METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TOILET FLUSHING

Abstract: A flush reservoir (4) is filled with the quantity of water required for the flushing of a toilet bowl (1), and the flushing water is discharged from said reservoir via the toilet bowl (1) and its trapway (2) to a sewage plumbing network (3) by generating during the water-filling phase into the air space of the reservoir a vacuum which is allowed to discharge during the flushing phase by releasing air into the reservoir (4) to achieve ambient pressure in it. The vacuum is generated by a vacuum source, such as a water siphon pump (6), connected to the air space of the reservoir (4). The reservoir (4) is preferably annular, formed in the shape of the toilet seat and fitted to replace it on the top of the toilet (1). Apertures or slots (8), provided at the lower part of the reservoir, are directed upwards, forming a trapway during the water-filling phase at this point. In addition, the reservoir is provided with a manually operated valve (9) for controlling the flow of ambient air into the air space of the reservoir under vacuum. A fast toilet flushing is achieved by means of the invention.

Description: Method and apparatus "for toilet flushing The present invention relates to a method in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 for flushing a toilet. In accordance with the invention, an appropriate reservoir is filled with the amount of water needed for flushing the toilet, and the water is flushed, when desired, through the toilet bowl and its trapway to the drainage system. The invention also relates to an apparatus in accordance with claim 6 for carrying out the method. Several methods for toilet flushing are known in the prior art. The conventional solution is to refill the reservoir with flushing water immediately after the reservoir is emp¬ tied. During flushing, the water flows into.the toilet bowl under gravity and carries out the flushing of the bowl. Another prior-art method is the so-called direct-flushing in which water is released from piping directly into the bowl. The trip is thereby provided by a metering flush valve. A final remark is to be attributed to a method in which the pressure energy of the piping network is transferred into the flush tank and utilized therefrom via bellows and membrane pistons for flushing. All prior-art invention related to toilet flushing have had as the main object to diminish the quantity of water re¬ quired for flushing and to minimize the noise disturbance from flushing. In the known devices, the minimum flushing water quantities are around 6 liters and the flushing time is about 6...8 seconds, providing a flow of 1 1/s via the trapway. The object of the present invention is to provide a new method and am entirely novel apparatus for toilet flushing. The invention is based on the idea that the water is emptied from the reservoir by first generating a vacuum into the air space of the reservoir during the filling phase and then • allowing the vacuum to be discharged during the flushing phase by letting air enter the reservoir to obtain ambient, i.e., normal atmospheric pressure in it. The vacuum is preferably generated by means of an appro¬ priate vacuum pump, such as an oil vacuum pump or, more preferably, a water siphon. More specifically, the method in accordance with the inven¬ tion is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. The apparatus according to the invention is furthermore characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 6. Essential advantages are achieved by means of the invention. Thus, the flushing water discharge to the toilet bowl can be increased up to 3«. ^ 4 liters per second, increasing the flow through the trapway and improving the flushing. The quantity of flushing water can be adjusted as small as permitted by the sewage system dimensioning. The space requirement of the apparatus is ab'out two-thirds of that of conventional devices because the reservoir can be in the form of a toilet seat, installed on top of the toilet to replace the seat. The apparatus is reliable in use since there are practically no moving mechanical parts. An alternative embodiment of the invention allows the flushing water to enter the reservoir only immediately before flushing, whereby condensation on the outer surface of the reservoir is avoided. In the following, the invention will be examined in more de¬ tail by means of an exemplifying embodiment in accordance with the enclosed drawings. Figure 1 shows as a cross-sectional side view the construc¬ tion principle of an apparatus in accordance with the inven¬ tion. Figure 2 shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention as a top view. Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the air separation chamber and part of the flush reservior in the beginning of the filling phase. The toilet comprises a base part 1 which is connected at its bottom 2, formed as a trapway, to a sewage plumbing system 3. According to the invention, the flushing apparatus comprises a toilet-seat formed as a seat-replacing annular flush tank or reservoir 4, an air separation chamber 5 and a water siphon pump 6, installed in the air separation chamber and connected to a water piping network 7. The flush reser¬ voir is fabricated, for instance, of ABS plastics or any other suitable material. Its involute wall, directed towards the interior of the toilet, is bent into a U-form at its lower rim according to Figure 3 > while its other wall is bent to be directed into the trough formed by the other wall. Accordingly the lower part of the reservoir 4 is provided with an aperture or slot 8 with the length of the reservoir circumference, opening upwards and forming a trap- way when the reservoir 4 is filled with water. The flush reservoir 4 is provided with a flush valve 9 whose operation will.be described later. An air separation chamber 5 is connected to the reservoir 4, preferably fabricated of the same material as the reservoir. The air separation chamber 5 comprises a rather narrow but high container part, to the bottom of which a suction tube 10 connected to the flush reservoir 4 is fitted. Above the suction tube 10 a conical part 11 is fitted whose lower end is detached from the bottom of the air separation chamber. The upper part of the separation chamber 5 is provided with an air vent 12. The water siphon pump 6 is installed in the chamber 5 such that its suction channel 13 extends through the wall of the chamber into the upper part of the flush reservoir 4 as shown in Figure 3 ' A needle valve 15 which is fitted to the nozzle part 14 of the siphon pump 6 is attached to a lever 16. The lever 16 is further connected by a joint to the suction channel 13 of the water siphon pump 6 and provided with a float 17 at the end of the lever. The water content of the flush reservoir 4 is preferably about 5 liters. The filling time of the reservoir is about 30 seconds and the discharging takes 1.5... seconds. The flushing aperture of the reservoir 4, which is expose'd to ambient pressure, has an area of 100...150 cm.2. The flushing apparatus operates as follows: When the float 17 is in the lower position, that is, when the flush reser¬ voir is filled with water only up to level A, the needle valve 15 is opened and water flows under pressure via the nozzle 14 of the water siphon pump 6 to a flow channel 18. This situation is depicted in Figure 3» The water flow gene¬ rates in the suction channel 13 a vacuum, and air flows from the flush reservoir 4 via the suction channel 13 to the flow channel 18. The flow of the air-water mix impinges in the separation chamber 5 on the conical part 11 such that water flows past the cone and into the suction channel 10 while air flows upwards to be vented via the vent 12. The size of the vent 12 is chosen as a function of the pre¬ valent pressure in the water piping network such that water is prevented from escaping_ through said vent. This is* pre e- rably performed by mounting an regulating screw in the vent, whereby the size of the vent can be fixed separately for each flushing apparatus to be mounted. The smaller the pressure in the water network is, the larger the vent has to be. The vacuum generated in the flush reservoir 4 enhances water flow from the air separation chamber 5. When the float 17 is in its upper position, that is, the water level is at B, the needle valve is closed. The vacuum in the reservoir 4 corresponds to a water column whose length is that of the difference between levels A and B. When the toilet bowl is supposed to be flushed after use, the ambient pressure is allowed to enter into the reservoir 4 by manually operating the flush valve 9. Due to the action of the pressure of said water column, the reservoir is quickly discharged and the water level .in the reservoir 4 drops to level A. By adjusting the water flow via the water siphon pump 6 such that the reservoir is emptied appreciably faster than it is filled, any extraneous flow of water via the apertures 8 can be inhibited almost entirely during filling. Because the toilet is installed immediately next to the wall of the toilet room, the sewage plumbing connection is loca¬ ted under the front part of the toilet (as depicted in Figure 1), contrary to the location under the rear part as found in conventional solutions. The scope of the invention covers also other embodiments different from the one described above. Accordingly, a flush valve operated by a timer may be used for controlling the water flow from the water piping network to the water siphon pump, requiring the flow channel lower end to be located above level B. When the timer shuts the flush valve, air is allowed to flow via the vent, the flow channel, and the suction channel to the flush reservoir, whereby dis- charge of the reservoir is achieved. Therefore in this embodiment, filling the flush reservoir is performed only immediately before flushing. To avoid pressure changes in the water piping network from influencing the operation, the flush valve must be provided with a preceding pressure reduction valve and the device operation is dimensioned for an operating pressure of 1.5... .0 kp/cm.2. The water siphon pump may be located separately from the flushing reservoir by extending the flow channel by instal- ling a separate suction tube between the suction channel and the flush reservoir. In said case, the suction tube can further be designed with a sufficiently large diameter to allow a side channel to be located between the suction tube and the suction channel of the water siphon pump. The end of the suction tube is left open and it is provided with a spring-loaded plug for clo¬ sing the tube. The plug is located in the water flow via the