US3490079A - Portable bidet - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 20, 1970 H, J. STOLBACH PORTABLE "BIDET Filed Nov. 25, 1966 INVENTOR. HENRY J. Szowace-z ATi'QRN-ETV United States Patent 3,490,079 PORTABLE BIDET Henry J. Stolbach, 176 E. 77th St., New York, NY. 10021 Filed Nov. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 597,110 Int. Cl. A47k 3/22 US. Cl. 4-6 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable bidet in the nature of a unitary basin having a projecting top peripheral flange sized for supporting the bidet in a horizontal position on a toilet bowl with the basin contained within the bowl and the flange overlying the bowl rim. The flange is shaped to permit the bidet to 'be turned on the rim to a vertically-upstanding position, and. a drainage channel at the rear of the basin is arranged to discharge liquid from the basin into the interior of the toilet bowl.

The use of 'bidets has long been recognized as advantageous and beneficial in connection with perineal hygiene, for personal refreshment and cleansing between baths, and as an additional bathroom convenience particularly suited for feminine hygiene. Despite these advantages, the bidet is not widely used in this country, primarily because it is conventionally provided in the form of a separate bathroom fixture, constituting a companion piece to a toilet. Since the conventional bidet is normally supplied with hot and cold water, it requires separate plumbing of an intricate nature, so that installation is often prohibitively expensive, and in many apartment dwellings is not permitted.

It has been previously proposed to provide bidet devices which are not separate fixtures, but which mount upon the existing toilet fixture. One such device is in the nature of a seat permanently mounted on a toilet bowl and including means for providing jets of water. This, however, again requires special plumbing and expensive installation. A portable bidet has also been proposed in the nature of a simple basin which mounts upon a toilet bowl, but such a device has not found practical use because of its inability to fit toilet bowls of various sizes, while still holding a suflicient amount of water, as well as its lack of means for emptying the liquid content of the basin after use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a bidet in the nature of a separate device which is easily and quickly mounted on a toilet bowl, which serves as the base therefor, which requires no separate plumbing, and which is lightweight and compact for convenient storage when not in use and for ready transportation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bidet of the character described in the form of an integral unitary structure which may be molded 0f pla'stic and which is economical in manufacture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bidet of the type described having self-contained drainage means which enable the liquid content thereof to be easily and quickly driven into the interior of the toilet bowl after the bidet has been used.

In accordance with the invention herein, there is provided a portable bidet comprising a basin sized and shaped to fit within the interior of toilet bowls of various sizes, and a wide flat rim which overlies the rim of the toilet bowl to mount the bidet thereupon in horizontal operative position. The basin and rim are constructed to permit the bidet to be turned on the toilet to a vertical drainage position, the rim having a relatively narrow rear portion sized to fit within the interior of the bowl, and providing a shoulder serving as a pivotal axis for turning of the bidet and overlying the bowl rim to support the bidet in its vertical position. A drainage channel is provided at the rear of the basin and is arranged to discharge all of the liquid content of the basin into the interior of the toilet bowl when the bidet is turned to its vertical drainage position.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a bidet made in accordance with the invention, and showing the same mounted on a toilet bowl, shown partially in section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bidet shown mounted on a toilet bowl, with the bidet in raised drainage position;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the bidet in the mounted position shown in FIG. 1, as viewed along line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the bidet in its raised drainage position, as viewed along line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the bidet.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the bidet of the present invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10, and is made in a unitary form, preferably being molded of a rigid plastic. The bidet 10 generally comprises a bowl-shaped body portion or basin 12 having a laterally-projecting mounting flange 14 at its top open end.

As shown in the drawings, the bidet 10 is adapted to be mounted on a conventional toilet bowl such as the bowl 16 illustrated, which has the usual top peripheral rim 18. In the mounted position of the bidet, shown in FIG. 1, the basin 12 is located wholly within the interior of the toilet bowl 16 beneath the rim 18 thereof, while the mounting flange 14 overlies and rests flush upon said rim 18.

The bidet 10 is sized and shaped to be capable of mounting upon virtually all standard toilet bowls in use today. For this purpose the mounting flange 14 is made flat and wide, while the basin 12 is made sufficiently small and sufficiently shallow to fit easily within the confines of conventional toilet bowls and to be held spaced above the water level thereof.

The basin 12 is substantially elliptical in plan view, as shown in FIG. 4, having an elliptical top opening 20 bordered by flange 14. The basin 12 has a rear wall 22 which depends at a slight forwardly-inclined angle from the flange 14 and joins a flat bottom Wall 24. The bottom wall 24 merges with a front wall portion 26 extending upwardly and forwardly in a shallow curve of large diameter to the flange 14.

The rear wall 22 is formed with a vertically-extending, narrow rectangular drainage channel 30, best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, which channel projects rearwardly from the center of rear wall 22 and extends from the bottom wall 24 through the rear portion of flange 14. The channel 30 has a rear wall 32 which is inclined rearwardly from bottom to top and which serves in draining the bidet, as will be presently described. At the upper end of the channel 30, the rear wall 32 thereof has a transverselyelongated drainage and overflow aperture 34. Additional overflow apertures 36 may be provided at the sides and front of the basin 12, adjacent the top end thereof.

