GB2370586A - Flush toilet with moveable trap - Google Patents

Abstract

A toilet comprises a pan, a trap which normally retains water as a gas seal, and an outlet. The trap is arranged for movement, during flushing of the toilet, in a manner which causes the retained water to transfer by gravity to the outlet. In one aspect, the trap comprises a length of flexible hose having a curved portion which retains water as the gas seal.

Description

1 "Flush Toilets" 3 Introduction

5 This invention relates to toilets with improved 6 flushing arrangements.

8 There is increasing pressure to reduce usage of 9 water, even in areas such as the UK which have 10 relatively high rainfall. One area of interest for 11 reducing water consumption is the flushing of 12 toilets, but this must be balanced against 13 requirements of hygiene.

15 All current flush toilets use water for two separate 16 purposes, namely the removal of waste matter from the 17 toilet pan and the provision of a seal against 18 escapes of sewer gas into buildings. This second 19 purpose determines the minimum volume of water 20 required for any remotely conventional toilet to 21 function. But much more water is currently used.

1 This is because part of it is needed to impart 2 sufficient kinetic energy to swimming waste matter to 3 force it round the trap.

5 Statements of Invention

7 According to the present invention, a toilet includes 8 a pan, a trap which normally retains water as a gas 9 seal, and an outlet; and the trap is arranged for 10 movement, during flushing of the toilet, in a manner 11 which causes said retained water to transfer by 12 gravity to the outlet.

14 The trap, in some forms of the invention, is a rigid 15 conduit arranged for rotary or pivotal movement. In 16 other forms, the trap is constituted by a length of 17 flexible hose. The hose may normally form a curve in 18 which said water is retained and be straightened 19 during flushing by relative movement between the pan 20 and the outlet. The trap generally takes the form of 21 a continuous conduit connecting the pan and the 22 outlet and is designed to hold a body of water 23 between flushes, which body acts as a gas seal.

25 The trap is preferably moved by means linked to the 26 flushing mechanism of an associated cistern. Said 27 flushing mechanism may be a conventional siphon or, 28 more preferably, a bell mechanism of known type.

29 Alternatively the flushing mechanism may comprise a 30 flexible hose having a partial loop which is moved to 31 initiate flushing.

2 Preferably, the arrangement is such that the 3 initiation of flushing causes cleaning water to be 4 supplied to the pan before or while movement of the 5 trap commences.

7 Detailed Description of the Invention

9 The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 uses a 10 mechanical trap in conjunction with an immobile 11 toilet pan.

13 Figure 1 shows a vertical section through relevant 14 parts of a slightly modified flush toilet. The 15 toilet pan 1 terminates more or less horizontally.

16 There would actually be functional advantages in 17 pointing downwards at a small angle (say 5 ). It is 18 linked to the trap management pipe 2 which empties 19 into the pipe 3 leading to the drains. The seals 4 20 at both ends of the trap management pipe 2 allow said 21 trap management pipe 2 to rotate slightly (45 will 22 be sufficient) relative to the toilet pan 1 and the 23 pipe 3.

25 Figure 2 shows one implementation of a possible link 26 with the flushing mechanism. It represents a view, 27 from the front, of all relevant components installed 28 behind the toilet. The trap management pipe 2 is 29 shown in a position 45% inclined against the 30 vertical. This could be its normal position when the 31 toilet is not in use. A user flushing the toilet

1 would push down the lever 7, which is hinged at point 2 11. This pushes down the link 6 pressing the trap 3 management pipe 2 to the floor. Once that has 4 happened the water in the trap can flow to the drains 5 without further impediments, carrying any waste 6 matter with it. Once the lever 7 is released the 7 spring 10 which is anchored to the floor or other 8 parts of the whole mechanism, pulling on the lever 5 9 returns the trap management pipe 2 to its rest 10 position.

12 Flushing can be achieved by an additional direct link 13 from the lever 7; for example, the spindle of a 14 conventional flushing mechanism could be linked to 15 the lever at 11. But preferably a spring 9 could 16 operate a wire pull 8 to trigger the flush. A 17 traditional type flushing bell would probably work 18 better than a syphon, because the flush can be 19 initiated faster as the bell does not need to be held 20 in its trigger position as long as a siphon.

22 To preserve an acceptable appearance for the whole 23 assembly the entire mechanism, apart from the lever 24 7, would typically be enclosed in a box.

26 Instead of making the seals 4 watertight one could 27 have a durable flexible hose pipe extending from the 28 toilet pan 1 all the way through the bend in pipe 3.

