Abstract:
A toilet to save water and reduce clogs. One embodiment uses two traps and a Pressure Assisted Device (PAD) that applies both negative and/or positive pressurized air between an upper trapway and middle trapway with a pressure connection tube with a means for allowing air to move to or from the top of the PAD to the upper arch between the upper and lower traps. A second embodiment includes a clog-resistant toilet that has no sudden transitions in the pipe to reduce the likelihood of clogging.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from a U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 62/329,164, filed Apr. 28, 2016, by the same inventor, entitled “Water Saving Clog Resistant Toilet,” which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0002]    This invention relates to water efficient toilets and clog resistant toilets. 
       Description of the Prior Art 
       [0003]    Gravity fed flush toilets have been in use for over a century. The use of gravity powered suction devices in toilets goes back to U.S. Pat. No. 260,232, which issued on Jun. 27, 1882, which talks about using two traps and in combination with a flushing-valve” and means for “operating the same to flush the closet, and means for drawing air from the space between the two traps. While this and multiple devices since then, such as U.S. Pat. No. 380,854 by Boyle, which issued on Apr. 10, 1888, also mention using a negative pressure device for suction. U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,251, which issued on Jul. 22, 2004, explicitly mentions the water savings used by applying positive pressure between the two traps. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,081 claims to be a “clog-free” toilet, using multiple blowers. And Chinese patent 201120051336, entitled “Blocking proof toilet,” uses a stirring device to mince the contents. But both of these prior art implementations use electricity and would be very loud. 
         [0005]    In view of such prior art, an improved toilet is still needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One embodiment of the present invention provides a toilet that uses less water by having two traps and using a larger lower trapway and which allows more air pressure to be applied between the area between the two traps. This also provides the unexpected benefit that when a partial vacuum is applied, the water from the second trap and middle trapway can be combined with the water from the first trap and upper trapway to create a stronger siphon, which increases the flushing power and saves water. In this embodiment, more air can be injected before water goes over the lower arch which allows the “water spot,” which is defined as the top of the pool of water in the bowl, to be larger and/or higher. 
         [0007]    A typical problem occurs when there is a clog at or downstream of the pressure transfer pipe, and a plunger is used. When this occurs the water and contents of the water will typically be forced through the pressure transfer pipe and will backup into the water tank. A second embodiment of the invention provides a clog resistant toilet that does not use hairpin turns (by definition herein a hairpin turn is defined to be where the outer circumference of a pipe is bent more than 250 degrees within a length of the pipe that is less than 1.5 times the outer diameter of the pipe). A third embodiment of the invention provides a toilet with a reduced likelihood of a clog at, or downstream from the pressure transfer pipe. A fourth embodiment of the invention provides a toilet that prevents water from getting to the top of the pressure transfer pipe, and also prevents the water and contents from getting into the water tank. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following figures and drawings. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a 1882 toilet with two traps, in accordance with one embodiment of the prior art. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a more modern implementation of a toilet with two traps, in accordance with one embodiment of the prior art. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates another implementation of a toilet with two traps, in accordance with one embodiment of the prior art. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a typical current toilet with likely locations of clogs, in accordance with one embodiment of the prior art. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates an infinity configuration for a water saving toilet with the PAD and two traps in the resting state, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a folded configuration in the resting state, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates an infinity configuration in a flushing state, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates the toilet when the siphon is starting to break, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  illustrates a clog resistant toilet with one trap, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  illustrates a clog resistant toilet with two traps, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  illustrates a toilet that is clog resistant after the pressure transfer pipe, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  illustrates a valve that stops water in one direction in its normal state, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  illustrates a valve that stops water in one direction in its stopped state, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  illustrates a toilet in its normal state with a valve on a lower pipe, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  illustrates a toilet in its stopped state with a valve on the upper pipe, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  illustrates a water restriction valve with a solids preventer, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  illustrates a normal state with the stopper not engaged, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  illustrates a stopped state with the stopper engaged, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 , a bowl  10  is coupled to the upper trap  20  which is coupled to the upper trapway  25  (e.g., see  FIG. 7  element  25 ) This is coupled to the upper arch  70 , which is coupled to the middle trapway  75  and lower trap  30 , which is coupled to the lower trapway  35 , then coupled to the lower arch  80 , which is coupled to the lower pipe  85  and the wide section  90  which is finally coupled to the exit pipe  100  The tank  40  has a pressure assisted device (PAD)  50  with a tube or other connecting shape  60  with a means for moving air into or from the top of the PAD to the upper arch  70  supplying positively or negatively pressurized air to the upper arch  70  and the upper trapway  25  and middle trapway  75  (e.g., see  FIG. 7 ). In this embodiment of the invention, the lower trapway  35  in  FIGS. 5 and 6  is much larger than in prior art inventions (see element  35  in prior art  FIGS. 1-3 ). In U.S. Pat. No. 260,232, illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the lower trapway  35  volume is about one-seventh of the volume of the middle trapway  75 . In U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,251, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the lower trapway  35  volume is about one-fifth the volume of the middle trapway  75 . In  FIG. 3 , the lower trapway  35  is about one-fourth the volume of the middle trapway  75 . In the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 , the water in the middle trapway  75  and lower trap  30  can be used to create a siphon, which is not possible with the previous prior art toilets, since once the water from the lower trapway  35  has been moved to the middle trapway  75 , any further vacuum will be sucking-up only air, not water. The larger lower trapway  35  (e.g., see  FIG. 7 ) saves more water in operation compared to prior art toilets. In one embodiment a single flush uses 0.66 gallons of water compared to 0.8 gallons of water used by a single flush of the most water efficient prior art toilets, and 1.28 gallons of water used by a single flush for most other prior art toilets. 
         [0028]    To illustrate the use of one embodiment of the invention,  FIG. 5  illustrates the resting state of the toilet, where the water in the lower trap  35  is used to hold the pressure in the middle trapway  75 . This pressure is counterbalanced by the pressure in the PAD  50  and the water in the toilet bowl  10  and upper trap  20 . When the pressure is increased in the PAD  50 , due to the tank  40  filling with water, this will push up the water in the middle trapway  75  and lower trapway  35 , and also push on the upper trapway  25  (see  FIG. 6 ) pushing up the water into the bowl enabling a larger water spot. The volume of the water displaced in the middle trapway  75  and lower trapway  35  will be equivalent to the water volume increase in the bowl  10   
         [0029]    When the toilet is flushed and the water lever in the tank  40  is lowered, this will create a partial vacuum in the PAD  50 , which in turn creates a partial vacuum in the pressure transfer pipe  60  which in turn creates a partial vacuum in the upper arch  70 , bringing the water from the lower trapway  35  into the middle trapway  75 , while the water from the upper trapway  25  is also sucked towards the upper trap  70  When the water from the two sides combine (see  FIG. 7 ) in the upper arch  70 , the water create a strong siphon. The siphon will lower the water level in the bowl  10  until the water is lowered to the level of the wide section  90  of the pipe or until the siphon is broken as shown in  FIG. 8 , where the water in the tank  40  is at a lower level  52  than the bottom of the PAD  50 . At this point, air will be sucked into the upper arch  70  and the water in the upper trapway  25  (see  FIG. 7 ) will lower until it is even with the water in the bowl. When the water rises to the bottom of the PAD  50  it will start pressurizing the air, pushing on the water in the upper trapway  25  which will raise the water level in the bowl  10 . Note that when the toilet tank  40  is filling up and reaches the bottom of the PAD  50  (see  FIG. 8 ), the pressure will be close to the outside air pressure; but as the water level rises in the tank  40  and PAD  50 , the air pressure inside the PAD  50  will quickly rise as the air starts pushing on the water in the upper trapway  25  and middle trapway  75   
         [0030]      FIG. 4  illustrates a typical prior art toilet having multiple locations for clogging. If the bottom of the bowl  300  has a sudden transition between the bowl and the trap, then a relatively long object may get stuck, versus having a gradual transition. 
         [0031]      FIG. 9  illustrates a clog resistant toilet with one trap  20  shows a gradual transition  450  from the bowl  10  to the trap  20  Sudden transitions  310 ,  320 , and  330  can cause cavitation and unpredictable flows, which are common causes of clogs. There is an inner diameter  435  and an outer diameter  425  and has no hairpin turns in any of the pipes, wherein a hairpin turn is defined to be where the outer circumference of a pipe is bent more than 250 degrees within a length of the pipe that is less than 1.5 times the outer diameter of the pipe. Using gradual changes  400  and  410  to will greatly reduce the likelihood of clogging.  FIG. 10  illustrates a clog resistant toilet with two traps  20  and  30  shows a gradual transition from the bowl  10  to the first trap  20 . Similarly the toilet with two traps also has gradual transitions  400 ,  420  and  430  with no hairpin turns. 