As previously mentioned, the mounting flange 14 is wide and flat, and it is elliptically-shaped in plan view,

as shown in FIG. 4, so as to rest upon the toilet bowl rim 18 around its entire extent, overlapping the rim 18 slightly at the sides, as shown in FIG. 3, to allow for use on toilet bowls of larger size. The width of the flange 14 is greater at its front end as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, so that it overlaps the rim 1-8 to an appreciable extent, and this overlapping portion is provided with a finger-grip aperture 38. The flange 14 has a rear portion 40 of diminished width, forming with the main portion of flange 14 shoulders 42 at the opposite sides of the bidet. This narrow flange portion 40 has a cut-away straight outer edge surface 43 at its extreme rear, which provides clearance between the mounted flange and the toilet lid and seat hinges at the rear of the bowl 16.

The toilet bowl 16 provides a solid support for the bidet rim 14 and the latter in turn provides a seating surface for the user in straddling the basin 12. In use, the toilet seat and lid are raised, and the bidet is merely placed upon bowl 16 in the mounted position of FIG. 1, and filled with water which is conveniently available at desired temperatures in the bathroom containing the toilet. A suitable hygienic fluid mixture may also be advantageously employed, if desired, since the bidet is preferably made of a material impervious to chemicals or the like.

The water may be filled to the level indicated at W in FIGS. 1 and 3, above which the water will drain from the apertures 34 and 36. This overflow will pass directly into the interior of the toilet bowl without leaking upon the floor or wetting the flange 14. At the level W, the water is located in contact with or close to the parts of the body to be cleansed. In case of turbulence or splashing during use, the overflow water will again drain through the apertures 34, 36 into the toilet bowl, without creating an untidy condition. Because of the elongated elliptical shape of the top opening 20, the users hand may be readily inserted into the front portion of the basin 12 to apply the contained water for cleansing.

After use, the bidet must be emptied of water for removal and storage, or for replacing the water with a fresh supply of rinse water. The bidet is especially constructed for easy and effective drainage, and it is only necessary for the user to grasp the front end of flange 14, by means of the finger-grip aperture 38, pull the bidet slightly forward relative to the toilet bowl 16, and raise the ,bidet to the upstanding vertical position shown in FIG. 2. In pulling the bidet forwardly, the rear flange portion 40 is moved to an intermediate area of the toilet bowl 16 having greater width, so that the narrow flange portion 40 can turn downwardly into the interior bowl 16, as shown in FIGS. 2. and 5. When the front end of flange 14 is lifted, the flange pivots upon the bowl rim 18, about shoulders 42. In the upright drainage position, the bidet is supported by the shoulders 42 resting upon the rim 18, as shown in FIG. 5. The bidet may be easily held in this vertically-supported position until the water has completely drained therefrom.

It will be apparent that when the bidet is brought to the upright drainage position of FIGS. 2 and 5, the contained water will pour along the curved, tapered sides of the basin 12 and enter the rectangular drainage channel 30 which is now disposed in a horizontal position at the bottom of the upright bidet. Because of the inclined wall 32 of. channel 30, the water will flow rearwardly through the open end of channel 30 or through drainage aperture 34 into the interior of the toilet bowl as indicated by the arrows 44 in FIG. 2. Thus, the bidet can be completely emptied of water by merely maintaining it in upright position, and without requiring any shaking action which could splash water outside the toilet bowl.

There has thus been provided a bidet in the nature of a compact, lightweight, inexpensive device used in conjunction with an existing toilet fixture and capable of serving its intended purpose efficiently and tidily. In its compact form the bidet may not only be conveniently stored, but may be carried with the user in travelling as a personal hygienic accessory.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes, and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable bidget adapted to be mounted on a conventional toilet bowl, said bidet comprising an elliptical basin having substantially fiat bottom and rear walls, a wide, flat outwardly-extending peripheral mounting flange bordering the top of said basin and sized to overlie the top rim of said toilet bowl for supporting said bidet in a horizontal position with said basin located within the confines of said bowl, means for supporting said bidet in an upstanding vertical position upon said bowl rim with the forward portion of said basin located above said rim and the rear wall of said basin located below said rim and within the confines of said toilet bowl, and an elongated drainage channel depressed centrally in said basin rear wall and projecting rearwardly thereof, said channel extending from said basin bottom wall to the open top thereof and through said mounting flange, and having a rear wall inclined rearwardly from the bott m to the top thereof, whereby when said bidet is turned to said upstanding vertical position, said channel is disposed substantially horizontally with a downward and rearward inclination to receive liquid from said basin and discharge said liquid into said toilet bowl.

2. A bidet according to claim 1 in which the rear wall of said channel is formed with a drainage aperture adjacent said mounting flange, whereby in the upstanding position of said bidet, liquid flowing down the inclined rear wall of said channel will pass downwardly through said drainage aperture into the interior of said toilet bowl.

3. A bidet according to claim 1 in which said mounting flange has a rear portion of relatively narrow width, and in which said supporting means comprises a pair of aligned and opposed laterally-projecting shoulders formed at the respective ends of said flange rear portion, said shoulders pivoting upon said bowl rim when said bidet is turned to its upstanding vertical position and overlying said bowl rim to support said upstanding bidet thereon with the narrow rear portion of said flange depending from said shoulders into said bowl.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,947,995 8/1960 Saulson 4-6 3,072,918 1/1963 McCall et al 4-6 3,102,273 9/1963 McCarthy 46 FOREIGN PATENTS 323,015 10/1902 France.

776,445 10/ 1934 France. 1,121,056 4/1956 France.

925,425 3/1955 Germany.

87,377 9/1936 Sweden. 239,642 10/ 1945 Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

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