US20060143810A1 - Sanitary device for urinal and toilet flush system - Google Patents
Sanitary device for urinal and toilet flush system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060143810A1 US20060143810A1 US11/030,524 US3052405A US2006143810A1 US 20060143810 A1 US20060143810 A1 US 20060143810A1 US 3052405 A US3052405 A US 3052405A US 2006143810 A1 US2006143810 A1 US 2006143810A1
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- Prior art keywords
- sanitary
- container body
- water
- flush
- recited
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Classifications
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- E03D9/00—Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells
- E03D9/02—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing
- E03D9/03—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing consisting of a separate container with an outlet through which the agent is introduced into the flushing water, e.g. by suction ; Devices for agents in direct contact with flushing water
- E03D9/031—Devices connected to or dispensing into the flushing pipe
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- E03D3/00—Flushing devices operated by pressure of the water supply system flushing valves not connected to the water-supply main, also if air is blown in the water seal for a quick flushing
- E03D3/02—Self-closing flushing valves
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- E03D9/00—Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells
- E03D9/02—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing
- E03D2009/024—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing using a solid substance
Definitions
- the present invention relates to toilet hygiene, and more particularly to a sanitary device for urinal/toilet flush system that provides sanitary agent during flushing for sanitizing a urinal or toilet.
- a conventional toilet or urinal flush system comprises a valve body A 1 having a water inlet All and a water outlet A 12 , a diaphragm A 2 having a water channel A 21 communicating the water inlet A 11 with the water outlet A 12 , a relief valve A 3 disposed at the diaphragm A 2 for blocking a water flow from the water inlet A 11 to the water outlet A 12 through the water channel A 21 , and a flush actuator A 4 arranged to move the relief valve A 3 to a position where the water is allowed to flow to the water outlet A 12 for flushing.
- U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,169,118 and 5,244,179 both disclose a battery-operated solenoid operated automatic flush valve.
- the flush valve is automatically driven to open by a latching solenoid to actuate the flushing operation.
- a main object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device for a urinal or toilet flush system, which is adapted to automatically and controllably feed sanitary agent to mix with flush water during each flushing operation for sanitizing a urinal or toilet.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which is adapted to incorporate with a urinal or toilet flush system, wherein the sanitary device is constructed to allow convenient refilling of the sanitary agent.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which premixes the sanitary agent with a predetermined amount of flush water in a container body, in which the flush water mixing with the sanitary agent is arranged to be driven by gravity to flow out from the container body to reach the toilet. In other words, no extra energy consumption is involved according to the present invention.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which does not include complicated mechanical structure and design so as to minimize the manufacturing cost and the ultimate selling price of the present invention.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush system for a toilet or a urinal, which comprises a sanitary device to automatically and controllably feed sanitary agent to mix with flush water during each flushing operation to ensure maximum hygiene condition.
- the present invention provides a flush system, comprising:
- valve body having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber communicating between the water inlet and the water outlet;
- valve seat supported in the valve body to move between a normal idle position and a flushing position, wherein at the idle position, the valve seat is sealed at the water chamber for retaining a water pressure within the water chamber so as to block flush water flowing from the water inlet to the water outlet, and at the flushing position, the valve seat is moved to relieve the water pressure for allowing the flush water flowing towards the toilet through the water outlet so as to complete a flushing operation;
- a sanitary device comprising a container body, which is mounted on the valve body, having an upper container body for receiving a sanitary agent therein and a lower sanitary opening communicating the container body with the water outlet of the valve body, wherein at the flushing position, a portion of the flush water is guided to flow into the container body through the sanitary opening for mixing with the sanitary agent so as to form a cleansing solution, and after the valve seat is returned back to the idle position, the cleansing solution within the container body is released by gravity for flowing towards the water outlet through the sanitary opening so as to sanitize the toilet after the flushing operation is completed.
- FIG. 1 is a conventional toilet or a urinal flush system.
- FIG. 2 is a section side view of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are schematic diagrams of the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the container body is filled and discharging the flush water respectively.
- FIG. 4 is a first alternative mode of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the actuation device is integrally connected with the driving actuator.
- FIG. 5 is an alternative mode of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the flush system is operated by a sensor operated powering device.
- a sanitary device 40 for a flush system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, in which the sanitary device 40 is adapted to a flush system or incorporated into a conventional manually operated flushing system of a toilet or a urinal.
- the flush system comprises a valve body 10 , a valve seat 20 , an actuation device 30 , and the sanitary device 40 .
- the valve body 10 has a water inlet 11 , a water outlet 12 , and a water chamber 13 communicating between the water inlet 11 and the water outlet 12 .
- the valve seat 20 having a flush channel 22 , is supported in the valve body 10 to move between a normal idle position and a flushing position, wherein at the idle position, the valve seat 20 is sealed at the water chamber 13 for retaining a water pressure within the water chamber 13 so as to block flush water flowing from the water inlet 11 to the water outlet 12 .
- the valve seat 20 is moved to relieve the water pressure for allowing the flush water flowing towards the toilet bowel through the water outlet 12 so as to complete a flushing operation.
- the valve seat 20 comprises a diaphragm 21 which has a bleed hole 211 formed therein and is sealedly disposed in the valve body 10 in a movable manner to define the water chamber 13 above the diaphragm 21 to communicate between the water inlet 11 and the water outlet 12 .
