefrom to pollute the water supply network.
As regards the tank 3, it comprises an annular hollow body which is obtained by appropriately shaping a tubular element 10 according to different profiles.
According to the preferred embodiment, which is described here, the tank 3 is made with an annular shape which can be observed in figures 1 to 3 and which substantially recalls the profile of an oval 30.
Said oval shape is obtained by appropriately sectioning and shaping the tubular element 10 so as to obtain a first tubular part 3a and a second tubular part 3b preferably equal to each other and with semi-circular profile, wherein the open ends 3'a of the first tubular part 3a and the open ends 3'b of the second tubular part 3b corresponding to each other are connected by interposition of rectilinear tubular parts 3c.
The tubular element 10 used is of a commercial type and therefore easily available on the market, having a cross section with a circular shape.
The tubular element 10 is sectioned into pieces of suitable length so that they can be shaped and welded together to obtain the tank 3 in the desired shape.
This embodiment allows the tank to be made at lower costs than those which would have to be incurred to make the same tank according to the prior art by bending and welding sheet metal.
According to other construction methods, the parts that make up the tank can also be connected to each other by bonding or other connection methods as long as they are suitable for making a watertight connection.
Furthermore, it is possible to produce tanks with different capacities simply by applying rectilinear parts 3c with different lengths to the same tubular parts 3a, 3b with circular profile.
It can be observed that, by increasing the length of the rectilinear tubular parts 3c, in addition to increasing the capacity of the tank, the level 2a of the volume of water 2 present therein with respect to the ground is also increased, and this at the same distance of the lower part of the tank with respect to the underlying toilet bowl 50.
In this way, a better flushing of the toilet bowl is obtained due to the synergistic effect of the greater volume of water used and the greater falling speed.
According to an embodiment variant, the tank 3 is made in the toroidal shape 31 which can be observed in figures 5 and 6 and which is obtained by appropriately sectioning and shaping the tubular element 10 so as to obtain a first tubular part 31a and a second tubular part 31b equal to each other and with a semi-circular profile in which their open ends corresponding to each other 31'a and 31'b respectively are directly connected to each other.
According to another embodiment variant, the tank 3 is made in the elliptical shape 32 which can be observed in figures 7 and 8 and which is obtained by appropriately sectioning and shaping the tubular element 10 so as to obtain variously shaped curved tubular parts 32a which are connected one after the other at their ends.
By using tubular elements with a cross section different from the circular shape, it is possible to realise tanks with other shapes that still allow to obtain the same advantages already described for the tanks made using tubular elements with a circular section.
Constructively, after the tank 3 has been made with the profile required by the user, it is drilled in order to be able to insert inside it the sections 5a, 6a, 7a respectively of the loading pipe 5, of the overflow pipe 6 and of the vent pipe 7.
In addition, a hole will also be drilled for the connection of the drain pipe 4.
When positioning the sections 5a, 6a and 7a in the tank 3, their open ends 5b, 6b, 7b must be arranged so that the level 2a of the volume of water 2 in the tank 3 is at the desired height and suitable for obtaining a good flushing of the toilet bowl.
In particular, the position in which the open end 6b of the terminal section of the overflow pipe 6 will be placed will determine the level 2a of the volume of water 2 in the tank 3 and the open ends 5b and 7b of the terminal sections 5a, 7a respectively of the loading pipe 5 and of the vent pipe 7 will be placed above said level.
In this way, as it has already been said, the open end 5b of the loading pipe 5 remains spaced from the level 2a of the volume of water 2 and this prevents any pollution of the volume of water 2 present in the tank from going up and polluting the water supply network.
Finally, the pipes are preferably fixed by welding at the respective holes.
After construction, the tank can be built-in into the wall, leaving only the sleeves for joining the drain 4, loading 5, overflow 6 and vent 7 pipes respectively extended outside.
This is possible because inside the tank 3 there are only fixed elements and therefore not subject to breakage or wear and therefore the tank will never need to be opened for maintenance.
As regards the shut-off means 9, as can be observed in figures 1 and 2, they comprise a first solenoid shut-off valve 91 of the drain pipe 4 and a second solenoid shut-off valve 92 of the loading pipe 5, which are electrically connected to a command unit 12.
The command unit 12 receives the power supply from a power cable 12a and supplies the first solenoid valve 91 through a first conductor 91a and the second solenoid valve 92 through a second conductor 92a.
