GB2057030A - Water closet and bidet bowls - Google Patents

Abstract

The bowl 5 of a water closet or bidet is flushed by a combination of a powerful water stream, e.g. from aperture 11, directed towards the bowl outlet 7, and a peripheral wall- washing curtain of water, e.g. spilling from lateral open channels 9. The channels 9 are fed from supply conduit 8 by inlets 10 flanking a rear wall-washing inlet 10A; the aperture 11 is fed via a hollow rim 6. The use of open channels 9, rather than an overhanging rim, facilitates manufacture by moulding. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Water closets The invention relates to water closets, bidets and the like, referred to hereinafter and in the appended claims simply as water closets.

In order to provide effective and hygienic flushing of water closets it is necessary to provide flows of water for two purposes, that is a flow of flushing water to carry away the contents of the water closet down the waste pipe and a flow of washing water to wash the walls of the water closet for hygienic purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and means whereby improved flushing of a water closet can be effected.

According to the invention there is provided a method of flushing a water closet comprising introducing into the water closet a flow of flushing water designed to remove the soil from the water closet by way of a waste pipe and a flow of washing water in the form of a continuous curtain of water flowing over at least a major part of the walls of the water closet.

Preferably the flow of flushing water and the flow of washing water are derived from a common supply which is divided after entering the water closet. The flow of flushing water and the flow of washing water may be introduced at different points dependent on the construction of the water closet but in many cases they are advantageously introduced from opposite ends of the water closet.

The invention also provides a water closet comprising a bowl, a waste outlet connected to said bowl and means for directing into the bowl a flow of flushing water serving to remove soil through the waste outlet and a flow of washing water in the form of a curtain extending over at least a substantial part of the walls of the bowl.

Preferably said curtain of washing water is created by causing same to flow over lips or channels formed on the inner surface of the bowl adjacent the upper edges thereof and extending along the walls of the bowl.

Said means for directing said flows of water into the bowl may comprise a flushing inlet of relatively large cross-sectional area and a wash water inlet of relatively small cross-sectional area leading to said lips or channels.

In many cases the waste outlet will be disposed adjacent to the rear of the bowl and in this event the flush water inlet is preferably disposed at the front of the bowl and opposite to the wash water inlet. For this purpose the rim of the bowl is preferably hollow whereby to form a duct or passage for the conveyance of flushing water around the bowl to said inlet.

Preferably there are two wash water inlets opening into the bowl in opposite directions and communicating with lips or channels for wash water extending round opposite sides of the bowl.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal cross-section through a water closet constructed according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section on the line Il-Il in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the water closet comprises a bowl 5 having a rim 6 and a waste outlet 7 opening from the rear of the bowl at a low level. A water supply passage 8 is connected to the rear of the bowl at a high level and in use is connected to a supply of water for flushing and washing purposes.

A pair of channels 9 extend around the inner surface of the bowl 5 adjacent the rim 6, progressing from the rear of the bowl around the opposite sides and terminating adjacent the front of the bowl. The channels are of reducing width and are inclined downwardly from the rear to the front of the bowl. At the rear of the bowl the channels communicate with wash water inlets 10 connected to the passage 8. A further wash water inlet 1 OA is provided between the rear ends of the channels 9 to direct wash water downwards over the back wall of the bowl. The rim 6 of the bowl is hollow and forms a duct or channel extending completely round the bowl. A flush water inlet 11 is formed in the rim 6 at the front of the bowl and the hollow rim communicates at the rear of the bowl with the water supply passage 8 and with the wash water inlets 10 and 1 OA.

The arrangement is such that when the toilet is flushed, water is released from the cistern or like supply to the water supply passage 8 and on reaching the bowl is divided into separate flows.

The main flow travels around the hollow rim 6 to the flush water inlet 11 from whence it pours into the bowl and serves to flush the soil from the bowl through the waste outlet 7. A smaller volume of water is introduced into the bowl through the wash water inlets 10 and 1 OA. The water introduced through the inlets 10 flows along the channels 9 and due to the shallow nature of these channels, water flows over their edges throughout their lengths and forms a continuous curtain of water serving to wash the sides of the bowl. The water introduced through the inlet 1 OA flows directly over the back surface of the bowl. The volumes of water utilised for flushing and washing purposes are determined by the relative crosssectional areas of the inlets 11, 10 and 1 OA.

