WO2002051295A1

WO2002051295A1 - Device for cleaning a toilet seat

Info

Publication number: WO2002051295A1
Application number: PCT/EP2001/015266
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilhelm Blatz; Michael Lenhard; Andreas Heub-Schneider
Original assignee: Ille Papier-Service Gmbh
Priority date: 2000-12-23
Filing date: 2001-12-21
Publication date: 2002-07-04
Also published as: CA2429482A1; DE10064903A1; US20040040075A1; CN1482878A; EP1343405A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cleaning a toilet seat (12). In order to achieve a satisfactory cleansing consuming as little energy as possible, the inventive device comprises a mobile cleaning unit (18) which can be moved along the toilet seat (12) by means of water power.

Description

description

Device for cleaning a toilet seat

The invention relates to a device for cleaning a toilet seat.

A system for automatically cleaning a toilet seat is known from US Pat. No. 5,806,105. The system includes a slidable and rotatable toilet seat that is movable between a front and a rear position. Furthermore, a first motor is provided which rotates the toilet seat about a vertical circumferential axis via a gearwheel engaging in the underside of the toilet seat. When the toilet seat is rotated, the surface of the seat is cleaned by means of a cleaning unit, waste water being able to flow into a tank arranged below the cleaning unit. After cleaning the toilet seat, it is moved to the front position and positioned on the edge of the toilet bowl.

DE-A 1 779 823 relates to a device for cleaning and sterilizing the seat board of toilet bowls, comprising a cleaning member on an articulated transport element which is connected to an electric motor via a gear, the transport element passing through a path that at least a part corresponds to the shape of the seat board, so that the cleaning member runs over the surface of the seat board and thereby carries out cleaning and sterilization. DE-C 214 183 A relates to a lavatory basin with a seat which can be rotated in its plane and which automatically cleans during rotation. The seat is rotated automatically by means of a waterwheel switched on in the flushing line.

A water closet with flushing device and self-cleaning toilet seat can be found in DE 81 03 218 Ul. The toilet seat is designed to be rotatable, a device for cleaning the seat surface extending over a segment of the toilet seat. The drive device for moving the toilet seat comprises a drive wheel or a water turbine.

According to FR 2 761 253 AI, for cleaning a toilet seat, it is rotated via an impeller driven by hydropower.

A cleaning device for toilet seats is known from DE-C 510 241. A brush is moved along the seat by means of a cord. The cord pull itself is set in motion by means of a crank.

For automatic cleaning of a seat of a water closet, a device for automatic cleaning of a seat of a water closet is proposed according to EP 0 221 017 B1, in which a seat is rotated to a cleaning device by means of electric motors.

A disadvantage of the known devices is the complex drive and a mechanical susceptibility to malfunction.

Proceeding from this, the present invention is based on the problem of developing a device for cleaning a toilet seat of the aforementioned type such that it is possible to clean the toilet seat properly with a simple embodiment and low energy consumption.

The problem is essentially solved according to the invention in that the device has a mobile cleaning unit which can be moved along the toilet seat by means of water power having. According to the invention, the energy released when water flows into the water tank is used to move the mobile cleaning unit along the toilet seat. Due to its small mass compared to that of a toilet seat, the mobile cleaning unit offers the advantage that a structural simplification and an energetically favorable drive is available.

The device according to the invention is characterized in particular by a hydraulic drive unit which has a cylinder in which a piston which can be moved by hydropower is arranged and which is connected to the mobile cleaning unit via drive means. The drive unit is preferably arranged in a water tank such as a cistern, so that water flowing into the hydraulic drive unit can then be drained off into the cistern.

First, inflowing water is introduced into the cylinder, whereby the piston moves in a first direction and the mobile cleaning unit moves from a first position along the toilet seat into a second position. A return movement of the piston is then initiated by redirecting the water flow, as a result of which the cleaning unit moves from the second position back to the first position.