- the diaphragm 21 is forced to bend upwardly so that the flush water is capable of passing from the water inlet 11 to the water outlet 12 through the flush channel 22 to complete a flushing cycle of the flush system.
- the actuation device 30 is supported by the valve body 10 to operatively move the valve seat 20 between the idle position and the flushing position so as to controllably release water from the water inlet 11 through actuation of the actuation device 30 .
- the sanitary device 40 comprises a container body 41 mounted on the valve body 10 .
- the container body 41 has an upper sanitary chamber 411 for refillably receiving a predetermined amount of sanitary agent 47 therein and a lower sanitary opening 412 communicating the container body 41 with the water outlet 12 of the valve body 10 .
- a portion of the flush water is guided to flow into the container body 41 through the sanitary opening 412 for mixing with the sanitary agent 47 so as to form a cleansing solution, and after the valve seat 20 is returned back to the idle position, the cleansing solution within the container body 41 is released by gravity for flowing towards the water outlet 12 through the sanitary opening 412 so as to sanitize the toilet after the flushing operation is completed.
- the sanitary device 40 is supported between the actuation device 30 and the valve body 10 , wherein the actuation device 30 is a manual actuation unit embodying as a movable flush lever transversely extended to the container body 41 to move the valve seat 20 at the flushing position.
- the sanitary device 40 further comprises a water divider 42 extended through the sanitary opening 412 towards the water outlet 12 of the valve body 10 for guiding the flush water to flow into the container body 41 when the flush water passes through the water outlet 12 .
- the water divider 42 which is preferably embodied as a guiding panel having a guiding surface 421 formed thereon, is transversely extended at the sanitary opening 412 towards the water outlet 12 to divide the sanitary opening 412 into an upper water collecting inlet 4121 and a lower water discharge outlet 4122 , wherein a predetermined amount of the flush water flowing through the flush channel 22 is arranged to be blocked by the guiding surface 421 and directed to flow into the container body 41 through the water collecting inlet 4121 to fill up the sanitary chamber 411 through the upper water collecting inlet 4121 .
- the container body 41 may have a sanitary opening 412 formed as the upper water collecting inlet 4121 , and a water discharge outlet 4122 formed at a position below the water collecting inlet 4121 in such a manner that the flush water is guided to flow into the container body 41 through the water collecting inlet 4121 (the sanitary opening 412 ) and then flow out of the container body 41 through the water discharge outlet 4122 .
- the sanitary agent 47 When the predetermined amount of the flush water flows to fill up the sanitary chamber 411 , it mixes with the sanitary agent 47 to become the cleansing solution having sanitary ability for killing micro-organisms such as germs and bacteria and/or possessing additional hygiene related features.
- the sanitary device 40 further comprises a driving actuator 44 movably supported within sanitary opening 412 to alignedly couple with the flush lever (actuation device 30 ) such that the driving actuator 44 is driven by the flush lever to move the valve seat 20 at the flushing position.
- the driving actuator 44 which is preferably embodied as an elongated member operatively disposed in the container body 41 , has one lever end 441 communicated with the actuation device 30 and another actuation end 442 extended to drive the valve seat 20 .
- the valve seat 20 further comprises a sealing platform 23 arranged for sealedly supporting on the diaphragm 21 to normally close the flush channel 22 , and a valve controlling shaft 24 downwardly extended from the sealing platform 23 for communicating with the actuation end 442 of the driving actuator 44 within the flush channel 22 .
- the driving actuator 44 is sidewardly driven at the lever end 441 to push the valve controlling shaft 24 at the actuation end 442 so as to drive the sealing platform 23 at a position offset with respect to the diaphragm 21 (flushing position) such that the flush water within the water chamber 13 is allowed to flow out through the water outlet 12 and release the water pressure within the water chamber 13 because the amount of flush water flowing out through the water outlet 12 is much larger than the water flowing in through the bleed hole 211 of the diaphragm 21 .
- the diaphragm 21 is pushed upwardly for allowing the flush water passing to the water outlet 12 , so as to start the flushing cycle of the flush system. Accordingly, part of the flush water is then guided and directed by the water divider 42 to flow into the container body 41 through the water collecting inlet 4121 .
- the lever end 441 of the driving actuator 44 is then pulled in an opposite direction (preferably by a resilient element 443 mounted at the water divider 42 ) such that the actuation end 442 ceases to push the valve controlling shaft 24 for restoring it into its original position.
- the sealing platform 23 is forced to sealedly sit on the diaphragm 21 due to the water pressure so as to sealedly close the flush channel 22 .
- the diaphragm 21 then drops down by refilling the flush water back into the water chamber 13 so as to increase the water pressure therein for sealedly closing the water outlet 12 to stop the water passing thereto.
- the flush water which has already flowed into the container body 41 and mixed with the sanitary agent 47 (the cleansing solution) is then driven by gravitational force to develop a higher pressure as compared to that of the water outlet 12 so as to flow out of the container body 41 to the water outlet 12 mainly through the water discharge outlet 4112 .
- the cleansing solution is discharged and flows into the toilet bowel through the water outlet 12 so that the toilet bowel can be sanitized by the cleansing solution.
