GB2300653A - Cleansing spray for a water closet - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleansing spray for a water closet has a tubular douche arm (14) with a spray outlet (20) at its forward end. The arm (14) is retractable within a tubular housing (5) and can be extended for use so as to project into the central region of the water closet bowl (1) with the spray outlet (20) directed upwardly. Warm cleansing water under pressure is fed through the arm (14) to the spray outlet (20), and the pressure of this water may be used to extend the arm (14). Provision is made for sanitising the outer surface of the arm (14) as it is retracted into the housing (5) after use. This may be achieved with disinfectant which is fed through a sanitising channel (21) which is separate from the interior of the arm (14) which contains the cleansing water. It is also possible to use a ring of sanitising radiation emitters around the arm (14).

Description

CLEANSING SPRAYS This invention relates to a cleansing spray for a water closet.

Patent GB 1 361 217 describes a water closet for use by disabled persons. A spraying unit is provided for cleansing purposes. Control switches are actuated and the spraying unit moves into a spraying position within the water closet bowl. A pump operates to provide a spray of warm water, and then warm air is supplied from a blower for drying purposes.

In a practical embodiment, the spraying unit comprises a tubular douche arm which is stowed in a retracted position behind the back of the bowl. When required for use it is extended forwardly so as to project horizontally into the central region of the bowl, and cleansing water is directed upwardly from spray jets at the forward tip of the arm.

This known arrangement is convenient and effective and, having regard to the volume of pressurised water flowing in use, the douche arm is maintained in a clean and hygienic condition. However, in the interests of ensuring optimum hygiene there is a requirement for sanitising the douche arm after use to prevent any possibility of infection of a subsequent user arising from trace of contaminated material remaining on the arm.

This could be achieved by using water mixed with disinfectant for spraying purposes but this is not generally acceptable insofar as the disinfectant may cause discomfort or may give rise to an adverse skin reaction or may otherwise be unpleasant or harmful to the user.

An object of the present invention is to provide a convenient means of sanitising a water closet douche arm in a manner acceptable to the user.

According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided a cleansing spray for a water closet comprising a tubular douche arm having a spray outlet thereto, said arm being retractable within an outer housing, and means for supplying fluid under pressure along a duct through the arm to the spray outlet, characterised by the provision of a sanitising channel, with an inlet thereto, defined between the arm and the housing and separate from the said duct.

With this arrangement, there is provision for sanitising the douche arm in a simple and convenient manner, without requiring significant exposure of the user to disinfectant materials.

Most preferably the outer housing into which the douche arm is retractable in a tubular structure. The arm may be extendable by pressure of the cleansing fluid and may be retractable on release of such pressure by means of a spring. Other means for extension and retraction may also be used.

Where cleansing fluid pressure is utilised for extension the arrangement may be such that the arm has a closed inner end against which the pressure is applied within the tubular housing, and a by-pass within the housing whereby, on reaching this by-pass pressurised fluid flows around the closed end into the duct through one or more side inlets thereto.

With regard to the sanitising channel, this preferably has a drain outlet thereto to permit continuous or occasional expulsion of sanitising fluid for replacement with fresh such fluid.

The douche arm may have a cut back or similarly shaped or recessed portion to define an outlet passage in communication with the drain outlet.

In one embodiment, the housing is of circular cross-section and the douche arm is part circular e.g. with a peripheral flat region forming said recess.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the housing has a head piece which houses the tip of the douche arm in the retracted position and in which the douche arm is a close sliding fit. In this case, the above mentioned drain outlet may be provided in a lower region of the said head piece with the said recessed portion overlying said outlet. A displaceable seal may be provided to retain the disinfectant around the arm in the retracted position whilst permitting expulsion on extension thereof.

Also, the douche arm may have a peripheral groove which during extension of the arm provides a means of supplying sanitising fluid to the inner surface of the head piece and which, in the fully extended position may cooperate with a peripheral drainage groove leading to the drain outlet in the said head piece surface.

For protection purposes, the inlet to the sanitising channel may incorporate a one-way valve preventing back flow of sanitising fluid from the channel. Also, with the aforementioned one or more side inlets to the douche arm duct, a sealing arrangement is preferably provided around the arm on the forward side of the (or each) inlet to prevent communication between the (or each) inlet and the sanitising channel.

The fluid supplied to the douche arm duct is preferably warm water pressurised with a pump, as the douche arm is preferably provided with spray outlets at its forward end at an upwardly directed position thereon.

The sanitising fluid may be a water-based disinfectant or any other suitable material.

The invention is not however restricted to this form of sanitization and any other suitable material or means of application may be used. Thus, for example, it is also possible to use radiation, e.g. ultra violet radiation. Such radiation may be applied to the periphery of the douche arm on retraction or during the course of retraction. For example, the aforesaid head piece may incorporate or have mounted thereon or in association therewith a ring or peripheral assembly of suitable radiation emitters, such as UV emitting light emitting diodes or other devices. There may be multiple emitters on flat faces of a polygonal peripheral sleeve or other structure. This radiation facility may be incorporated additionally or alternatively to the sanitising channel.

