US2968938A - Diaper rinse device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 24, 1961 Filed July 21, 1959 A. V. FROHNAPEL ETAL DIAPER RINSE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. ZAP/[EH65 E Maw.

HTIWRJYEYI Jan. 24, 1961 A. v. FROHNAPEL EI'AL 2,968,938

DIAPER RINSE DEVICE Filed July 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent DIAPER RINSE DEVICE Alvah V. Frohnapel, Detroit, and Lawrence E. Welch, vgvrand Rapids, Mich.; said Ihohnapel assignor to said elch Filed July 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,656

4 Claims. (Cl. 68--205) This invention relates generally to diaper rinsing devices.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a diaper rinsing device that can be set upon a toilet bowl and be water power operated by connection to a water faucet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaper rinse device of a character such that the water power of the water enroute to rinse the diaper is utilized to rotate a wire basket containing the diaper to enhance the rinsing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive diaper rinse device of a size that can be stored in the average size bathroom for convenient use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of certain fixtures of a bathroom and showing our diaper rinse device connected for operation to the basin faucet;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the diaper rinse device;

Fig. 3 is a vertical view partly broken away and in section of a pump and associated structure of the diaper rinse device;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of certain details of the diaper rinse device, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a control valve of the rinse device.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown in Fig. 1 our diaper rinse device designated in general by the numeral 20. As illustrated, the diaper rinse device 20 is adapted to seat on the upper flange of the conventional toilet bowl 22 and connected by means of a hose 24 to a faucet 26, such as the faucet of a wash bowl 28.

The diaper rinse device 20 includes a housing 30 that is preferably cylindrical in shape and at the bottom thereof has a reduced cylindrical discharge end 34 to project downwardly into the toilet bowl 22. Ontwardly of the cylindrical discharge end 34 of housing 30 and extending therearound is an annular seat 36 to rest on the upper flange of the toilet bowl 22. The upper end of the housing 30 has an access opening closable by a cover 38 which preferably has a gasket 40.

Mounted within the housing 30 adjacent the bottom thereof is a body or casing 42 which is mounted by radially spaced brackets 44 on the annular seat 36. The casing 42 contains a water wheel 46 having a hub 48 to which are integrally secured a number of radially spaced blades 50. As seen in plane view, the casing 42 is circular in shape having an integral hollow boss 52 tangential to the casing to provide a water inlet thereto. A p'pe 54 connected to the hollow boss 52 extends through the side of housing 30 for connection by hose 24 to the faucet 26, as shown in Fig. 1.

In alignment with and below the hub 48 of the water wheel 46, the casing 42 has a downwardly directed hollow boss 56 providing a water outlet 58. The boss 56 projects downwardly into the reduced discharge end 34 of the housing 30, and controlling the outlet 58 is a valve, designated generally by the numeral 60. The valve 60 includes a body 62 having a vertical flow passage or bore 64 therethrough which is in communcation with the water wheel casing 42 such as by a threaded connection with the hollow boss 56. Extending across the valve body 62 and intersecting the bore 64 is a rotatable valve member 66 having a transverse bore 68 therethrough, the valve member 66 being rotatable to a position such that the valve member bore 68 registers with the valve body bore 64 to effect discharge of water from the water wheel casing 42. The valve member 66 is manually operable by means of a handle 70 which is mounted externally of housing 30 and is connected to the valve member 66 by a rotatable connecting rod 72.

Pinned to the hub 48 of the water wheel 46 is a verti cally extending drive shaft 74 that is operatively connected to drive a rotatable basket 76 that is provided to hold the soiled diaper. The basket 76 has a downwardly extending driven shaft 78 that is received and rotatably guided in a bushing 80 which is mounted on the water wheel casing 42 by radially spaced upstanding supporting members 82. At the upper ends thereof, the supporting members 82 may be welded or be otherwise suitably secured to the upper end of the bushing 80. The upright supporting members 82 are rigidly connected together by a horizontal plate 84 having a centrally located hole that receives the lower end of the bushing 80. The bushing 80 may be press fitted or otherwise suitably secured in and to the plate 84. The driven shaft 78 and drive shaft 74 are connected together by readily separable coupling components, such as a pin and slot connection 86 which driving connection allows for readily removing the basket 76 by merely lifting it upwardly.

The basket 76 is a wire structure including horizontally spaced apart wire hoops 88 welded to upright partions 90 of radially spaced wire strands 92. The wire strands at the bottom of the basket are bent inwardly and then upwardly forming an inverted cone-like structure. At their upper ends, the strands that form the cone-like structure are preferably welded to the upper end of the driven shaft 78 in an annular recess provided in the shaft 78 adjacent the upper end thereof. The coupling pin 86 and cooperating slots in shaft 78 support the basket and are located to provide a proper clearance between the cone-like structure of the basket and the supporting members 82.