- the sanitary device 40 of the present invention utilizes inherent pressure differential between the container body 41 and the water outlet 12 for directing and guiding the flow of the flush water towards the container body. After sanitizing of the flush water, the cleansing solution is driven naturally by gravity flowing back to the valve body 10 . In other words, no extra electrical pumping power is needed for operating the present invention with the flush system.
- the sanitary opening 412 must be formed at a lower portion of the container body 41 so that the cleansing solution retained above the sanitary opening 412 , when subject to gravitational force, is capable of naturally developing into a higher pressure so as to flow out from the container body 41 mainly through the water discharge outlet 4122 .
- the sanitary agent 47 can be a conventional water soluble sanitary agent 47 which has the ability to overcome micro-organisms such as germs and bacteria which are typically found in a toilet. Moreover, the sanitary agent 47 may also be utilized to impart artificial smell so as to reduce bad odor which is usually present in a restroom. This is especially important for public restrooms in that the sanitary agent 47 may be utilized both to ensure better restroom hygiene and a more pleasant restroom smell.
- the sanitary device further comprises a holder 45 having a plurality of diffusing meshes 451 supported within the container body 41 for holding the sanitary agent 47 therewith such that at least a portion of the sanitary agent 47 is dissolved with the flush water through the diffusing meshes 451 to form the cleansing solution within the container body 41 .
- the sanitary device 40 further has an air check valve 46 provided on the container body 41 for releasing air within the container body 41 to an exterior thereof when the flush water is filled in the container body 41 for mixing with the sanitary agent 47 .
- the air check valve 46 serves to allow air inside the sanitary chamber 411 escaping there from for allowing the flush water to enter.
- the container body 41 further comprises a detachable cover 413 , having the air check valve 46 formed thereon, detachably mounted on the container body 41 for replacing or refilling the sanitary agent 47 therein when the detachable cover 413 is detached from the container body 41 .
- a user is able to replace or refill the sanitary agent by detaching the detachable cover 413 .
- the actuation device 30 ′ is integrally connected with the lever end 441 of the driving actuator 44 ′ such that by actuating the actuation device 30 ′, the actuation end 442 ′ of the driving actuator 44 ′ is driven to push the valve controlling shaft 24 so as to move the valve seat to the flushing position.
- the driving actuator 44 ′ is pulled back by the actuation device 30 ′ (without the help of the resilient element 443 ) so as to allow the valve seat 20 returning to the idle position.
- the actuation device 30 is embodied as an automatic actuation unit comprising a sensor operated powering device 50 ′′ which comprises a sensor 51 ′′ for sensing a presence of a user and an actuation arm 52 ′′ driven by a motor 53 ′′ to move the valve seat 20 between the flushing position and the idle position.
- a sensor operated powering device 50 ′′ which comprises a sensor 51 ′′ for sensing a presence of a user and an actuation arm 52 ′′ driven by a motor 53 ′′ to move the valve seat 20 between the flushing position and the idle position.
- the actuation arm 52 ′′ is actuated by the motor 53 ′′ to move the valve seat 20 from the idle position to the flushing position so as to start the flushing process.
- the flush water would flow into the sanitary chamber 411 of the container body 41 to mix with the sanitary agent to become cleansing, which is then driven by gravity to flow out from the water discharge outlet 4122 to the water outlet 12 of the valve body 10 .
- the senor 51 ′′ in this alternative mode can be embodied as a regular infrared sensor which is utilized to detect the presence of a human body in front of that sensor 51 ′′. If a human body is detected, a subsequent absence of that human body would mean he/she has finished using the toilet. Then, the actuation arm 52 ′′ is actuated to move valve seat 20 for starting flushing cycle.
- the sanitary device 40 of the present invention may be adapted for fitting into either the manually operated flushing system, or the sensor operated powering device 50 ′′.
- a user may be able to, according to his/her specific circumstances, incorporate the sanitary device 40 to his/her domestic or public flush system(s).
- the automatic actuation unit may further provide a sealing cap 31 ′′ covering an opening at the sidewall of the container body 41 such that the user is able to selectively switch off the sensor operated powering device 50 ′′, disassemble the sealing cap 31 ′′ and install a manual actuation device 30 for manual operation of the flush system, as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings.
- the present invention provides an effective and efficient solution for regularly sanitizing a toilet or a urinal so as to ensure better toilet hygiene for individuals' health.
Abstract
A flush system for toilet, urinal or the like includes a valve body having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber, a valve seat, an actuation device, and a sanitary device. The sanitary device includes a container body mounted on the valve body for replaceably receiving a sanitary agent therein. The container body has a lower sanitary opening communicating the container body with the water outlet of the valve body. When the valve seat is in a flushing position, a portion of the flush water is guided to flow into the container body through the sanitary opening for mixing with the sanitary agent so as to form a cleansing solution. After the valve seat is returned to an idle position, the cleansing solution is released by gravity for flowing towards the water outlet through the sanitary opening to sanitize the toilet, urinal or the like.
Description
- 1. Field of Invention
- The present invention relates to toilet hygiene, and more particularly to a sanitary device for urinal/toilet flush system that provides sanitary agent during flushing for sanitizing a urinal or toilet.
