GB2275699A

GB2275699A - Bidet fitting for a toilet

Info

Publication number: GB2275699A
Application number: GB9304227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bechir Bejaoui
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-03-02
Filing date: 1993-03-02
Publication date: 1994-09-07
Also published as: GB9304227D0

Abstract

A fitting (16) is mounted onto a toilet pan (10) and comprises a mixer chamber and liquid outlet (32) The fitting (16) serves as a mount for the toilet seat (18) and enables the toilet to act as a bidet. <IMAGE>

Description

FITTING FOR A TOILET This invention relates to a fitting for a toilet.

People who are accustomed to the hygiene and convenience of a bidet find it unsatisfactory to be without such a facility. In countries such as U.K., it is by no means yet conventional to include a bidet in every house and hotel room. However, in advanced western countries, at least, it is essentially universal to provide in every house, and accommodation for guests in hotels at the upper end of the market range, a conventional water closet lavatory.

The present inventor has appreciated that such ordinary water closets offer the possibility of provision of bidet facilities, by the addition of an elegant simple fitting to the toilet itself.

According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a toilet fitting comprising means for supplying fluid to an outlet, and means for mounting the fitting on the toilet such that the outlet is arranged to direct the fluid to be incident upon a user sitting on the toilet.

Another way of expressing the concept underlying the invention is that it represents a fitting comprising liquid supply means, for installation on the pan of a conventional water closet, to provide the water closet with a bidet function.

It is contemplated that the normal way of realizing the invention would be as a fitting for mounting at the back of the rim of the toilet pan, in place of a conventional toilet seat.

It is envisaged that the fitting would normally include hot and cold fluid supply means and an adjustable mixer unit. The hot and cold fluid supply would normally be hot and cold water delivered to the fitting through the domestic water supply piping.

However, other liquids are contemplated and there may be scope for provision of warm air through the same fluid supply means, for example, as a means of drying the user after the liquid washing capability of the fitting has been utilized.

Preferably, the fluid outlet of the fitting is arranged to have an adjustable output direction.

Preferably, the fitting according to the invention is mounted to the toilet pan and itself provides a mounting for a more or less conventional hinging toilet seat. However, embodiments with a non-hinging seat, for example, an integral seat and liquid supply fitting, are also contemplated.

The fitting preferably incorporates mountings for the seat. Ideally, the mountings are at the same spacing and relative positions as those for a conventional seat, so that conventional seats can be fixed to the fitting according to the invention. In other embodiments, however, specially designed seats might be used. For example, such a seat might include liquid supply channels with auxiliary or alternative outlets on the seat rather than on the stationary part of the fitting. There might be a water tight seal provided around the under surface of the seat, so that liquid debouching from the fitting and incident upon the user does not flow between the seat and pan and over the outside surface of the pan.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is front view of an embodiment of fitting in accordance with the invention, shown fitted to a conventional water closet lavatory; Figure 2 is a view from the rear of the Figure 1 fitting; and Figure 3 is a view from the side of the Figure 1 fitting.

In the drawings, the water closet pan 10 is conventional and therefore has the usual two vertical through apertures at the rim at the rear of the pan, passing vertically through a flange 12. To these apertures, in place of a conventional toilet seat, is fastened, with a pair of threaded bolts 14, a water supply fitting 16 in accordance with the present invention. The fitting 16 itself serves as a mounting for a conventional toilet seat 18.

The fitting 16 is based on a housing 20 which accommodates a hot water supply tap and a cold water supply tap 24 between which is a water mixing chamber 26 which receives inputs from a hot water supply passage 28 controlled by the hot water tap 22, and a cold water supply passage 30 controlled by the cold water tap 24. An outlet of the mixer chamber 26 communicates with a liquid outlet 32 of the fitting 16 and, although it is not shown for the sake of clarity in the drawings, the outlet 32 is arranged to be adjustable in the sense of the direction of flow of the liquid exiting from the outlet 32.

Referring to Figure 3, domestic hot water supply 40 and cold water supply pipe 42 are connected to the respective hot and cold water supply passages 28 and 30 of the fitting by flexible water supply pipes 44 and 46 respectively. These can be arranged to lie parallel to the conventional flushing water supply pipe 48 from the conventional flush water supply cistern 50 of the lavatory.

Claims

1. A fitting for a toilet comprising means for supplying fluid to an outlet, and means for mounting the fitting on the toilet such that the outlet is arranged to direct the fluid to be incident on a user sitting on the toilet.

2. A fitting comprising liquid supply means, for installation on the pan of a conventional water closet, to provide the water closet with a bidet function.

3. A fitting as in claim 1 or 2 for mounting at the back of the rim of the toilet pan, in place of a conventional toilet seat.

4. A fitting as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the supply means further comprises hot and cold fluid supply means, and an adjustable mixer unit.

5. A fitting as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet has an adjustable output direction.

6. A fitting as in any one of the preceding claims, which incorporates mountings for a toilet seat.

7. A fitting as in claim 6, wherein the mountings allow the seat'to rotate relative to the fitting.

8. A fitting as in any one of the preceding claims, including a seat and lid.

9. A fitting as in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a seat with a seal for sealing between the toilet pan rim and the seat, when the seat abuts the rim.

10. A toilet assembly comprising a toilet pan and a fitting as in any one of the preceding claims.

11. A fitting for a toilet, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.