Communicating with the interior of the water wheel casing 42 are a number of pipes 94 which are provided to direct water jets to effect the rinsing of a diaper in basket 74. The pipes 94 extend upwardly from the water wheel casing between the outer side of the basket and side wall of housing 30 and above the basket, the pipes 94 have inwardly and downwardly directed discharge ends arranged to discharge the water at the conelike structure on which the diaper will be draped.

In operation, assuming that a soiled diaper has been placed in the basket 76 and that the valve member is in open position, when the water faucet 26 is turned on, there will be sufficient pressure in the water wheel casing to discharge jets of water from the upper ends of the pipes 94 onto the diaper for rinsing purposes. After an interval of the rinsing operation, the valve member 66 is closed by turning the handle 70 and the closing of the outlet valve causes an increase in water pressure in the casing 42 to substantially stop the faucet pressure which is sufficient to drive the water wheel 46.

The rotating water wheel 46 through coupling 86 rotates the basket 76 which spins at a sufiiciently high rate of speed such that excess water is thrown off of the diaper bycentrifugal force during which time the water and soil is continuously draining into the toilet bowl.

' From the foregoing description, it will now be appreciated that we have provided a portable rinse device of a character for seating on a toilet bowl and adapted particularly for the rinsing of diapers. It will further be appreciated that we have provided a diaper rinse device of a character such that water sprays for rinsing purposes lead from the casing of a water wheel which under the control of a valve is operable to spin a diaper-containing basket to throw off excess water. In addition, we have provided a rinse device of improved construction in which the rotatable diaper basket is mounted on the casing of the water wheel that rotates the basket.

While we have shown and described the invention in considerable detail it will be understood that many variations of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. A diaper rinse device comprising, a housing having a lower end discharge surrounded by an annular seat adapted to seat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted on and within said housing having an inlet for connection to a water faucet and an outlet in communication with said discharge, a water-driven Wheel rotatable within said casing, a rotatable basket mounted within said housing to receive -a"soiled diaper and operatively connected to said Water wheel, conduit means leading from said casing and arranged to direct streams of water down into said basket, said outlet having a fiow capacity sufficient to reduce the pressure in said casing to a pressure insufiicient to drive said water wheel, and a valve operable to close said outlet to effect rotation of said water wheel. "2.- A'diaper rinse device comprising, a housing having an upper access opening and a lower discharge, an annular seat on said housing around said discharge to seat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted within said housing above said discharge, said casing having a water inlet for connection to a faucet and an outlet in communication with said discharge, a water wheel within said casing operableby the faucet pressure and having an upstanding driven shaft projectingfrom said casing, a wire basket to receive the diaper'and mounted on and attached to the upper end of said shaft, conduits leading from said casing to direct water into said basket, and a valve controlling said outlet and operable to control operation of said water wheel by changing the pressurewithinsaid casing.

3. A diaper rinse device comprising, a housing having an upper access opening and a lower discharge, an annular seat around said discharge to seat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted 'on and within said housing, said casing having a water inlet for connection to a pressurized water source and having an outlet discharging downwardly in communication with said discharge, a water wheel within said casing, said water wheel having its axis of rotation vertically disposed and having a vertically extending driven shaft projecting from said casing, a bushing spaced above said casing and the upper end of said driven shaft, a wire basket having a shaft rotatably received in said bushing and drivingly connected to said driven shaft, a plurality of radially spaced brackets mounted on said casing and supporting said bushing, a plurality of conduits leading upwardly from said'casing and having outlets to direct water downwardly into said basket, and a valve controlling said outlet.

4. A diaper rinse device comprising, ahousing having an upper access opening and a lower discharge, an annular seat around said discharge to seat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted on and within said housing, said casing having a water inlet for connection to a faucet and having an outlet in communication with said discharge, a water wheel within said casing and rotatable about a vertical axis, a vertical shaft carried by and concentric with the axis of said water wheel, a bushing mounted on said casing above the upper end of said shaft and axially aligned therewith, a Wire basket within said housing having a vertical shaft received in said bushing and coupled to said first shaft, a plurality of conduits'in communication with the interior of said casing andextending upwardly having outlet ends to direct water down into said'basket, a valve connected to the outlet of said casing controlling the pressure therein, said'valve operably to effect a water pressure in said casing to drive said water wheel, and means operable externally of said housing to operate said valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,590,002 Vieau June 22, 1926 1,968,658 Stoddard July 31, 1934 2,230,382 Lutzke Feb. 4, 1941 2,348,102 Baker May 2, 1944 2,697,341 Thomas Dec. 21, 1954 2,735,286 Sperry Feb. 21, 1956

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