29 The trap management pipe 2 would then merely guide 30 the hose pipe through the positions required for its 31 function.

2 Figure 3 illustrates a toilet where the trap makes 3 use of flexible hose which undergoes bending, rather 4 than twisting, motion.

6 The toilet pan 1 is linked to the trap management 7 hose 12 at the immobile seal 14. The pan is held at 8 the sides by sliding tracks 13 which allow it to be 9 moved forward and upward in a frame (not shown), that 10 is fixed to the floor. Preferably, the moving parts 11 have an integrated back rest 18. If any toilet lid 12 is fitted this back rest 18 ensures that when the pan 13 is moved in its frame the lid does not tilt further 14 backwards, sliding down the front of the cistern and 15 possible becoming trapped below it. To slide the 16 toilet pan one would typically pull at one of the 17 handles 15. One such handle is preferably 18 incorporated at the top of the backrest 18 in a 19 position convenient for adult users. A second 20 handle, for example below the front of the toilet 21 pan, can be provided for children.

23 The pulling action straightens the trap management 24 hose 12 and lifts the water trapped in the area of 25 the seals 14 to a height from which it can flow to 26 the drains without further impediment.

28 The balance between forward and upward motion of the 29 toilet pan 1 is determined by the length of the hose 30 12 and the height to which the pan 1 must be lifted 31 to achieve free flow water and waste.

2 Various mechanical means can be employed to ensure 3 that the waste management pipe 12 is confined to 4 shapes acceptable for the operation of the toilet.

5 One of these methods could be prevention of sideways 6 motion relative to the toilet by confinement between 7 two vertical parallel plates (not shown).

9 As in the implementation described in Figures 1 and 10 2, this different design allows a direct mechanical 11 link to the flushing mechanism. One such link is 12 shown in Figure 3. Again, a wire pull 8 is pulled 13 via a spring 9. The roller 17, connected with a wall 14 or the cistern, changes the direction of the pulling 15 force. Alternatively, a Bowden cable could be used.

16 In this implementation, as described in Figures 1 and 17 2, a flushing bell is preferable to a syphon.

19 Because the toilet pan moves relative to the cistern 20 the water used in flushing has to travel through 21 another hose pipe 17, from which it enters the pan at 22 16. The upper part of the pan can have the same 23 shape as a conventional toilet, directing water to 24 all parts of the pan.

26 Because a hose pipe 17 is used between the cistern 27 and the toilet pan the method for flushing can be 28 simplified. The wire pull 8, spring 9 and roller 17 29 can be dispensed with, as can the flushing bell or 30 syphon in the cistern. Instead, the flush can be 31 controlled by the hose pipe 17 itself.

2 Details of one way of achieving this are shown in 3 Figure 4, which shows only the relevant parts of the 4 total assembly from the front.

6 The cistern 19 does not contain mechanical devices 7 for flushing at all. Instead, the hose pipe 17 is 8 attached to the cistern at the bottom of the latter.

9 There is always water in the hose pipe. But the 10 section of the hose pipe closest to the cistern is 11 normally held up beyond the height of the entrance to 12 the overflow pipe 20 of the cistern 19. In the 13 implementation shown in Figure 4 the hose pipe can 14 move freely through the ring 21 which is shown more 15 closely in Figure 5 where one can see the main ring 16 21 with a number of smaller rings 29 rotating on it.

17 Returning to Figure 4, we see that the ring 21 is 18 attached to a lever 22 which is hinged at point 25.

19 A spring 23 attached at point 24 normally holds up 20 the lever and thus the hose pipe 17. When the toilet 21 pan is moved forward and upward the hose pipe 17 is 22 pulled by the same action. This allows the cistern 23 to be drained through the hose pipe. As in 24 traditional flushing mechanisms the hose pipe acts as 25 a syphon once enough water has passed its highest 26 point.

28 Further rings like the ring 21 can be employed along 29 the path of the hose pipe 17 to ensure smooth 30 operation of the mechanism. To preserve an 31 acceptable appearance of the whole assembly,

1 substantially the whole flushing mechanism would 2 typically be enclosed in a box.

4 In some parts of the world there may be regulatory 5 objections to having a hosepipe linked to a self 6 replenishing water vessel. Problems of possible 7 leakage could be overcome with a slightly more 8 elaborate design, such as the one shown in Figure 6.

9 Only the relevant parts are shown, namely the 10 attachment of the hose pipe to the cistern and the 11 overflow as well as the attachment to the toilet pan.