- 2. Description of Related Arts
- Referring to
FIG. 1 of the drawings, a conventional toilet or urinal flush system comprises a valve body A1 having a water inlet All and a water outlet A12, a diaphragm A2 having a water channel A21 communicating the water inlet A11 with the water outlet A12, a relief valve A3 disposed at the diaphragm A2 for blocking a water flow from the water inlet A11 to the water outlet A12 through the water channel A21, and a flush actuator A4 arranged to move the relief valve A3 to a position where the water is allowed to flow to the water outlet A12 for flushing. - A major hygiene problem for public restrooms is that some users are less willing to flush after using the toilet. Therefore, the manual toilet flush system has undergone substantial development during the last few decades. For example, at an attempt to improve toilet hygiene and user's convenience, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,169,118 and 5,244,179 both disclose a battery-operated solenoid operated automatic flush valve. When the infrared sensor detects the presence of a user of the urinal or toilet, the flush valve is automatically driven to open by a latching solenoid to actuate the flushing operation.
- Although such automatic flush system generally resolves the abovementioned toilet hygiene problem, some other problems remain unsolved. In fact, although the flushing operation is automatically actuated every time after each user has used the toilet, the hygiene condition of the toilet still may not be maintained in a satisfactory condition. Obviously, in order to overcome infectious diseases that are caused by germs and bacteria or can be transmitted through body fluids or feces, some sort of sanitary agent is preferably used to mix with the flushing water. Conventional measure is to put a piece of dissolvable sanitary agent in a water tank of the toilet so that a certain amount of the sanitary agent is dissolved and mixed with the water stored for flushing. A major problem with this is that the user has to replace the sanitary agent frequently. For some public restrooms, the toilets have no flushing water tank or the flushing water tank may be hidden in a finely decorated storage compartment that is difficult to reach by the users.
- A main object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device for a urinal or toilet flush system, which is adapted to automatically and controllably feed sanitary agent to mix with flush water during each flushing operation for sanitizing a urinal or toilet.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which is adapted to incorporate with a urinal or toilet flush system, wherein the sanitary device is constructed to allow convenient refilling of the sanitary agent.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which premixes the sanitary agent with a predetermined amount of flush water in a container body, in which the flush water mixing with the sanitary agent is arranged to be driven by gravity to flow out from the container body to reach the toilet. In other words, no extra energy consumption is involved according to the present invention.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device which does not include complicated mechanical structure and design so as to minimize the manufacturing cost and the ultimate selling price of the present invention.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush system for a toilet or a urinal, which comprises a sanitary device to automatically and controllably feed sanitary agent to mix with flush water during each flushing operation to ensure maximum hygiene condition.
- Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a flush system, comprising:
- a valve body having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber communicating between the water inlet and the water outlet;
- a valve seat supported in the valve body to move between a normal idle position and a flushing position, wherein at the idle position, the valve seat is sealed at the water chamber for retaining a water pressure within the water chamber so as to block flush water flowing from the water inlet to the water outlet, and at the flushing position, the valve seat is moved to relieve the water pressure for allowing the flush water flowing towards the toilet through the water outlet so as to complete a flushing operation;
- an actuation device supported by the valve body to operatively move the valve seat at the flushing position; and
- a sanitary device comprising a container body, which is mounted on the valve body, having an upper container body for receiving a sanitary agent therein and a lower sanitary opening communicating the container body with the water outlet of the valve body, wherein at the flushing position, a portion of the flush water is guided to flow into the container body through the sanitary opening for mixing with the sanitary agent so as to form a cleansing solution, and after the valve seat is returned back to the idle position, the cleansing solution within the container body is released by gravity for flowing towards the water outlet through the sanitary opening so as to sanitize the toilet after the flushing operation is completed.
