Lavatories

Abstract

 Foul air is drawn off from within a lavatory pan (1) via a duct (6) by a pump (13) located above water-level of a close-coupled cistern (2). The duct (6) opens from around the inside of a flat ring-device (4) inserted between the cistern (2) and pan (1) as part of the flushing-water conduit (3) between them. The pump (13) is operated while the lavatory seat (15) is occupied or in response to manual operation of a switch and until the pan (1) is flushed. A modified pan (21) incorporating an in-built air duct (20) opening from the flushing-water conduit (22) within the pan-body, may be used instead. Also, where a pan (31) is flushed through a down-pipe (32), the air may be withdrawn via T-junction (34) coupled into the pipe (32) above the pan (31).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to lavatories, and is concerned in particular with reducing unpleasant odours associated with lavatory use.

[0002] Attempts have been made to reduce unpleasantness within lavatory enclosures by the use of extractor fans to replace the ambient air with fresh air from outside. It is an object of the present invention to tackle the problem in a more direct and effective way.

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a lavatory-pan installation wherein a duct opens from the conduit by which flushing-water is supplied to the lavatory pan, and extractor means is coupled to the duct for drawing off air from within the pan via the conduit.

[0004] Thus, the present invention provides for air to be drawn off directly from within the pan, the immediate source of odour, so as to reduce the extent to which the ambient atmosphere within the lavatory enclosure becomes fouled. Withdrawing air from the pan has been found to be more effective in reducing unpleasantness than seeking to change the air within the lavatory enclosure as a whole.

[0005] The extractor means for drawing off air from the pan may involve an electrically-operated air-pump coupled to the duct; in normal circumstances, in which water for flushing the pan is supplied from a cistern, the pump is desirably located above the water-level in the cistern. Operation of the pump may be controlled automatically in dependence upon use of the lavatory, and in this regard may be operated to draw air from the pan throughout a period that begins no later than when the lavatory seat is occupied and extends at least until it is vacated. More especially, the air-pump may be operated to run in response to occupation of the seat, detected, for example, by loading of the seat or lifting of a lid that covers the seat, and to continue to run at least until loading of the seat is discontinued or the lid closed. Alternatively, the air-pump may be operated throughout a period that begins with manual actuation of a switch and ends with initiation of flushing of the pan.

[0006] The air drawn off may be deodorised before discharge, by being passed through a filter (for example of charcoal), an ioniser, a steriliser and/or an air freshener. Discharge may be into the ambient atmosphere after deodorisation, or, whether deodorised or not, may be into the external atmosphere.

[0007] Where the lavatory-pan installation includes a close-coupled cistern, coupling of the cistern to the pan may include a device which has a passage therethrough to define part of the flushing-water conduit, and in these circumstances said duct may open from around the conduit within this passage. The coupling device in this case may be of a flat, ring-configuration with a central cylindrical passage therethrough to define said part of the conduit, and this passage may have manifold openings into a surrounding gallery of the device, forming said duct.

[0008] In circumstances where close-coupling is not used, said duct may be coupled into the down-pipe by which flushing-water is supplied to the pan. The duct may be coupled into the pipe by means of a T-junction.

[0009] However, and whether the cistern is close coupled or otherwise, said duct may be formed as part of the body of the pan such as to open from the flushing-water conduit within the body of the pan itself. In this case the duct can be used for drawing off air from within the pan without the need to modify or break into the normally-used coupling between cistern and pan.

[0010] Lavatory-pan installations in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first lavatory-pan installation according to the invention, including a close-coupled cistern that is shown partly broken away;

Figure 2 is illustrative of a device that incorporates a duct for drawing off air from between the close-coupled cistern and lavatory pan, in the installation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of part of the installation of Figure 1, illustrating the location of the device of Figure 2 in the coupling between the cistern and pan, the section being taken on the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional-side elevation of a construction of lavatory pan that is used according to the invention in a modified form of the lavatory-pan installation of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is illustrative of a second lavatory-pan installation according to the invention.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, the lavatory pan 1 is supplied with water for flushing from a close-coupled cistern 2. The conduit 3 by which the water passes from the cistern 2 into the flushing-rim (not shown) of the pan 1 includes a coupling device 4 that is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3.

[0012] Referring also now to Figures 2 and 3, the device 4 is of a flat ring-configuration having a central cylindrical passage 5 with manifold openings around its inside into a surrounding gallery that forms a duct 6 leading to an outlet tube 7. As illustrated most clearly in Figure 3, the device 4 is located between the close-coupled cistern 2 and the pan 1 with sealing rings 8 and 9 top and bottom, and with the passage 5 axially aligned with a water-outlet 10 of the cistern 2 and a water-inlet 11 of the pan 1. Thus, the device 4 is inserted between the cistern 2 and pan 1 as part of the conduit 3 by which water is supplied to the pan 1 for flushing.

[0013] The duct 6 opening from the conduit 3 and leading into the tube 7, enables air to be drawn off from within the pan 1. In this respect, and as shown in Figure 1, the tube 7 is extended via a pipe 12 to an electric air-pump 13 that is located above the cistern water-level. The pump 13 is vented through the lavatory-wall (not shown) so that foul air drawn from the pan 1 by the pump 13, is discharged into the outside atmosphere.

[0014] The pump 13 is energised to draw air from the pan 1 when the lavatory is in use. In particular, the pump 13 is energised from an electric circuit (not shown) that includes an electric switch which closes when a lid 14 of the pan 1 is lifted and the underlying seat 15 is occupied. In this way, the pump 13 is operated for a period that begins with occupation of the seat 15 and ends when it is vacated just prior to operation of the cistern 2 to flush the pan 1. Accordingly, water is not drawn into the duct 6, and any that enters readily drains back into the conduit 3 immediately when flushing is completed.

[0015] As an alternative, the pump 13 may be brought into operation by the user actuating a manually-operable or movement-sensitive switch (not shown), and stopped when the water level in the cistern 2 begins to fall as flushing is initiated. For example, the switch may be coupled to the flushing handle 16 (Figure 1) so that it is switched on to energise the pump 13 when the handle 16 is pushed inwardly ― in contrast to downwardly for flushing ― against a spring (not shown). The pump 13 continues to be energised so as to run until the water level in the cistern 2 begins to fall as detected by one or more reed switches (not shown), when the handle 16 is pushed downwardly for flushing purposes.

[0016] It is not essential that operation of the pump 13 is confined to intervals between flushing, and indeed it may be operated continuously while there is activity in the lavatory. Any water that enters the air-duct 6 from the conduit 3 while the pump 13 is running will not in general be lifted sufficiently by the pump 13 to cause any problem, and will drain away into the pan 1 when the rush of flushing water abates.

[0017] The duct for drawing off air from within the lavatory pan may be incorporated within the body of the pan as manufactured. A lavatory pan incorporating such a duct is illustrated in Figure 4 and will now be described.

[0018] Referring to Figure 4, the lavatory pan in this case is conventional except that an air-withdrawal duct 20 is formed within the pan-body 21 to open from the flushing-water conduit 22 within the body 21. A pipe (not shown) is coupled to the duct 20 when the pan is installed, and taken up to the air-pump (not shown) for drawing the air off.

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates a further lavatory-pan installation. In this case a conventional pan 31 is supplied with flushing water via a down-pipe 32 from a low- or high-level cistern (not shown). Air is withdrawn from the pan 31 in this case via a pipe 33 which is coupled into the pipe 32 by a T-junction 34. An air pump (not shown), which like the pump 13 is located above the cistern-water level, is coupled to the pipe 33 to draw air up the pipe 32 from the pan 31 and thence into the pipe 33 at the junction 34.

Claims

1. A lavatory-pan installation wherein a duct opens from the conduit by which flushing-water is supplied to the lavatory pan, and extractor means is coupled to the duct for drawing off air from within the pan via the conduit.

2. A lavatory-pan installation according to Claim 1 wherein the extractor means for drawing off air from the pan comprises an electrically-operated air-pump coupled to the duct.

3. A lavatory-pan installation according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein it is arranged that the extractor means is operated to draw air from the pan throughout a period that begins no later than when the lavatory seat is occupied and extends at least until it is vacated.

4. A lavatory-pan installation according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein it is arranged that the extractor means is operated to draw air from the pan throughout a period that begins with manual actuation of a switch and ends with initiation of flushing of the pan.

5. A lavatory-pan installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 including a cistern close coupled to the pan for supplying flushing-water thereto, wherein the coupling between the cistern and pan includes a device having a passage therethrough to define part of the flushing-water conduit between them, and said duct opens from around the conduit within said passage.

6. A lavatory-pan installation according to Claim 5 wherein said device is of a flat, ring-configuration with a central cylindrical passage therethrough to define said part of the conduit, and said passage has manifold openings into a surrounding gallery of the device, forming said duct.

7. A lavatory-pan installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 including a cistern that is coupled to the pan by a pipe for supplying flushing-water thereto, and wherein said duct is coupled into this pipe.

8. A lavatory-pan installation according to Claim 7 wherein said duct is coupled into the pipe by means of a T-junction.

9. A lavatory-pan installation according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 wherein the extractor means is located above the water-level in the cistern.

10. A lavatory-pan installation according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said duct is formed within the body of the pan to open from the flushing-water conduit within said body.

Drawing