Water closets constructed in the manner described above offer very substantial advantages compared with those of conventional construction. These advantages fall into two main areas, that is improved flushing and hygiene on the one hand, and ease of manufacture on the other. Some conventional water closets effect washing of the bowl by means of jets of water passing through holes in the hollow rim of the water closet and flowing down the sides. Because these are in the form of separate flows, areas of the wall adjacent the series of inlets are not washed and such arrangements are therefore less hygienic than the present invention which introduces wash water in the form of a continuous curtain rather than as separate flows.Moreover the conventional arrangement is disadvantageous in that the wash water is withdrawn from the flow of flush water as the latter travels round the rim of the bowl to a flush water outlet The force and volume of flush water flow is therefore continuously reduced, whereas in the case of the present invention the flush and wash water flows are separated on introduction into the water closet and wash water is not thereafter withdrawn from the flow of water for flushing. It has also been found in tests that substantially less water is required to flush water closets according to the invention compared with those of conventional construction.

With regard to ease of manufacture, conventional water closets with an enclosed or "box" rim cannot be manufactured in a single piece unless very complex moulds incorporating removable parts are utilised. This is due to the need for the rim of the bowl to overhang the bowl itself so that wash water can flow from inlets beneath the rim. By virtue of the provision of the separate wash water channels on the inner surface of the bowl according to the present invention, the rim of the bowl does not require to overhang the sides of the bowl and the bowl may therefore be constructed so that it can be readily withdrawn in one direction from a mould and thereby moulded in a single piece without the use of complex equipment.A further advantage arises from the fact that the undercut rim of conventional water closets is extremely difficult to glaze due to its inaccessibility once the rim has been fitted to the bowl, whereas all the external surfaces of water closets constructed according to the invention may be arranged to be readily accessible for glazing purposes.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the wash water could be introduced into the bowl through a single inlet and the flush water and wash water inlets need not be at opposite positions; indeed in bowls having a waste outlet positioned towards the front of the bowl it would be preferable to have the wash and flush water inlets disposed together at the rear of the bowl.

Moreover while the invention has been described with reference to water closets as such it could equally be applied to bidets as referred to previously.

Claims (16)

1. A method of flushing a water closet comprising introducing into the water closet a flow of flushing water designed to remove the soil from the water closet by way of a waste pipe and a flow of washing water in the form of a continuous curtain of water flowing over at least a major part of the walls of the water closet.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the flow of flushing water and the flow of washing water are derived from a common supply which is divided after entering the water closet.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the flow of flushing water and the flow of washing water are introduced from opposite ends of the water closet.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said curtain is generated by introducing the washing water into a high level channel and permitting it to flow over the edge of the channel throughout the length of the channel.

5. A method of flushing a water closet substantially as hereinbefore described.

6. A water closet comprising a bowl, a waste outlet connected to said bowl and means for directing into the bowl a flow of flushing water serving to remove soil through the waste outlet and a flow of washing water in the form of a curtain extending over at least a substantial part of the walls of the bowl.

7. A water closet according to claim 6 wherein said curtain of washing water is created by causing same to flow over lips or channels formed on the inner surface of the bowl adjacent the upper edges thereof and extending along the walls of the bowl.

8. A water closet according to claim 6 or 7 wherein said means for directing said flows of water into the bowl comprises a flushing inlet of relatively large cross-sectional area and a wash water inlet of relatively small cross-sectional area leading to said lips or channels.

9. A water closet according to claim 8 wherein said waste outlet is disposed adjacent the rear of the bowl and said flush water inlet is disposed at the front of the bowl and opposite to said wash water inlet.

10. A water closet according to claim 9 wherein the rim of the bowl is hollow whereby to form a duct or passage for the conveyance of flushing water around the bowl to said inlet.

11. A water closet according to any of claims 8 to 10 wherein there are two wash water inlets opening into the bowl in opposite directions and communicating with lips or channels for wash water extending round opposite sides of the bowl.

12. A water closet according to claim 11 wherein a further wash water inlet is provided between the rear ends of the lips or channels to direct wash water downwards over the back of the bowl.

13. A water closet according to any of claims 7 to 12 wherein said lips or channels are inclined downwardly from the rear to the front of the bowl.

14. A water closet according to any of claims 7 to 13 wherein said lips or channels are of reducing width from the rear to the front of the bowl.

1 5. A water closet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.