FR2686240A1 - W-C KIT COMPRISING AN AUTOMATIC WASHING CABINET. - Google Patents

Abstract

A toilet assembly combining a toilet bowl (1); a toilet seat (2) with a skirt (4) on its inside rim; and a washing cabinet (3) located in the region of the bowl (1) and comprising a watertight door (8), e.g. mounted on runners (9), which opens to allow the seat (2) to pass through, and further comprising a washing device (12, 13) such as a spiral tube (13) provided with holes and connected to a pressurized water supply. Said toilet seat (2) is fastened to a horizontal rotational shaft (6) so as to be pivotable between a position in which it rests on the bowl (1) with its skirt (4) covering the upper portion of the inner wall (5) of the bowl (1), and a position in which it is received in the washing cabinet (3) to be washed by the washing device (12, 13). The door (8) of the cabinet (3) is closed in both of these positions.

Description

 The present invention relates to a set of W-Cs.

 In the toilets made available to the public, the cleanliness of W-C glasses is a major problem which has not yet been resolved in a completely satisfactory manner.

 In particular, in hotels, restaurants, stations, airports and others, there are toilets for collective use whose hygiene is difficult to ensure by the only maintenance personnel.

 There is already known an interchangeable type of bezel which is removably attached to a toilet bowl and which is easily replaceable.

 However, this solution is not suitable for collective use because of the many manipulations it involves.

 Other devices are known in which the toilet seat is automatically tilted after use in a washing cabinet, while the materials are removed from the bowl by the traditional flushing system.

 A known improvement has been made to this device by increasing the number of glasses so that one of them is always available while the others are being washed or dried.

 However, this technique is not satisfactory since only the telescope is properly cleaned.

 The present invention relates to a set of W-C characterized in that it comprises in combination a bowl; a telescope provided with a skirt on its internal perimeter; a washing cabinet located in the vicinity of the bowl and comprising a sealed door, for example with slides, the opening of which allows the passage of the window; the cabinet further comprising a washing device such as a coil pierced with holes supplied with pressurized water; said bezel being subject to a horizontal axis of rotation to be able to switch between a position in which it rests on the bowl, its skirt covering the upper part of the inner wall of the bowl, and a position in which it is contained in the cabinet to be washed there by the washing device, the door of the washing cabinet being closed in each of these two positions.

 According to the invention, it is advantageous to provide a flush to remove the materials after use.

 The water tank of this flush can be the same as that of traditional toilets, provided that it does not hinder the tilting of the telescope between its two positions.

 According to a particular embodiment, this tank is housed at the top of the washing cabinet.

 According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the skirt of the window opens onto the inclined front part of the inner wall of the bowl, the siphon of which is thus hidden from the user.

 Such a configuration of the skirt has the double advantage, on the one hand of hiding the siphon which constitutes, in traditional toilets, a place generally difficult to clean because of the quantity of water which stagnates there permanently, and on the other hand to direct the materials towards a surface from where they are more easily eliminated.

 In a first variant of this embodiment, an additional water spraying device is provided which acts downwards tangentially to said inclined wall of the bowl, in the region where the materials are deposited.

 According to a second variant of this embodiment, a device causes the flow of a film of water along the interior wall of the bowl as long as a user is seated on the seat.

 For this purpose, a sensor detects the pressure exerted on the telescope by the weight of the person and causes the flow of water.

 According to a third variant, means spray, between two uses, a non-stick product on the inner wall of the bowl to facilitate its subsequent cleaning.

 These three variants can be combined with one another.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the set of
WC includes actuators for each of its components such as the flush, the window, the door, or the washing device, and a synchronization device such as a microprocessor which activates them in a predetermined order .

According to this embodiment, the operation of all of
WC describes a washing cycle which is triggered by the user at the press of a start button, after using the WC.

 In the preferred embodiment, drying means circulate hot air around the bezel after washing it when it is still inside the cabinet.

 In accordance with the invention, the telescope is advantageously made at least partially from a non-wetting material such as PTFE or polyethylene. In this case, drying the telescope is unnecessary or largely facilitated, since the water does not adhere to it.

 It may then be sufficient to blow air at room temperature on the telescope to remove traces of water which may remain there and thus dry the telescope.

In order to better understand the invention, we will now describe a particular embodiment given by way of example and without any limiting character with reference to the accompanying drawing in which
FIG. 1 is a front view of a set of WCs according to an embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a left view in section along III-III of FIG. 1, and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 in which the seat is tilted in the washing position,
FIG. 5 represents another embodiment of the telescope according to the invention, and
- Figure 6 shows schematically a suspended bowl usable according to the invention.

 We see in Figures 1 to 4, a set of W-C comprising a bowl 1 provided with a bezel 2 and a cabinet 3 for washing.

 In the embodiment shown, the screen 2 can switch between a horizontal position in which it rests on the bowl 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a vertical position in which it is entirely contained in the cabinet 3, as shown in Figure 3.

 According to the invention, the bezel 2 has a skirt 4 on its inner perimeter.

 In the horizontal position of the bezel 2, the skirt 4 covers the upper part of the interior wall 5 of the bowl 1.