The cylinder is designed such that it has an upper and a lower water inlet and an upper and a lower water outlet, the water inlets being connected to a water supply line via a valve. The water outlets each have a valve. The above arrangement enables the mobile cleaning unit to be moved back and forth.

Cables connected to the piston movably arranged in the cylinder are provided as drive means, which are preferably connected to the mobile cleaning unit via a gear or a transmission unit such as deflection rollers and / or cable pulls. The piston is preferably connected to a rope at each of its end faces, the rope crossing an upper and a lower cylinder end wall. Due to the translation unit, the force exerted on the piston by the hydropower can be transmitted to the cleaning unit. In a further preferred embodiment of the device it is provided that the transmission unit is designed as a translation roller, the translation roller having two small rope rollers with a diameter d with preferably 10 mm <d <20 mm, 5. in particular d = 15 mm, and two larger rope rollers has a diameter D of preferably 70 mm <D <110 mm, in particular D = 90 mm. The roles are firmly connected and arranged along an axis. The translation roller offers the advantage that the stroke distance covered by the piston is increased by a factor F, in particular 3.5 <F 11 11. To achieve the translation, the two rope ends connected to the piston are each attached to one of the smaller rope pulleys. This pulley is designed so that the two ropes can be wound up and unwound separately in different paths. The smaller rope pulley is firmly connected to a second rope pulley, on which there are also two rope courses, but which have the larger diameter. The rope wound on the larger rope 5 is attached to the cleaning unit, which therefore always covers the F-fold path of the hydraulic piston. With the two rope lengths on each of the rollers, it is possible to move the cleaning unit in both directions over the toilet seat.

The mobile cleaning unit itself essentially has a U-shaped geometry that comprises a first leg that runs parallel or essentially parallel to an underside of the toilet seat, and a second, an upper leg that runs parallel or substantially parallel to a top of the toilet seat to be cleaned extends. 5

Guide rollers are arranged on the lower leg, which engage in a guide groove arranged on the underside of the toilet seat, in order thus to ensure that the mobile cleaning unit is guided along the toilet seat. Cleaning agents such as a rubber wiper, a brush, a sponge and preferably a liquid container are arranged on the upper leg of the mobile cleaning unit. It is provided that the liquid container has openings for outlet a cleaning liquid that is applied to the top of the toilet seat to be cleaned.

Furthermore, the invention provides that the liquid container for the cleaning liquid in the first position of the mobile cleaning unit is connected to a water source and / or a reservoir for cleaning agents in order to fill water and / or cleaning agents into the container if necessary.

It is envisaged that the mobile cleaning unit in the first position (parking position) will be protected by a receptacle, on the one hand to avoid unpleasant smells and on the other hand to ensure increased safety. To drive the mobile cleaning unit, the drive cable is preferably arranged in the guide groove on the underside of the toilet seat via rollers.

The lower leg of the mobile cleaning unit is preferably supported twice on the underside of the toilet seat, a first support being provided in the circumferential guide groove and a second support being provided on a circumferential edge of the toilet seat on the underside, preferably via ball studs. The mobile cleaning unit is supported on the top by the cleaning elements such as sponge, brush, scraper, so that overall good guidance is guaranteed.

Further details, advantages and features of the invention result not only from the claims, the features to be extracted from them - individually and / or in combination - but also from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment which can be seen from the drawing.

Show it:

1 is a perspective view of a toilet with toilet seat, water tank and integrated cleaning unit,

2 is a perspective view of the water tank with drive unit, 3 is a perspective view of the drive unit,

4 is a sectional view of the toilet seat with cleaning unit,

5 shows a sectional illustration along the sectional knee A-A according to FIG. 4,

6a is a bottom view of the toilet seat,

6b shows a detail of the bottom view of the toilet seat according to FIG. 6a,

7 is a perspective view of a translation unit,

8 is a schematic representation of a control circuit for the drive cylinder,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the mobile cleaning unit in its parking position and

Fig. 10 is a flowchart for controlling the device for automatically cleaning a toilet seat.

