WO2019101492A1

WO2019101492A1 - A hanging urinal

Info

Publication number: WO2019101492A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/080001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frederik Clausager Vemb HANSEN; Thomas Roar SALLING; Jonathan RASMUSSEN; Theo Fischer GINMAN; Kirstine AUENER
Original assignee: Peefence Aps
Priority date: 2017-11-23
Filing date: 2018-11-02
Publication date: 2019-05-31

Abstract

A hanging urinal comprising a baffle plate 1 made from a flexible bendable material having a front surface 2 and a back surface 3, and having a lower end and an upper end 5 in its in use position, where the upper end 5 of the baffle plate 1 has at least one attachment arranged for attaching the hanging urinal to a supporting structure, such as a fence or a wall, and where the baffle plate is bent to form a slightly sloping gutter 6 with the back surface 3 and the front surface 2 of the baffle plate 1 forming respectively the outside and the inside of the gutter 6, and having a funnel 4 arranged at the bottom of, and at or near the lowermost end of the gutter 6, and wherein the funnel 4 and the baffle plate 1 are separate units, and the funnel 4 has at least one attachment arranged for attaching the funnel 4 to the supporting structure 10.

Description

Title:

A hanging urinal.

The prior art:

The present invention relates to urinals, and especially to urinal used at dif- ferent outdoor events and comprising a baffle plate made from a flexible bendable material having a front surface and a back surface, and having a lower end and an upper end in its in use position, where the upper end of the baffle plate has at least one attachment arranged for attaching the hanging urinal to a supporting structure, such as a fence or a wall, and where the baf- fle plate is bent to form a slightly sloping gutter with the back surface and the front surface of the baffle plate forming respectively the outside and the in- side of the gutter, and having a funnel being integrally shaped with or fixed to the baffle plate at the bottom of, and at or near the lowermost end of the gut- ter.

Many different types of urinals are used at outdoor events such as music fes- tivals and other types of arrangements where a huge number of people are gathered for several hours and even days. At such arrangements it is a re- turning challenge to provide sufficient number of urinals to service the crowd, and especially to ensure easy accessibility in order to reduce the tendency that male members of the crowd urinate in the nature where and when they feel the need.

Therefore there is a recurring need for relatively low cost urinals that are easy to install and remove from various places at the event area.

The object of the invention: On this background it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a low cost urinal of the above mentioned kind, being easy to handle for transport, installation and/or removing.

This is obtained by the invention as defined by claim 1.

In a preferred embodiment the baffle plate is formed by a single bendable sheet material.

The baffle plate may advantageously have a bottom through hole arranged at the bottom of, and at or near the lowermost end of the gutter, and the funnel unit may furthermore be releasably attached to the baffle plate.

In a further preferred embodiment the funnel unit has a funnel shaped part with an upper rim abutting the back surface of the baffle plate surrounding the bottom through hole, and flanges extending from opposite sides of the upper rim and along the back surface of the baffle plate forming the outside of the gutter.

In a preferred embodiment the baffle plate at the lower end is bent as a pipe forming the gutter, and cut outs, through holes or embossments are formed in the baffle plate area forming the pipe, and at a position allowing liquid flow- ing down on the front surface of the upper end of the baffle plate to enter from the outside and to the inside of the pipe.

In this relation it is especially advantageous when the flanges and the funnel shaped part of the funnel unit completely surrounds the section of the pipe formed by the baffle plate, where the bottom through hole is positioned.

Furthermore the flanges of the funnel unit may preferable be flexible. In an especially preferred embodiment both the baffle plate and the funnel unit has at least two mounting through holes arranged at opposite sides of the bottom through hole and the funnel shaped part respectively, and the mounting through holes in the baffle plate and the funnel unit are arranged at a mutual distance substantially corresponding to the diameter of the section of the pipe comprising the bottom through hole, so that the mounting through holes may all be aligned to form a single through hole extending from the inside of the pipe to the outside, and thereby twice through both the baffle plate and the flanges of the funnel unit. This allows that a fastener such as a pin, hook or strip may be arranged so that it extends from the inside of the pipe and through the single through hole and to the outside of the pipe, where it can be attached to a fence, a wall or another supporting structure extending vertically from the ground. The funnel unit may preferably consist substantially of a plastic material forrn- ing the funnel part and the flanges, so that the funnel unit may be used again and again during many arrangements. On the other hand the baffle may ad- vantageously substantially consist of a recyclable or biodegradable material that can be used only once or a few times.

