Self cleaning water closet

Abstract

 Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning, constituted of a casing (1) carrying at the front at least one basin (2), the basin being rotatable about the vertical axis (12) of its discharge pipe (7), connected to a fixed drain-trap (6) and connected by the latter to the drainage system, the basin (12) being movable between a position for use and a position for washing inside the casing (1), with motor devices (9) for rotating the basin between said positions, characterized by the fact that cleaning means with automatic and manual operation are provided, comprising spray means (21) internal to the basin and movable with it, fixed spray means (10) dis­posed above the basin in the washing position, means (42) for washing the wall (33) of the casing disposed above the basin, associated with members for containing the wash flow and means (56) for washing the floor of the room in which the assembly is located.

Description

[0001] The subject of the present invention is a hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning, especially for use in public rooms and the like.

[0002] In public rooms, service stations, public transport stations, sports centres and so on, the requirement arises for providing hygienic assemblies that are accessible to the public.

[0003] Such hygienic assemblies are usually installed in closed rooms or cabins and must provide the user with consistent characteristics of cleanliness.

[0004] In some cases this is achieved by the continual presence, near the rooms con­taining the assemblies, of personnel assigned to cleaning, but this solution proves to be expensive and demands of such personnel an unpleasant task.

[0005] The problem therefore arises of providing hygienic assemblies which automati­cally provide for their own cleaning after each use, so as to provide for each successive user satisfactory conditions of cleanliness and hygiene.

[0006] Hygienic assemblies equipped with automatic means for cleaning are known, but such constructions are usually of considerable dimensions, which very often are incompatible with the dimensions of the rooms in which such assemblies are to be installed and which furthermore demand long times for the cleaning cycle, thereby creating problems in the case where demand is heavy.

[0007] A hygienic assembly equipped with satisfactory characteristics is known from Patent Application No. 19638 A/86 of the same proprietor, but which neverthe­less possesses the requirement for improving versatility in use of such assembly, both to allow the user to carry out washing of the hygienic basin by manual control, and for carrying out the washing also of surfaces adjacent to the basin and subjected to fouling from splashing or the like.

[0008] Said results are achieved by the present invention, which provides a hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning, constituted of a casing carrying at the front at least one basis rotatable about the vertical axis of its discharge pipe, connected to a fixed drain trap and by the latter to the drainage system, the basin being movable between a position for use and a position for washing inside the casing, with motor devices for rotating the basin between said positions, in which cleaning means with automatic and manual actuation are provided, comprising spray means internal to the basin and movable with it, fixed spray means situated above the basin in the washing position, means for washing the wall of the casing situated above the basis, associated with mem­bers for containing the wash flow,and means for washing the floor of the room in which the assembly is located.

[0009] In greater detail, the spray means internal to the basin and movable with it are constituted of a closed ring pipe, arranged horizontally in proximity to the upper edge of the basin, into which pipe there leads a vertical duct hav­ing its axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of the basin and separated by a rotary joint into two portions, the one fixed and integral with the cas­ing and the other movable and integral with the basin, which duct is supplied from the water system of the assembly, the ring pipe being provided with a plurality of holes directed tangentially to the internal surface of the basin and adapted for spraying rinsing liquid into the basin itself.

[0010] With advantage, the rotary joint connecting the respective fixed and movable parts of the vertical duct supplying the closed ring pipe is composed of ele­ments, the one rotating inside the other, connected respectively to the fixed part and to the movable part, the lower one of them being supported from the upper one and seals being interposed between them, the elements of the joint being formed of plastics material.

[0011] The fixed spray means situated above the basin in the washing position com­prise several spray nozzles disposed above the basin when it is situated inside the casing, the nozzles being connected to the water system of the assembly.

[0012] The means for washing the wall of the casing situated above the basin are con­stituted of a fan-shaped spray nozzle mounted at the top of the zone of the front surface of the casing above the basin for which cleaning is provided, adapted for discharging a fan-shaped jet tangential to the surface of the casing and directed towards the basin, the region for which the cleaning is intended being bounded by corrugations diverging from the top downwards, adapted for guiding the liquid formed by the jet from the spray nozzle.