Thus, and in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a cleansing spray for a water closet comprising a tubular douche arm having a spray outlet thereto, said arm being retractable within an outer housing, and means for supplying fluid under pressure along a duct through the arm to the spray outlet, characterised by the provision of a peripheral radiation-emitting sanitising apparatus associated with the housing, said apparatus being arranged to expose the arm to said sanitising radiation.

The cleansing spray of the first or second aspects of the invention is preferably arranged to be mounted relative to a water closet bowl so that it is extendable for use in level disposition within the bowl for directing a cleansing fluid spray upwardly in the central region of the bowl.

The movement and operation of the cleansing spray may be controlled with a control system so that it is capable of automatic and/or manual operation. Also, the cleansing spray may be used in association with other automatic or manual systems particularly with regard to the flushing of the water closet and the operation of a warm air dryer after use of the spray, especially to facilitate usage by a disabled or infirm person.

Thus, there may be one or more foot switches, and/or high level levers or other convenient operating devices for effecting or controlling automatic or manual operation of one or more functions or operation of the cleansing spray or other associated devices.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a water closet fitted with one form of a cleansing spray according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an axial section through the cleansing spray shown to a larger scale.

As shown in Fig. 1, a water closet for use by a disabled or infirm person has the usual ceramic bowl 1 and seat 2 with a rear box structure 3 housing a cistern, a cleansing system and a control system. Two elbowoperated switch levers 4 are mounted one on each side of the box structure 3 and associated switches are connected to the control system.

In use, after a person has used the water closet he can cause this to flush by operating one of the switches 4. Under the control of the control system water in the cistern is emptied into the bowl 1 to cause this to flush in the usual way. The cistern then refills from mains water.

After flushing has been completed, or during the course of flushing, the person seated on the water closet can operate the other switch 4 to initiate a cleansing action.

As shown in Fig. 2, a tubular housing structure 5 projects horizontally behind the bowl 1 into the box structure 3 through an opening 6 in the bowl 1.

This housing structure 5 comprises a two-piece tube 7 with an annular flanged head piece 8 screwed into a forward end. The flanges 9 of the head piece 8 project within the bowl 1 and the tube 7 is fixed to the bowl 1 by a short barrel 10 screwed around the tube 7 on the rear of the bowl 1. The bowl 1 is clamped between the flanges 9 and the barrel 10 with intervening washers.

The head piece 8 has an axial through bore 11.

The rear end of the tube 7 is closed with a connector 12 with a through passage which is linked to a supply pipe 13 connected to a pumped source of warm water (not shown).

The inner periphery of the tube 7 is of circular cross-section, as also is the bore 11 through the head piece 8. The diameter of the bore 8 is slightly less than that of the inner periphery of the tube 7.

Within the tube 7 there is an inner tubular douche arm 14 which is in the form of a hollow pipe closed at both ends.

The douche arm pipe 14 is generally of circular cross-section with an external diameter such as to define a close sliding fit within the bore 11 of the head piece 8. The forward region of the pipe 14, extending up to the central region is cut back to define a recessed flat 15.

The forward end of the douche arm pipe 14 is sealed with a plug 16.

The rearward end is sealed with a larger diameter cap 17 which has side inlet openings 18 in communication with the interior of the pipe 14 and which are bounded on opposite sides by peripheral seals 19.

The douche arm pipe 14 has spray jets 20 in the top surface thereof immediately behind the front end plug 16.

An annular space 21 is defined between the inner periphery of the tube 7 and the outer periphery of the pipe 14 and this contains a helical coil spring 22 held captive between the cap 17 and the head piece 8.

An inlet nozzle 23 incorporating a one way valve is mounted on the top of the tube 7 behind the barrel 10 and communicated with the forward part of the annular space 21. The head piece 8 has a bottom drain hole 23 which communicates with an internal peripheral groove 24. There is also an external peripheral groove 25 around the central region of the pipe 14 for a purpose yet to be described.

The douche arm 14 is shown in the drawing in a fully retracted position with the forward end within the head piece 8, and the rearward end abuts the rear end connector 12. The arm 14 is held in this position by the action of the spring 22.

When the user seated on the water closet has initiated the cleansing action by operation of the appropriate switch, warm water is pumped into the connector 12 at the rear end of the tube 7. This impacts on the end cap 17 and the douche arm 14 is moved along the length of the tube 7 until the end cap 17 is in the central region of the tube 7. Further movement of the arm 14 is arrested by engagement of the cap 17 with a step in the inner surface of the tube 7 defined at the join between the two parts of the tube 7.