water sipon pump. Pressure of the flushing water transfers the spring-loaded plug to close the open end of the suction tube when the resevoir is filled. When the water siphon pump is closed, the water pressure pushing the plug is cut off and the spring force opens the tube end to allow the atmosp- heric pressure to enter the flow reservoir more effectively. This configuration results in a shorter discharging time because the effect of atmospheric pressure in the flushing reservoir is quicker. The separation of air from water can be arranged in the man¬ ner described above in the separation chamber or by using several consecutive funnels and bowls. In the latter case, the lower end of each funnel is provided with a bowl from which the water is deflected upwards to continue down to the next funnel and bowl. In addition to the water siphon pump, also other devices can be used for generating vacuum from the pressure energy of the water piping network. For instance, the flush reser¬ voir can be provided with a movable wall that is transferred by the pressure energy of the water flow. In this case, air is displaced by the wall movement from the resevoir after which the reservoir shape is returned to the Original state, and air flow to the air chamber is inhibited by a check valve. The generated vacuum is discharged in the same manner as described above. In addition to the manners described above, the method in accordance with the invention can be carried out, for instance, by letting the flushing water flow directly into a toilet bowl which is provided with an air-tight cover. A vacuum is generated under the cover to elevate the water level in the bowl. The vacuum is discharged as described above by allowing air to flow via the flush valve to the toilet bowl. In addition, a method is conceivable in which part of the flushing water is discharged via the reservoir and sucked to a expansion part of the trapway. In such an embodiment, equal external pressure is exerted on the free water surface of the trapway and the water surface at the flushing thresholds of the bowl side. Water flows from the flush reservoir and water level rises equally both in the reservoir and in the trapway expansion part.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A method for toilet flushing, wherein - a flush reservoir (4) is filled with the quantity of water required for the flushing of a toilet bowl (1), and - the water is discharged from said reservoir via the toilet bowl (1) and its trapway (2) to a sewage plumbing network (3), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the water is discharged from the reservoir (4) by generating a vacuum in the air space of the reservoir during the filling phase, and by allowing said vacuum be discharged during the flushing phase by letting air into the reservoir (4) such that ambient pressure is obtained in it. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e •by generating the vacuum by means of the pressure energy of the water piping network. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e by generating the vacuum by means of a water siphon pump (6). 4. A method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e by generating the vacuum by means of a vacuum pump. 5. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by using a separate reservoir (4) provided in its lower part with upwards directed apertures (8) forming a trapway during the filling phase. 6. An apparatus for the flushing of a toilet bowl, having - a water filled reservoir (4), which is connected to a water piping network (7) and provided in its lower part with apertures (8) through which water is allowed to flow into the toilet bowl (1), and - control means (9) for controlling the water flow from the reservoir (4) to the toilet bowl (1), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that - the air chamber of the reservoir (4) is connected to a vacuum source (6) for generating into the reservoir (4) a vacuum when the reservoir is filled with water, - the apertures (8) are formed to open upwards, such that a trapway is provided at this position during the filling phase, and - the control means (9) comprise means (9) fitted between the air space of the reservoir (4) and the ambient air for controlling the flow of ambient air into the air space of the reservoir. 7. An apparatur as claimed in claim 6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that said control means comprise a manual- ly opened valve (9). 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the vacuum source is a water siphon pump. 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the operation of tr water pump (6) is controlled by means of a needle valve (15) installed into a nozzle (14) and connected to a float (17) in the flush reservoir (4). 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the operation of the water siphon pump (6) is controlled by means of a flush valve, which is provided with a timer. 11. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 - 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the flush reservoir (4) is annularly formed in the shape of a toilet seat and mounted instead of it on top of the toilet bowl (1).

Inventors: KALLIO ILKKA JUHANI, KALLIO, ILKKA, JUHANI
Applicants: KALLIO ILKKA JUHANI, KALLIO, ILKKA, JUHANI
Application year: 1985
Main classification: E03D3
IPC codes: E03D3