WO2008020262A1

WO2008020262A1 - Extraction system

Info

Publication number: WO2008020262A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/002203
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Hendrik Tesner
Original assignee: Toiletfriend International (Pty) Ltd
Priority date: 2006-08-14
Filing date: 2006-08-14
Publication date: 2008-02-21
Also published as: AU2006347383A1; EP2057320A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an extraction system (10) which comprises an appliance (12) which is in fluid communication with a waste network (20). The extraction system further includes an extractor (22) for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network and an extraction path (18) whereby air can be extracted from the appliance to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created by the extractor in the waste network. The invention extends to a method of extracting air from a location.

Description

EXTRACTION SYSTEM

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS invention relates to an extraction system. In particular the invention is concerned with an extraction system for removing stale air and odours from toilets and urinals.

Various deodorising systems have over the years been proposed for removing, or at least masking, the unpleasant odours often found in toilets. One such deodorising system commonly used comprises that a fragrant substance is dispensed from an aerosol canister for masking any unpleasant odours. Often fragrant pellets are also placed in urinals for masking the unpleasant odours which are more often than not associated with this type of sanitary appliance. Although aerosol fragrances and pellets are relatively inexpensive, they have also proven to be rather ineffective.

In recent times a wide range of toilet extractor fans have been developed for extracting unpleasant odours emanating from toilets and venting them outdoors. Such extractor fans are normally effective but have the disadvantage that they could be expensive to install in a building due to the fact that each toilet in the building would normally require its own fan. Although toilet extractor fans could also be of particular use in hotels, the cost of installing an individual extractor fan in each bathroom of the hotel is normally prohibitive.

A further disadvantage of existing toilet extractor fans is that it is a labour intensive exercise to install them due to the fact that a hole has to be made in an existing wall and that ducting is to be constructed for feeding the odours away from the toilet. Once the extractor fan and its associated ducting have been installed, the hole is to be repaired and the wall made to have a neat finish. Building regulations in South Africa require that fresh air be supplied to confined rooms at a rate of approximately 25 liters per second. In order to achieve this required rate, architects and building contractors are often required to provide extraction systems for removing stale air from a building such that its place can be taken by fresh air. This fresh air is normally fed from the atmosphere through the ducting with the use of industrial fans. Such systems have the disadvantage that they generally tend to be very costly to install.

It is an object of the invention to address the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an extraction system comprising an appliance in fluid communication with a waste network, an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network, and an extraction path whereby air can be extracted from the appliance to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created by the extractor in the waste network.

Preferably the appliance is a sanitary appliance.

More preferably the sanitary appliance is a toilet, a urinal, a bidet, a bath, a shower or a washbasin.

Advantageously the extractor is a fan.

Typically the extraction system includes a trap for preventing odours escaping from the waste network.

Preferably the extraction path includes a trap bypass.

More preferably the trap bypass includes a non-return valve. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an extraction system comprising:

- a urinal having an outlet;

- a waste conduit for feeding waste water from the outlet of the urinal to a waste network; and

- an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network such that air can be extracted from the urinal into the waste conduit under the influence of the low pressure created in the waste network.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an extraction system comprising:

a toilet in fluid communication with a waste network;

- an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network; and

- an extraction path whereby air can be extracted from the toilet to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created by the extractor in the waste network, the extraction path extending at least partially across a flush water path whereby water is supplied to the toilet when it is flushed.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided an extraction system comprising:

- an extraction inlet;

- an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in a waste network; and an extraction path whereby air can be fed from the extraction inlet to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created in the waste network by the extractor.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of extracting air from a location comprising the steps of:

providing an extraction path between the location and a waste network;

creating an area of low pressure in the waste network; and

- feeding air from the location through the extraction path and into the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created in the waste network.

Preferably the method of extracting air from a location comprises the step of providing a trap in the extraction path for preventing odours escaping from the waste network.

More preferably the method of extracting air from a location comprises the step of providing a trap bypass in the extraction path.

Advantageously the method of extracting air from a location comprises the step of providing a non-return valve in the trap bypass.

