WO2006048490A1

WO2006048490A1 - Automatic toilet cleaning system

Info

Publication number: WO2006048490A1
Application number: PCT/ES2005/070151
Authority: WO
Inventors: Elena Romero Sanchez; Francisco Javier Lostal Grasa
Original assignee: Elena Romero Sanchez; Francisco Javier Lostal Grasa
Priority date: 2004-10-29
Filing date: 2005-10-26
Publication date: 2006-05-11
Also published as: EP1808536A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic toilet cleaning system comprising an impermeable tent structure which can fold out automatically from a housing provided in the wall adjacent to the toilet, the floor or the ceiling, such as to cover same completely. The interior of the tent structure is equipped with a system of pressurised fluid sprinklers which are directed towards the toilet. The invention also comprises a suitable drain for draining the fluid along with any floating residues.

Description

AUTOMATIC CLEANING SYSTEM FOR SANITARIES

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automatic cleaning system for toilets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, the cleaning of toilets such as toilets, urinals and sinks, installable in toilets or changing rooms for public use, often involves unpleasant work, since it is done by hand or with the help of specific tools, but not automatically, which always involves the intervention, not very pleasant for them, of people. There are some systems for this cleaning to be done automatically, but in all of them there is a displacement or shifting of the toilet to a technical area where it is cleaned. This leads to problems in the connections with the sewerage and water supply networks, and leads to leaks and odors. In addition, these systems only perform the cleaning inside the toilet, so that the external part remains uncleaned. Another additional drawback is that they do not dry the sanitary wash.

These problems are corrected with the use of the system of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The system of the invention has an optimal constitution that allows the cleaning and disinfection of the sanitary in question with fluids such as water, alone or mixed with detergents or disinfectants, and at room temperature or heated, also effecting the drying of the sanitary without the need for displacements of the sanitation or flexible couplings or decoupling to sanitation networks or water supply, and of course also without the intervention of people. In accordance with the invention the system comprises a tent waterproof, deployable from a retracted position and preferably hidden in a housing constituted in the floor, ceiling or in the wall adjacent to the toilet to which it can be fixed for example in the case of urinals or toilets, and also of toilets. The tent is deployed by automatic means completely covering the toilet by its external part. The deployment of the tent will be 90 ° or

180 °, depending on whether it is done from the floor or from the wall and whether the toilet is supported or attached, or vertical if it is deployed from the ceiling.

Inside the tent once deployed there is a system of sprinklers of pressurized fluid, such as water, hot water or water with detergents or disinfectants or waxes, hot or not. Also in extreme cleanings the sprinklers can dispense water vapor that cooperates in the cleaning and disinfection.

These sprinklers logically are directed towards the sanitary by its internal and external part, and can be implemented in any way as long as they fulfill this function.

In order to evacuate these fluids and the remains that are carried away during washing, adequate drainage is provided, and preferably constituted in the toilet floor. Optionally the system can incorporate, at least, a turbine that will direct an air flow, which can be heated, on sanitary after cleaning, for drying.

Cleaning implies the deployment of the tent, the spray with the fluids and optional drying, then folding the tent and obtaining an optimal cleaning and drying of the toilet.

A variant of the invention consists in implementing the tent or cover by means of a blind of waterproof and corrosion resistant materials (PVC, aluminum, etc.), which is collected in a housing located in the wall or floor, and It is guided by means of lateral guides fixed or embedded in the walls or facing side walls that flank the toilet.

In correspondence with this configuration, the sprinklers are arranged, both in the blind on its internal part, and under the grid that covers all or a large part of the floor of the area covered by the blind when closed, under which it is also arrange the drain as well as the technical zone in simple installations. Some of these sprinklers mainly clean the toilet by its internal part and others, especially those located under the grid, the external part thereof.

The sprinklers can be oriented towards the internal part of the tent or blind, and are intended to clean this area of projections that can occur during the cleaning of the toilet, since otherwise they would accumulate in this area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a view of an individual installation according to the system of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a view of Figure 1 in a variant in which the tent is made with sliding or telescopic elements. Figure 3 shows a variant in which the spraying is carried out by means of sprinklers mounted on an internal mobile duct.

Figure 4 schematically shows the technical area according to the invention.

Figure 5 schematically shows a multiple installation according to the invention.

Figure 6 is a variant embodiment of the one shown in Figures 1 to 5.

DESCRIPTION OF A PRACTICAL EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The system 1 of the invention comprises a retractable tent 2 of impermeable material that is automatically folded, by means of a double-acting hydraulic piston 3 in this non-limiting example of the invention, completely covering, including even its outer part, the sanitary 3a to clean and disinfect, while otherwise it is collected in a double partition materialized in the wall to which it is attached or next to which the toilet is arranged. It could also be deployed vertically from the ceiling, or be a different drive, for example electric.

The simplest embodiment of the tent would be by means of linkage 4 and canvas 5 waterproof, although other equivalent solutions are acceptable, such as the telescopic development of waterproof 6 warped parts (metal, plastic, etc.), as seen in Figure 2.

Inside the tent there is a set of sprinklers 7 of pressurized fluid, such as water, water in solution with disinfectants, detergents or waxes, hot water or even water vapor, directed towards the toilet so that the fluid impacts on this one doing its cleaning and disinfection.

The sprinklers can materialize in various ways, although it seems a logical solution to integrate them in the linkage 4, thus constituting the rods.

Another possible embodiment that can be seen in Figure 3 would be by means of a semi-circular or semi-elliptical duct 8 automatically foldable inside the carp, which is carried out by the action of a piston, for example, a sweep in a downward and upward direction, and in whose conduit sprinklers will be implemented 7.

