GB2422382A

GB2422382A - Toilet with conventional flush and pump flush

Info

Publication number: GB2422382A
Application number: GB0517003A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Crowther; Yvonne Emma Crowther
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-20
Filing date: 2005-08-19
Publication date: 2006-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2025-08-19
Also published as: GB2422382B; GB0501150D0; GB0517003D0

Abstract

A toilet includes a cistern 6. On flushing passes from the cistern 6 into a toilet bowl 28 having an inner surface and a rim 24 which is provided with one or more openings from where the water emerges to fall under gravity down the inner surface of the toilet bowl. The bowl also has a mouth 48 in the lower reaches thereof through which waste products are flushed. The toilet is also provided with a pump 30 provided with a source of fluid, and the toilet bowl 28 is provided with one or more outlets 36 in the region of the mouth 48, said outlets 36 being disposed so as to cause the pumped fluid to rotate in said mouth 48 and so cause the formation of a vortex therein and as said fluid passes therethrough to assist the flushing efficacy of said toilet.

Description

Improved Toilet This invention relates to an improved toilet, and more

particularly to a toilet which has improved flushing characteristics at least in terms of the volume of water required to effect a single flush is concerned.

Recently introduced European Union regulations dictate that the volume of water used in a conventional flush is to be reduced as compared to current levels, and it has therefore become necessary for manufacturers of toilet cisterns, and of toilets in general to consider alternative methods by which the efficacy of the toilet flushing action can be maintained despite the reduction in water pressure and flow rates which result from the reduction in cistern water capacity.

Briefly, the conventional toilet flushing action, is achieved by allowing a body of 1 5 water contained in the cistern to escape through an outlet located in the base of the cistern from which it then flows into a cavities rim provided around the toilet bowl.

The height of the cistern relative to the toilet bowl ensures that the body of water contained within the cistern has a static pressure sufficient to ensure a reasonable flow rate into the cavitied rim whence it flows both around the rim to a greater or lesser extent depending on said pressure, and ultimately down the inner sides of the toilet bowl towards an orifice disposed at the lower extremity thereof.

As the water emerges from the rim into the bowl, it performs a cleaning and waste removal action on the bowl sides, before beginning to collect at the base of the bowl where an existing water level is already maintained on either side of the conventional so-called U-bend pipe work connected to the toilet howl orifice. The existing water level is the same on both sides of the U-bend under normal ambient conditions until the level, and thus the static pressure of said water on the toilet bowl side of the U-bend change as a result of the flush water, being that water which has emerged from the cistern as a result of a single flushing action, begins to collect as described. During this phase of the toilet flushing action, there is a natural tendency for any solids, human waste or other detritus collected from the bowl sides and already present in the body of water on the toilet howl side of the U-bend to be forced around said U-bend as a result of the increased static water pressure extant in that body of water. The result of a successful flushing action is that most of the flush water and all the solids, detritus, and human waste are expelled into the soil pipe connected to the alternate side of the U-bend with only a residual amount of water remaining at the base of the toilet howl. The reason for the residual water level being sufficient to effectively prevent any unpleasant odours from escaping from the soil pipe, and travelling around the U-bend and into the open toilet howl. This residual water level effectively therefore seals the soil pipe from the toilet bowl.

The position of the cistern relative to the howl, in particular in that the cistern is necessarily disposed above the toilet bowl and to the rear thereof when viewed from the front, provides body of water in the cistern with sufficient energy to give rise to a 1 5 reasonable flow rate within the cavitied rim and ultimately around the toilet bowl inner surfaces towards the lower reaches of the toilet bowl towards which it flows under gravity.

Within the cistern, a conventional flushing and filling mechanism is employed, typically including a ball cock and valve arrangement which permits the filling of the cistern with water to a predetermined level therein. The mechanism is controlled externally through connection to a handle disposed on the out front side of the cistern as is well known in the art. Although the flushing and filling mechanism can be adjusted slightly to cause the cistern to be filled to a slightly lesser or greater extent, the volume of water contained in the cistern and used in the flushing action is still considerable.