The command unit 12 is provided with a command button 13 which can be operated by the user to open the first solenoid valve 91 and also comprises electronic control means which allow the user to set the desired opening time of the solenoid valves 91, 92 and commanding the opening of said second solenoid valve 92.
Operatively, when the user activates the command button 13, the first solenoid valve 91 is opened and the water flows from the tank 3 along the drain pipe 4 for the opening time stored in the electronic control means.
After the opening of the first solenoid valve 91 and, preferably but not necessarily, before the closure thereof, the electronic control means command the opening of the second solenoid valve 92 which remains open for a time sufficient to let a quantity of water flow along the loading pipe 5 which is sufficient to create the desired volume of water 2 in the tank 3.
The flushing group 1 of the invention is particularly adapted to be connected to a toilet bowl 50 for collecting human waste, as can be observed in figures 1 and 2.
The toilet bowl 50 comprises a manifold body 51 having an upper opening 52 for access to the manifold body 51 and a lower opening 53 configured to be connected to a sewer network through a siphon 60.
The upper opening 52 is perimetrically delimited by an annular body 55 which is configured to convey flushing water inside the manifold body 51 which comes from the drain pipe 4 of the flushing group 1 of the invention described above.
As regards the siphon 60, it is represented in greater detail in figures 9 and 10 where it can be observed that it comprises a central duct 61 shaped according to a profile which, substantially, recalls the shape of the letter S and having the inlet mouth 61a and the outlet mouth 61b arranged on planes P1 and P2 spaced and parallel to each other.
The inlet mouth 61a of the central duct 61 is connected to an inlet sleeve 62 having the inlet opening 62a connected to the lower opening 53 of the toilet bowl 50, while the outlet mouth 61b of the same central duct 61 is connected to an outlet sleeve 63 which is connected to a pipe of a sewer network.
The characteristic that distinguishes the siphon 60 of the present invention with respect to the siphons of the prior art is the fact that the diameter D1 of the central duct 61 is constant along its entire length and is lower than both the diameter D2 of the inlet opening 62a of the inlet sleeve 62, and of the diameter D3 of the outlet sleeve 63.
In this way, during the flushing of the toilet bowl 50, the siphon 54 behaves substantially like a Venturi tube since the flow entering through the inlet mouth opening 62a of the inlet sleeve 62 is accelerated along the central duct 61 and finally slowed down with pressure increase when it passes through the outlet sleeve 63.
In this way an improvement of the discharge conditions of the toilet bowl is obtained which further improve the flushing quality.
It should be noted that the siphon 60 having the described constructional characteristics can per se be the subject of an independent patent.
On the basis of what has been described, it is understood that the flushing group for toilet bowl and the toilet bowl using the aforesaid flushing group, both object of the present invention, achieve the set objects.
First of all, the object of realising a flushing group for toilet bowls provided with a tank in which there are no movable elements or parts and therefore subject to wear and breakage is achieved.
Therefore, advantageously, the purchase costs of the worn or broken components to be replaced and the intervention costs of the specialised technicians are eliminated.
Consequently, system shutdowns due to out of order are also reduced.
For the aforesaid reasons, the flushing groups of the invention are particularly suitable for installation in communities, hotels and restaurants, in public places and the like.
Furthermore, the lack of movable components inside the tank also achieves the object that the flushing group of the invention has a silent operation.
It has also been seen that the tank of the flushing group is constructed using commercial tubular elements which are easy to find and this allows the tank to be manufactured with lower costs than the costs necessary to manufacture tanks with the known method by bending and welding sheet metal.
Furthermore, by using commercial tubular elements, the manufacturer can create tanks with different capacities by simply changing the length of the tubular parts that compose them, also obtaining the advantage of increasing the height of the water drop as desired and thus improving the flushing effect of the toilet bowl to which the flushing group is connected.
In this regard, a further improvement of flushing is also obtained by applying to the flushing group which supplies the toilet bowl, also object of the invention, the described discharge siphon having a convergent-divergent section which improves the discharge due to the Venturi effect that it generates.
In the execution phase, variations and modifications not represented and not described can be made to the described invention.
If these variants and modifications fall within the scope of the claims that follow, they must certainly be considered all protected by this patent.

