US20110289668A1

US20110289668A1 - Water flushing device notably for lavatory pan and resulting lavatory pan and water flushing device assembly

Info

Publication number: US20110289668A1
Application number: US13/119,343
Authority: US
Inventors: Norberto Neves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-09-17
Filing date: 2009-09-15
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Also published as: CN102159772A; FR2936000B1; FR2936000A1; EP2334875B1; EP2334875A1; WO2010031955A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a water flushing device (5) for lavatory pan (3), provided with a tank (7) able to contain water intended to be evacuated at least partly toward the pan (3) as water flush, characterized in that it comprises a rotating vessel mounted to rotate in the tank (7) and able to be filled at least with a determined quantity of water, in an out-of-service position, and to be rotated in service by an operating handle (17) securely attached to the rotating vessel and mounted passing into the tank (7), in order to evacuate water into the tank as water flush for the pan (3).

Description

The invention relates to a water flushing device notably for lavatory pan and the resulting lavatory pan and water flushing device assembly.
Water flushing devices based on a bung or valve that use a seal to close the opening of the water flushing duct from the tank to the lavatory pan are known. These systems are subject to scaling that affects the opening seal or to particles in the water hampering the closure of the mechanism. Consequently, they are subject to water leaks that are not easily visible and may be significant and costly.
Also known are water flushing devices with a rotating vessel mounted to rotate in a tank and able to be filled at least with a determined quantity of water, in a waiting or out-of-service position, and to be rotated in service in order to evacuate water into the tank as water flush for the pan.
There is a need for a better control of the quantity of water evacuated.
There is proposed a water flushing device for lavatory pan, provided with a tank able to contain water intended to be evacuated at least partly toward the pan as water flush, characterized in that it comprises a rotating vessel mounted to rotate in the tank and able to be filled at least with a determined quantity of water, in a waiting or out-of-service position, and to be rotated in service by an operating handle in order to evacuate water into the tank as water flush for the pan, said operating handle being securely mounted on the vessel, at a distance from the rotation axis of the vessel and mounted passing into a wall of the tank through a groove formed in said wall of the tank.
This groove may advantageously have a length that corresponds to a rotation of the vessel that is sufficient to empty this vessel.
With the operating handle thus being off-centred from the rotation axis of the vessel, it makes it possible to act with a lever effect on the rotation of the vessel to adjust the operation to the quantity of water needed to evacuate the waste in the pan.
The vessel can be rotated by a variable angle, visually represented by a marking system and corresponding to a variable quantity of water poured out according to the water flushing need in the pan.
This relatively simple device thus allows for a better control of the quantity of water evacuated, thus making it possible to save on water.
With this device, advantageously without transformation of movement between the handle and the tank, the user can relatively easily assess and control the quantity of water evacuated. Furthermore, because of the simplicity of the device, and in particular the absence of any connecting rod/hand crank or rack-and-pinion drive type system to transform the movement, any deterioration of these systems is avoided.
In an advantageous and nonlimiting manner, the operating handle is mounted passing into a top or side wall of the tank through a rectilinear groove, thus making it possible to avoid the presence of the handle in the back of the user when said user is seated. In particular, a handle situated in a top wall can offer relatively easy access.
Alternatively, the operating handle is mounted passing into a front wall of the tank through a circular groove, thus offering a relatively friendly user interface.
The tank and the vessel may each comprise at least one wall or part of wall facing one another, which is translucent and possibly coloured, making it possible to view the level of water in the vessel and/or the effect of water falling from the vessel into the tank, when the vessel is rotated. The angle of the rotation operation on the vessel can thus be adjusted by sight to the quantity of water that is necessary and sufficient to evacuate the waste in the pan.
Furthermore, the bottom of the tank may advantageously be flared at least on the side of the water drop intended to direct this water drop toward the part of the pan to be cleaned. In practice, with a flat-bottomed tank, at the end of draining of the tank, a small quantity of water is poured at low speed. The use of a flared bottom, advantageously flared from the side walls to the evacuation duct, makes it possible to avoid the evacuation of this small quantity of water with low speed and therefore little waste entrainment effect. Thus, for a given quantity of water, a device with flared bottom makes it possible to maximize the effect of separation and evacuation of the waste from the pan.
The determined quantity of water for filling the tank (advantageously greater than at least 7 litres) can be obtained conventionally by an arrangement of a pipe and of a water supply cock and valve able to be actuated by a float element in the vessel, the cock and valve being able to close the supply as soon as the float element has reached the required water level.
Preferably and in a nonlimiting manner, the groove and the handle are arranged so as to impose a direction of rotation to evacuate the water contained in the vessel. Thus, to evacuate the water, the rotating vessel rotates only in a single direction of rotation, unlike said water supply cock, valve and float arrangement, it being prevented from rotating in the opposite direction by a suitable end stop.
Alternatively, a groove could be provided extending on either side of an out-of-service position of the handle, so that the user can choose a direction of rotation for the evacuation of the water.
The operating handle may be mounted firmly attached to the vessel (passing into the tank) by a suitable groove (for example in arc-of-circle form and of length corresponding to a rotational travel of the vessel that is sufficient to empty the vessel) formed in the wall of the tank and it is only the pouring of water into the tank by rotation of the vessel which creates the water flush in the lavatory pan, therefore without seal or valve or any other mechanism for closing the opening of the water flush duct between the tank and the pan.
The water flushing device may include an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.
A ball race can advantageously be provided so as to ensure a rotation of the rotating vessel with relatively little friction. The user can thus rotate the vessel relatively easily.
The invention also relates to the lavatory pan and WC water flushing device assembly as defined previously.

