US20030005512A1

US20030005512A1 - Toilet bowl flush water outlet

Info

Publication number: US20030005512A1
Application number: US10/169,518
Authority: US
Inventors: Michel Doustaly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-01-12
Filing date: 2001-01-10
Publication date: 2003-01-09
Also published as: WO2001052587A3; FR2803612A1; JP2004500498A; FR2803612B1; AU2001231884A1; WO2001052587A1; EP1246976A2; WO2001052587A8; CA2396977A1

Abstract

A sanitary appliance secured by adhesive to a toilet bowl. The appliance brings a low-pressure jet of water into the inside of the bowl giving the user the option of proceeding with personal hygiene under optimum conditions of hygiene and comfort. The device is constituted: by a faucet having a moving head with delivery spouts (2, 11) traveling through the horizontal gap between the porcelain of the bowl proper and the toilet seat assembly; a water takeoff (FIG. 5) constituted by a tube occupying the position of one of the two bolts used for fixing the flushing cistern to the bowl. Water is turned on and off directly as a function of the position of the delivery spouts (FIG. 6) which are turned by the user: water flows out when the spouts are directed towards the inside of the bowl; water ceases to flow when the spouts are turned so as to point towards the outside of the bowl. The appliance can be mounted on any model of toilet having a low-level flushing cistern.

Description

DESCRIPTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the functional field of sanitary appliances, and more specifically to a tap or faucet secured to a toilet bowl and enabling the user to make use of a stream of water for personal hygiene under good conditions of hygiene and comfort.

2. State of the Prior Art

Until now, the user of a toilet bowl has usually had to make do with toilet paper without being able to proceed with prior washing unless some other sanitary appliance such as a bidet, a shower, etc. is available in the immediate vicinity, which is far from being the general case.

Although a wide variety of appliances are available from the plumbing industry, no appliance satisfying the above requirements is presently available, which requirements can be summed up as follows:

in operation, to provide a jet of low-pressure water inside a toilet bowl; and

when not in operation, to provide best guarantees of the appliance being kept clean by enabling it to avoid the risk of being dirtied by splashing or otherwise.

The present invention seeks to mitigate this lack of technical availability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention essentially comprises a faucet fixed to the rim of the bowl, together with a low-pressure water takeoff for drawing water from the flushing cistern and feeding said faucet via a flexible hose.

Component Layout

A. The Faucet

Stuck to the edge of the bowl (FIG. 1, 5) at a point selected by the user by means of a commercially available two-component adhesive, the faucet ( 1, 4) having its head (2, 6) turned through an amplitude of about 135° about its vertical axis (3, 20) serves, on being opened, to deliver a jet of low-pressure water into the volume of the bowl, and serves, on being closed, to be retracted out from the volume of said bowl.

The movement of the delivery spouts in the horizontal plane takes place through the gap available between the bowl proper and the toilet seat assembly fitted thereto.

To make this possible, their vertical extent is restricted to 5 millimeters (mm).

Any lack of space in said gap or any increase in the size of the delivery spouts, depending on applications, can readily be compensated by means of a set of flexible spacers, made of rubber or the like, stuck under the fastening means of the toilet seat, and if necessary, also under its own fastening means.

In order to avoid any harmful rubbing, clearance of about 1 mm is maintained on installation between the rim of the bowl proper and the delivery spout(s).

The faucet receives water taken from the takeoff described below at B) via a low-pressure flexible hose secured via a spigot ( 4, 28).

B) Water Takeoff (FIG. 5)

Essentially constituted by a threaded hollow rod ( 5, 35) it replaces one of the conventional bolts for fixing the flushing cistern (1, 1) to the bowl (1, 5).

While continuing to provide the function of retention and leaktightness by means of its butterfly nut ( 5, 30), its washers (5, 31, and 34), and its sealing gasket (5, 32), the water takeoff point also serves:

to feed the above-described faucet with water at constant pressure of a few millibars via a spigot ( 5, 36) and a flexible hose (1, 3); and

to purge the entire device, including the faucet, by undoing a screw ( 5, 38) tightened against a flexible gasket (5, 37).

Structure of the Faucet

A) The Body ( 2, 8)

This is the fixed portion secured to the bowl, and it comprises:

a water inlet spigot ( 4, 28) provided with serrations for retaining the flexible hose;

a feed opening ( 3, 15);

a cam ( 3, 13) on which a knurled wheel (3, 19) runs; and

an abutment for stopping closure ( 3, 18).

