US20060037129A1

US20060037129A1 - Bidet attachment for toilets

Info

Publication number: US20060037129A1
Application number: US10/923,762
Authority: US
Inventors: Vikram Bhatnagar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-23
Filing date: 2004-08-23
Publication date: 2006-02-23

Abstract

This is an attachment for the common toilets or commodes, which serves the function of a bidet. The main innovation is the simplicity of the invention and combination of various features to provide an easy and maintenance free installation. The attachment consists of a water spray nozzle held by a bracket in the rear of the toilet bowl, and connected to the existing water supply line for the flush tank. The connection to the existing water supply is via a flexible hose with a manual control and shut-off valve, and a backflow preventor. The water spray nozzle is fixed, and it is suitably located above the rim of the toilet bowl, such that it does not get easily contaminated and it provides a spray accurately without any moving parts. A working proto-type of this invention has been installed and proven that it works very effectively as a bidet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to sanitary plumbing fixtures, and more specifically to attachments for a conventional toilet or commode that provide the function of a bidet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The commonly available bidets are stand alone units separate from the toilet bowl, and require additional floor space with separate plumbing connections. This makes these common bidets quite expensive and unpractical to have in most bathrooms due to space limitations and additional connections. As an alternate, some designers have developed attachments for the conventional toilets which serve the purpose of the bidet. However, these recent developments lack the simplicity and have drawbacks, such as the spray nozzle being located below the toilet rim where it can get easily contaminated, and/or there are complicated moving parts to move the spray nozzle in the required location for operation. Unlike the prior art, this new invention is a much more simplified and practical device, with a nozzle that is fixed such that it does not need to be moved for operation, and it is located entirely above the toilet rim such that it does not get contaminated easily.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This bidet attachment invention provides a fixture that can be installed on the conventional toilets or commodes to serve the purpose of a bidet. The invention consists of a spray nozzle, which is fixed, and held by a bracket in the rear of the toilet bowl such that the nozzle is located entirely above the rim. The nozzle is a straight tube with a converging tip, which is designed and located to provide adequate pressure and accuracy to reach the cleaning area. The bracket is made of sheet metal formed to hold the nozzle tube, and it has holes on either side to be held down by the existing bolts for the toilet seat. The nozzle is located in the space between the toilet seat and top of the toilet bowl rim such that it points horizontally straight towards the washing area. The spray nozzle is connected by a flexible hose to a manual control and shutoff valve (via a backflow preventor, if required by the local plumbing codes). The control/shut-off valve is connected by a flexible hose to a dual connection fitting, installed at the discharge of the existing angle valve for flush tank water supply. The control/shut-off valve can be mounted on the wall beside the flush tank, such that it is easily accessible to the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the Bidet Attachment installed on a typical toilet.
FIG. 2 is a detail front and side view of the spray nozzle installation with bracket.
FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the nozzle.
FIG. 4 is a detail plan and end view of the nozzle bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Most of the conventional toilets are installed with an angle valve for water supply to the flush tank. This valve is normally connected to the potable water supply system provided for the house or facility. The Bidet Attachment is connected to this valve as follows. A tee connection ‘B’ is installed downstream of the existing angle valve ‘A’, as shown in FIG. 1. The tee has three suitable connections—one to fit the existing angle valve, one for the bidet attachment, and one for toilet tank connection. A flexible hose ‘H1’ with suitable connections at both ends, connects the tee ‘B’ to a shut off/control valve ‘C’ via a backflow preventor ‘D’ to prevent any contaminated water from entering the potable water supply system. The nozzle outlet is located above the toilet rim (as described below), which also prevents any contamination from entering the system from the toilet bowl. The valve ‘C’ is mounted on an adjacent wall at a suitable location for a person to reach, while sitting on the toilet. Another flexible hose ‘H2’ provides the connection from valve ‘C’ to the nozzle ‘N’. The hose ‘H2’ has a suitable threaded connection for the valve, and a fixed connection for the nozzle ‘N’. The nozzle ‘N’ is located entirely above the toilet rim on the back side of the toilet bowl, and in the space between the toilet rim and the seat (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The nozzle is designed and located to give a stream of water with adequate pressure and accuracy to provide the necessary cleaning function. The nozzle is held in place by a bracket, with a slot as shown in FIG. 2. The bracket is held by the same bolts which hold the toilet seat. The details of the bracket and nozzle are given in the FIGS. 3 & 4. The details of the valves, hoses and connections can be made in any way, to suit the function of this invention.
A working prototype model of this invention has been installed as described above, and it has proven to function very effectively as a bidet, with no maintenance required. It maybe noted that based on actual use of the prototype, cold potable water does not feel uncomfortable for the intended purpose, even during the winter for northern United States of America.

Claims

1. A bidet attachment for conventional toilets having a toilet bowl, flush tank and pressurized water supply for the tank, the said bidet attachment comprising of:

a straight fixed water spray nozzle, mounted in the back of the toilet above the rim of the toilet bowl and pointing horizontally, with no moving parts.

a sheet metal bracket holding the said spray nozzle in the space between the toilet seat and toilet rim, with the bracket attached to the toilet bowl by the same two bolts used for holding the toilet seat.

a flow control and shutoff valve with flexible hose connections to the said spray nozzle and water supply for the flush tank.

a multiple connection fitting for connecting the said flow control and shutoff valve to the water supply for flush tank.

2. The bidet attachment of claim 1 wherein said water spray nozzle is fixed with no moving parts, and remains fixed during operation.

3. The bidet attachment of claim 1 wherein said water spray nozzle is located outside of the toilet bowl above the toilet rim, and remains outside during operation.

4. The bidet attachment of claim 1 wherein all the components are installed outside of the toilet bowl above the rim.

5. The bidet attachment of claim 1 wherein the spray nozzle is a straight tube with a converging tip, and installed horizontally for providing a suitable stream of water to reach the cleaning area with adequate pressure and accuracy.