12 No 19 again indicates the cistern itself with its 13 overflow 20. There are now two hose pipes, one 14 within the other. The inner hose pipe 17 has the 15 same function as in Figures 3 and 4. It is enclosed 16 in an outer hose pipe 28 which is communicating with 17 the overflow 20 through a short pipe 26 at its point 18 of attachment to the cistern 19 either above (or as 19 shown here) below the base of the cistern. The outer 20 hose pipe 28 is divided from the cistern itself as 21 well as the toilet pan. These blocked ends are 22 marked with the number 27 in Figure 6.

24 The foregoing are purely mechanical embodiments of 25 the invention.

27 All of these could obviously be operated by electric 28 motors. Electronic timing devices or mechanical 29 systems (such as systems involving cams) can be used 30 to optimise control of the flushing relative to the 31 draining of the trap. Cisterns could then be

1 dispensed with altogether and electrically controlled 2 valves used to control the flushing. If an electric 3 motor is used for controlling the trap the latter can 4 be of a design not appropriate for any of the 5 mechanical versions. One such managed trap is shown 6 in Figure 7.

8 As in Figure 1 there is a toilet pan 1 ultimately 9 draining into a pipe 3. The waste management coil 30 10 is a pipe that can rotate freely in the seals 4.

11 Just as the version shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is 12 beneficial if the path from the toilet pan to the 13 pipe 3 is slightly downhill. To drain the trap, the 14 waste management coil 30 is rotated around the common 15 axis of the whole assembly. The water in the trap 16 together with any waste matter is thereby removed on 17 the principle of the endless screw. This makes it 18 possible to maintain a seal against sewage gas at all 19 times, provided the flushing of the toilet is 20 controlled in such a way that new water is added at 21 the time when the old water drains into the pipe 3.

23 It is desirable that the toilet pan is cleaned before 24 the trap is drained. All fully mechanical versions 25 therefore incorporate devices that initiate flushing 26 as soon as the user begins to drain the trap. To 27 illustrate the principles of the various designs the 28 mechanically most simple versions have been drawn.

29 In all mechanical versions it would be preferable to 30 have a slightly more complicated trigger mechanism.

31 This is because in the simple versions shown the user

1 does not just initiate the draining of the trap but 2 has some control over its timing. When toilets are 3 used by children, this involves the risk that they 4 will not just pull levers or pans but hold them in 5 the trigger position until the cistern is empty. In 6 that case the seal against sewage gas is not re 7 established.

9 Electrical operation does not involve this problem at 10 all. It would even be possible to improve on the 11 water saving effect by having two separate flushing 12 programs. Regardless whether there is one flushing 13 program or two, preferably the operation would begin 14 by releasing enough water to clean the toilet pan.

15 Depending on the design this would be followed or 16 accompanied by draining the trap, which in turn would 17 be followed (or accompanied in its last stage) by the 18 release of more water to refill the trap. In an 19 implementation with two flushing programs these would 20 only differ in the first stage. Where nothing more 21 than urine is to be removed, a very small quantity of 22 water would initially be released for cleaning the 23 pan. The other version could either release a 24 predetermined larger quantity of water or, up to a 25 predetermined maximum, as much water as the user 26 requires (until the user's trigger action stops).

28 Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment, in this 29 version the trap management pipe 31 is immobile 30 relative to the toilet pan 1. But it can slide into 31 and out of the pipe 32. The trap is drained by

1 tipping out the toilet pan and its trap management 2 pipe. This is done by tilting up the whole 3 mechanism, including its frame 34 around the axis 33.

4 This slides the trap management pipe 31 into the pipe 5 32 against which it is sealed by the seal 35 in which 6 it can slide freely.

8 The embodiment of Figure 8 is described here for 9 completeness. However, this embodiment is not 10 preferred, and is in fact impracticable.

12 This is because hygiene dictates that the upper rim 13 of a toilet pan should always be horizontal.

14 Otherwise waste matter from the walls of the toilet 15 pan can be tipped into the room as, in case of 16 blocked pipes, can the entire contents. Moreover, as 17 flushing has to begin as soon as one starts to tip up 18 the toilet, water would rarely reach the upper part 19 of the front of the toilet and could splash into the 20 room from parts that have been raised higher than the 21 rear of the toilet. Finally, children and physically 22 weak people would find it unacceptably difficult to 23 use such a toilet.

25 Referring now to Figs 9 and 10, there is described a 26 further embodiment. Figure 9 shows substantially the 27 same type of toilet with sliding pan as Figure 3.

28 Again, pipe 3 leads to the drains. All parts of the 29 toilet and its frame are unchanged, with a single 30 exception at the bottom of the toilet pan. The

1 toilet pan now terminates in a shorter section of 2 pipe falling at a steeper angle.

