FR2861977A1 - Toilet accessory e.g. urinal, controlling device e.g. for aircraft, has electrical drain valve coupled to electronic support alerted by position detector, to control water valve for urinal stowage or flushing - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a lift cylinder with a chamber and a piston connected to an accessory e.g. flush cover plate and retractable urinal. The cylinder is associated to a mechanical drain valve or an electrical drain valve (12). The valve (12) is coupled to an electronic support (14) alerted by an accessory position detector (13), to control a bidirectional water valve (15) for performing urinal stowing or flush cover plate cleaning process.

Description

Toilet accessories actuator device attached to a toilet bowl

  such as a toilet lid, a urinal carried by an arm a flush.

  Especially in public places, users are reluctant to close the toilet lids for fear of being dirty or negligent.

  It is unpleasant for a user to be obliged to store a toilet accessory such as a retractable urinal located on an arm fixed to the bowl or to find that the flush has not been actuated.

  Various devices for handling the telescope sometimes associated with a flush trigger have been proposed: - by hydraulic action (patent applications EP 0 688 911 A1 or WO 03/011096 or WO 02/100234).

  by use of an electric motor (patent applications WO 02/062191 or FR 2 828 800 or WO 03/003894).

  - By operating a pedal (patent applications FR 2,810,224 or FR 2,856,850 or WO 03/003895 or FR 2,825,608).

  These devices have the disadvantage of being bulky or complex 15 making it difficult to implement them especially in confined spaces such as those of public transport (plane, boat, ...).

  In order to limit these disadvantages, or even to eliminate them, the present invention proposes to use an accessory actuator device attached to a toilet bowl, such as a toilet lid, a urinal placed on an arm, a flush.

  This device comprises a jack and control means.

  A chamber cylinder (1) fixed on a pivot (8) and connected to any accessory is associated with a mechanical trigger device (6) or electrical (12), said electrical mechanism being associated with a device comprising an electronic circuit board ( 14) and at least one detection servo.

  The general principle is to activate a closing cylinder of the toilet lid or stowage of the urinal, said action causing the flushing of the flush mechanically or under electronic control using an electronic board.

  Figure 1 shows the actuator that actuates, in this illustration, a urinal.

  Figure 2 describes the control device in its most complete version.

  Figure 3 shows the cylinder supply valve.

  According to a first embodiment (FIG. 1), the jack (1) consists of a chamber (2) and a piston (3). The chamber (2) is connected to an expansion tank (4). A check valve (5) closes the pipe for introducing a liquid into the chamber. A drain valve (6) allows or not the return of the liquid in the expansion tank. The cylinder piston is connected by a hinge (7) to the accessory to be moved, such as a toilet lid, a urinal carried by an arm ... The cylinder-expansion chamber assembly is movable around a pivot (8) to which it is attached.

  By lifting the accessory (lid ...) the user enters the chamber (2) provided with a non-return valve (5), through a pipe (9), the liquid contained in the reserve (4) thus making it possible to keep said accessory in the space in the desired position. To return the accessory to its original position, simply open the drain cock (6). The opening of the valve causes the liquid to re-enter the expansion reserve (4) under the effect of the pressure of the piston raised by the weight of the accessory.

  The expansion reserve is not hermetic to the air so as not to slow down the flow of the liquid; a bellows (10) can compensate for pressure variations while avoiding evaporation.

  According to a preferred embodiment the drain valve (6) is timed to give the liquid time to be removed from the chamber (4).

  According to a first embodiment, the drain valve (6) is push and mechanical.

  According to a second embodiment, the triggering of the jack is combined with an electronic device.

  Some flush toilets are electrically operated such as those equipping 35 toilet bowls for aircraft or boat. The availability of electrical energy makes it possible to more or less automate the process of closing the lid and storing the urinal associated with a delayed triggering of the flushing of the bowl or rinsing of the urinal. In this version, the mechanical drain valve (6) is replaced by an electric drain valve (12).

  According to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 2, the triggering of the control (11) causes the opening of the electric drain cock (12) and the closing of the lid or the storage of the urinal as described above. A positioning sensor (13) in contact with the accessory used (lid, urinal, etc.) informs the electronic circuit board (14) which will drive a bidirectional water tap (15). This bidirectional faucet directs the cleaning water to the bowl or urinal.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the positioning detector (13) is electromechanical. The pressure exerted or not on the detector by the accessory determines the accessory used. In case the number of accessories is greater than one, it is necessary to resort to an accessory detection.

  The triggering of the storage can be activated by a presence detector (16) of a user such as an infrared detector.

  An electric power supply (17) is associated with the control device.

  When the user leaves the toilet cabin the infrared detector (16) alerts the electronic board which then verifies the positioning of the lid and the urinal. Depending on the position of the lid or the urinal the platinum triggers the process of storage and cleaning involved. This device requires the presence of an accessory positioning sensor.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the electronic circuit board is completed by means of management of the durations (time delay) and moment of activation of the various mechanisms.

  A user may be brought voluntarily or accidentally to exert a strong pressure on one of the controlled accessories. In order to dampen a possible shock and to prevent degradation of the control device, the cylinder (1) is equipped with a safety valve (18). The expelled liquid is directed to the reserve (4).

  A user may be tempted by curiosity to lift an accessory, such as a urinal integrated in the bowl, without wanting to use it. So that the positioning cylinder (1) is not active immediately, the valve (5), Figure 3, is provided with an anti-closure appendix (19) which, during its phase of contact with the piston, prevents the closing the pipe (9). This appendix also has the effect of counterbalancing and causing the closing of the valve.

Claims (8)

-4-Claims   1. Control device for accessories attached to a toilet bowl such as a toilet lid, a urinal placed on an arm, a flush, characterized in that a chamber cylinder (1) fixed on a pivot ( 8) and connected to any accessory is associated with a mechanical trigger device (6) or electrical (12), said electrical mechanism being associated with a device comprising an electronic platen (14) and at least one detection servo.   2. Control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the jack (1) consists of a piston (3) connected to any accessory by a hinge (7), a chamber (2) connected to a expansion tank (4), a non-return valve (5), a safety valve (18), said cylinder being associated with a valve (6) for emptying the liquid contained in said chamber.   3. Control device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the valve (6) for emptying the liquid contained in the chamber (2) is manually activated and timed.   4. Control device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cylinder (1) is controlled by an electric control (11) connected to an electronic control plate (14) for controlling a flush valve ( 15) and the drain valve (12) of the liquid, said platen being associated with a servocontrol comprising at least one detector (13) for positioning the accessories, a delay means and a power supply (17).   5. Control device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the non-return valve (5) is provided with an appendage (19).   6. Control device according to claim 4, characterized in that the flush valve (15) is bidirectional.   7. Control device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cylinder (1) is equipped with a safety valve (18) and a discharge pipe of the expelled liquid connected to the reserve (4). ).   8. Control device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that said control device is automated by the addition to the servo, a presence detector.