Typically the method of extracting air from a location comprises the step of feeding air through the non-return valve in the trap bypass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 provides a diagrammatic representation of a urinal having a bottletrap in accordance with the prior art;

Figure 2 provides a diagrammatic representation of a urinal incorporating an extraction system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 3 provides a diagrammatic representation of a row of urinals incorporating an extraction system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 provides a diagrammatic representation of a toilet incorporating an extraction system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 5 provides a diagrammatic representation of a cisternless toilet incorporating an extraction system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 6 provides a diagrammatic representation of a building incorporating an extraction system according to the invention for ensuring proper ventilation in the building;

Figure 7 provides a diagrammatic representation of an alternative extraction system of the invention with a urinal; and

Figure 8 provides a diagrammatic representation of an extraction system in accordance with the invention incorporated with a urinal and a toilet. DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows a urinal installation A in accordance with the prior art. The urinal installation A comprises a urinal B having an outlet C through which waste water can drain through a bottletrap D. From the bottletrap D, the waste water feeds into a waste conduit E which in turn mouths into a waste network F.

As persons skilled in the art will know, the purpose of the bottletrap D is to prevent odours escaping from the waste network F and contaminating a bathroom. This is achieved in that an amount of waste water remains in the bottletrap D thereby to provide a barrier against odours in the waste network F. Unfortunately, the waste water remaining in the bottletrap D will invariably release an unpleasant odour which will escape into the bathroom through the outlet C of the urinal B.

Figure 2 shows an extraction system in accordance with the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 10, employed for extracting odours from a urinal 12. The urinal 12 comprises a ceramic basin 14 having an outlet 16 at its bottom. The urinal 12 is further provided with a waste conduit 18 for providing fluid communication between the outlet 16 of the urinal 12 and a waste network 20.

Persons skilled in the art will immediately recognise that the urinal 12 no longer includes the bottletrap of the prior art. The reason for the absence of the bottletrap will become apparent from the description that follows.

The extraction system 10 includes an extractor 22, here provided in the form of a fan, for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network 20. The extraction system 10 also includes a trap 24 which is located some distance away from the urinal 12 in the waste network 20. The extractor system 10 further includes a trap bypass 26 whereby odour laden air can be fed across the trap 24. In order to prevent odours from the waste network 20 leaking back to the waste conduit 18 and through the outlet 16 of the urinal 12, the trap bypass 26 includes a non-return valve 28 moveable between an open position, when the extractor 22 is operative, and a closed position when the extractor is in-operative.

In use the extractor 22 will induce movement in the air inside the waste network 20 thereby generating an area of low pressure. This is possible due to the fact that conduits in a waste network are typically not completely filled with waste water but an area of air exists between waste water passing through the conduits of the waste network and a top inside wall of the conduits. The waste conduit 18 will now provide an extraction path whereby odour laden air proximate the urinal 12 will be drawn into the waste network 20. Under the influence of the extractor 22 the air will be drawn into the trap bypass 26, through the extractor, past the non-return valve 28 thereby to locate in the waste network 20 beyond the trap 24 where it will be trapped and prevented from returning to the urinal 12.

It should be readily apparent to the skilled person that removal of the bottletrap enables the extraction system 10 to operate in the manner described above.

It is further pointed out that by having the trap 24 located some distance from the urinal 12, odours released by waste water in the trap 24 will normally not escape through the urinal even in the event of the extractor 22 becoming faulty.

It should further be appreciated that an extraction system in accordance with the invention could be utilised with a range of sanitary appliances such as bidets, baths, showers and washbasins for extracting odours from bathrooms.

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of an extraction system, generally indicated with the reference numeral 30. In the extraction system 30 two urinals 32.1 and 32.2, without any bottletraps, mouth into a common waste conduit 34 which provides an extraction path. The waste conduit 34 is in fluid communication with a waste network 36 which, similar to the extraction system 10, includes an extractor 38, a trap 40 and a trap bypass 42. The trap bypass 42 in turn includes a non-return valve 44.

The extraction system 30 operates in a manner similar to the extraction system 10 with the difference that an area of low pressure which is created in the waste network 36 will cause odour laden air to be drawn from multiple urinals 32.1 and 32.2 instead of from a single urinal.

