Anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals

The anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals comprises a sanitary plumbing fixture, a spray head, a first valve, an electronic controller, and an activation control. The spray head may be operable to create a water curtain across an aperture of the sanitary plumbing fixture. The water curtain may prevent splashed urine from exiting the sanitary plumbing fixture during urination. The electronic controller may initiate the water curtain responsive to input from the activation control. The electronic controller may initiate the water curtain by electrically actuating the first valve. In some embodiments, the spray head may be supplied with water from a supplemental water tank via a second valve. As non-limiting examples, the sanitary plumbing fixture may be a toilet or a urinal.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

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REFERENCE TO APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the fields of sanitary plumbing fixtures, more specifically, an anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals comprises a sanitary plumbing fixture, a spray head, a first valve, an electronic controller, and an activation control. The spray head may be operable to create a water curtain across an aperture of the sanitary plumbing fixture. The water curtain may prevent splashed urine from exiting the sanitary plumbing fixture during urination. The electronic controller may initiate the water curtain responsive to input from the activation control. The electronic controller may initiate the water curtain by electrically actuating the first valve. In some embodiments, the spray head may be supplied with water from a supplemental water tank via a second valve. As non-limiting examples, the sanitary plumbing fixture may be a toilet or a urinal.

An object of the invention is to provide a sanitary plumbing fixture for capturing and disposing of at least urine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spray head that is shaped and positioned adjacent to an aperture of the sanitary plumbing fixture to create a water curtain.

A further object of the invention is to activate the water curtain during urination using an electronic controller and first valve to prevent splashed urine from exiting the sanitary plumbing fixture.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental water tank and a second valve to provide water for the water curtain.

These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals in detail, it is to be understood that the anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals.

It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated inFIGS.1through4.

The anti-urine splattering system for toilets and urinals100(hereinafter invention) comprises a sanitary plumbing fixture200, a spray head220, a first valve230, an electronic controller240, and an activation control. The spray head220may be operable to create a water curtain290across an aperture202of the sanitary plumbing fixture200. The water curtain290may prevent splashed urine from exiting the sanitary plumbing fixture200during urination. The electronic controller240may initiate the water curtain290responsive to input from the activation control. The electronic controller240may initiate the water curtain290by electrically actuating the first valve230. As non-limiting examples, the sanitary plumbing fixture200may be a toilet210or a urinal212.

The sanitary plumbing fixture200may be adapted to collect urine and to flush the urine into a drain using water. The sanitary plumbing fixture200may be configured for the urine to enter the sanitary plumbing fixture200through the aperture202. For the toilet210, the aperture202may be the open top of a toilet bowl. For the urinal212, the aperture202may be the open front of the urinal212. The water for flushing may be provided to the sanitary plumbing fixture200from a water source900via a water supply connection204. The sanitary plumbing fixture200may be configured to flush the urine into a sewer line via the drain responsive to activation of a flush handle208. In some embodiments, the flush handle208may be a push button.

The spray head220may be a conduit having a water inlet224and a plurality of water outlet apertures226. The water may enter the spray head220from the water source900via the water inlet224. The spray head220may be shaped and positioned on the sanitary plumbing fixture200to create the water curtain290from the water flowing through the spray head220. The plurality of water outlet apertures226may be oriented to spray the water across the aperture202. The water curtain290may deflect the splashed urine and may prevent the splashed urine from exiting the sanitary plumbing fixture200. As a non-limiting example, the spray head220may be a circular conduit surrounding the top of the toilet bowl on the toilet210. As a further non-limiting example, the spray head220may be a linear conduit located at the top of the urinal212.

In some embodiments, the water source900may be the water held in a toilet tank for flushing the sanitary plumbing fixture200.

The flow of the water into the spray head220may be gated by the first valve230. The first valve230may permit the water to flow into the spray head220in the open state and may prevent the water from flowing into the spray head220in the closed state. The open/closed state of the first valve230may be controlled by the electronic controller240.

The electronic controller240may electrically communicate with the first valve230and the activation control in order to sense and control the operation of the water curtain290. The electronic controller240may initiate the water curtain290responsive to input from the activation control. The electronic controller240may comprise an internal timer and may terminate the water curtain290based upon timing.

The activation control may be adapted to request initiation of the water curtain290. The activation control may comprise a foot switch252, one or more sensors260, or any combination thereof.