4 Instead of managing the trap by a hose 12 there is 5 now a short section of pipe 40 containing a 6 permanently fixed solid object 36 that blocks the 7 flow of water and waste matter from the toilet pan 8 when the latter is in its rest position. The upper 9 end of the pipe 40 and the lower end of the discharge 10 pipe of the toilet pan are connected with an 11 extensible hose 37 (made of rubber or some similarly 12 elastic material), part of which is shown in greater 13 detail in Figure 10. The flanges 39 securely seal 14 the connection of this hose 37 with the toilet pan 1 15 and the pipe 40 against water and sewer gas. The 16 hose can expand and contract on the turtle neck 17 principle in its section denoted with the number 38.

19 When the toilet is not in use the hose 37 is in firm 20 contact with the obstacle 36, holding a small 21 quantity of water in the toilet pan. When the 22 toilet pan is pulled forward by one of its handles 15 23 a gap opens between the toilet pan's discharge pipe 24 and the obstacle 36, allowing water and waste matter 25 to flow through the pipes 40 and 3 to the sewers.

26 When the toilet pan slides back the seal is 27 automatically reestablished. As the tightness of 28 the seal depends on close contact between the 29 obstacle 36 and the lip of the hose 37 it would be 30 advantageous if the part of the obstacle 36 in actual 31 contact with the lip of the hose 37 would be

1 spherical. Preferably, the relevant part of the 2 obstacle should be hollow, so as to give it the 3 required flexibility to secure a tight seal.

5 It would obviously be possible to depart from the 6 design described above by having a fixed connection 7 between a fixed toilet pan and the sewers and to 8 achieve the effect described above by having a 9 movable obstacle inside one of the pipes near the 10 toilet pan. This, however, would have the 11 disadvantage that complicated moving parts would be 12 within that part of the whole toilet system that is 13 open to the sewers and that has water and soil 14 flowing through it, so that the mechanism would have 15 a greater tendency to become clogged. Furthermore, 16 it would then be necessary to provide additional 17 seals against sewer gas escaping through the 18 actuating mechanism.

20 In comparison with the other implementations of the 21 invention described earlier the design shown in 22 Figure 9 has the advantage of saving much more water.

23 This can be seen by comparing Figures 3 and 9. In 24 Figure 3 it is necessary to have water in the bottom 25 of the toilet pan 1 as well as part of the hose 12.

26 In Figure 9 only the bottom of the toilet pan needs 27 to contain water. With appropriate dimensions the 28 quantity of water consumed on each flush, besides 29 that required to clean the toilet pan itself, can be 30 reduced to significantly less than 1 litre. With 31 appropriate control over the flow of fresh water into

1 the toilet pan this can be the only water loss when 2 only urine is removed. Compared to some traditional 3 toilets reductions in water consumption approaching 4 90% could thus be achieved.

6 The invention thus provides toilet arrangements which 7 can operate in a satisfactory and hygienic manner 8 with a low water consumption, since there is no 9 requirement for flushing water to impart kinetic 10 energy to floating waste.

12 Modifications and improvements may be made to the 13 foregoing within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1 CLAIMS

3 1. A toilet comprising a pan, a trap which 4 normally retains water as a gas seal, and an outlet, 5 wherein the trap is arranged for movement, during 6 flushing of the toilet, in a manner which causes 7 said retained water to transfer by gravity to the 8 outlet.

10

2. A toilet according to Claim 1 in which the trap

11 is a rigid conduit arranged for rotary or pivotal 12 movement.

14

3. A toilet as claimed in Claim 1 in which the 15 trap is constituted by a length of flexible hose.

17

4. A toilet as claimed in Claim 3 in which the 18 hose normally forms a curve in which said water is 19 retained and is arranged to be straightened during 20 flushing by relative movement between the pan and 21 the outlet.

23

5. A toilet as claimed in any preceding claim in 24 which the trap is moved by means linked to a 25 flushing mechanism of an associated cistern.

27

6. A toilet as claimed in Claim 5 in which the 28 flushing mechanism is a conventional siphon or a 29 bell mechanism of known type.

1

7. A toilet as claimed in Claim 5 in which the 2 flushing mechanism comprises a flexible hose having 3 a partial loop which is moved to initiate flushing.

5

8. A toilet as claimed in any preceding claim 6 including means which upon initiation of flushing 7 causes cleaning water to be supplied to the pan 8 before or while movement of the trap commences.

10

9. A toilet substantially as hereinbefore 11 described with reference to the accompanying 12 examples and drawings.