Patent Publication Number: US-8528123-B2

Title: Exterior rim wash bowl

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to bowls about which fluid flows through and, more particularly, to bowls molded to include cavities and inner channels to allow such flow of fluid. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Molds are commonly used to form ceramic wares of various shapes or to produce such wares in mass or small scale. One method of utilizing molds is called slipcasting. Slipcasting involves pouring slip, which is a mixture of clay and water, into a reservoir in the mold that is made of highly absorbent material such as plaster. The mold absorbs water from the outer parts of the slip such that the slip hardens from parts closest to the interior surface of the mold toward the interior of the slip. When it is necessary for the ceramic ware to be configured with cavities, the slip is hardened for a known amount of time and the remaining, non-hardened slip is drained out of the mold through holes. After the hardened slip is removed from the mold, it is allowed to dry becoming a greenware piece that is then fired with or without glaze to become a finished product. 
     Although slipcasting can be used to produce objects of complex shapes, the complexity of the shape may require the final product to be divided into multiple portions so that each portion is cast separately and secured together such as by gluing prior to firing. As the number of separately cast portions increases, the number of mold components needed to produce the final product increases correspondingly resulting in a more complicated molding manufacturing process. Conventional toilet bowls typically require a plurality of portions to be separately molded and secured together. Thus, there is a need for a bowl with an alternative design that will reduce the number of mold components and simplify the casting process. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the foregoing and other aspects and in accordance with the present invention, a one-piece bowl that includes an interior surface, a rim portion, an inner channel and a plurality of cavities is provided. The interior surface defines an open top, a bottom opening, and an interior space. The rim portion substantially surrounds the bowl near the open top, and an inner channel is formed along and within the rim portion. The plurality of cavities extends from the inner channel to the interior space. The inner channel and the cavities are configured to operably pass fluid originating from an outer fluid source to the interior space. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the interior space is widest at the open top and narrowest at the bottom opening. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a first horizontal cross section of the interior space at a given height is not larger in area than a second horizontal cross section at a more elevated height. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the interior space is configured to gradually taper from the open top to the bottom opening. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the rim portion is configured on the bowl to project away from the interior space. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the interior surface is smooth and free of substantial protrusions. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the cavities are formed in a substantially radial direction. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the plurality of cavities is oriented at a slight downward angle from the inner channel to the interior space. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, an inclination of the interior surface on which the cavities are formed is substantially closer to vertical than horizontal. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the bowl includes a fluid supply hole for introducing fluid into the inner channel. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the bowl includes a base allowing the bowl to stand on its own. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the bowl substantially constitutes a receptacle portion of a toilet system, and the inner channel and the bottom opening are operably connected with a flushing system of the toilet system. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a top mold component and a bottom mold component by which a greenware piece of the bowl is made are configured to mate and thereby form a reservoir configured to substantially define the bowl. The bottom opening is formed by a first protrusion of the top mold component and a second protrusion of a bottom mold component that contact when the top mold component and the bottom mold component mate. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a mold assembly for forming a one-piece greenware piece for a bowl is provided. The mold assembly includes a top mold component and a bottom mold component. The top mold component and the bottom mold component are configured to mate and thereby form a reservoir configured to substantially define the bowl. The bowl is configured to include an interior surface defining an open top, a bottom opening, a rim portion and an interior space. The rim portion is configured to substantially surround the bowl near the open top. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the bowl substantially constitutes a receptacle portion of a toilet system, and the inner channel and the bottom opening are operably connected with a flushing system of the toilet system. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a first protrusion of the top mold component and a second protrusion of a bottom mold component are configured to contact when the top mold component and the bottom mold component mate so as to create the bottom opening. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the mold assembly further includes at least one intermediate mold component. The intermediate mold component includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is similar in shape to the bottom mold component. The lower portion is similar in shape to the top mold component. The at least one intermediate mold component is configured to be placed between the top mold component and the bottom mold component to form a plurality of the reservoirs so that a plurality of the one-piece greenware pieces can be formed simultaneously. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a method for forming a one-piece greenware piece of a bowl is provided. The method comprises the steps of mating a top mold component and a bottom mold component, the top mold component and the bottom mold component thereby forming a reservoir configured to substantially define the bowl, the bowl configured to include an interior surface defining an open top, a bottom opening, a rim portion and an interior space, the rim portion configured to substantially surround the bowl near the open top. The method further comprises filling the reservoir with slip. The method further comprises forming an inner channel along and within the rim portion by removing unhardened slip from the reservoir after letting the slip harden for a predetermined amount of time. The method further comprises removing the top and bottom mold components and letting the slip dry to obtain a greenware piece substantially similar in shape to the bowl. The method further comprises forming a plurality of cavities on the interior surface, the plurality of cavities extending from the inner channel to the interior space. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a first horizontal cross section of the interior space at a given height is not larger in area than a second horizontal cross section at a more elevated height. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the method further includes the step of forming the bottom opening using a first protrusion of the top mold component and a second protrusion of a bottom mold component that contact when the top mold component and the bottom mold component mate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a bowl according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a front view of the bowl. 