The foot switch252may be a foot-activated switch located on a floor adjacent to the sanitary plumbing fixture200. The foot switch252may be adapted for a user to press down on with a foot in order to signal the electronic controller240. Responsive to activation of the foot switch252, the electronic controller240may initiate the water curtain290by opening the first valve230.

The one or more sensors260may be adapted to sense the presence of the user and to signal said presence to the electronic controller240. As non-limiting examples, an individual sensor selected from the one or more sensors260may be adapted to sense the presence of the user based upon light attributes, thermal attributes, motion attributes, or any combination thereof. The electronic controller240may determine that the luminosity in front of the individual sensor has changed or has crossed a predetermined luminosity threshold and may initiate the water curtain290. The electronic controller240may determine that the heat signature in front of the individual sensor has changed or has crossed a predetermined heat threshold and may initiate the water curtain290. The electronic controller240may determine that picture elements have changed within the field of view of the individual sensor indicating motion in front of the individual sensor and may initiate the water curtain290.

In some embodiments, the invention100may comprise a supplemental water tank270and a second valve280. The supplemental water tank270may supply the water for the water curtain290that is independent of the water used for flushing the sanitary plumbing fixture200. The second valve280may gate the water from the supplemental water tank270to the spray head220.

The supplemental water tank270may comprise a supplemental water inlet272that may be fluidly coupled to the water source900such that the supplemental water tank270may fill with water. The supplemental water tank270may comprise a supplemental water outlet274such that the water may exit the supplemental water tank270and flow to the second valve280.

The flow of the water into the spray head220may be gated by the second valve280. The second valve280may permit the water to flow into the spray head220in the open state and may prevent the water from flowing into the spray head220in the closed state. The open/closed state of the second valve280may be controlled by the electronic controller240.

In some embodiments, the water arriving at the spray head220may be sourced through both the first valve230and/or the second valve280. As a non-limiting example, the plumbing from the first valve230and the second valve280may join at a T or Y joint. Sourcing the water at both the first valve230and the second valve280may enable the electronic controller240to provide the water curtain290during urination both prior to flushing and during flushing.

In use, the user may approach the sanitary plumbing fixture200and may activate the water curtain290. In some embodiments, the user may activate the water curtain290explicitly by pressing down on the foot switch252or implicitly by simply approaching the sanitary plumbing fixture200and triggering the one or more sensors260. As the user urinates, some of the urine may strike an internal surface of the sanitary plumbing fixture200and splash back towards the aperture202. The splashed urine may encounter the water curtain290and be deflected back into the sanitary plumbing fixture200.

Definitions

As used in this disclosure, an “aperture” may be an opening in a surface or object. Aperture may be synonymous with hole, slit, crack, gap, slot, or opening.

As used herein, the words “couple”, “couples”, “coupled” or “coupling”, may refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.

As used in this disclosure, the term “flush” may be used to describe that a first surface is aligned with a second surface.

As used in this disclosure, the “foot” may refer to the portion of the leg that is below the ankle. Within this disclosure, the foot is further defined with a forefoot, a midfoot and a hindfoot. The forefoot is the region of the foot is the anterior portion of the foot within which the phalanges and the metatarsals bones are located. The midfoot is the region of the foot within which the navicular, cuboid, and cuneiform bones are located. The hindfoot is the region of the foot that is posterior to the midfoot.

As used herein, “front” may indicate the side of an object that is closest to a forward direction of travel under normal use of the object or the side or part of an object that normally presents itself to view or that is normally used first. “Rear” or “back” may refer to the side that is opposite the front.

As used in this disclosure, a “sensor” may be a device that quantitatively measures a physical stimulus.

As used in this disclosure, a “spray” may be a plurality of liquid drops projected from a nozzle.

As used in this disclosure, a “switch” may be an electrical device that starts and stops the flow of electricity through an electric circuit by completing or interrupting an electric circuit. The act of completing or interrupting the electrical circuit may be called actuation. Completing or interrupting an electric circuit with a switch is often referred to as closing or opening a switch, respectively. Completing or interrupting an electric circuit is also referred to as making or breaking the circuit, respectively.

As used in this disclosure, a “urinal” may be a port into which human excretions are deposited for in preparation of introducing the excretions into an externally provided waste water handling system.

As used in this disclosure, a “valve” may be a device that is used to control the flow of a fluid, either gas or liquid, through a pipe or to control the flow of a fluid into and out of a container. Some valves may have multiple ports and may allow the diverting or mixing of fluids.