US20190161949A1

US20190161949A1 - Toilet

Info

Publication number: US20190161949A1
Application number: US15/822,194
Authority: US
Inventors: Yi-Wen Tang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-11-26
Filing date: 2017-11-26
Publication date: 2019-05-30

Abstract

A toilet includes a base, a piping unit, a control unit and a wireless electric-power charging unit. The base includes a first space and a second space. The piping unit is located in the first space and includes an inlet pipe, at least one outlet pipe and at least one electro-magnetic valve. When the at least one electro-magnetic valve is activated, the at least one outlet pipe is opened to flush the toilet. The control unit is to activate the at least one electro-magnetic valve so that the at least one outlet pipe is opened to flush. The wireless electric-power charging unit provides necessary electric power for the control unit, the at least one electro-magnetic valves through a wireless power system.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention is a Continuation-In-Part application of applicant's former application with the application Ser. No. 15/821,853, filed on Nov. 24, 2017.
2. Descriptions of Related Art
The conventional toilet known to applicant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,714,506 and comprises a body having a space defined therein. The body includes a first room and a second room, wherein the first room communicating with a first opening. The second room communicates with the first room and has a first flushing outlet which communicates with the second room. The second room is a curved pipe. The first flushing outlet is located close to a connection area between the first and second rooms. The first flushing outlet is used to flush the second room. The first room has a second flushing outlet which communicates with the first room. The second flushing outlet is located close to the first opening and is used to flush the first room. A control unit is connected to the body and has a communication pipe, a first electro-magnetic valve, a second electro-magnetic valve and a water-supply pipe. The communication pipe is located in the space and is a three-way pipe. The communication pipe has a first tube, a second tube and a third tube. The first tube, the second tube and the third tube communicate with each other. The first electro-magnetic valve is connected between the first tube of the communication pipe and a first water pipe. The second electro-magnetic valve is connected between the second tube of the communication pipe and a second water pipe. The water-supply pipe communicates with the third tube of the communication pipe. The control unit is connected with a tap water pipe by the water-supply pipe so that tap water flows to the communication pipe, the first electro-magnetic valve and the second electro-magnetic valve. A second pipe is located in the body and is connected with the second flushing outlet and the second water pipe of the second electro-magnetic valve. The second electro-magnetic valve controls the tap water to flow from the second electro-magnetic valve to the second pipe and the second flushing outlet to flush the first room. A first pipe unit is located in the body and connected with the first flushing outlet and the first water pipe of the first electro-magnetic valve. The first pipe unit has a first pipe and a first one-way valve. The first pipe is connected between the first flushing outlet and the first water pipe of the first electro-magnetic valve. The first one-way valve is connected to one end of the first pipe and seals the first flushing outlet so that the tap water flows from the first pipe to the first flushing outlet and cannot flows back to the first pipe. A controller is located in the space of the body and is electrically connected to the first and second electro-magnetic valves. The controller controls operation time of the first and second electro-magnetic valves.
It is noted that the toilet requires the uses to operate the first button or the second button of the controller to activate the first and second electro-magnetic valves so as to flush the first room and second room. The first and second buttons are attached with a lot of germs, especially for those toilets for public use, and this becomes a serious health concern. Besides, for some disable users, the first and second buttons may not be conveniently accessed.
Moreover, the necessary electric power of the above mentioned conventional toilet should be supplied by an external electric power source or battery. If the power is provided by external electric power source, the control unit of the electro-magnetic valves should be connected with the external electric power source by electric wire, the electric wire is not easily distributed and will easily occurs an electric leakage because of wet condition in the bathroom. If the power is provided by battery, frequent requirement of change of battery results in inconvenience of use.
The present invention intends to provide a toilet that is able to provide necessary electric power for the control unit, the electro-magnetic valves and batteries through a wireless network by internet communications protocol.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a toilet and comprises a base, a piping unit, a control unit and a wireless electric-power charging unit. The base includes a first space and a second space. The piping unit is located in the first space and includes an inlet pipe, at least one outlet pipe and at least one electro-magnetic valve. When the at least one electro-magnetic valve is activated, the at least one outlet pipe is opened to flush the toilet. The control unit includes a voice command processing unit which receives at least one voice command from the user, and verifies the at least one voice command, and generates at least one voice command signal to activate the at least one electro-magnetic valve so that the at least one outlet pipe is opened to flush. The wireless electric-power charging unit provides necessary electric power for the control unit, the electro-magnetic valves and batteries through a wireless power system.
The present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the toilet of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the control unit of the toilet of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the control unit of the toilet of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toilet of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates the wireless electric-power charging unit of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wireless electric-power charging unit with respect to the toilet of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 illustrates the wireless electric-power charging unit with respect to the multiple toilets of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the toilet of the present invention comprises a base 10, a piping unit 20, a control unit 30 and a wireless electric-power charging unit 40. The base 10 has a first space 11 and a second space 12. A lid seat 14 is connected to the first space 11 and has a through hole 141 defined centrally therethrough. A lid 15 is pivotably connected to the lid seat 14 for covering a first opening 121 of the second space 12.