 In its vertical position, the bezel 2 and its skirt 4 are entirely contained in cabinet 3.

 A horizontal axis 6 contained in the cabinet 3 allows tilting of the bezel 2 between the two aforementioned positions.

 A bent arm 7 connects the telescope 2 to its pivot axis 6.

 The angled shape of this arm 7, which implies the low position of the axis 6, below the plane of the bezel 2 in a horizontal position, makes it possible to bring the bezel 2 and its skirt 4 inside the cabinet 3 in a position of minimal bulk.

 Indeed, the distance between the axis 6 and the plane containing the telescope in a horizontal position, which corresponds to the length of the branch 7a of the arm 7, is chosen so that the telescope 2 and the skirt 4, tilted in the cabinet 3, are in the vertical position as close as possible to the rear wall 3a of cabinet 3.

 A door 8 of the cabinet 3 slides in slides 9 to open or close by allowing the passage of the bezel 2 during its tilting.

 In the drawing, the door 8 is in the open position.

 The cabinet 3 internally comprises the various organs necessary for the operation of the entire W-C.

 A tank 10, placed at the top of the cabinet 3, contains the flushing water which, in the usual way, is sent into the bowl 1 by a vertical pipe 11.

 The cabinet also includes a device for washing the bezel 2 and its skirt 4, in this case constituted by a pump 12 which sends water under pressure into a coil 13 provided with orifices or nozzles for spraying the glasses and its skirt.

 In the present case, the washing water is conveyed by a pipe 14 mounted as a bypass on the water supply 15 of the cabinet 3.

 The shape of the coil 13 is such that when the bezel 2 is tilted into its vertical position, numerous jets of water wash the inner and outer walls of the bezel 2 and of its skirt 4.

 The cabinet 3 also comprises a drying device constituted, in the embodiment described, by a blowing fan 16 which projects air, possibly hot, onto the window, and by a duct 17 which evacuates the air to the ventilation duct of the room where the device according to the invention is located. Thus, the drying device circulates possibly hot air around the tilted bezel in the cabinet.

 The bottom of the cabinet 3 has an inclined floor 18 which collects the washing water and sends it through a siphon 20 into the main conduit 19 which leads to the sewers.

 However, the evacuation of waste water from the cabinet can lead to any other conventional conduit provided for the evacuation of waste water.

 After using the W-Cs, the user presses a button 21 arranged on the front face of the cabinet 3, the door 8 being closed, and the bezel 2 resting on the bowl 1.

 A synchronization member such as a microprocessor, not shown, is electrically connected to each of the actuating members and executes the cycle described below.

 During a first step, a motor 22 fixed to a side wall of the cabinet 3 above the door 8 opens the latter by winding a cable 23 attached to the door 8 on a pulley.

 The door 8 slides upwards in its slides 9 to leave free a passage allowing the tilting of the telescope 2 under the action of a motor 24 which, by means of a belt 25, drives a wheel 26 secured to the bent arm 7.

 The motor 22 then unwinds the cable 23 and the door 8 closes, sliding down in its slides 9 under the effect of its own weight.

 Once the door is sealed, the washing of the glasses begins.

 The pump 12 sends pressurized water to the coil 13, which causes the washing of the telescope 2 and of its skirt 4. The waste water is discharged as indicated above.

 In a variant, a device mixes with the washing water at least during part of the washing cycle a detergent or a washing and / or disinfecting product coming from a container 27.

 In the embodiment described, a dispenser 28 regulates the flow of the detergent and the washing cycle is broken down into three stages: prewash with pure water, washing with a mixture of water and detergent and rinsing with pure water.

 When the washing is finished, the blowing fan 16 sends air to the window 2 and the suction duct 17 evacuates the air to the outside.

 At the end of drying, the motor 22 opens the door 8 again and the motor 24 switches the bezel 2 to the horizontal position, then the motor 22 closes the door.

 It can be seen that the assembly of W-C described here operates according to a washing cycle which is triggered by the user, this cycle comprising at least the following steps: sending the contents of the water tank 10 into the bowl; door 8 opens; tilting of the bezel 2 inside the cabinet 3; door 8 closed; washing of glasses 2; door 8 opens; tilting of the bezel 2 in the position in which it rests on the bowl 1; and closing the door.

 In the embodiment shown, the bowl 1 has a siphon with horizontal outlet, which facilitates the recovery of the waste water from the washing cabinet 3 and its sending to the sewer.

 In FIG. 5, a bowl 1 of the footless type has been schematically represented which is suspended directly from the washing cabinet 3.

 A bowl of such a shape has the advantage that its siphon can be located far behind and is therefore not visible to the user.

 In addition, the absence of a foot makes it easier to clean the part of the floor located under the bowl.

 The bowl 1 shown in Figure 6 rests on a foot.

 To hide the siphon, a window 2 has a skirt 4 opening onto the inclined front part of the inner wall 5 of the bowl 1.

 This figure also shows the lower part of the washing cabinet 3 which encloses the vertical duct 11 for supplying flushing water to the bowl 1.

