AUTOMATIC TOILET DEVICE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the technical field concerning automatic toilet devices installed in bathrooms.
Particularly, the present invention refers to an automatic toilet device for fixed or mobile automatic toilet, stand-alone or integrated in structures.
BACKGROUND ART
The known automatic toilet are essentially constituted by a structure, generally prefabricated in prestressed cement, or they consist of a room, inside which there is at least a toilet bowl that, once used by the user, is washed, sanitized and dried through an automatic procedure performed internally to said structure and only when the user is outside.
Such structures normally provide a couple of adjacent spaces: an utilization space, in which the user uses the toilet bowl and a technical space containing most of the means used for cleaning operations of the toilet bowl.
Said structures generally have moving means fit to bring in contact the cleaning means to the bowl in correspondence of one of two spaces.
The main drawback of the known toilet devices, consists in that the technical space is very bulky having a base surface equal to at least four times the bowl plan surface, because said space must accommodate bulky moving devices and, eventually, the bowl.
Further drawback consists in that the prefabricated or masonry structure is an integral part of the known toilet devices, which have several parts and components fixed to said structure, forcing to carrying out all the production phases inside the structure, with time extension and cost increase of production, transport and maintenance.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to propose an automatic toilet device for automatic toilet having reduced dimensions and suitable for toilet carried out in fixed or mobile premises, rooms and structures of every dimension.
Further object is to propose a device, which can be carried out and transported without the toilet structure, simplifying production and technical assistance and reducing manufacturing cost and time.
Other object is also to propose a device, which can be installed in preexisting rooms, having either small or huge dimensions.
Further object is to propose a device, which allows washing the toilet bowl without watering or polluting adj acent parts or rooms.
Other object is also to propose a device having easy and economical manufacture, and simple installation and maintenance.
The above-mentioned objects are achieved according to contents of the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The characteristics of the present invention are underlined in the following with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of the automatic toilet device of the present invention in a use condition and in which some parts have been removed for better underlining others; - figures 2 and 3 show views of figure 1 device respectively in an intermediate condition and in a closing condition; figure 4 shows a front and partial view of figure 3 device in which some parts have been removed for better underlining others; figure 5 shows a side view of figure 4 device; - figure 6 shows a view of a variant of figure 5 device;
figure 7 shows a front and partial view of a further variant of the figure 5 device.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to figures from 1 to 5, numeral 1 indicates the automatic toilet device object of the present invention.
The device 1 is provided with support means 16, made of box sections and an interconnection frame 23 fit for the mutual fixing and the interconnection of elements and means of said device.
The frame 23 supports side walls suitable for protecting the user's area from liquids and washing spurts, and it has at the front a first side opening 6 for the passage of a toilet bowl 4, moved by moving means 2, between a use condition U, in which an user can utilize the bowl 4, and a cleaning condition P, in which the bowl 4 is inside the space 3.
The moving means 2 include a pivot mean 5, vertically fixed to support means 16 close to a front side vertex of space 3 and connected to bowl 4 for allowing the rotation thereof. The moving means 2 include first driving means 8 for moving the bowl 4 between the use condition U and the cleaning condition P.
The side opening 6 is adjacent to bowl 4 and has a related door 7 rotating on hinge means 11 vertically fixed to frame 23 close to a side vertex of space 3 adjacent to the vertex of pivot mean 5.
The door 7 is rotated by second driving means 9, consisting of a pneumatic or hydraulic or electric linear actuator, between closing C and opening A conditions, in which the space 3 is respectively closed and accessible for the bowl 2.
The device 1 has control means 10, for instance of electronic type, for starting up the driving means first 8 and second 9 and washing means of the space 3, known and not shown, for the automatic operation of device 1.
The door 7 has a side extension 12 that, in the closing C and use U conditions, is interposed between bowl 4 and space 3 and it has perimetric gaskets in order avoid liquid leakages from
the latter in the cleaning condition P.
Alternatively, it is provided that the second driving means 9 are vertically positioned in such a way that, in the passage from the closing condition C to the opening condition A and vice versa, they lifts and lowers nearly vertically the door 7 along side guides.
The pivot mean 5 is fixed on the upper side, is misaligned with respect to the bowl 4 and supports the latter by revolving support means 13.