- These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
-
FIG. 1 is a conventional toilet or a urinal flush system. -
FIG. 2 is a section side view of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 3A andFIG. 3B are schematic diagrams of the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the container body is filled and discharging the flush water respectively. -
FIG. 4 is a first alternative mode of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the actuation device is integrally connected with the driving actuator. -
FIG. 5 is an alternative mode of the flush system incorporating with the sanitary device according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the flush system is operated by a sensor operated powering device. - Referring to
FIG. 2 of the drawings, asanitary device 40 for a flush system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, in which thesanitary device 40 is adapted to a flush system or incorporated into a conventional manually operated flushing system of a toilet or a urinal. - The flush system comprises a
valve body 10, avalve seat 20, anactuation device 30, and thesanitary device 40. - The
valve body 10 has a water inlet 11, awater outlet 12, and awater chamber 13 communicating between the water inlet 11 and thewater outlet 12. - The
valve seat 20, having aflush channel 22, is supported in thevalve body 10 to move between a normal idle position and a flushing position, wherein at the idle position, thevalve seat 20 is sealed at thewater chamber 13 for retaining a water pressure within thewater chamber 13 so as to block flush water flowing from the water inlet 11 to thewater outlet 12. When thevalve seat 20 is at the flushing position, thevalve seat 20 is moved to relieve the water pressure for allowing the flush water flowing towards the toilet bowel through thewater outlet 12 so as to complete a flushing operation. - Specifically, the
valve seat 20 comprises adiaphragm 21 which has ableed hole 211 formed therein and is sealedly disposed in thevalve body 10 in a movable manner to define thewater chamber 13 above thediaphragm 21 to communicate between the water inlet 11 and thewater outlet 12. In other words, once the flush water within thewater chamber 13 is released to reduce the water pressure therein, thediaphragm 21 is forced to bend upwardly so that the flush water is capable of passing from the water inlet 11 to thewater outlet 12 through theflush channel 22 to complete a flushing cycle of the flush system. - The
actuation device 30 is supported by thevalve body 10 to operatively move thevalve seat 20 between the idle position and the flushing position so as to controllably release water from the water inlet 11 through actuation of theactuation device 30. - The
sanitary device 40 comprises acontainer body 41 mounted on thevalve body 10. Thecontainer body 41 has an uppersanitary chamber 411 for refillably receiving a predetermined amount ofsanitary agent 47 therein and a lowersanitary opening 412 communicating thecontainer body 41 with thewater outlet 12 of thevalve body 10. At the flushing position, a portion of the flush water is guided to flow into thecontainer body 41 through thesanitary opening 412 for mixing with thesanitary agent 47 so as to form a cleansing solution, and after thevalve seat 20 is returned back to the idle position, the cleansing solution within thecontainer body 41 is released by gravity for flowing towards thewater outlet 12 through thesanitary opening 412 so as to sanitize the toilet after the flushing operation is completed. - According to the preferred embodiment, the
sanitary device 40 is supported between theactuation device 30 and thevalve body 10, wherein theactuation device 30 is a manual actuation unit embodying as a movable flush lever transversely extended to thecontainer body 41 to move thevalve seat 20 at the flushing position. - Referring to 2?,
FIG. 3A andFIG. 3B of the drawings, thesanitary device 40 further comprises awater divider 42 extended through thesanitary opening 412 towards thewater outlet 12 of thevalve body 10 for guiding the flush water to flow into thecontainer body 41 when the flush water passes through thewater outlet 12. - Specifically, the
water divider 42, which is preferably embodied as a guiding panel having a guidingsurface 421 formed thereon, is transversely extended at thesanitary opening 412 towards thewater outlet 12 to divide thesanitary opening 412 into an upperwater collecting inlet 4121 and a lowerwater discharge outlet 4122, wherein a predetermined amount of the flush water flowing through theflush channel 22 is arranged to be blocked by the guidingsurface 421 and directed to flow into thecontainer body 41 through thewater collecting inlet 4121 to fill up thesanitary chamber 411 through the upperwater collecting inlet 4121. - As an apparent alternative, the
container body 41 may have asanitary opening 412 formed as the upperwater collecting inlet 4121, and awater discharge outlet 4122 formed at a position below thewater collecting inlet 4121 in such a manner that the flush water is guided to flow into thecontainer body 41 through the water collecting inlet 4121 (the sanitary opening 412) and then flow out of thecontainer body 41 through thewater discharge outlet 4122. - When the predetermined amount of the flush water flows to fill up the
sanitary chamber 411, it mixes with thesanitary agent 47 to become the cleansing solution having sanitary ability for killing micro-organisms such as germs and bacteria and/or possessing additional hygiene related features. - Referring to
FIG. 2 of the drawings, thesanitary device 40 further comprises a drivingactuator 44 movably supported withinsanitary opening 412 to alignedly couple with the flush lever (actuation device 30) such that the drivingactuator 44 is driven by the flush lever to move thevalve seat 20 at the flushing position. - The
driving actuator 44, which is preferably embodied as an elongated member operatively disposed in thecontainer body 41, has onelever end 441 communicated with theactuation device 30 and anotheractuation end 442 extended to drive thevalve seat 20. Specifically, thevalve seat 20 further comprises asealing platform 23 arranged for sealedly supporting on thediaphragm 21 to normally close theflush channel 22, and avalve controlling shaft 24 downwardly extended from thesealing platform 23 for communicating with theactuation end 442 of the drivingactuator 44 within theflush channel 22. - As shown in
FIG. 3A of the drawings, by actuating theactuation device 30, thedriving actuator 44 is sidewardly driven at thelever end 441 to push thevalve controlling shaft 24 at theactuation end 442 so as to drive thesealing platform 23 at a position offset with respect to the diaphragm 21(flushing position) such that the flush water within thewater chamber 13 is allowed to flow out through thewater outlet 12 and release the water pressure within thewater chamber 13 because the amount of flush water flowing out through thewater outlet 12 is much larger than the water flowing in through thebleed hole 211 of thediaphragm 21. Thus, when the water pressure within thewater chamber 13 reduces, thediaphragm 21 is pushed upwardly for allowing the flush water passing to thewater outlet 12, so as to start the flushing cycle of the flush system. Accordingly, part of the flush water is then guided and directed by thewater divider 42 to flow into thecontainer body 41 through thewater collecting inlet 4121. - When the