1 shows a perspective view of a toilet 10 with a toilet seat 12 to be cleaned and an associated water tank 14 with a receptacle 16 for a mobile cleaning unit 18. According to the invention, the mobile cleaning unit 18 is driven by means of a hydraulic drive unit 20 arranged in the water tank 14, so that the mobile cleaning unit 18 can be moved along the toilet seat.

The hydraulic drive unit 20 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a cylinder 22, which is shown in FIG. 3. A piston 24 is arranged in the cylinder 22 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. Actuating means such as ropes 30, 32 are arranged on end faces 26, 28 of the piston 24, which pass through end closures 34, 36 of the cylinder and are connected via deflection rollers 38, 40 to a transmission unit 42, 44, which in the example shown is designed and closed as a pulley block is arranged on both sides of the drive unit 20.

The cylinder 22 has a first, upper inlet opening 46 and a second, lower inlet opening 48, which are each connected to a water supply line 56 via a connecting pipe 50, 52 and a valve 54. Furthermore, a first, upper outlet opening 58 and a second lower outlet opening 60 are provided, via which the water that has flowed into the cylinder 22 is expelled into the water tank 14. The outlet openings 58, 60 each have valves 62, 64.

The movement of the piston 24 within the cylinder 22 causes the mobile cleaning unit 18 to move back and forth from a first position, preferably within the receptacle 16, to a second position. During the movement, the mobile cleaning unit 18 moves the toilet seat 12 completely or almost completely and then returns to the first position.

4 shows a cross section of the mobile cleaning unit 18 and of the toilet seat 12. The mobile cleaning unit 18 is essentially U-shaped and comprises an upper leg 66 and a lower leg 68, which are connected to one another via a cross leg or a connecting element 70. A guide element 72 extends from the lower leg 68 and engages in a guide groove 74 which runs in the underside 76 of the toilet seat 12 and is, for example, milled or molded. The guide element 72 comprises ball rollers 78, 80, which bear against an inner wall 82, in particular the bottom wall of the guide groove 74. Rollers 84, 86 are also provided which essentially have a diameter which corresponds to the width of the guide groove 74. This will ensure lateral guidance of the mobile cleaning unit 18. Furthermore, the rollers 84, 86 serve to receive drive cables 88, 90 which are guided within the guide groove 74 and are each connected to one of the pulley blocks 42, 44.

For further support with respect to the toilet seat 12, a further roller 92 extends from the lower leg 68 of the cleaning unit 18 and bears against the underside 76 of the toilet seat 12 and is intended to prevent the mobile cleaning unit 18 from tipping over. In addition, the rollers 78, 80, 92 ensure a low-friction movement of the mobile cleaning unit, so that overall low forces have to be applied. In order to clean a surface 94 of the toilet seat 12 to the desired extent, there are cleaning agents such as a sponge or brush 96, wipers 98 and / or in the upper leg 66 of the cleaning unit 18, which essentially runs parallel to the upper side 94 of the toilet seat 12 to be cleaned a container 100 for cleaning agents such as cleaning liquid or disinfectant liquid integrated. Openings 102 are provided for applying a liquid contained in the container, through which openings the cleaning agent can drip onto the surface 94 to be cleaned. When the cleaning unit 18 moves, the liquid is absorbed by the sponge 96, so that effective cleaning can take place. The remaining liquid is then removed from the surface 94 via the wipers 18.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the toilet seat 12 with the guide groove 74, within which the cables 88, 90 run. In order to prevent the cables 88, 90 from making contact with the guide groove 74 over the entire distance, cable rollers 104 are inserted into the inside of the guide groove 74, so that the contact surface is limited to the few points of contact with the rollers 104. This significantly reduces friction.