In this position the rearward end of the recessed flat 15 is just within the bore 11 in the head piece 8 and the forward end region of the arm 14 extends horizontally into the bowl 1 with the spray jets 20 directed upwardly centrally of the bowl 1.

In the central region of the tube 14 there is a peripheral channel 26 and the side inlets 18 are adjacent this in the extended position of the arm 14. The warm water therefore now flows around the end of the cap 17 and into the inlets 18 via this channel 26. The water flows along the duct defined by the interior of the pipe 14 and exits as a spray from the spray jets 20.

This spraying action continues for a predetermined period of time, or until the elbow switch is again operated and the supply of pressurised warm water is then cut off. This allows the pipe 14 to return to its retracted position under the influence of the spring 22. Before it does so, disinfectant solution is admitted through the inlet nozzle 23 into the annular space 21 around the pipe 14 so as to bathe the outer surface of the pipe 14 with disinfectant. Warm drying air from a blower is then directed into the bowl using conventional drying apparatus (not shown).

When the pipe 14 is next moved forward to the extended position, the disinfectant in the annular space 21 is expelled beneath the flat 15 of the pipe 14 part a deflectable seal 26 so as to escape through the drain hole 23.

The groove 25 ensures that disinfectant is swept through the entire inner surface of the bore 11 in the head piece 8 to be expelled via the head piece groove 24 and the drain hole 23.

With this arrangement it can be ensured that the outer surface of the pipe 14 is repeatedly cleansed with disinfectant without the user being exposed to the disinfectant to any significant extent.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Thus, for example, instead of using the two switches 4 to control respectively flushing and cleansing, the switches 4 may perform the same function, in conjunction with a control circuit, and a sensor switch associated with the seat 2, whereby on operation of either switch 4 whilst a person is seated there is initiated a cleansing action followed by flushing, whereas operation of the switches 4 when the user is not seated, the flushing action is initiated without the cleansing action. Also, a foot bar or any other suitable kind of switch may be provided additionally or alternatively to the switches 4.

Claims (19)

1. A cleansing spray for a water closet comprising a tubular douche arm having a spray outlet thereto, said arm being retractable within an outer housing1 and means for supplying fluid under pressure along a duct through the arm to the spray outlet, characterised by the provision of a sanitising channel, with an inlet thereto, defined between the arm and the housing and separate from the said duct.

2. A spray according to claim 1 wherein the outer housing is a tubular structure.

3. A spray according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the arm is extendable by pressure of the cleansing fluid.

4. A spray according to claim 3 wherein the arm has a closed inner end against which the pressure is applied within the housing, and a bypass is provided within the housing whereby, on reaching this by-pass pressurised fluid flows around the closed end into the duct through one or more side inlets thereto.

5. A spray according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein the arm is retractable by means of a spring.

6. A spray according to any one of claims 1-5 wherein the sanitising channel has a drain outlet thereto.

7. A spray according to claim 6 wherein the douche arm has a recess to define an outlet passage in communication with the drain outlet.

8. A spray according to claim 7 wherein the housing is of circular cross-section and the douche arm is part circular with a peripheral flat region forming said recess.

9. A spray according to any one of claims 1-8 wherein the housing has a head piece which houses the tip of the douche arm in the retracted position and in which the douche arm is a close sliding fit.

10. A spray according to claim 9 when dependent on claim 7 or 8 wherein the drain outlet is provided in a lower region of the said head piece with the said recessed portion overlying said outlet.

11. A spray according to claim 10 wherein a displaceable seal is provided to retain disinfectant around the arm in the retracted position.

12. A spray according to any one of claims 9-11 wherein the douche arm has a peripheral groove which during extension of the arm provides a means of supplying sanitising fluid to the inner surface of the head piece.

13. A spray according to claim 12 wherein, in the fully extended position, the peripheral groove cooperates with a peripheral drainage groove leading to the drain outlet in the said head piece surface.

14. A spray according to any one of claims 1-13 wherein the inlet to the sanitising channel incorporates a one-way valve preventing back flow of sanitising fluid from the channel.

15. A spray according to claim 4, or any claim dependent thereon, wherein a sealing arrangement is provided around the arm on the forward side of the or each side inlet to prevent communication with the sanitising channel.

16. A spray according to any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the douche arm has spray outlets at its forward end at an upwardly directed position thereon.

17. A cleansing spray for a water closet comprising a tubular douche arm having a spray outlet thereto, said arm being retractable within an outer housing, and means for supplying fluid under pressure along a duct through the arm to the spray outlet, characterised by the provision of a peripheral radiation-emitting sanitising apparatus associated with the housing, said apparatus being arranged to expose the arm to said sanitising radiation.

18. A water closet having a bowl and a spray according to any one of claims 1-17, the spray being mounted so as to be extendable for use in level disposition within the bowl for directing a cleansing fluid spray upwardly in the central region of the bowl.

19. . A spray, and a water closet, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.