actuation device 30 returns to the idle position, thelever end 441 of the drivingactuator 44 is then pulled in an opposite direction (preferably by aresilient element 443 mounted at the water divider 42) such that theactuation end 442 ceases to push thevalve controlling shaft 24 for restoring it into its original position. Then after, once thevalve controlling shaft 24 returns back to its original position, the sealingplatform 23 is forced to sealedly sit on thediaphragm 21 due to the water pressure so as to sealedly close theflush channel 22. Thediaphragm 21 then drops down by refilling the flush water back into thewater chamber 13 so as to increase the water pressure therein for sealedly closing thewater outlet 12 to stop the water passing thereto. Note that, since the sealingplatform 23 is normally sealed on thediaphragm 21, no water is normally allowed to flow through theflush channel 22 to thewater outlet 12 until the flushing cycle is restarted, i.e. theactuation device 30 is actuated again. - However, when the flush water is sealed by the
diaphragm 21, so that flow of flush water in thewater outlet 12 ceases, the flush water which has already flowed into thecontainer body 41 and mixed with the sanitary agent 47 (the cleansing solution) is then driven by gravitational force to develop a higher pressure as compared to that of thewater outlet 12 so as to flow out of thecontainer body 41 to thewater outlet 12 mainly through the water discharge outlet 4112. As a result, the cleansing solution is discharged and flows into the toilet bowel through thewater outlet 12 so that the toilet bowel can be sanitized by the cleansing solution. - It is appreciated that the
sanitary device 40 of the present invention utilizes inherent pressure differential between thecontainer body 41 and thewater outlet 12 for directing and guiding the flow of the flush water towards the container body. After sanitizing of the flush water, the cleansing solution is driven naturally by gravity flowing back to thevalve body 10. In other words, no extra electrical pumping power is needed for operating the present invention with the flush system. - It is important to realize that the
sanitary opening 412 must be formed at a lower portion of thecontainer body 41 so that the cleansing solution retained above thesanitary opening 412, when subject to gravitational force, is capable of naturally developing into a higher pressure so as to flow out from thecontainer body 41 mainly through thewater discharge outlet 4122. - According to the preferred embodiment, the
sanitary agent 47 can be a conventional water solublesanitary agent 47 which has the ability to overcome micro-organisms such as germs and bacteria which are typically found in a toilet. Moreover, thesanitary agent 47 may also be utilized to impart artificial smell so as to reduce bad odor which is usually present in a restroom. This is especially important for public restrooms in that thesanitary agent 47 may be utilized both to ensure better restroom hygiene and a more pleasant restroom smell. - Moreover, the sanitary device further comprises a
holder 45 having a plurality of diffusingmeshes 451 supported within thecontainer body 41 for holding thesanitary agent 47 therewith such that at least a portion of thesanitary agent 47 is dissolved with the flush water through the diffusing meshes 451 to form the cleansing solution within thecontainer body 41. - Referring to
FIG. 3A andFIG. 3B of the drawings, thesanitary device 40 further has anair check valve 46 provided on thecontainer body 41 for releasing air within thecontainer body 41 to an exterior thereof when the flush water is filled in thecontainer body 41 for mixing with thesanitary agent 47. In other words, theair check valve 46 serves to allow air inside thesanitary chamber 411 escaping there from for allowing the flush water to enter. - In order to facilitate the
sanitary agent 47 to be replaceable, thecontainer body 41 further comprises adetachable cover 413, having theair check valve 46 formed thereon, detachably mounted on thecontainer body 41 for replacing or refilling thesanitary agent 47 therein when thedetachable cover 413 is detached from thecontainer body 41. In other words, a user is able to replace or refill the sanitary agent by detaching thedetachable cover 413. - As a first alternative of the present invention, as shown in
FIG. 4 of the drawings, theactuation device 30′ is integrally connected with thelever end 441 of the drivingactuator 44′ such that by actuating theactuation device 30′, theactuation end 442′ of the drivingactuator 44′ is driven to push thevalve controlling shaft 24 so as to move the valve seat to the flushing position. After the flushing operation, the drivingactuator 44′ is pulled back by theactuation device 30′ (without the help of the resilient element 443) so as to allow thevalve seat 20 returning to the idle position. - Referring to
FIG. 5 of the drawings, an alternative mode of the present invention is illustrated. The alternative mode is similar to that of the preferred embodiment except that theactuation device 30 is embodied as an automatic actuation unit comprising a sensor operated poweringdevice 50″ which comprises asensor 51″ for sensing a presence of a user and anactuation arm 52″ driven by amotor 53″ to move thevalve seat 20 between the flushing position and the idle position. - Thus, it is to be appreciated that when the
sensor 51″ detects that a user has used the toilet, theactuation arm 52″ is actuated by themotor 53″ to move thevalve seat 20 from the idle position to the flushing position so as to start the flushing process. Once the flushing process has started, the flush water would flow into thesanitary chamber 411 of thecontainer body 41 to mix with the sanitary agent to become cleansing, which is then driven by gravity to flow out from thewater discharge outlet 4122 to thewater outlet 12 of thevalve body 10. - It is worth noting that the
sensor 51″ in this alternative mode can be embodied as a regular infrared sensor which is utilized to detect the presence of a human body in front of thatsensor 51″. If a human body is detected, a subsequent absence of that human body would mean he/she has finished using the toilet. Then, theactuation arm 52″ is actuated to movevalve seat 20 for starting flushing cycle. - Furthermore, it is also worth pointing out that the
sanitary device 40 of the present invention may be adapted for fitting into either the manually operated flushing system, or the sensor operated poweringdevice 50″. In other words, a user may be able to, according to his/her specific circumstances, incorporate thesanitary device 40 to his/her domestic or public flush system(s). - To achieve this, the user simply needs to disassemble the manually operated flushing system and utilizes a sealing
cap 31″ for stopping water coming out from the removedactuation device 30. Moreover, the automatic actuation unit may further provide a sealingcap 31″ covering an opening at the sidewall of thecontainer body 41 such that the user is able to selectively switch off the sensor operated poweringdevice 50″, disassemble the sealingcap 31″ and install amanual actuation device 30 for manual operation of the flush system, as shown inFIG. 5 of the drawings. - From the forgoing descriptions, it can be shown that the above-mentioned objects have been substantially achieved. The present invention provides an effective and efficient solution for regularly sanitizing a toilet or a urinal so as to ensure better toilet hygiene for individuals' health.