Persons skilled in the art will be well familiar with the operation of the standard flush toilet. However, for ease of reference the operation of a flush toilet will be explained by referring to Figure 4 of the drawings which shows a standard flush toilet, generally indicated with the reference numeral 50. The toilet 50 includes a toilet bowl 52 and a cistern 54 for storing flush water. The toilet 50 further includes a filling system, not shown in Figure 4, for controlling the supply of flush water to the cistern 54 when the cistern it to be replenished. In order to flush the toilet 50 a lever 56 can be pulled which will open a valve, not shown, which in turn will cause flush water in the cistern 54 to flow into the toilet bowl 52 through a flush water path 58, thereby to flush the toilet and push waste water lying in the toilet bowl 52 out through a waste conduit 60 into a waste network 62. Typically the waste network 62 will feed the waste water to a sewerage network, not shown, which will in turn feed the waste water to a sewerage farm, also not shown, for undergoing a purification process.

The cistern 54 includes a lid 64 which is easily removable should maintenance work to the filling system, not shown, be required. The cistern 54 also includes an overflow 66 for removing any excess water from the cistern 54 by feeding it through the flush water path 58 into the toilet bowl 52. It is pointed out that typically a cistern is provided with two inlet holes, one located on its left-hand side and one located on its right-hand side. This arrangement enables instalment of a toilet in a bathroom irrespective of the location of an inlet pipe which is to supply flush water to the cistern 54. The inlet hole which is not used is normally sealed with a plug, not shown.

Figure 4 further shows that the toilet 50 incorporates an extraction system in accordance with the present invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 70. The extraction system 70 comprises an extraction path, generally indicated with the reference numeral 72, and an extractor 74 for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network 62. The extraction system 70 further includes a trap 76 and a trap bypass 78 for feeding odour laden air beyond the trap 76. The trap bypass 78 also includes a non-return valve 80 for preventing odours which have been fed past the trap 76 from escaping back across the trap 76.

The extraction path 72 of the present embodiment is provided by firstly having a feeder 82, here in the form of a tube as shown. The feeder 82 has a cistern portion 84 which is located inside the cistern 54 and an outlet portion 86 which is attached to the waste outlet 60. To install the feeder 82 the one remaining plug is removed from the cistern 54 and the cistern portion 84 pushed through the hole previously sealed with the plug. It is pointed out that when the cistern 54 is filled with water, the end of the cistern portion 84, indicated with the reference numeral 88, will extend beyond the surface of the water as shown. The end of the outlet portion 86 in turn is secured to the waste outlet 60 through a hole drilled in the waste outlet 60.

In use, the extractor 74 will create an area of low pressure in the waste network 62 which will cause odour laden air to be drawn from the toilet bowl 52 into the flush water path 58. The air is now fed across at least a portion of the flush water path 58, up through the overflow 66 and into an open space 90 formed between the lid 64 on the one side and the surface of water 92 on the other side. From here the air is drawn into the feeder 82 through the end 88, down the feeder 82 and into the waste conduit 60. Finally the air is drawn across the trap 76 via the trap bypass 78 and thus blocked from returning to the toilet 50 and its surroundings. Figure 5 provides a representation of a toilet 94 which does not have a cistern but wherein flush water is supplied by a flush water path provided in the form of a pipe 96. The flush water supply to the toilet 94 is regulated by a valve 98 having a pushbutton 100. By pressing the pushbutton 100, flush water is allowed to flow to the bowl of the toilet 94 to facilitate flushing.

The toilet 94 also forms part of an extraction system in accordance with the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 102. In this embodiment of the invention an extraction path is provided which includes a feeder 104, again in the form of a tube, which is attached to the flush water path 96 at a location below the valve 98 at one end as shown, and to a waste outlet 106 at its other end. An extractor 108 is provided for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network 110. In this embodiment of the invention odour laden air is extracted from the toilet bowl of the toilet 94, up across at least a portion of the flush water path 96, down the feeder 104, out through the waste outlet 106 into the waste network 110 and finally across a trap 113.

It is envisaged that by generating an area of low pressure across an entire waste network of a building, for example an office block, odour laden air could be extracted from a large number of toilets by using a single extractor.

Figure 6 shows a fifth embodiment of an extraction system in accordance with the present invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 112. The extraction system 112 includes an extractor 114 for creating an area of low pressure inside a waste network 116. The extraction system 112 includes an extraction path 118, here in the form of a network of extraction conduits 120 having respective extraction inlets 122 at various locations inside rooms 124 of a building 126. The extraction path 118 serves to provide fluid communication between the various extraction inlets 122 and the waste network 116 of the building 126. In use the extractor 114 will create an area of low pressure in the waste network 116 thereby causing air to be drawn into the extraction inlets 122, through the extraction path 118, into the waste network 116 and across a trap 130. In this manner stale air can be extracted from the rooms 124 such that it can be replaced with fresh air via ventilation vents of the building, not shown.