[0013] The means for washing the floor of the room in which the assembly is situated are constituted of one or more pipes leading out from the casing near the floor of the room and equipped with a plurality of aligned spray nozzles, adapted for discharging jets of liquid tangential to the surface of said floor, the pipes being connected to the water system of the assembly.

[0014] The water system of the assembly comprises a feed line, connected to the water mains, from which line there depart one or more pipes for washing the floor, equipped with an associated electrically operated valve, a feed duct for the fan-shaped spray nozzle for washing the wall of the casing, with associated electrically operated valve, a feed duct for one or more washing nozzles for washing the basin at mains pressure, with associated electrically operated valve, and a feed duct for the ring pipe for rinsing the basin, equipped with a manually operated valve, the feed line being therefore con­nected to a pump, the delivery side of which in turn is connected, via relative electrically operated valves, to the nozzles for washing the basin and to the feed duct for the ring pipe for rinsing the basin, there being also provided a container for detergent liquid, with feed and metering pump, the delivery side of which leads into the feed duct for the washing nozzles for the basin.

[0015] Further details can be obtained from the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which there are shown:

in figure 1, the hygienic assembly according to this invention in front view;

in figure 2, the hygienic assembly of figure 1 in transverse section on the plane II-II;

in figure 3, the section on the plane III-III of figure 1;

in figure 4, the section of figure 3 to a larger scale;

in figure 5, the section of the rotary joint for supplying the rotatable basin;

in figure 6, the hydraulic layout of the installation for washing the basin.

[0016] As the figures show, there is a hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning, constituted of a casing 1, which carries a basin 2 projecting from a panel 3, aligned with the front surface of the casing 1.

[0017] The basin 2 is rotatably mounted in the casing 1, and can rotate about the axis R between a position of use, indicated in full line in the figures, and a cleaning position, shown in dot-and-dash line in figures 3 and 6.

[0018] As figures 3 and 4 show, the casing 1 possesses the members 5 for rotatably mounting the basin 2, and the fixed drain-trap 6, disposed obliquely in the casing 1 and shown in dot-and-dash line in figure 3, which drain-trap is con­nected, at its outlet, to a duct for discharging into the drain, not shown.

[0019] Inside the casing 1 there are also housed the devices for moving and washing the basin, for carrying out its cleaning cycle.

[0020] As is apparent from figures 3 and 4, the basin 2 is mounted to rotate about its own discharge duct 7, and is fitted with a transmission belt 8, by means of which it can be rotated between the position of use and the cleaning pos­ition, as stated above, by means of a motor-reduction unit 9.

[0021] The devices for moving the basin, and also the discharge drain-trap, may be of the type described in the Patent Application referred to above, to which reference may be made for further details.

[0022] Above the position adopted by the basin 2 inside the casing 1 there are pro­vided several spray nozzles 10, orientated towards the interior of the basin. Below the basin 2, inside the casing 1, there is a tank 11, adapted for col­lecting the sprays and drips arising from the washing of the basin, this tank separating the washing zone from the mechanical devices located beneath, while above the nozzles 10 a screen 12 protects the devices mounted above, comprising a blower 13, with associated blower outlet 15 and heating resistors 15, a main pump 16 and a detergent container 17.

[0023] The basin 2, as can be seen in figure 4, is equipped with an upper rim 19 forming the seating plane, and fitted onto the flange 20 of the body 2a of the basin, which covers a closed ring pipe 21, equipped with a plurality of apertures, these apertures being directed tangentially onto the internal sur­face of the basin, the pipe resting upon the flange 20.

[0024] The closed ring pipe 21 possesses a T-connector 23, having its axis coinciding with the axis R of rotation of the basin, which T-connection is connected by means of a rotary joint 24 to a fixed supply pipe 25 from the water system of the assembly.

[0025] The rotary joint 24, shown in detail in figure 5, possesses an external body 26 adapted to be attached to the fixed pipe 25, and an internal body 27 adapted to be connected to the connector 23; the internal body 27 possesses, in its upper zone, a collar 28, adapted for bearing upon a ring of balls 29, in turn resting upon the nut 30 attached to the external body 26, for example by means of threading.

[0026] Hydraulic sealing of the joint is assured by toroidal rings 31, 32.

[0027] The structure of the joint is especially simple and, given the conditions of use envisaged, the joint itself may be made from plastics materials, with the exception possibly of the balls of the ring 30.