In a hidden area, preferably in a recess 9 made in the wall or floor 10, and provided with a cover, not shown, practicable for maintenance purposes, a technical zone is provided with at least one pump 1 1 water impeller pressure, a water accumulation tank 12 internally provided with a heating resistance 13 thereof, and additionally other deposits 14 of biodegradable disinfectants or detergents as well as polishing waxes, with the corresponding system, not shown, of automatic mixing in the water flow that, coming from the tank, is going to be used in sanitary cleaning. Likewise, the technical area will include the valves 15 necessary for the actuation of pistons and conduction of system flows. Also for steam cleaning, a boiler 16 with heating resistance 16a for generating and accumulating it is provided. Optionally, a turbo fan 17 with heating resistance 18 is disposed in the recess 9, which will generate a flow of hot air that will dry the toilet after washing and disinfection. This flow will exit through nozzles, not represented, that will be properly disposed inside the tent, in the walls, floor or ceiling that delimit the enclosure along with the tent inside which is the toilet.

The invention also includes the installation on the floor of a drain in order to collect the water used in the cleaning. In this non-limiting example of the invention, the drain consists of a sump hidden by a large grid 19. This water can be accumulated and treated, or poured into the sewerage network.

The invention also contemplates the cleaning facilities of multiple toilets, for multiple toilets for example of stations, gyms, concert halls, military installations and the like. In this case, as seen in Figure 5, the technical area is shared by several toilets simplifying space and equipment requirements.

With respect to Figure 6, the tent 2 is constituted by a 2 ^' blind type cover, whose slats are obviously impermeable and unassailable by corrosion, such as PVC or aluminum.

The guidance of this blind is carried out by means of guides 20 embedded in opposite and adjacent side walls 21, and can be extended, depending on the distance between these walls and the resistance of the slats, to cover or cover several toilets. The blind is automatically collected in a housing 22 arranged in the wall, by means of a motor 26.

In correspondence with the covered area, a grid 27 is included, covering all the ground in this area, under which the drain 28 that drains will be established, as well as the technical area with the deposits of liquid, water, waxes and detergents, etc., not represented. Also in this area there are sprinklers 29 directed towards the external part of the toilet 30, which clean this part of it.

In the internal part of the blind there are sprinklers 31 that clean the internal part of the toilet. The sprinklers can also be arranged under the floor or the shutter, or in any suitable internal part of the cover, and directed towards the tent or blind, in order to eliminate the residues that can be projected during the cleaning, which will flow into the drain.

Obviously this variant of embodiment can be combined, represented in Figure 6, with all the elements described in Ia realization of figures 1 to 5, that is, the internal folding bar to carry the sprinklers instead of establishing these for the internal part to the blind, also the centralization of the technical area for several toilets, etc.

Sufficiently described the nature of the invention, as well as the manner in which it is carried out in practice, it should be noted that the provisions indicated above and represented in the attached drawings are subject to modifications in detail as long as they do not alter the fundamental principle.

Claims

1.- Automatic cleaning system for toilets; characterized in that it comprises a waterproof tent that can be deployed automatically from a housing disposed in the wall adjacent to the sanitary, on the floor or ceiling, and that completely covers it, through which a system of pressurized fluid sprinklers directed towards the sanitary is provided, as well as adequate drainage of evacuation of fluid and debris that it carries.

2. System according to claim 1 characterized in that the tent is materialized by a waterproof and flexible laminar portion, such as a canvas, armed by a linkage in order to enable its deployment or folding.

3. - System according to claim 1 characterized in that the tent is materialized by rigid or non-folding portions of suitable form and telescopic or sliding deployment with each other.

4. - System according to claim 1 characterized in that the deployment of the tent is produced by means of a double-acting hydraulic piston.

5. -System according to claim 2 characterized in that the sprinklers are arranged in the linkage of the tent, constituting in this case a network of conduits through which the pressurized fluid circulates towards the sprinklers.

6. - System according to claim 1 characterized in that occasionally the sprinklers are arranged in a mobile duct inside the tent that performs a sweep by means of a preferably hydraulic drive.

7. System according to claim 1 characterized in that the pressurized fluid is supplied by a pump.

8. -System according to claim 7 characterized in that the pump is fed from an accumulation tank.

9. System according to claim 7 characterized in that the pump is fed directly from the supply network.

10. - System according to claim 8 characterized in that the tank includes one or more water heating resistors and an isothermal coating.

1 1. -System according to claim 1 characterized in that a technical area consisting of a housing where it is installed, is provided less, where appropriate the fluid accumulation tank, heated or not, the pressure booster pump, a steam generation and accumulation boiler, as well as the operating valve of the different elements of the system.

12. - System according to claim 1 characterized in that in simple installations the technical area is preferably underground or under the ground.

13. - System according to claim 11 characterized in that multiple installations with centralized technical zones that serve the tents of several toilets are allowed.

14. System according to claim 1 characterized in that, optionally, a drying turbine is preferably provided with an air heating resistance, in order to produce the drying of the sanitary after washing.

15. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tent is constituted by a cover based on a blind of waterproof and corrosion-resistant slats, roller in a housing provided in the wall or floor, and guided by lateral guides provided with facing walls or side bulkheads flanking the toilet; on the ground there is a grid that covers all or a large part of the covered area, and under which the technical area is arranged as well as sprinklers directed towards the outside of the toilet; inside the covered area sprinklers are also provided directed towards the tent or cover in order to eliminate projections of residues on them during cleaning.

16. System according to claim 15, characterized in that the winding of the blind occurs automatically by means of a motor.