US3541613A - Portable bidet - Google Patents

Description

Nov. '24; 1970 B. SYPAL 3,541,613

PORTABLE BI'DET Filed March 17, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2..

Inventor BQHUMIIL SYPAL Attorney B. SYPAL PORTABLE BIDET Nov} 24, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1969 FIG. 4.

Inventor BOfiUMlL SYPAL Attorney United States" Patent 3,541,613 PORTABLE BIDET Bohumil Sypal, 48 Highview Crescent, Toronto 4, Ontario, Canada Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 658,834, Aug. 7, 1967, now Patent No. 3,490,080. This application Mar. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 807,878

Int. Cl. A47k 3/22 US. Cl. 4-6 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable bidet for removable hook-on attachment to a permanent plumbing fixture, to extend outwardly therefrom, capable of being supplied from the water service for the supporting fixture and having its inner hook-onend reaching over the fixture wall to discharge into the fixture.

My present invention relates to improvements in a portable bidet for use with an existing permanent plumbing fixture; this application being a continuation-in-part of pending application, Ser. No. 658,834, filed Aug. 7, 1967, entitled Bidet, now Pat. No. 3,490,080.

It is usual to instal a bidet as a permanent plumbing fixture. Such items are expensive and require more floor space than is available in most modern bathrooms. Many attempts have been made to design sitz baths for positioning in a bath tub or toilet bowl but these have failed to gain general acceptance for they proved to be inconvenient to supply and empty, uncomfortable to use, and in the minds of many distasteful when associated with the toilet bowl-and furthermore, difliculty was encountered in developing a single form or style adaptable to all installed fixtures because of the wide variety of existing shapes and sizes.

My present device is an economic, portable, universal, space saving, hygienic bidet that may be removably associated with an existing fixture and so is suitable for the modern small bathroom; readily stored when not in use, easily set up, and instantly available when wanted.

An object of the invention is to provide a bidet, removably attachable to an existing permanent plumbing fixture, comprising a vessel discharging into the supporting plumbing fixture.

A further object is to provide a bidet extending outwardly from the fixture with which it is associated, i.e., projecting into the normally unoccupied floor area of the room.

A further object is to provide a bidet that is supported at a convenient height for straddling by the user, that can be supplied as through removable tubing with hot and/ or cold water from easily accessible faucets and that normally overflows into the associated fixture without danger of spillage.

A further object is to provide a bidet for hook-on mounting on the wall of an existing plumbing fixture that may be designed with the bottom of its fixture-engaging inner end locatedat a selected level to compensate for different heights of walls and so allow the bidet to be supported at a convenient height for the user.

A further object is to provide a bidet having vertically separated overflow and drain outlets at the inner end for discharge into the supporting fixture.

A still further object is to provide a removable bidet of the nature described, capable of assuming various modified forms and incorporating added features such as a centrally located spray, a flush rim and the like and that is of light weight, durable construction and low cost of production.

To the accomvlishment of these and related objects 3,541,613 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein the characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of the device having the bottom thereof designed to rest on the side wall of a low-wall tub;

FIG. 2 is a similar sectional view of a modified form of the bidet suitable for mounting on the side of a tub having a higher wall;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another modified form; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse section thereof, as taken on line 4-4.

The receptacle or wash vessel 1 is an integral structure with an outwardly rolled rim 2 extending around both sides 3 and outer end 4. The bottom 5 slopes and the opposite sides 3 preferably narrow toward the inner end 6.

Designed to rest on the side of a plumbing fixture such as the Wall of the bath tub 7 shown, with its inner end overhanging the interior of the tub, a transverse fixtureengaging hook-on flange 8 depends from the bottom 5 spaced in from the end and suitably separated from and parallel to it another flange 9 depends from the bidet bottom 5.

Because fixture walls come in :varying thicknesses, an adjustable spacing device such as the slotted blocks 10 may be secured on opposite sides of the outer flange 9 to assure level positioning of the bidet.

A filling port 11 in the bottom 5 is connected with one or more water supply conduits 12 that reach beyond the inner end 6 for attachment to the mixtures water lines. If desired a spray nozzle can be positioned in the port 11.