Two continuous peripheral grooves ( 4, 24 and 25) serve to receive a sealing O-ring.

On the outside, the cylinder of the faucet body is secured to a fixing strip ( 2, 12) shaped in such a manner that its wings can be adjusted at will prior to applying adhesive so as to match the curvature of the bowl.

The two items are secured to each other via a layer of commercially-available two-component adhesive.

A jig forming a fixing clamp makes the assembly operation easier, which operation does not require any particular qualification.

B) The Spout ( 2, 7)

It comprises a cylindrical head ( 2, 7) having fixed thereto:

One or more delivery spouts ( 2, 11) each constituted by a tube having an outside diameter of about 5 mm and an inside diameter of at 3 mm.

The free end of each spout proper is machined so as to constitute on the inside a seat for drop-shaped sealing gaskets ( 3, 22), and on the outside a water outlet orifice (3, 21).

At least one control arm ( 2, 6) enabling the faucet to be opened and closed manually.

Inside the faucet head, there are to be found:

at least one opening spring ( 3, 16) in line with each delivery spout;

a vertical shaft of the head ( 3, 20);

a bracket ( 3, 39) carrying the rotary knurled wheel (3, 19) and having the opening springs and the pistons (3, 14 and 3, 16) fixed thereto; and

a abutment ( 3, 17) for the end of closing guiding the movement of the bracket.

The free ends of the pistons receive respective drop-shaped flexible gaskets ( 3, 22) and their shafts receive respective finned support spiders (4, 23).

C) Operation

a) Open Position (FIG. 6A)

The top of the faucet is in abutment via the cam projecting into the head blocking the inside end of the delivery spout.

The knurled wheel of the bracket is off the cam.

The springs are relaxed, the pistons entraining the drop-shaped gaskets so as to withdraw them from their seats: water flows into the bowl.

b) Closed Position (FIG. 6B)

By turning the top of the faucet by means of its control arm through an angle of about 30°, the knurled wheel of the bracket is brought to bear against the cam.

The springs are compressed, and by causing the pistons to advance, the drop-shaped gaskets come to bear against their seats: water ceases to flow.

c) Standby Position (FIG. 6C)

By additional turning of the head of the faucet by means of the user turning the arm ( 2, 6) in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, the delivery spouts are caused to pass one after the other over the porcelain of the bowl which, merely by making contact therewith, wipes off any residual drops of water once the outlet orifices (3, 21) have been closed.

When turning comes to an end, by abutment against the closure stop ( 3, 18), the delivery spouts take up a standby position outside the volume of the bowl.

The total angular stroke of the delivery spouts from the open position is about 135°.

d) Opening

This is performed by performing the operations that are exactly the reverse of those used for closing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The device is illustrated in the accompanying figures: [0059]
FIG. 1 shows the situation of the faucet on the toilet bowl, and the principle on which it is supplied with tap water, at a scale of 1/20. [0060]
The device is shown here as being on the left of the bowl, however it could equally well have been placed on the right, as chosen by the user. [0061]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device in its open position (not to scale). [0062]
FIG. 3 is a plan view in section on a plane containing the axes of the delivery spouts shown in the same open position and lifesize. [0063]
FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the device of the invention in the same position and at the same scale as FIG. 3. [0064]
FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the water takeoff point and the purge device shown lifesize. [0065]

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the top of the faucet is operated.



LIST OF PARTS

1	low-level flushing cistern	21	outlet from spout
2	water takeoff point	22	gasket
3	hose	23	supporting tabs
4	device	24	O-ring
5	bowl	25	O-ring
6	control arm	26	drop of water
7	faucet head	27	support screw
8	faucet body	28	inlet spigot
9	bowl rim	29	adhesive
11	delivery spout	30	butterfly nut
12	fixing strip	31	washer
13	cam	32	gasket
14	piston	33	porcelain
15	feed opening	34	seat
16	spring	35	feed tube
17	abutment	36	outlet spigot
18	closure stop	37	gasket
19	knurled wheel	38	purge nut
20	holding and turning axis	39	bracket

EMBODIMENT

The novelty of the apparatus lies in its three-dimensional and technical design and it is entirely suitable for being implemented in thoroughly conventional manner, with any possible initiatives on these lines being for the future. [0067]
Materials: [0068]
brass or polished and chromium-plated bronze; [0069]
stainless steel. [0070]
Implementation: [0071]
traditional casting; [0072]
traditional machining. [0073]
Commercially available gaskets and adhesive. [0074]