- One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.
- It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. Its embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Claims (30)
1. A flush system for a toilet, urinal or the like, comprising:
a valve body having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber communicating between said water inlet and said water outlet;
a valve seat supported in said valve body to move between a normal idle position and a flushing position, wherein at said idle position, said valve seat is sealed at said water chamber for retaining a water pressure within said water chamber so as to block a flush water flowing from said water inlet to said water outlet, and at said flushing position, said valve seat is moved to relief said water pressure for allowing said flush water flowing out through said water outlet so as to complete a flushing operation;
an actuation device supported by said valve body to operatively move said valve seat to said flushing position; and
a sanitary device comprising a container body mounted on said valve body, wherein said container body has an upper sanitary chamber for receiving a sanitary agent therein and a lower sanitary opening communicating said container body with said water outlet of said valve body, wherein at said flushing position, a portion of said flush water is guided to flow into said container body through said sanitary opening for mixing with said sanitary agent so as to form a cleansing solution, and after said valve seat is returned back to said idle position, said cleansing solution within said container body is released by gravity for flowing towards said water outlet through said sanitary opening after said flushing operation is completed.
2. The flush system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sanitary device further comprises a water divider extended through said sanitary opening towards said water outlet of said valve body for guiding said flush water to flow into said container body when said flush water passes through said water outlet.
3. The flush system, as recited in claim 2 , wherein said water divider is transversely extended within said sanitary opening to divide said sanitary opening into an upper water collecting inlet for guiding said flush water into said container body and a lower water discharge outlet for releasing said cleansing solution to said water outlet.
4. The flush system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sanitary device further has an air check valve provided on said container body for releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said flush water is filled in said container body.
5. The flush system, as recited in claim 2 , wherein said sanitary device further has an air check valve provided on said container body for releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said flush water is filled in said container body.
6. The flush system, as recited in claim 3 , wherein said sanitary device further has an air check valve provided on said container body for releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said flush water is filled in said container body.
7. The flush system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sanitary device is supported between said actuation device and said valve body, wherein said actuation device is a manual actuation unit comprising a movable flush lever transversely extended to said container body to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
8. The flush system, as recited in claim 2 , wherein said sanitary device is supported between said actuation device and said valve body, wherein said actuation device is a manual actuation unit comprising a movable flush lever transversely extended to said container body to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
9. The flush system, as recited in claim 6 , wherein said sanitary device is supported between said actuation device and said valve body, wherein said actuation device is a manual actuation unit comprising a movable flush lever transversely extended to said container body to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
10. The flush system, as recited in claim 7 , wherein said sanitary device further comprises a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening to alignedly couple with said flush lever such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
11. The flush system, as recited in claim 8 , wherein said sanitary device further comprises a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening to alignedly couple with said flush lever such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
12. The flush system, as recited in claim 9 , wherein said sanitary device further comprises a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening to alignedly couple with said flush lever such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
13. The flush system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said actuation device is an automatic actuation unit comprising a sensor operated powering device comprising a sensor for sensing a presence of a user and an actuation arm to move said valve seat between said flushing position back and said idle position.
14. The flush system, as recited in claim 2 , wherein said actuation device is an automatic actuation unit comprising a sensor operated powering device comprising a sensor for sensing a presence of a user and an actuation arm to move said valve seat between said flushing position back and said idle position.
15. The flush system, as recited in claim 6 , wherein said actuation device is an automatic actuation unit comprising a sensor operated powering device comprising a sensor for sensing a presence of a user and an actuation arm to move said valve seat between said flushing position back and said idle position.
16. A sanitary device for a flush system of a toilet, urinal or the like comprising a valve body having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber communicating between said water inlet and said water outlet, a valve seat provided in said valve body to move between a normal idle position that said valve seat is sealed at said water chamber for retaining a water pressure within said water chamber so as to block flush water flowing from said water inlet to said water outlet and a flushing position that said valve seat is moved to relieve said water pressure for allowing said flush water flowing towards said toilet through said water outlet so as to complete a flushing operation, and an actuation device supported by said valve body to operatively move said valve seat to said flushing position, wherein said sanitary device comprises:
a container body, which is adapted for mounting on said valve body, having an upper sanitary chamber for receiving a sanitary agent therein and a lower sanitary opening adapted for communicating said container body with said water outlet of said valve body, wherein at said flushing position, a portion of said flush water is guided to flow into said container body through said sanitary opening for mixing with said sanitary agent to form a cleansing solution, and after said valve seat is returned back to said idle position, said cleansing solution within said container body is released by gravity for flowing towards said water outlet through said sanitary opening after said flushing operation is completed.
17. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a water divider extended through said sanitary opening towards said water outlet of said valve body for guiding said flush water to flow into said container body when said flush water passes through said water outlet.
18. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 17 , wherein said water divider is transversely extended within said sanitary opening to divide said sanitary opening into an upper water collecting inlet for guiding said flush water into said container body and a lower water discharge outlet for releasing said cleansing solution to said water outlet.
19. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 16 , further comprising an air check valve provided on said container body for releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said flush water is filled in said container body.
20. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 18 , further comprising an air check valve provided on said container body for releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said flush water is filled in said container body.
21. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 19 , further comprising a detachable cover, having said air check valve formed thereon, detachably mounted on said container body to sealedly enclose said container body for replacing said sanitary agent therein when said detachable cover is detached from said container body.
22. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 20 , further comprising a detachable cover, having said air check valve formed thereon, detachably mounted on said container body to sealedly enclose said container body for replacing said sanitary agent therein when said detachable cover is detached from said container body.
23. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening for alignedly coupling with a flush lever of said actuation device such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
24. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 18 , further comprising a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening for alignedly coupling with a flush lever of said actuation device such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
25. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 20 , further comprising a driving actuator movably supported within sanitary opening for alignedly coupling with a flush lever of said actuation device such that said driving actuator is driven by said flush lever to move said valve seat at said flushing position.
26. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 18 , further comprising a holder which has a plurality of diffusing meshes and is supported in said container body for holding said sanitary agent therewith such that at least a portion of said sanitary agent is dissolved with said flush water through said diffusing meshes to form said cleansing solution in said container body.
27. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 20 , further comprising a holder having a plurality of diffusing meshes supported in said container body for holding said sanitary agent therewith such that at least a portion of said sanitary agent is dissolved with said flush water through said diffusing meshes to form said cleansing solution in said container body.
28. The sanitary device, as recited in claim 25 , further comprising a holder having a plurality of diffusing meshes supported in said container body for holding said sanitary agent therewith such that at least a portion of said sanitary agent is dissolved with said flush water through said diffusing meshes to form said cleansing solution in said container body.
29. A method of feeding sanitary agent during flushing operation of a flush system of a toilet, urinal or the like, comprising the steps of:
(a) guiding a portion of flush water to flow into a container body containing a sanitary agent during flushing operation of the flush system;
(b) dissolving some of said sanitary agent with said portion of flush water to mix and form a cleansing solution; and
(c) releasing said cleansing solution by gravity for flowing towards a water outlet of said flush system after said flushing operation is completed.
30. The method, as recited in claim 29 , further comprising a step of releasing air within said container body to an exterior of said container body when said portion of flush water is filled in said container body.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/030,524 US20060143810A1 (en) | 2005-01-05 | 2005-01-05 | Sanitary device for urinal and toilet flush system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/030,524 US20060143810A1 (en) | 2005-01-05 | 2005-01-05 | Sanitary device for urinal and toilet flush system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20060143810A1 true US20060143810A1 (en) | 2006-07-06 |
Family
ID=36638678
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/030,524 Abandoned US20060143810A1 (en) | 2005-01-05 | 2005-01-05 | Sanitary device for urinal and toilet flush system |
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Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20060143810A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110121213A1 (en) * | 2009-11-23 | 2011-05-26 | Sloan Valve Company | Electronic flush valve with optional manual override |
CN108487400A (en) * | 2018-05-25 | 2018-09-04 | 厦门瑞尔特卫浴科技股份有限公司 | A kind of drain valve with cleaning agent |
WO2022198350A1 (en) * | 2021-03-20 | 2022-09-29 | 杨进 | Venturi effect-based sanitary appliance disinfectant delivery system for feces and urine |
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US3060456A (en) * | 1959-06-09 | 1962-10-30 | Donald Colvin | Detergent dispenser for flush valve fixtures |
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US4841578A (en) * | 1986-10-07 | 1989-06-27 | Al Mercer | Sanitizer for recreational vehicle waste system |
US5513394A (en) * | 1993-01-26 | 1996-05-07 | Uro Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Chemicals mixed type automatic flushing device |
US6860282B2 (en) * | 2001-10-06 | 2005-03-01 | Arichell Technologies, Inc. | System and method for converting manually-operated flush valve |
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US20110121213A1 (en) * | 2009-11-23 | 2011-05-26 | Sloan Valve Company | Electronic flush valve with optional manual override |
US8485496B2 (en) | 2009-11-23 | 2013-07-16 | Sloan Valve Company | Electronic flush valve with optional manual override |
CN108487400A (en) * | 2018-05-25 | 2018-09-04 | 厦门瑞尔特卫浴科技股份有限公司 | A kind of drain valve with cleaning agent |
WO2022198350A1 (en) * | 2021-03-20 | 2022-09-29 | 杨进 | Venturi effect-based sanitary appliance disinfectant delivery system for feces and urine |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: ADVANCED MODERN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, CALIFORN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MAERCOVICH, JORGE;LU, JACKSON;REEL/FRAME:016158/0136 Effective date: 20050104 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |