Improvement regarding the flushing reliability of a urinal

(19)

(11)

EP 1 050 633 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	26.09.2001 Bulletin 2001/39

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	08.11.2000 Bulletin 2000/45

(21)	Application number: 00660082.9

(22)	Date of filing: 04.05.2000

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: E03D 13/00, E03D 5/10

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

07.05.1999 FI 991056

(71)	Applicant: ORAS OY
	26101 Rauma (FI)

(72)	Inventor:
	Toivonen, Ari 27100 Eurajoki (FI)

(74)	Representative: Levlin, Jan Markus
	Berggren Oy Ab, P.O. Box 16 00101 Helsinki 00101 Helsinki (FI)

(54)	Improvement regarding the flushing reliability of a urinal

(57) This invention relates to a method for maintaining the reliable operation of a sensor detecting a need for flushing a urinal (10). According to the invention, urine stone and/or other such dirt adhered over the area of the flushing-need detecting sensor within the liquid basin of the urinal (10) is removed by means of a vibrator operating over this particular area. In a preferred case, the sensor comprises for example a piezoelectric crystal. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is adapted to vibrate by means of a piezoelectric crystal. In a second preferred embodiment, said piezoelectric crystal is set in the immediate vicinity of the sensor, thereby removing the dirt.

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