In the tub overhanging inner end, the bidet bottom 5 beyond the hook-on flange 8 has a drain outlet 14 that dis charges into the fixture, being normally closed by a valve such as a conventional pull-out plug not shown. Furthermore, the inner end 6 is provided with an overflow aperture 15 that is spaced a suitable distance below the top rim. As will be readily seen, both these outlets lie beyond the hook-on flange 8 that thus serves to direct the storage into the fixture.

In the modified form of the device shown in FIG. 2, the vessel -1' has its bottom 5' upwardly offset at a point even with the depending flange 9 in a step 16 to pass over a higher tub wall 7' causing a corresponding reduction in the depth of the wall-straddling, inner end portion of the bidet. In this form, the upwardly olfset step of the bottom 5' has a drain outlet 14' beyond the hook-on flange 8 and there is the same overflow aperture 15' in the back 6' near the top rim thereof. The filling port 11' is shown as positioned angularly at the front of the upwardly offset step.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a wash 'vessel 20 with its rim 21 enclosed to provide a hollow passageway 22 around its sides and outer end and flush ports 23 opening through into the vessel therefrom. At its inner end, the bottom 24 is upwardly offset to extend over the tub wall and terminates in a hookon flange 25. Instead of the slotted blocks previously described, this vessel employs a screw projected jaw 26 mounted on the underside of the device that is adjustable to engage the outer side of the fixture wall. At its inner end, in place of a solid wall, this bidet employs a gate 27. slidable vertically in accommodating grooves 28 in opposite sides and in a low level wall 29 that rises to the upwardly oflset bottom 24 that passes with walls on both sides over the side of the supporting fixture. Like the previous forms, this gate affords an overflow and a drain outlet.

The filling port 30 in the bottom of the vessel is supplied through the conduit 31 that communicates also with the hollow rim 22, the flow from the conduit being selectably controlled by a manually operable rvalve 32 mounting near the inner end of the bidet at one side.

Centrally at its outer end, the top rim 0 fthe bidet is provided on its underside with a socket 33 to accommodate the upper end of a prop 34 that has an adjustable foot 35 threaded in its lower end. When the bidet is not in use, the prop may be stored in a pocket 36 adjacent the screw manipulated jaw 26.

For a light weight portable, compact, easily stored item, I construct my bidet of a mouldable synthetic plastic material such as polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. or the like, having substantial strength and unimpaired stability under temperatures of up to at least approximately 210 F.

In use, unlike other known portable sitz baths, bidets or the like that are set in a commode chair, toilet bowl or bath tub, my bidet has only its inner end portion with the vertically separated overflow and drainage outlets passing over the wall of the plumbing fixture and the remainder of the wash receptacle is exterior of such fixture, extending out over the normally unoccupied floor area of the bathroom. Furthermore, the present device is designed to so engage the fixture with which it is associated, whether only partly or entirely supported thereby, in such a way that the rim of the wash vessel that the user straddles is at the normal and convenient level. Sitting on the wash vessels rim in the accepted straddling position, the users feet rest on the bathroom floor and he faces or has his back to the permanent fixture and is free to manipulate the water-supplying faucets and such attachments as the spray nozzle, valve, or drain plug with ease. The 'wide roller or flat topped rim of the vessel and its narrowed front end contribute to the structural stability and comfort of using the bidet.

Because it is constructed of a plastic material or suitable equivalent, and the spacing blocks and clamping jaw may be of like material, no damage is done to the bath tub or other fixture wall by its repeated use.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a portable bidet is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable bidet for removable hook-on attachment to a permanent plumbing fixture, to be disposed exteriorly thereof and to extend outwardly therefrom, comprising a vesselhaving an inner end portion designed to reach over the adjacent wall of the fixture, a hook-on flange depending from the bottom near the inner end for engaging the inner side of a supporting fixture wall and vertically separated overflow and drain outlets at said inner end beyond said depending flange.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inner end portion of said vessel includes the bottom that rests on and extends over the wall of the supporting fixture and the inner end wall and wherein the said overflow is in the inner end wall and the drain outlet is in the bottom.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the vessel, at the inner end portion, is upwardly offset to pass over the fixture wall and both the overflow and drain outlets are positioned at or above the level of said upwardly oflset bottom to discharge into the supporting fixture beyond said depending hook-on flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner

Images