Figure 7 shows a sixth embodiment of an extraction system 132 in accordance with the invention operating with a urinal 134. Unlike the urinal 12 of the extraction system 10, the urinal 134 is fitted with a bottletrap 136. In order to provide an extraction path whereby odour laden air can be extracted from the urinal 134 a bottletrap bypass 138 is provided as shown. By allowing an extractor 140 to create an area of low pressure in a waste network 142 air can now be drawn into the waste network via the bottletrap bypass 138 and fed away from the urinal 134 in a manner similar to that described above for the extraction system 10.

Figure 8 shows a seventh embodiment of an extraction system 144 in accordance with the invention operating with both a urinal 146 and a toilet 148. Odour laden air is here extracted from the urinal 146 with the use of an extractor 150 into a waste network 152 via a waste conduit 154 which is in fluid communication with the urinal 146. This manner of extraction corresponds to that described above for the urinal 12 in the extraction system 10 and no further description is, therefore, necessary.

The toilet 148 in turn includes an extraction path 156 corresponding to that of the toilet 50 of the extraction system 70. The extraction path 156, however, differs from the extraction path 72 in that a feeder 158 is here provided for allowing fluid communication between the cistern of the toilet 148 and the waste conduit 154 of the urinal 146. Odour laden air can now be drawn from the bowl of the toilet 148 into the feeder 158 in the same manner as described for the extraction system 72, but instead of the air being fed to the waste conduit of the toilet 148, the air is drawn into the waste conduit 154 of the urinal 146. From here the air is drawn through the waste network 152 under the influence of the extractor 150.

By providing an extraction system which can extract odour laden air through a waste network, the problems which are highlighted in the background portion of the specification are addressed.

Claims

1. An extraction system comprising an appliance in fluid communication with a waste network, an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network, and an extraction path whereby air can be extracted from the appliance to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created by the extractor in the waste network.

2. An extraction system according to claim 1 wherein the appliance is a sanitary appliance.

3. An extraction system according to claim 2 wherein the sanitary appliance is a toilet, a urinal, a bidet, a bath, a shower or a washbasin.

4. An extraction system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the extractor is a fan.

5. An extraction system according to any one of the preceding claims including a trap in the extraction path for preventing odours escaping from the waste network.

6. An extraction system according to claim 5 wherein the extraction path includes a trap bypass.

7. An extraction system according to claim 6 wherein the trap bypass includes a non-return valve.

8. An extraction system comprising:

a urinal having an outlet; - a waste conduit for feeding waste water from the outlet of the urinal to a waste network; and

an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network such that air can be extracted from the urinal into the waste conduit under the influence of the low pressure created in the waste network.

9. An extraction system comprising:

a toilet in fluid communication with a waste network;

- an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in the waste network; and

an extraction path whereby air can be extracted from the toilet to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created by the extractor in the waste network, the extraction path extending at least partially across a flush water path whereby water is supplied to the toilet when it is flushed.

10. An extraction system comprising:

an extraction inlet;

- an extractor for creating an area of low pressure in a waste network; and

- an extraction path whereby air can be fed from the extraction inlet to the waste network under the influence of the low pressure created in the waste network by the extractor.

11. A method of extracting air from a location comprising the steps of: - providing an extraction path between the location and a waste network;

- creating an area of low pressure in the waste network; and

- feeding air from the location through the extraction path and into the waste network under the influence of the low pressure in the waste in the network.

12. A method of extracting air from a location according to claim 11 comprising the step of providing a trap in the extraction path for preventing odours escaping from the waste network.

13. A method of extracting air from a location according to claim 12 comprising the step of providing a trap bypass in the extraction path.

14. A method of extracting air from a location according to claim 13 comprising the step of providing a non-return valve in the trap bypass.

15. A method of extracting air from a location according to claim 14 comprising he step of feeding air through the non-return valve in the trap bypass.

16. An extraction system substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 to 8 of the drawings.

17. A method of extracting air from a location substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 to 8 of the drawings.