In this relation the baffle plate may advantageously comprise a cardboard sheet with at least parts of the front surface and back surface coated with a water repellant or a water resistant material. Alternatively the baffle plate may advantageously comprise a sheet of stone paper made from e.g. Calci- urn Carbonate with e.g 15-20% added plastic material such as HDPE. This material is highly water and tear resistant. In this relation, however, the pre- sent invention is especially advantageous as the mounting of the funnel di- rectly to the supporting structure reduces the load on the baffle plate exactly where the funnel is arranged and may be attached to a system of drain pipes. The drawing:

In the following one or more embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail and with reference to the drawing, where:

Fig. 1 : Is a perspective drawing, showing the front of an embodiment of a urinal according to the present invention.

Fig. 2: Is a perspective drawing, showing the back side of the urinal shown in figure 1 , mounted on a fence.

Fig. 3: Is a perspective drawing, showing a baffle plate forming part of the urinal shown on figure 1 and 2. Fig. 4: Is a side view of a funnel unit forming part of the urinal shown on fig- ure 1 , 2 and 3.

Fig. 5: Is a perspective drawing of the funnel unit shown on figure 4. Fig. 6: Is a perspective drawing illustrating one storage and transport option for the baffle plate and the funnel unit shown on fig. 3, 4 and 5.

Fig. 7, 8 and 9: Are perspective drawings showing different steps of a method of assembling the urinal according to the invention.

Fig. 10: Is a perspective drawing showing a finished installation of two urinals according the invention.

Description of exemplary embodiments: Fig. 1 and 2 shows one embodiment of a urinal according to the invention and in it’s in use position. In figure 2 the urinal is shown from behind being attached to a metal fence 10 with the use of locking strips 11 inserted through the attachments 12 here formed as attachment holes 12, and figure 1 the same urinal is shown from the front side, but without the fence 10.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that the same urinal may also be at- tached to another supporting structure, such as a brick or concrete wall, a wooden fence, a movable trailer or another structure sufficiently stable for the purpose, and it will also be apparent for the skilled person to select other means, such as hooks, wires and screws and nuts most suitable for attaching the urinal to the selected supporting structure. Likewise, even though the attachments 12 are here each formed by two attachments holes 12, then the skilled person would easily be able to suggest other attachments 12 such as hooks, eyes or other means for attaching the unit to any supporting structure.

According to the invention the urinal is assembled from a baffle plate 1 hav- ing an upper end 5 in the in use position shown on figure 1 and 2, as well as a front surface 2 and a back surface 3, and a lower end where the baffle plate 1 is bent to form a pipe 6 serving as a gutter at the lower end of the baf- fle plate 1 , and a bottom through hole 7 is arranged at the bottom of the pipe shaped gutter 6, and a separate funnel unit 4 is attached to the pipe shaped gutter 6 having its funnel shaped part 8 arranged below the bottom thorough hole 7. The baffle plate 1 and the funnel 4 as well as one method of handling, storing and assembling these are being described in more detail with below, and with reference to the following figures.

Figure 3 shows a baffle plate formed by a planar sheet of a bendable materi- al, such as rubber, plastic, or in a preferred embodiments a sheet made from a recyclable or even biodegradable material such as cardboard being coated at least on the front surface with a waterproof, water resilient or water repel- lant material. The baffle plate is formed as a substantially rectangular sheet having an upper end 5 where attachments 12 each formed by two holes 12 are arranged at each corner at the upper end 5, and at the opposite lower end another attachment 12 formed by two holes 12 is arranged at one corner of the rectangular sheet, and a bottom through hole 7 is arranged between two sets of mounting through holes 14 at the other corner.

Along one side of the bottom end of the baffle plate 1 a row of slots 15 are arranged which will be described in more detail with reference to figures 7, 8 and 9.

Figure 4 and 5 shows the funnel unit 4 forming part of the urinal according to the invention and as shown on figure 1 and 2. This funnel unit 4 comprises a funnel shaped part 8 having a connecting piece 16 arranged at one end for connecting the funnel unit to e.g. a draining sewer pipe 17. According to a preferred embodiment the funnel unit 4 also has a semi cylindrical rim 18 ar- ranged at the other end of the funnel shaped part 8, and a set of flanges 19, 20 extending at opposite sides of the funnel rim 18 and each having attach- ments 13 each in the form of two though holes 13 arranged at the distal end of the flanges 19, 20.

As shown on figure 5 the baffle plate 1 and the funnel unit 4 forming the pri- mary parts of the urinal according to the invention are very easy to store and transport using only very little space. This is due to the fact that a significant number of baffle plates 1 are easily stacked in a very compact stack and transported on a pallet 21 such as a Europallet, and the funnel units are also possible to stack and place in e.g. a box 22.