[0028] The ring of balls 30 may also be dispensed with, in view of the very limited axial loads and low speed of rotation of the basin, especially in the case where the external and internal bodies of the joint are made from plastics material.

[0029] The external casing 1 possesses, above the basin 2, the front surface equipped with a corrugated zone 33, having a central, substantially semi-cylindrical bulge 34, and undulations 35, 36 basically diverging from a concave top zone 37.

[0030] The profile of the corrugated zone 33 is more clearly illustrated by the sections 38, 39, 40, taken at various levels and shown in figure 1 in dot-­and-dash line.

[0031] In a vertical line through the top zone 37 there is an aperture 41, visible in figure 4, in correspondence with which there is provided a fan-shaped spray nozzle 42, connected to the water system of the assembly and adapted for dis­charging a jet of washing liquid tangentially to the surface of the corrugated zone and guided in this zone by the corrugations.

[0032] As illustrated in figure 6, the water system of the assembly comprises a line 43 for connecting to the water mains, from which line there branch the ducts 44, 45, 46, 47, supplied at mains pressure, upstream of the main pump 16, which supplies the delivery pipe 48 leading, via associated electrically oper­ated valves 49, 50 and ducts 51 and 52, respectively to the annular pipe 21 and to the nozzles 10 disposed above the basin 2 when the latter is in the washing position, shown in broken lines in figure 6.

[0033] Into the pipe 52, supplied by the pump 16, there also leads the pipe 53 sup­plied by a metering pump 54, drawing from the container 17 for detergent liquid.

[0034] The pipe 44, equipped with an associated electrically operated valve 55, extends outside the casing 1 of the assembly and supplies a plurality of spray nozzles 56, adapted for carrying out a washing of the floor of the room in which the assembly is installed.

[0035] The pipe 45, with associated electrically operated valve 57, supplies the nozzle 10a, directed towards the interior of the basin for carrying out an initial cleaning of said basin with water at mains pressure.

[0036] The pipe 46 and associated electrically operated valve 58 supplies the spray nozzle 42, while the pipe 47, via a manually operated discharge push-button 59, leads into the pipe 51 and from it to the annular pipe 21, thereby permitting an initial washing of the basin under control of the user; a non-return valve 60 prevents a flow back into the mains via the pipe 47 during operation of the pump 16 in the course of the automatic cleaning cycle.

[0037] A further non-return valve 61 keeps the line to the container 17 closed when the pump 54 is not in operation.

[0038] The operating cycle of the hygienic assembly according to this invention pro­vides that, after use, the user carries out an initial rinsing by means of the push-button 59, with feed of water at mains pressure into the annular pipe 21 and discharge of this water tangentially to the surface of the basin through the associated holes 22. Thereafter, even if rinsing under manual control has not been carried out by the user, the automatic cleaning cycle starts up, for example as a consequence of the departure of the user from the room or cabin in which the assembly is installed, or of actuation of an associated control device: a rotation of 180° of the basin 2 then takes place, bringing it inside the casing 1, where it is blocked in position; the pumps 16 and 54 are then started up, and the electrically operated valves open in accordance with a time sequence designed to assure firstly a high-pressure rinsing of the basin by means of the holes 22 of the annular pipe 21 and the nozzles 10, and then a washing with detergent and water of the basin; at the same time, the nozzle 42 ensures a complete rinsing of the zone 33 above the basin, removing from it traces of splashes and the like, and the nozzles 56 provide for rinsing of the floor of the room, cleaning being assured in this manner of all the sur­faces subjected to stains and contamination, even in the case of incorrect or vandalizing use.

[0039] In the case where the room in which the assembly is installed is not equipped with adequate discharge means from the floor, suitable for removing the water issuing from the nozzles 56, the pipe 44 is removed or cut off.

[0040] When the washing cycle is completed, the fan 13 with associated resistance heaters is brought into operation in order to carry out drying of the basin, which continues during its return movement into the position of use, passing beneath the blower manifold 14.

[0041] The manual actuation of the first rinsing action, by means of the push-button 59, enables immediate removal of waste from the basin to be achieved, even before the user has left the room in which the assembly is installed, and also preventing the stagnation of materials forming a source of odours; the succeeding automatic cycle, with rinsing at high pressure supplied from the pump 16, assures in every case even with disrespectful users cleaning of the basin for subsequent use.