Best Method of Performing the Invention

1) Materials [0075]
BRASS in the form of commercially available flats, rounds, and tubes. This is the material used to make the three essential parts of the device, the water takeoff, and the head and the body of the faucet. [0076]
LATEX used in liquid form enables the gaskets (FIG. 3, 22) to be made by dipping the ends of the pistons one or more times, or by molding and subsequently sticking them into place. [0077]
Latex could be replaced by any other synthetic rubber that turns out to be more suitable in terms of leaktightness, durability, and cost. [0078]
ACCESSORIES: O-rings, flat gaskets, feed hose, adhesive for fixing the apparatus to the bowl are all accessories and consumables that are available in the trade and do not form part of the claims. [0079]
2) Machining [0080]
The individual components of the three parts specified above are obtained by conventional machining of the commercially available pieces mentioned above: sawing, drilling, boring, turning, milling, tapping, are performed in turn in order to make each of them. [0081]
3) Brazing [0082]
After being assembled together and made to comply with a jig, the various individual components are brazed together. [0083]
4) Chromium plating traditional plating of all three parts. [0084]
5) Polishing [0085]
6) Assembly and various functional tests [0086]

INDUSTRIAL PERSPECTIVES

The industrial application of the present,invention lies in the conventional foundry and/or machining fields. [0087]
A solution made in part or in full out of synthetic materials could be envisaged in the future. [0088]

Claims

1/ A device enabling water to be delivered to the inside of a toilet bowl (5), the device comprising a faucet (4) comprising a body (8) suitable for fixing to the rim of said bowl (5), in which said faucet (4) has at least one delivery spout (11) movable in rotation between the inside and the outside of the volume of the bowl (5), and in that the faucet has a head (7) which, on being rotated, enables the delivery of water to be switched on and conversely off, and said delivery spouts (11) are fixed to said head (7) in such a manner that opening and closing the delivery of water is determined by turning said delivery spouts (11) making it possible:

to open the delivery of water when the delivery spouts are inside the volume of said bowl (5); and

to close the delivery of water when said delivery spouts are outside the volume of the bowl (5);

the device being characterized in that each of said delivery spouts (11) has a flow orifice (21) at the free end thereof, said orifice being closed after passing over the rim of the bowl (5) during turning of said spout towards the outside of the volume of the bowl.

2/ A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said orifice is wiped of any residual drop of water on passing over the rim of the bowl (5) while said delivery spout is being turned towards the outside of the volume of the bowl.

3/ A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said delivery spout (11) can be turned in the horizontal plane through the gap available between said bowl (5) and a toilet seat assembly surmounting it.

4/ A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:

said delivery spouts are constituted by tubes containing pistons (14) inside them; and

the delivery of water to the free ends of the delivery spouts (11) is opened and closed by said pistons (14) moving linearly.

5/ A device according to claim (4), characterized in that said pistons are held on the axis inside the delivery spouts by finned carrier-spiders (23).

6/ A device according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that:

each of said pistons (14) has a drop-shaped sealing gasket at its free end;

the free end of each of said delivery spouts includes a water outlet orifice (21) and on the inside constitutes a seat for said drop-shaped gasket (22); and

when said drop-shaped gasket (22) comes to bear against said seat by said piston advancing, water ceases to flow, and water flows once said piston (14) is withdrawn away from said seat for the drop-shaped gasket (22).

7/ A device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that:

the head (7) of the faucet includes a bracket (39) having the following fixed thereto:

said pistons (14); and

springs (16) lying in line with said delivery spouts (11); and

a rotatable knurled wheel (19); and

said fixed body (8) of said faucet carries a cam (13); and

on the head (7) turning, said knurled wheel (19) can run along said cam (13) in such a manner that:

when said knurled wheel (19) escapes from the cam (13), said springs (16) are relaxed and said pistons (14) are in a withdrawn position allowing water to be delivered; and

when said knurled wheel (19) is pressed against said cam (13), said springs (16) are compressed and said pistons (14) are advanced, thereby closing off the delivery of water.

8/ A device according to claim 7, characterized in that said head (7) of the faucet includes an abutment (17) guiding the movement of the bracket (39).

9/ A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said toilet is a model having a low level flushing cistern (1) and said faucet (4) is fed with water taken from said cistern, enabling a low-pressure water jet to be obtained at constant pressure from the outlet of said delivery spouts.

10/ A device according to claim 9, characterized in that water is taken from said flushing cistern (1) via a feed tube (35) constituted by a hollow threaded rod taking the place of one of the bolts used for fixing said flushing cistern to the bowl (5).