Figure 7, 8 and 9 shows three steps for assembling a urinal according to the invention, where the first step shown in figure 7 comprises attaching the up- per end 5 of the baffle plate 1 to a supporting structure (not shown) using the attachments 12, and thereafter rolling the opposite lower end of the baffle plate 1 to form a pipe 6, and aligning the funnel unit 4 (not shown) so that the funnel shaped part 8 is aligned with the bottom through hole 7 on the baf- fle plate 1 , and the mounting through holes 13 on the funnel unit with the mounting through holes 14 on the baffle plate.

The next step as shown on figure 8 is to insert a locking strip 11. through the aligned mounting through holes 13 and 14 on one side of the funnel shaped part 8 of the funnel unit 4 and the bottom through hole 7 and further rolling the lower end of the baffle plate 1 to finish the gutter pipe 6, so that the slots 15 in the baffle plate 1 is placed such that they allow passage of liquids flow- ing downwards on the front surface 2 of the baffle plate 1 from outside and into the pipe 6.

Thereafter the locking strip 11 is further led through the mounting through holes 13 and 14 on the opposite side of the funnel shaped part 8 of the fun- nel unit 4, and locked to the supporting structure (not shown).

Figure 10 finally shows a finished installation comprising two urinals accord- ing to the invention both attached to a metal grid fence, and being connected to sewage draining pipe 17.

Claims

Claims:

1. A hanging urinal comprising a baffle plate made from a flexible benda- ble material having a front surface and a back surface, and having a lower end and an upper end in its in use position, where the upper end of the baffle plate has at least one attachment arranged for attaching the hanging urinal to a supporting structure, such as a fence or a wall, and where the baffle plate is bent to form a slightly sloping gutter with the back surface and the front surface of the baffle plate forming re- spectively the outside and the inside of the gutter, and having a funnel arranged at the bottom of, and at or near the lowermost end of the gut- ter, and wherein the funnel and the baffle plate are separate units, and the funnel has at least one attachment arranged for directly attaching the funnel to the supporting structure.

2. A hanging urinal according to claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate is

formed by a single bendable sheet material.

3. A hinging urinal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the baffle plate has a bottom through hole arranged at the bottom of, and at or near the lowermost end of the gutter, and the funnel unit is releasably attached to the baffle plate.

4. A hanging urinal according to claim 3, wherein the funnel unit has a funnel shaped part with an upper rim abutting the back surface of the baffle plate surrounding the bottom through hole, and flanges extend- ing from opposite sides of the upper rim and along the back surface of the baffle plate forming the outside of the gutter.

5. A hanging urinal according to claim 4, wherein the baffle plate at the lower end is bent as a pipe forming the gutter, and where cut outs, through holes or embossments are formed in the baffle plate area forming the pipe, and at a position allowing liquid flowing down on the front surface of the upper end of the baffle plate to enter from the out- side and to the inside of the pipe.

6. A hanging urinal according to claim 5, wherein the flanges and the funnel shaped part of the funnel unit completely surrounds the section of the pipe formed by the baffle plate, where the bottom through hole is positioned.

7. A hanging urinal according to claim 6, wherein the flanges of the fun- nel unit are flexible.

8. A hanging urinal according to claim 7, wherein both the baffle plate and the funnel unit has at least two mounting through holes arranged at opposite sides of the bottom through hole and the funnel shaped part respectively, and where the mounting through holes in the baffle plate and the funnel unit are arranged at a mutual distance substan- tially corresponding to the diameter of the section of the pipe compris- ing the bottom through hole, and where said mounting through holes are all aligned to form a single through hole extending from the inside of the pipe to the outside, twice through both mounting through holes in both the baffle plate and the funnel unit and where a mounting de- vice, such as a pin, hook or strip extends from the inside of the pipe and through the single through hole and to the outside of the pipe.

9. A hanging urinal according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the funnel unit comprises a plastic material forming the funnel part and the flanges, and where the baffle plate comprises a sheet of a recyclable or biodegradable material.

10. A hanging urinal according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the baffle plate comprises liquid resistant sheet of stone pa- per, or a cardboard sheet with at least parts of the front surface and back surface coated with a liquid repellant or a water resistant materi- al.

11. A method of mounting and assembling a urinal according one or more of the preceding claims on a supporting structure, where the first step comprises attaching the upper end of the baffle plate to the supporting structure, and thereafter rolling the lower end of the baffle plate to form a slightly sloping gutter, and thereafter attaching the funnel to the sup- porting structure at the lowermost end of the gutter.