The revolving support means 13 include first 14 and second 15 plates, mutually orthogonal and fit for closing, in collaboration with the door 7, the first opening 6 respectively in the cleaning P and washing V conditions.
The support means 16 are provided with at least an adjustable stand mean 18 to fit the device 1 to the structure in which the device is assembled, during installation.
The first driving means 8 consist of a linear actuator of double-acting pneumatic type or hydraulic or electric type fixed to the pivot mean 5 through flange means 17 integral thereto.
The device includes lock means 28 consisting of an actuator fixed to the support means 16 and provided with a latch mean 29 fit for engaging, in the use condition U, respective seat means 30, consisting of a hole of the revolving support means 13, in order to avoid rotation of the bowl 4 during the use thereof. The lock means 28 are operated by the control means 10.
A further hole of the seat means 30 is provided to allow the lock means 28 to stop also the bowl 4 in the cleaning condition P.
The drainage of bowl 4 is fixed to a drain manifold 22 an end of which is coaxial to the pivot mean 5 and rotatably engaged in a corresponding fitting for a backwater tank or the water drain.
The flow inlet of bowl 4 is fed by an expulsion manifold 31 an end of which is coaxial to the pivot mean 5 and rotatably engaged in a corresponding fitting refitting for a source of water or cleansing solution. In alternative, it is provided that the expulsion manifold 31 consists of a flexible pipe connecting the bowl 4 inlet to said source.
The device further has an extension of the space 3, separated from the latter by separator and fit, for instance, to accommodate in a spurt-safe place the control means 10, actuators, pumps, valves and washing means or parts thereof. It is provided that the extension of space 3 is higher and/or side to the latter.
The hinge means 11 of door 7 rotatably connect the latter to a bulkhead 24 of space 3. The bulkhead 24 is locked to a back wall 25 and to a bottom 26 delimitating the space 3.
Door 7, bulkhead 24, back wall 25 and bottom 26 are mutually connected in a single block removable from the device 1 by removing locking screws, easily accessible from the outside of space 3 in order to advantageously facilitate the periodic cleaning and the maintenance of the inner portion of the device 1.
The bottom 26 has manifold means 27 of the washing liquids consisting of inclined surfaces convergent toward a drainage, in flow communication with the backwater tank or with the water drain.
The operation of this device 1 provides that the control means 10 activate the second driving means 9, to drive the door 7 in the closing condition C, in correspondence of the use U and cleaning P conditions of the bowl 4, in order to isolate the user's area from space 3 in both conditions.
During the passage of bowl 4 from use condition U to cleaning condition P, and vice versa, the control means 10 activate first driving means 8 to drive the bowl 4 in an intermediate condition I of maximum distance of the latter from the door 7, to allow the passage of side extension 12 thereof from the closing condition C to the opening condition A and vice versa.
Thus, in the passage from the use condition U to the cleaning condition P the bowl is rotated at first in the opposite direction of space 3 and then, toward the latter up to the complete introduction.
The variant of figure 6 provides that the first driving means 8 consist of a ratio-motor 19 whose output is connected to the pivot mean 5.
In the variant of figure 7, the first driving means 8 consist of a linear actuator which is inside the
support means 16 and has a rack 20, engaged in a pinion gear 21 of the pivot mean 5.
The invention also provides that the first driving means 8 consist of an electric rotating motor connected to pivot 5 by means of chains and/or belts.
It is important to observe that the arrangement of pivot 5, first opening 6 and door 7 allows advantageously to limit the plan surface of space 3 at a value slightly higher than the surface value of bowl 4 plan.
The main advantage of the present invention is to provide an automatic toilet device for automatic toilet having reduce dimensions and suitable for toilet carried out in fixed or mobile premises, rooms and structures of every dimension.
Further advantage is to provide a device which can be carried out and transported without the toilet structure, so simplifying production and technical assistance and reducing manufacturing cost and time thereof.
Further advantage is to provide a device allowing to completely isolate the cleaning space, particularly during the cleaning procedures, avoiding the contamination of use room with reactive and aggressive washing substances.
Other advantage is also to provide a device having easy and economical manufacture, and having simple installation and maintenance.