More recently, it has been proposed to provide a dual flush mechanism inside the cistern which is actuated in one of two ways be separate adjacently disposed buttons on the upper surface of the cistern lid. This mechanism allows for two different types of flushes to he effected, namely a first, reduced flow flush for use in cases where the toilet bowl has been used for purely urinary discharges-in this case, only a proportion of the cistern contents are evacuated through the cistern outlet; and a second complete flush for use in cases when the toilet bowl contains more substantial detritus, solids and human waste-in this case, the entire contents of the cistern are evacuated in the conventional manner described above.

Notwithstanding these advances, there is an ever present requirement for toilet flushing to be made more efficient in terms of water consumption, as toilets have long been regarded as a particularly wasteful use of fresh water.

Many prior art documents propose to improve the flushing characteristics of conventional toilet apparatus by inducing differing types of vortex action. For instance, US4930 167 describes a toilet capable of generating superior vortex water flushing action by providing a cavitied howl rim as in conventional toilets, but importantly the cavity of the rim is different depending on the particular side of the bowl on which it is provided. Angular velocity can be imparted to the flush water to give rise to a vortex in the lower reaches of the toilet bowl, which is deemed advantageous to the overall flushing action.

US6415457 achieves a similar vortex flushing action in the lower reaches of a toilet bowl by providing a variety ol differently sized and spaced apertures on the inner underside of the toilet rim. Although the rim is cavitied as in conventional toilet bowls, the cavity is closed and fluid is permitted to escape only through said apertures or in predetermined regions of the cavity where it opens into the toilet bowl.

US4 145776 describes a fluid assisted flushing arrangement whereby there is provided a secondary flushing mechanism in conjunction with the first, conventional mechanism as described above. In the arrangement described, there is provided a waterway between the bottom of the cistern and the mouth of the toilet bowl through which the expulsion of the bowl contents occurs. This waterway allows fluid flow directly from the cistern to said mouth, and by virtue of the interaction of the fluid emerging into the howl from the waterway and the fluid flowing down the inner side surfaces of the bowl, a vortex is formed in the mouth of the bowl.

The applicant hercfor has realised that none of the above arrangements is particularly useful for significantly reducing the quantity ol' water required for a full or complete flush, in particular when it is required to dispose of solid human waste and detritus in the toilet howl.

Accordingly, there is a provided a toilet comprising a cistern in fluid communication with a howl having an inner surface and a rim which is provided with one or more openings in the vicinity of the upper reaches of the inner surface of the bowl and through which fluid can pass onto said bowl inner surface during a conventional flushing operation, said bowl also having a mouth in the lower reaches thereof towards which fluid can flow, said toilet bowl mouth being pipingly connected to a soil pipe and ultimately to a sewage disposal system, said cistern having flush operation means accessible to a user and which is operatively linked to a flush mechanism provided inside said cistern, characterised in that said toilet is also provided with pump means provided with a source of fluid and means to transfer this fluid to one or more outlets provided in the toilet bowl in the region of the mouth, said outlets being disposed so as to cause the pumped fluid to rotate in said mouth and so cause the formation of a vortex therein and as said fluid passes therethrough to assist the flushing efficacy of said toilet.

Preferably, the flush operation means of the toilet, most preferably a simply handle disposed on the front outer surface of the cistern, is operatively linked to the pump means so as to cause the operation of both said pump and said flush mechanism.

Most preferably, said flush operation means is operatively linked to both the flush mechanism, which is preferably a convention ball cock mechanism, and the pump means in a timed manner such that a vortex is formed in the toilet bowl mouth as a result of the flow of the pumped fluid before the fluid which is expelled from the cistern and down the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl as a result of the actuation of the flush mechanism reaches the toilet bowl mouth.

Yet further preferably, there are provided two outlets in the toilet bowl mouth through which pumped fluid can flow, and further preferably these outlets are arranged substantially diametrically opposite one another. Furthermore, it is preferable that the pumped fluid which emerges through said outlets does SO other than perpendicularly to the toilet bowl mouth surface in which it is provided.