The piping unit 20 is located in the first space 11 and comprises an inlet pipe 201 and two outlet pipes 202 which are connected to the inlet pipe 201 to form a three-way pipe 200. Two electro-magnetic valves 21 are respectively connected to the two outlet pipes 202. One end of the inlet pipe 201 is connected with a water source which introduces water through the two outlet pipes 202. The two electro-magnetic valves 21 are activated or shut off to respectively control open-status or close-status of the outlet pipes 202.
The control unit 30 is located in the through hole 141 and controls the electro-magnetic valves 21 to be activated. The control unit 30 communicates with the two electro-magnetic valves 21 by cables or by wireless way. The control unit 30 comprises a box 31, a signal processing unit 320 (may be a voice command processing unit 32), multiple buttons 33, multiple batteries 34, a cover 35, two fastening members 36 and a base plate 37. The box 31 includes a first room 311 an a third room 313 which communicates with the first room 311. Three second rooms 312 are located at the upper portion of the box 31 and communicate with the first room 311. Each second room 312 includes a circular top opening. The voice command processing unit 32 is located in the first room 311 and communicates with the electro-magnetic valves 21 by cables or by wireless way. The voice command processing unit 32 receives at least one voice command and verifies the at least one voice command, and then generates at least one voice command signal corresponding to the at least one voice command to activate the electro-magnetic valves 21. The buttons 33 is applied to be pressed to activate the electro-magnetic valves 21. When the electro-magnetic valves 21 is activated to control the outlet pipes 202 in open-status, the water flows through the outlet pipes 202 and flushes the second space 12.
When the voice command processing unit 32 receives the at least one voice command as a first voice command, and first voice command is verified, a first voice command signal is generated which is transferred from the first voice command. The first voice command signal activates the two electro-magnetic valves 21 simultaneously for a first period of time, or the first voice command signal activates one of the two electro-magnetic valves 21 for a second period of time, the second period of time is longer than the first period of time. When the voice command processing unit 32 receives the at least one voice command as a second voice command and the second voice command is verified, a second voice command signal is generated which is transferred from the second voice command, the second voice command signal activates one of the electro-magnetic valves 21 for a certain period of time. The first voice command is in a form of at least one of “major”, “one” and “the first”. The second voice command is in a form of at least one of “minor”, “two” and “the second”.
The three buttons 33 are respectively located in the three second rooms 312, and the three buttons 33 partially protrude for being pressed by the users. Two buttons 33 respectively control the two electro-magnetic valves 21 to be activated, and the third button 33 is a manual button which can be pressed during in power outrage to activate the electro-magnetic valves 21 to allow water flush the second space 12.
The batteries 34 are located in the third room 313 to provide electric power to the voice command processing unit 32 and the electro-magnetic valves 21. The cover 35 is mounted to the top opening of the third room 313. A seal ring is located between the cover 35 and the top opening of the third room 313 so that the batteries 34 are restricted in the third room 313.
The two fastening members 36 respectively extend through two ends of the cover 35 and are connected to the box 31 to fix the cover 35 to top opening of the third room 313. The bottom plate 37 is shaped to match the shape of the underside of the box 31 so as to receive the voice command processing unit 32, the buttons 33 and the at least one battery 34 in the box 31.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the toilet of the present invention further comprises a wireless electric-power charging unit 40. The wireless electric-power charging unit 40 is charged to have electric power by connecting an external power source through an electric wire 41 or by a wireless electric power charging modulation. The wireless electric-power charging unit 40 provides necessary electric powers of the control unit 320 (voice command processing unit 32), the electro-magnetic valves 21 and batteries 34 through a wireless network with same Internet Protocol address or a wireless electric power charging modulation. A recorded data of the electro-magnetic valves 21 is sent to a computer or a phone application. The recorded data may include the number of flushes, the number of the major and minor flushes, and/or the sum of flushes for a period of time.
As shown in FIG. 7, the wireless electric-power charging unit 40 provides necessary electric power for the voice command processing unit 32, the electro-magnetic valves 21 and batteries 34 of multiple toilets through a wireless network with same Internet Protocol address or a wireless electric power charging modulation.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the control unit 30 includes multiple buttons 33. That is to say, the box 31 does not have the second rooms 312. The control unit 30 controls the operation of the electro-magnetic valves 21 by the voice command processing unit 32.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, another embodiment of the present invention is that the base 10 has at least one electronic device 70. When the voice command processing unit 32 receives a third voice command and the third voice command is verified, a third voice command signal is generated which is transferred from the third voice command, the third voice command signal controls the electronic device 70.
Referring to FIG. 4, the toilet 50 may be cooperated with different electronic devices 70, such as a lighting device, a mirror with electric or voice-control demister, and these electronic devices 70 are powered by the wireless electric-power charging unit 40.
The advantages of the present invention are that the voice command processing unit 32 receives the users' voice commands to control the toilet to flush such that the users do not need to touch any parts with germs attached thereon, and the disable users can easily operate the toilet. The users can flush the toilet by the voice commands or by pressing any of the buttons 33 to control the electro-magnetic valves 21 to flush. That is to say, there are two ways of the control unit 30 to control the electro-magnetic valves 21 to flush.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet comprising:

a base having a first space and a second space;

a lid seat connected to the first space and having a through hole defined therethrough;

a lid pivotably connected to the lid seat for covering a first opening of the second space;

a piping unit located in the first space and comprising an inlet pipe, at least one outlet pipe and at least one electro-magnetic valve connected to the at least one outlet pipe, one end of the inlet pipe adapted to be connected with a water source, the at least one electro-magnetic valve being activated or shut off to respectively control an open-status or a close-status of the at least one outlet pipe;

a control unit located in the through hole and controlling the at least one electro-magnetic valve to be activated, the control unit comprising a signal processing unit, at least one battery, and a box having a first room for receiving the signal processing unit and a third room for receiving the at least one battery; wherein when the at least one electro-magnetic valve is activated by the signal processing unit of the control unit, the at least one outlet pipe being in the open-status; the at least one battery being to provide electric power to the at least one electro-magnetic valve, and

a wireless electric-power charging unit being electrically charged to have electric power by an external power source to provide necessary electric powers of the control unit, the at least one electro-magnetic valves or the at least one battery through a wireless network or a wireless electric power charging modulation.

2. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two electro-magnetic valves and two outlet pipes, the two outlet pipes and the inlet pipe form a three-way pipe, the two electro-magnetic valves are respectively connected to the two outlet pipes.

3. The toilet as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the two electro-magnetic valves is controlled to activate by a button respectively.

4. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is a voice command processing unit which communicates with the electro-magnetic valves by cables or by wireless way, the voice command processing unit receives at least one voice command and verifies the at least one voice command, and then generates at least one voice command signal corresponding to the at least one voice command to activate the electro-magnetic valves.

5. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit of the toilet is to provide necessary electric powers for the control unit of another one toilet through a wireless network.

6. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit of the toilet is to provide necessary electric powers for the at least one electro-magnetic valve of another one toilet through a wireless network.

7. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit of the toilet is to provide necessary electric powers for the at least one battery of another one toilet through a wireless network.

8. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit of the toilet is to provide necessary electric powers for at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device is a lighting device, a mirror with electric or a voice-control demister.

9. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit provides necessary electric powers of the at least one battery, the at least one battery provides necessary electric powers of the control unit and the at least one electro-magnetic valves.

10. The toilet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless electric-power charging unit being electrically charged to have electric power by the external power source through a wireless electric power charging modulation.