The toilet seat 12 is preferably essentially designed as a closed ring body 106, which can be connected in an articulated manner to an end piece 108, via which the cleaning unit 18 can enter the receptacle 16. Between the end piece 108 and the actual toilet seat 106 preferably runs an intermediate piece 110, which can alternatively be designed as a removable intermediate piece, as a rubber connection or as a joint. The intermediate piece 110 is designed such that the drive cables 88, 90 are not impaired in their course when the toilet seat 12 is folded up.

7 shows a preferred embodiment of a translation unit 42 in the form of a translation role. The stroke distance covered by the piston 24 is extended via the translation unit 42, in the present exemplary embodiment as a translation roller, by a factor F such as 6. In order to achieve the translation F, rope ends of the ropes 30, 32, which are connected to the piston 24, are on two grooves having rope pulley 152 with a small diameter, for example with the diameter d = 15 mm attached. The wire rope 152 is designed in such a way that the two ropes can be wound up and unwound separately from one another in different tracks or grooves 154, 156. Furthermore, the rope roller 152 is firmly connected to a second roller 158-f, on which there are also two tracks or grooves 160, 162 for the drive cables 88, 90. The diameter of the larger roll is, for example, D = 90 mm. The coiled ropes 88, 90 are fastened to the cleaning unit 18, which in the exemplary embodiment covers 6 times the travel of the hydraulic piston. With the two rope ends on each reel, it is possible to let the cleaning unit 18 move over the toilet seat 12 in both directions. The cleaning takes place in such a way that the cleaning unit 18 standing in the first position (parking position) is filled with a mixture of cleaning liquid and tap water after the water tank 14 has been emptied and is then moved by the drive unit over the toilet seat.

5- Fig. 8 shows a schematic structure of a control device for driving the cleaning unit 18. The essential elements relating to the drive cylinder 22 have already been explained in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. The drive unit 20 is connected via the line 56 to a valve 112 which is connected on the inlet side to a water supply system via a supply line 114. On the output side 0, the valve 112 has a line 116 which is designed to supply water for the container 100 contained in the cleaning unit 18. Another outlet 118 serves to rest the water tank 14.

To fill the container 100 integrated in the cleaning unit, a reservoir 120 is also provided for holding a cleaning liquid, which is connected via a pipe 122 and controlled via a valve 124 to the cleaning unit in the park position.

The cleaning should take place in such a way that the cleaning unit 0 18 in the parked position is filled with a mixture of cleaning liquid and tap water after emptying the water tank 14 and then by means of the drive unit 20 via the toilet seat

12 is moved. The filling quantity of the container 100 integrated in the cleaning unit 18 is dimensioned such that it is used up after the toilet seat 12 has been moved once. As soon as the cleaning unit 18 has driven off the entire toilet seat 18, the piston 24 movable in the drive cylinder - controlled by the valve 54 - is pressurized in the opposite direction, the cleaning unit moving back and the previously wetted surface 94 being dried with the rubber scraper 98. After cleaning, the cleaning unit 18 is again in its parking position and remains there until it is used again.

The valves 54, 62, 64 112, 124 used can be designed as electronic switching units, which are preferably supplied with an energy supply such as a solar cell or rechargeable battery.

A preferred process sequence is shown in FIG. 10, a rinsing button is actuated in a first process step 126. In a further method step 128, the content of the water tank is emptied into the toilet, the water supply being switched on in a method step 130 by a mechanism known per se.

According to the invention, the valve 112 and the valve 124 are first opened in a method step 132, so that water and cleaning liquid can flow into the container 100 integrated in the cleaning unit, the cleaning unit being filled in method step 134.

After this process has been completed, in a further method step 136 the valve 124 is closed and the valve 112 is switched over so that the drive unit 20 is supplied with water via the supply line 56. The valve 54 is switched so that the cylinder 22 is supplied with water via the line 52. The outlet valve 62 is closed in this method step 136, the outlet valve 64 being open, so that the water contained in the cylinder 22 can flow out into the water tank 14.