         [0032]      FIG. 11  illustrates an embodiment where the upper trapway  25  and the upper arch  1  upstream of the pressure transfer pipe  70  has a smaller cross sectional area compared to the upper arch  70  after the pressure transfer pipe  2  and the sections downstream from the pressure transfer pipes  75 ,  30  and  80 . For example, if the pipe  1  is cylindrical, then the diameter of the pipe section  1  would be smaller than the diameter of pipe section  2  and the section downstream. The pipe is also curved more in the upper trapway  3  and the upper arch  70  before the pressure transfer pipe  1  with a curvature shown by pipe  3  than the downstream pipes  75 ,  30  and  80  show with the curvature shown by  4  and  5 . If there is a clog after the pressure transfer pipe  5 , then if the toilet is plunged the effluent can go into the tank  40 , which is highly undesirable. These enhancements decrease the likelihood of a clog happening after or downstream of the upstream of the pressure transfer pipe  50 . 
         [0033]    The pressure transfer pipe can also have a valve that restricts the flow of the water. One example is a water restriction valve  22  (e.g., see  FIGS. 12-15 ) which allows air to go through but not water. In this embodiment there is a sphere or other object, hereafter know as the blocking object  13 , that fits inside the water restriction valve  22 . The blocking object  13  allows air to flow from the PAD  50  to the upper arch  70  by having guide wires  12  that prevent the blocking object  13  from lowering and restricting the flow of air from the PAD  50  to the upper arch  70 . The blocking object  13  is heavy enough that when PAD  50  creates a partial vacuum the blocking object  13  will not move to the top of the water restriction valve  22  and restrict the airflow from the upper arch to the PAD  50 . When there is a clog and the toilet is plunged, water will be forced from the bowl  10  through the lower trap  20  past the upper trapway  25 . If the clog is after the pressure transfer pipe  60  then water and the effluent will enter the pressure transfer pipe  60  When the water reaches the blocking object  13  in the valve  60 , it will float on top of the water and form a seal with the upper section of the valve  14 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 13  illustrates valve  14 , stopping the flow of the water through the pipe  60 .  FIG. 12  illustrates the valve in the normal state at the top of the pressure transfer pipe.  FIG. 15  illustrates the toilet when there is a clog  24  after the pressure transfer pipe  60 . This illustrates the valve in the blocking state when the toilet is being plunged.  FIG. 14  illustrates the valve in the lower section of the pressure transfer pipe, while  FIG. 15  illustrates the valve in the upper section of the pressure transfer pipe. A small rod  100  parallel to the flow of the air can also be installed at the bottom of the valve  13 . 
         [0035]    The water restriction valve  22  can be placed anywhere in the pressure transfer tube  60  to only allow water to flow in one direction.  FIG. 14  illustrates the water restriction valve  22  in the normal state and  FIG. 13  illustrates the water restriction valve  22  in the water blocking state, with the water restriction valve  22  towards the top of the pressure transfer pipe  60 .  FIG. 15  illustrates the water restriction valve  12  in the water blocking state with the water restriction valve near the bottom of the pressure transfer valve.  FIG. 16  illustrates a small rod parallel  100  to the flow of the air which will help prevent solids such as toilet paper and other solid effluent from entering the water restriction valve  12  before liquids have a chance to fill the chamber of the water restriction valve  12  and allowing the float  13  to seal off the flow of the water. 
         [0036]    An alternative means of stopping the flow of the water is by temporarily sealing the pressure transfer pipe  60  so that neither air nor water can move through the pipe. One example is illustrated in  FIG. 17  and  FIG. 18 .  FIG. 17  illustrates the pressure transfer pipe  60  in the normal state, with the stopper  54  not engaged with the pressure transfer pipe and allowing air (and water) to flow unrestricted through the pressure transfer pipe  60 .  FIG. 18  illustrates the stopper  54  engaged with pressure transfer pipe  60  and not allowing the flow of air or water through the pressure transfer pipe  60  The switch for the stopper  55  could just be manually held down while a plunger (not shown) is being used. In another embodiment, the stopper  55  has a toggle like a click pen where there is an up state and a down state. 
         [0037]    The exemplary embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration and not intended to be limiting. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments could be practiced without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims set forth below.