PreI'erably the direction in which the fluid emerges from said outlets is the same, meaning that the puniped fluid emerging from each of said outlets has a component of angular velocity in the same direction, thus enabling the formation of a clockwise or counter-clockwise vortex when the pumped fluid emerging from each of the 1 5 outlets coincides.

Most preferably, the toilet howl mouth is provided internally with a lip beneath which the outlets are located, said lip effectively defining the lower reaches of the howl inner surfaces and the toilet howl mouth.

Yet further preferably the pump is provided with a source of fluid from the cistern, or alternately, the pump may be coupled directly to a mains water supply, in which case it is preferable that the connection to the mains supply be achieved through a back pressure valve.

Preferably, the operative link between the flush operation means and the pump is achieved mechanically, for example by a connecting rod with one end attached to the flush operation means and the other end attached being disposed proximate a pump switch so that when said other end comes into contact with said switch as the flush operation means is actuated by a user requiring to flush the toilet, the pump is activated and fluid is pumped therethrough, preferably into one or more conduits which con.i. iect the pump to the outlets in the toilet howl.

Alternately, the operative link between the flush operation means and the pump is achieved electrically or electronically. In this case, it is preferable that such operative link is safely insulated, for example by using a double skin to prevent fluid from the cistern compromising such operative link. Of course, it I preferable that all electrical or electronic components are safely and completely isolated and insulated from the fluid carrying parts of the toilet and pump as a whole.

Preferably the pump increases the pressure within the fluid as it passes therethrough.

Most preferably the lower reaches of the toilet bowl are ultimately connected to a soil pipe for discharge of the waste materials in the toilet, and most preferably through a 1 5 U-bend pipe arrangement as is conventional practice.

The invention described above is importantly distinct from the prior art devices in a number of aspects. Firstly, the vortex being formed in the mouth of the toilet is forcibly caused to occur, only in the region of the toilet bowl mouth. The fact that the pumped fluid (in most cases, water) emerging from the outlets is doing so under pressure means that the vortex formed is quite powerful, particularly when combined with the fluid flowing down the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl in the course of the entire flushing process. It is this combined pressure vortex and conventional (albeit reduced fluid) flushing action which allows the toilet described hereabove to dispose of practically any form of human waste or detritus through the toilet mouth and into the subsequent sewage system.

It is also important to note that this waste disposal can be achieved with a significantly reduced water volume, because as a result of the improved characteristics of the flush, the level of fluid in the cistern, being that which is expelled during a complete flush, can be lower significantly. Indeed, it is proposed that the total amount of water required to complete the flushing action without loss in perfonnance in terms of dealing with more solid waste and detritus, may be halved.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying description, wherein: Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a toilet according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of the toilet of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of the bowl of a toilet according to the present 1 0 invention; and Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the connection of the pump used with the present invention and its possible connection with a back pressure valve Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is generally displayed a toilet apparatus 2 1 5 consisting primarily of a bowl 4 and a cistern 6 disposed above and generally to the rear of the bowl thus enabling a body of fluid 8 stored within said cistern 6 to flow under gravity towards said bowl 4. l'o enable this to occur, the cistern is provided with an externally located handle 10 by which a user of the toilet may actuate a conventional cistern mechanism, designated generally by reference number 12. The cistern mechanism 1 2 consists primarily of a swingingly mounted bouyant ball-cock 14 and a siphon arrangement 16 to which the handle 10 is connected, said siphon arrangement 16 being capable of being actuated on rotation of the handle 10 when a user of the toilet desires to achieve a conventional flushing action. As a result of the actuation of the conventional siphon arrangement, the cistern fluid is permitted to flow towards the rim 24 through a suitable channel 26 which opens internally of the rim 24 in which there is provided a cavity (not shown) therearound. Depending on the particular construction of the toilet bowl 4, either the cavity opens out onto and around the inner surfaces 28 of the toilet bowl 4, or a series of apertures is provided along the underside of the rim 24, but in either case the overall effect is to allow fluid emerging into said cavity 24 through channel 26 and ultimately to report from said cavity rim 24 onto the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl 28 in the upper reaches of said bowl 4 so that the flow of water is not only driven by the static pressure of the body 8 of fluid at any time disposed above the rim 24, but is also assisted by gravity.