Claims

A flushing group (1) for toilet bowls comprising:
- a tank (3) for the accumulation of water;

- a drain pipe (4) adapted to connect said tank (3) to a toilet bowl;

- a loading pipe (5) adapted to connect a water network with said tank (3);

- an overflow pipe (6) adapted to connect said tank (3) with said toilet bowl;

- a vent pipe (7) adapted to connect the volume of air (8) present above the level (2a) of the volume of water (2) contained in said tank (3) with the external environment;

- shut-off means (9) of the flow of water along said drain pipe (4) and along said loading pipe (5),
the elements contained in said tank (3) being static elements comprising:
- the terminal section (5a) of said loading pipe (5);

- the terminal section (6a) of said overflow pipe (6);

- the terminal section (7a) of said vent pipe (7),
the flushing group (1) being characterized in that said tank (3) comprises at least one annular hollow body formed by two or more tubular parts (3a, 3b, 3c; 31a, 31b; 32a) connected together.
The flushing group (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow body has an annular shape which substantially recalls the profile of an oval (30) and is defined by a first tubular part (3a) and by a second tubular part (3b) having both semi-circular profile, each of the open ends (3'a) of said first tubular part (3a) being connected to the corresponding open end (3'b) of said second tubular part (3'b) by interposition of a rectilinear tubular part (3c).
The flushing group (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow body has a toroidal shape (31) which substantially recalls the profile of a circle and is defined by a first tubular part (31a) and by a second tubular part (31b) having both semi-circular profile, each of the open ends (31'a) of said first tubular part (31a) being connected directly to the corresponding open end (31'b) of said second tubular part (31b).
The flushing group (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow body has an elliptical shape (32) and is defined by two or more curved tubular parts (32a) which are connected one after the other at their ends.
The flushing group (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hollow body is obtained by composition of said tubular parts (3a, 3b, 3c; 31a, 31b; 32a) by welding made at the common ends, each of said tubular parts (3a, 3b, 3c; 31a, 31b; 32a) being obtained by sectioning into pieces and subsequent shaping of a tubular element (10) having a cross section with a circular shape.
The flushing group (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the open end (5b) of said terminal section (5a) of said loading pipe (5) is spaced from the open end (6b) of said overflow pipe (6) being arranged above said level (2a) of said volume of water (2) contained in said tank (3).
The flushing group (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shut-off means (9) comprise a first solenoid shut-off valve (91) of said drain pipe (4) and a second solenoid shut-off valve (92) of said loading pipe (5), said solenoid valves (91, 92) being electrically connected to a command and control unit (12) which comprises a command button (13) for opening said first solenoid valve (91).
The flushing group (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that said command and control unit (12) comprises electronic means configured to set the opening times of said solenoid valves (91, 92) and to command the opening of said second solenoid valve (92) at least after the closure of said first solenoid valve (91).
A toilet bowl (50) for the collection of human waste in which are identified:
- a manifold body (51) having an upper opening (52) for access to said manifold body (51) and a lower opening (53) configured to be connected to a sewer network through a siphon (60);

- an annular body (55) which perimetrically delimits said upper opening (52) and conveys inside said manifold body (51) flushing water coming from a drain pipe (4) which belongs to a flushing group and is connected to said manifold body (51),
characterized in that said flushing group (1) is made according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 8, and in that said siphon (60) comprises a central duct (61) having an inlet sleeve (62) with the inlet opening (62a) connected to said lower opening (53) of said toilet bowl (50) and an outlet sleeve (63) adapted to be connected to a sewer network, the diameter (D1) of said central duct (61) being constant and lower than both the diameter (D2) of said inlet opening (62a), and the diameter (D3) of said outlet sleeve (63).