The invention is described hereinbelow with the help of an exemplary nonlimiting embodiment and with reference to the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lavatory pan and a WC water flushing device according to one embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of this assembly, in out-of-service position shown by solid line and in in-service position shown by chain-dotted line.

With reference to the drawing and therefore to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary WC assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a pan 3 and a water flushing device 5.
The water flushing device 5 comprises a tank 7 linked to the pan 3 by means of a duct 9 through which the flush water flows into the pan. This tank 7 is positioned adjoining and slightly above the pan 3, being fixed to a rear portion supporting the pan or to a near wall of the toilet. It may have a generally parallelepipedal shape with parallel front 7 a and rear 7 b faces, flared sides 7 c that may be truncated.
In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated), the flared sides extend as far as the duct, thus making it possible to avoid pouring water with low speed at the end of evacuation.
The water flushing device 5 is sealed with a top lid 7 d, by virtue of which it can be opened to allow internal access to it. It houses a vessel 11 of generally hemi-cylindrical shape mounted to rotate in the latter via two bearings fixed to the front 7 a and rear 7 b parallel walls of the tank. Only the axis of the bearings is represented. This vessel has two parallel walls each positioned close respectively to one of the front 7 a and rear 7 b walls of the tank 7, a cutout 13 forming a water overflow 15 and delimited on its cylindrical periphery wall in its top part, and an operating handle 17, remote from its rotation axis and mounted passing into the front wall 7 a of the tank 7 through a top circular groove 7 e.
In an alternative embodiment that is not represented, the top circular groove may have a length greater than that of the top circular groove 7 e, so as to allow the vessel to be completely drained.
The operating handle 17 may be a rod with handle outside the tank, which extends substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the vessel.
The vessel 11 is topped with a water inlet 19 in its top part, through which it can be filled with water, approximately 10 litres of water. This water inlet comprises a water inlet pipe 19 a mounted passing into the tank 7 on the side of the latter and arranged above the overflow void 13 of the vessel, and a gate valve 19 b and float 19 c assembly controlling the valve of the gate valve. This assembly is arranged at the end of the water inlet pipe 19 a and is intended to maintain a constant water level in the vessel 11, by opening or closing the valve of the gate valve 19 b supplying the vessel with water.
The rotation axis of the vessel 11 is located at a short distance from the water level 21 to be maintained in the vessel 11, so that it is arranged largely above the centre of gravity G of the vessel filled with water. The latter therefore remains in a stable position in the tank and only the operation of the handle 17 enables the latter to rotate to pour water into the tank 7 (see the service position indicated by chain-dotted line), which is accumulated at the bottom of the tank 7 and is then routed via the duct 9 into the pan 3 by water flush. For a water evacuation operation, the vessel 11 can rotate only in a single rotation direction (in the negative direction according to the arrow), the positive direction being prevented by the abutment of the handle 17 in the lower bottom of the groove 7 e.
The vessel 11 can be rotated to a variable angle, corresponding to the operation of the handle 17 as for as a given marking 7 f (for example from 1 to 7) of the groove 7 e to evacuate into the tank a corresponding variable quantity of water 15, for example from 1 to 7 litres, and obtain a variable water flushing effect depending on the quantity of waste to be evacuated in the lavatory pan 3.
The operation of the device is particularly simple and immediately emerges from the preceding description. A person who has finished his business in the pan 3 rotates the operating handle 17 as far as the desired mark 7 f corresponding to a water flushing effect that is useful to perfectly evacuate the residues in the pan, and if the flush is insufficient, he can actuate the handle 17 again to a greater angle of rotation of the vessel 11, to a higher mark 7 f to evacuate another quantity of water 15 complementing the first water flushing effect. When he releases the handle 17, the latter returns to the bottom of the groove 7 e by the natural return of the vessel to its original position, if necessary by a spring means (not represented) returning it to this position. The vessel 11 immediately reverts to its first position where it can once again be filled with water by said gate valve 19 b and float 19 c assembly brought into action by the lowering of the water level in the vessel. The vessel is filled once again with water to the permitted high level. The device is then ready for a new flush of water into the pan.
Since the rotating vessel is mounted at a certain distance from the duct 9, the water falls into the pan 3 with a certain speed, thus allowing for a good evacuation of the waste.
Variant embodiments can be envisaged in the context of the invention.
The operating handle 17 operated in arc-of-circle on the front face 7 a of the tank can also be operated through a groove in the wall of the tank, for example a groove in the lid (not necessarily circular) and a groove in the front wall 7 a of the tank or even through a groove in just one of these parts.
Furthermore, the rotational travel of the operating handle can be limited by an adjustable end stop (not represented) fixed to the guide groove 7 e of the handle.
Finally, the front wall 7 a of the tank or a portion of the latter and possibly the front wall of the vessel, may be transparent or translucent. It is then possible to see the water level in the vessel, the vessel, the rotation of the vessel and/or the effect of water falling from the vessel into the tank.
A translucent wall may make it possible to conceal any scale deposits.
A transparent wall may allow a better view, in particular of the water level.
These translucent or transparent walls may possibly be coloured.
The invention thus provides a novel water flushing device for lavatory pan that is particularly simple and reliable.