Additionally, the rim configuration is such that the flow of water occurs from around substantially the entire rim downwardly into the toilet bowl.

in accordance with the invention, the toilet 2 is additionally provided with a pump unit 30 which is fed with fluid from the cistern 6 by means of a conduit 32 and which in use causes an additional fluid flow through the pump exit conduit 34 which links said pump 30 with a pair of substantially diametrically opposed outlets 36 which open into the toilet howl 4 in the lower reaches thereof. Although not shown in this diagram, a suitable source of electric power is also provided to said pimp 30 by any conventional means, for example a mains power supply.

As is schematically shown in Figure 1, an operational link is provided between the handle 10 of the cistern 6 and the pump 30, and in the diagram this takes the form of a simple operating arm 38 having an electrical contact lug 40 at its free end which is disposed within the pump 30 in a suitable location so as to cause operation of said pumps unit for a predetermined time on displacement of arm 38 and lug 40 so as to complete an e]ectrical circuit within said pump. Alternatively, it is possible that a simple electrical contact mechanism be provided more proximate the handle 1 0, and that a simple wire he provided between such a contact and the pump 30 to complete the electrical circuit.

Additionally, within the cistern 6, and forming part of the conventional cistern mechanism 12, there is provided a cistern overflow pipe 42 and a ball-cock mounting support 44, both of which are secured to the underside of the cistern by back nut washers 46 or other suitable connection means.

En use, when it is desired to evacuate the bowl 4 of any human waste and other detritus deposited in the lower reaches thereof, the user simply rotates the handle 10 as would be the case with an.y conventional prior art toilet apparatus. E-Iowever, and in sharp contrast to the conventional flushing action of prior art toilets, the user action of rotating the handle 10 firstly causes actuation of the pump 30 which in turn draws an amount of water from the body of water 8 in the cistern into said pump, and propel this water under pressure through the conduit 34 so as to be expelled through outlets 36 in the lower reaches of the bowl. The manner of expulsion through said outlets 36 should be such that a vortex of angularly rotating fluid is obtained in the lower reaches of the bowl 4, and this may be achieved in a variety of different ways.

For example, the outlets 36, and additionally the conduits 34 which feed said outlets, I.riay be provided at an angle to the inner surfaces of the bowl (as opposed to perpendicularly thereof) so that the water emerging therefrom has imparted to it a lateral or angular velocity component with respect to the centre of the generally circular mouth 48 of the bowl 4 proximate which said outlets are provided.

In an alternative configuration, such as depicted in Figure 3, the conduits 34 feed outlets 36 which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the circumference of the mouth 48 proximate which said outlets are provided, hut in this configuration, a pair of tangential deflectors 50 is provided, and said deflectors being suitably positioned so as to cause the water emerging through outlets 36 to move angularly as indicated by arrows 52, within the mouth portion of the lower reaches of the toilet bowl 4.

In accordance with the invention, the operation of the pump 30 may be timed (and by this is included the meaning where despite electrical connection having been made to the pUmp circuit by rotation of the handle 1 0 actual operation of the pump mechanism does not commence for a predetermined time period thereafter) so that the creation of a fluid vortex within the mouth 48 and lower reaches of the bowl unit 4 has already occurred before any of the water 8 which has travelled through the opening 22 and through channel 26 into the cavitied rim 24 and down in the inner sides 28 of the toilet bowl 4 has reached said mouth 48. It is the combined action of the fluid flow under gravity down inner surfaces 28 under gravity with the creation of a forced fluid vortex proximate the mouth 48 in the lower reaches of the toilet bowl 4 which permits a significantly reduced quantity of water overall to be used in achieving a complete, repeatable, and effective flushing action. It is to be understood that while the "timing" is important as regards the creation of a fluid vortex as described is concerned, it is conceivable that the rotation of the handle 10 may firstly allow fluid to escape from the cistern before any interaction with the pump unit occurs. This feature is considered to he within the scope of this invention. As will be seen from Figure 1, the evacuation of whatever detritus, human waste, and fluids may be present in the mouth 48 of the bowl and there beneath, is effected through a generally conventional U-bend section 54 and from there into a soil pipe 56 which will ultimately be connected with and report into a sewage disposal pipework system (not shown).

Finally, it is also proposed by the inventor that the pump unit 30 may he led with a source of water from a mains supply pipe 60, as schematically represented in Figure 4, although in such a configuration, a back pressure valve 58 may additionally be 1 5 required to avoid breaching water regulations, in particular, without the valve 58, it is conceivable that the mains supply 60 could he seen as being connected directly to a reservoir olfoul water, namely the body of water continually present between the U- bend 54 and in the lower reaches of the toilet bowl 4 in the vicinity of mouth 48 thereof. I0

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A toilet comprising a cistern in fluid communication with a

bowl having an iirner surface and a rim which is provided with one or more openings in the vicinity of the upper reaches of the inner surface of the howl and through which fluid can pass onto said howl inner surface during a conventional flushing operation, said bowl also having a mouth in the lower reaches thereof towards which fluid can flow, said toilet bowl mouth being pipingly connected to a soil pipe and ultimately to a sewage disposal system, said cistern having flush operation means accessible to a user and which is operatively linked to a flush mechanism provided inside said cistern, wherein said toilet is also provided with pump means provided with a source of fluid and means to transfer this fluid to one or more outlets provided in the toilet bowl in the region of the mouth, said outlets being disposed so as to cause the pumped fluid to rotate in said mouth and so cause the formation of a vortex therein and as said fluid passes therethrough to assist the flushing efficacy of said toilet.
2 A toilet according to claim 1 wherein the flush operation means of the toilet is operatively linked to the pump means so as to cause the operation of both said pump and said flush mechanism.
3. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein the flush operation means of the toilet is a handle disposed on the front outer surface of the cistern.
4. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein the flush mechanism is a conventional ball cock mechanism.
5. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein said flush operation means is operatively linked to both the flush mechanism and the pump means in a timed manner such that a vortex is formed in the toilet bowl mouth as a result of the flow of the pumped fluid before the fluid which is expelled from the cistern and down the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl as a result of the actuation of the flush mechanism reaches the toilet bowl mouth.
6. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein there are provided two outlets in the toilet bowl mouth through which pumped fluid can flow.
7. A toilet according to claim 6 wherein the outlets are arranged substantially diametrically opposite one another.
8. A toilet according to claim 7 wherein the pumped fluid which emerges through the outlets does so other than perpendicularly to the toilet bow! mouth surface in which it is provided.
9. A toilet according to claim 8 wherein the direction in which the fluid emerges iS from said outlets is the same.
1 0. A toilet according to ally preceding claim wherein the toilet bowl mouth is provided internally with a lip beneath which the outlets are located, said lip effectively defining the lower reaches of the howl iimer surfaces and the toilet bowl mouth.
11. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein the pump is provided with a source of fluid from the cistern.
12. A toilet according to any of claims 1-10 wherein the pump is coupled directly to a mains water supply.
13. A toilet according to claim 12 wherein the connection to the mains water supply is achieved through a back pressure valve.
14. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein the operative link between the flush operation means and the pump is achieved mechanically,
15. A toilet according to claim 14 characterised in that the operative link is a connecting rod with one end attached to the flush operation means and the other end attached being disposed proximate a pump switch such that when said other end comes into contact with said switch as the flush operation means is actuated by a user requiring to flush the toilet, the pump is activated and fluid is pumped therethrough.
16. A toilet according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more conduits connect the pump to the outlets in the toilet howl.
17. A toilet according to any of claims 1-13 wherein the operative link between the flush operation means and the pump is achieved electrically or electronically.
18. A toilet according to claim 17 wherein the electrical or electronic operative link is safely insulated by using a double skin to prevent fluid from the cistern compromising such operative I ink.
19. A toilet according to any preceding claim wherein all electrical or electronic components are safely and completely isolated and insulated from the fluid carrying parts of the toilet and pump as a whole.
20. A toilet according to any preceding claim characterised in that the pump increases the pressure within the fluid as it passes therethrough.