 In the known manner, this flushing water fills an annular recess 29 before arriving inside the bowl 1.

 The bowl 1 shown also includes a second annular recess 30 which opens only at the front part of the bowl to project water downwards tangentially to the inclined front part of the wall 5 on which the materials are deposited.

 To facilitate washing of this surface, it is possible to cover it between two uses of a non-stick product.

 This product can be conveyed by a small pipe 31 which penetrates at 32 into the vertical duct 11 and uses the annular recess 29 to open at 33 above the surface to be washed. At the end of each cycle, the synchronization member actuates a dispenser, not shown, which sends a small quantity of non-stick product into the pipe 31 and therefore onto the surface 5.

 In a variant, the pipe 31 emerging at 33 is used to cause a film of water to flow over the wall 5 as long as a user is seated on the telescope so as to avoid the stagnation of the materials.

 To detect the presence of a person on the telescope, a sensor 34, schematically represented, is located in a foot 35 of the telescope 2.

 These devices 30 and 33, which can be used alone or in combination, prevent any persistent soiling on the interior wall 5 of the bowl 1.

 Because the siphon is further masked by the skirt 4, the bowl 1 always appears specific to the user.

 The cleanliness of the bezel 2 and of its skirt 4 can, for its part, be facilitated by a second pipe 36 which opens out through different orifices 37 on the upper internal periphery of the skirt 4.

 These means 34-37 can be used either to spray between two uses a non-stick product on the inside wall of the skirt 4, or to cause the flow of a film of water along the inside wall of the skirt as long as a user is seated on the telescope.

 According to a variant, non-stick products are sprayed onto the bezel when it is still contained in the washing cabinet after it has dried.

 It is understood that the embodiments which have been described have no limiting character and that they can receive any desirable modification without departing from the scope of the invention.

 In particular, the washing device, here constituted by a pump and a coil, may comprise a set of nozzles secured to the interior walls of the cabinet, oriented towards the window and its skirt when these are contained in the cabinet. Thus, the flow rate of each nozzle is easily adjustable, as well as its orientation and its spraying mode, which can for example be a dispersed jet or on the contrary a very localized jet.

 Likewise, the drying device described here is not limiting.

A projection of air at room temperature by any known means may be sufficient to expel the drops of water from the telescope if it is constituted, for example, by polyethylene.

 Finally, the various devices for washing the bowl and the skirt, described in combination in the embodiments shown in the drawing, can be used separately from each other.

 In particular, the devices allowing flows of films of water drunk from projections of products on the bowl or on the bezel can operate in isolation or in combination.

Claims (13)

 1. Set of W-C, characterized in that it comprises in combination: a bowl (1); a bezel (2) provided with a skirt (4) on its inner perimeter; a cabinet (3) for washing located in the vicinity of the bowl (1) and comprising a sealed door (8), for example with slides (9), the opening of which allows the passage of the bezel (2); the cabinet (3) further comprising a washing device (12, 13) such as a coil (13) pierced with holes supplied with pressurized water; said bezel (2) being subject to an axis (6) of horizontal rotation in order to be able to switch between a position in which it rests on the bowl (1), its skirt (4) covering the upper part of the inner wall (5) of the bowl (1), and a position in which it is contained in the washing cabinet (3) to be washed there by the washing device (12,13), the door (8) of the cabinet (3) being closed in each of these positions.  2. W-C assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the skirt (4) opens onto the inclined front part of the wall (5) inside the bowl (1), masking its siphon.  3. WC assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bowl (1) comprises an additional water spraying device (30) which acts downwards tangentially to the wall (5) inclined by the bowl (1), in the region where the materials are deposited.  4. WC assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a device (31-34) causes the flow of a film of water along the inner wall (5) of the bowl (1), as long as a user is seated on the telescope (2).  5. WC assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between two uses, means (31,32,33) spray a non-stick product on the wall (5) inside the bowl ( 1).  6. WC assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a device (34-37) causes the flow of a film of water along the inner wall of the skirt (4) as long as a user is seated on the telescope (2).  7. W-C assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between two uses, means (35,36,37) spray a non-stick product on the inner wall of the skirt (4).  8. WC assembly according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that it comprises a device for mixing (27,28) a detergent or a washing and / or disinfecting product with wash water.  9. WC assembly according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a drying device (16,17) which circulates air, possibly hot, around the window (2 ) tilted in the cabinet (3).  10. W-C assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the telescope (2) is at least partially made of a non-wetting material such as polyethylene or PTFE.  11. WC assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises actuating members (22,24) of each of its elements and a synchronization member such as a microprocessor which puts them in action following a predetermined order.  12. WC assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that it operates according to a washing cycle which is triggered by the user, this cycle comprising at least the following steps: sending the contents of the reservoir (10) to water in the bowl; door opening (8); tilting of the bezel (2) inside the cabinet (3); closing the door (8); washing the telescope (2); door opening (8); tilting of the bezel (2) in the position in which it rests on the bowl (1) and closing of the door (8).  13. W-C assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bowl (1) is a bowl without foot, suspended from the washing cabinet (3).