The water flows into the cylinder 22 and moves the piston 24, so that the movement of the cleaning unit 18 is initiated in a method step 138. In one next process step 140, namely when the piston 24 has reached its end position, the valve 54 is switched over, the valve 62 is opened and the valve 64 is closed, as a result of which the water flow through the line 50 moves the piston 24 in the opposite direction, so that in the Method step 142 the return movement of the cleaning unit 18 is initiated. As soon as the cleaning unit 18 has reached its parking position, the valve 112 is switched over in method step 144, so that the cistern is filled via line 118 in method step 146. A signal light can preferably be switched on in method step 148. After the cistern 14 is filled, the water supply is switched off automatically in a last method step 150.

Claims

Device for cleaning a toilet seat

1. Device for cleaning a toilet seat (12), characterized in that the device has a mobile cleaning unit (18) which can be moved along the toilet seat (12) by means of water power.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device has a hydraulic drive unit (20) with a cylinder (22) in which a piston (24) which is movable by hydropower is arranged and which is actuated or actuated (30, 32; 88, 90) is connected to the mobile cleaning unit.

Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive unit (20) is arranged in a water tank (14) such as a cistern.

4. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder (22) has a first as upper and a second as lower water inlet (46, 48) and a first as upper and a second as lower water outlet (58, 60 ), the water inlets (46, 48) being connected via a valve (54) to a water supply line (56) and the water outlets (58, 60) opening into the water tank (14).

5. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water outlets (58, 60) each have a valve (62, 64).

6. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that ropes (30, 32) connected to the piston (24) movably arranged in the cylinder are provided as actuation or drive means, preferably via a gear or a translation unit such as Deflection roller and / or cable (42) are connected to the mobile cleaning unit (18).

7. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cables (30, 32) are each connected to an end face of the piston (24).

8. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cables (30, 32) each have an upper and a lower one

Push through the cylinder front wall (34, 36).

9. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the translation unit (42) is designed as a translation roller (152, 158) with a first roller (152), which preferably has two tracks or grooves (154, 156) have smaller diameter d with d in particular 10 mm <d <20 mm, preferably d = 15 mm, and a second roller (158) with two tracks or grooves (160, 162) larger diameter D with D in particular 70 mm <D <110 mm, preferably D = 90 mm, the ropes from the smaller diameter roll

(30, 32), which are connected to the piston (24), and from which Roll (158) larger diameter ropes (88, 90), which are connected to the cleaning unit (18).

10. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized gekennzeichne t that the mobile cleaning unit (18) is formed in the Wesenthchen Uf ^'RMIG with a first lower leg (18) parallel or substantially parallel to the bottom (76) of the Toilet seat (12), and a second upper leg (66) which runs parallel or substantially parallel to an upper side (94) of the toilet seat (12) to be cleaned.

11. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that guide rollers (78, 80; 84, 86; 92) extend from the lower leg (68) and extend into a on the underside (76) of the toilet seat (12). arranged guide groove

(74), and that from the upper leg of the mobile cleaning unit (18) cleaning elements (96, 98, 100) such as guin scraper (98) or brush and / or a sponge (96) and / or a container (100) for cleaning agents out.

12. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid container (100) has openings (102) for discharging a cleaning liquid which is to be applied to the top (94) of the toilet seat (12) to be cleaned.

13. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (100) for the cleaning agents such as cleaning liquid in the first position of the mobile cleaning unit is connected to a water source and / or a reservoir (120) for cleaning liquid in order to Pour water and / or detergent into the container (100).

14. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile cleaning unit (14) in the first position (parking position) is received in a protected manner by a receptacle (16).

15. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide groove (74) introduced in the toilet seat (12) has deflection rollers (104) for the cables (88, 90).

16. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower leg (66) of the mobile cleaning unit by means of a second support (92), preferably via one or more ball sockets on the underside (76) of the toilet seat (12 ) is supported.