[0042] The assembly according to this invention may also provide a second basin inte­gral with the shield 3 on the opposite side from the basin 2, with its dis­charge leading into the same duct 7, in such a manner that one of said basins may be subjected to the cleaning cycle while the other is available for use, thereby substantially reducing the waiting time betwen one use and the next, without however reducing the washing time for each basin after use, with significant advantages for the installation of the assembly according to this invention in locations which are very crowded, such as service stations and the like.

[0043] The presence of the panel 3 behind the basin 2, integral and rotating with this basin, enables cleaning to be achieved also of this surface, subjected to splashing and stains in particular as a consequence of male urination

[0044] The electrical equipment for controlling and governing the cleaning and move­ment cycle of the basin may be of known type and therefore is not described here in detail.

[0045] Numerous variants may be introduced, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention in its general characteristics.

Claims

1. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning, constituted of a casing carrying at the front at least one basin rotatable about the vertical axis of its discharge pipe, connected to a fixed drain-trap and by the latter to the drainage system, the basin being movable between a position of use and a position for washing inside the casing, with motor devices for rotating the basin between said positions, characterized by the fact that cleaning means with automatic and manual actuation are provided, comprising spray means internal to the basin and movable with it, fixed spray means situ­ated above the basin in the washing position, means for washing the wall of the casing situated above the basin, associated with members for con­taining the wash flow,and means for washing the floor of the room in which the assembly is located.

2. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to claim 1, character­ized by the fact that the spray means internal to the basin and movable with it are constituted of a closed ring pipe disposed horizontally in proximity to the upper rim of the basin, into which pipe there leads a vertical pipe having its axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of the basin and separated by a rotary joint into two parts, the one fixed and integral with the casing and the other movable and integral with the basin, which pipe is supplied from the hydraulic system of the assembly, the ring pipe being equipped with a plurality of holes directed tangentially onto the internal surface of the basin, these holes being adapted for spraying rinsing liquid into the basin itself.

3. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to claim 1, character­ized by the fact that the rotary joint for connecting together the respective fixed and movable parts of the vertical pipe supplying the closed ring pipe is formed with elements rotating the one inside the other, these elements being connected respectively to the fixed part and to the movable part, the lower one of them being supported from the upper one and seals being interposed between them, the elements of the joint being formed of plastics material.

4. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to claim 1, character­ized by the fact that the fixed spray means situated above the basin in the washing position comprise several spray nozzles disposed above the basin when the basin is situated inside the casing, the nozzles being con­nected to the water system of the assembly.

5. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to claim 1, character­ized by the fact that the means for washing the wall of the casing situ­ated above the basin are constituted of a fan-shaped spray nozzle situated at the top of the zone of the front surface of the casing situated above the basin for which the cleaning is intended, the nozzle being adapted for discharging a fan-shaped jet tangentially to the surface of the casing and directed towards the basin, the zone for which the cleaning is intended being bounded by corrugations diverging from the top downwards and adapted for guiding the liquid sheet formed from the jet of the spray nozzle.

6. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to claim 1, character­ized by the fact that the means for washing the floor of the room in which the assembly is situated are constituted of one or more pipes leading out from the casing in proximity to the floor of the room and equipped with a plurality of aligned spray nozzles, adapted for emitting jets of liquid tangential to the surface of said floor, and connected to the water system of the assembly.

7. Hygienic assembly with automatic cleaning according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the water system of the assembly comprises a feed line connected to the water mains, from which there depart one or more pipes for washing the floor equipped with an associated electrically operated valve, a feed pipe for the fan-shaped spray nozzle for washing the wall of the casing with associated electrically operated valve, a feed pipe for one or more nozzles for washing the basin at mains pressure with associated electrically operated valve, and a feed pipe for the ring pipe for rinsing the basin equipped with a manually operated valve, the feed line being therefore connected to a pump, the delivery side of which in turn is connected with associated electrically operated valves to the nozzles for washing the basin and to the feed pipe for the ring pipe for rinsing the basin, there being also provided a con­tainer for detergent liquid, with feed and metering pump, the delivery side of which leads into the feed pipe for the nozzles for washing the basin.

Drawing