Claims

1. A water flushing device for lavatory pan, provided with a tank able to contain water intended to be evacuated at least partly toward the pan as water flush, comprising a rotating vessel mounted to rotate in the tank and able to be filled at least with a determined quantity of water, in a waiting or out-of-service position, and to be rotated in service by an operating handle in order to evacuate water into the tank as water flush for the pan, said operating handle being securely mounted on the vessel, at a distance from the rotation axis of the vessel and mounted passing into a wall of the tank through a groove formed in said wall of the tank.

2. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, wherein the operating handle is mounted to pass into a front wall of the tank through a circular groove.

3. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 2, wherein the vessel is able to be rotated by a variable angle, visually represented by a marking system and corresponding to a variable quantity of water poured out according to the water flushing need in the pan.

4. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, comprising an arrangement of a pipe and of a water supply cock and valve able to be actuated by a float element in the vessel, the cock and valve being able to close the supply as soon as the float element has reached the required water level.

5. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, comprising a vessel of generally hemi-cylindrical shape mounted to rotate in the tank via two bearings fixed to its front and rear parallel walls, the vessel also comprising two parallel walls each positioned close to one of the front and rear walls of the tank, a cutout forming a water overflow delimited on its top cylindrical periphery wall and an operating handle mounted passing into the front wall of the tank through a top circular groove.

6. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1 further comprising an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.

7. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, wherein the operating handle is mounted passing into a top wall of the tank through a rectilinear groove.

8. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, wherein the tank and the vessel each comprise at least one wall or part of wall facing one another, which is translucent, making it possible to view the vessel, the water level in the vessel and/or the effect of water falling from the vessel into the tank, when the vessel is rotated.

9. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 5, wherein the bottom of the tank is flared at least on the side of the water drop intended to direct this water drop toward the part of the pan to be cleaned.

10. A lavatory pan and water flushing device assembly comprising the water flushing device according to claim 1.

11. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 2, further comprising an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.

12. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 3, further comprising an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.

13. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 7, further comprising an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.

14. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 7, wherein the vessel is able to be rotated by a variable angle, visually represented by a marking system and corresponding to a variable quantity of water poured out according to the water flushing need in the pan.

15. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 14, further comprising an adjustable end stop fixed to the guide groove of the handle.

16. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is able to be rotated by a variable angle, visually represented by a marking system and corresponding to a variable quantity of water poured out according to the water flushing need in the pan.

17. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 6, wherein the vessel is able to be rotated by a variable angle, visually represented by a marking system and corresponding to a variable quantity of water poured out according to the water flushing need in the pan.

18. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 9, wherein the tank and the vessel each comprise at least one wall or part of wall facing one another, which is translucent, making it possible to view the vessel, the water level in the vessel and/or the effect of water falling from the vessel into the tank, when the vessel is rotated.

19. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the tank is flared at least on the side of the water drop intended to direct this water drop toward the part of the pan to be cleaned.

20. The water flushing device for lavatory pan according to claim 5, wherein the tank and the vessel each comprise at least one wall or part of wall facing one another, which is translucent, making it possible to view the vessel, the water level in the vessel and/or the effect of water falling from the vessel into the tank, when the vessel is rotated.