         FIG. 1C  is a perspective rear view of the bowl. 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of the bowl along its length. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the bowl along its width. 
         FIG. 3  is a view of an example embodiment of a top mold component and a bottom mold component for casting the mold. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a molded piece for the bowl upon removal from the top and bottom mold components. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of mold components stacked in order to mold a plurality of mold pieces for the bowl at the same time. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the bowl in operative connection with a fluid flow control system. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. 
     Turning to the shown example of  FIGS. 1A-1C , an embodiment of a bowl  10  according to the present invention is illustrated. This embodiment of the bowl  10  is configured to constitute a receptacle portion of a toilet system provided to receive urination and defecation. As such, the bowl  10  may be configured with a means to accommodate a toilet seat and cover (not shown) in order to allow a person to sit on top of the bowl  10 . However, the invention need not include such means because it is not limited to toilet systems and may be implemented on any apparatus in which a flow of fluid about a bowl or a vessel-shaped structure is operatively controlled. 
     The bowl  10 , which is molded to be in one-piece or integral, may have a base  12  so that the bowl  10  can stand on its own on a surface or the bowl  10  may be supported by other means. Moreover, although this embodiment shows an oval top  14 , the top  14  of the bowl  10  may have other geometric configurations such as a circle or a polygon. The top  14  of the bowl  10  is open to allow various types of matters, such as feces in case of this embodiment, to be received and washed away from the bowl  10  by a fluid flow control system  20  ( FIG. 6 ) provided with a fluid driving means  21  that creates the flow of fluid. One example of the fluid flow control system  20  is a toilet system, of which the bowl  10  may be a part, and a drainage mechanism related thereto. The bowl  10  is in operative connection with the fluid flow control system  20 , such as a flushing, drainage or plumbing system, that allows fluid to flow into a fluid supply hole  23  ( FIG. 1C ) and out of the bowl  10  through an opening  16 , provided at a bottom of the bowl  10 , to a fluid discharge area  25  ( FIG. 6 ). As shown in  FIGS. 2A-2B , the various matters, including the fluid, that are received by the bowl  10  can be momentarily stored in an interior space  18  of the bowl  10 . Despite the opening  16  at the bottom of the bowl  10 , the various matters may be maintained inside the bowl  10  near or below the bottom opening  16  until these matters are flushed or drained through the operation of the fluid flow control system  20 . 
     The bowl  10  is provided with a rim portion  22  that includes an inner channel  24  within which fluid can flow. The inner channel  24  and foot drain cast cavities  26  of the bowl  10  are formed during a molding process that will be described later. The rim portion  22  may be formed on the bowl  10  to substantially surround the bowl  10  near the open top  14  so as to extend substantially along an outer perimeter of the bowl  10 . The rim portion  22  is near the open top  14  in that the rim portion  22  may be formed at an uppermost part of the bowl  10  or slightly underneath. The inner channel  24  also substantially extends where the rim portion  22  is provided and be axially arranged inside the rim portion  22 . But the extent or range of the two need not equal and, for example, certain parts of the rim portion  22  may not include the inner channel  24 . In this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1C ,  2 A and  6 , fluid that originates from an outer fluid source  28  is introduced into the inner channel  24  by the fluid driving means  21  through the fluid supply hole  23  ( FIG. 1C ) that leads to the inner channel  24 . The rim portion  22  does not project inwardly into the interior space  18  of the bowl  10  so as to create a protrusion on an interior surface  30  of the bowl  10 . The rim portion  22  may or may not project outwardly with respect to an exterior surface of the bowl  10 . 
     The outer fluid source  28  may be an adjacent cistern in case of a household toilet system or a remotely-located storage tank in case of other applications that contain fluids such as water. The fluid driving means  21  may be an arrangement of fluid at an elevation higher than the bowl  10  so that fluid can be driven by gravity when a valve is opened or a pump that puts the fluid under pressure locally or remotely before providing it to the bowl  10 . The fluid discharge means  25  may be a siphon tube driving the emptying of liquid from the bowl  10 , or piping that simply drains and directs fluid by gravity to a storage area such as a septic or sewer tank. In case of a flushing mechanism for a conventional toilet, emptying of water from the cistern would trigger a flow large enough to fill a siphon tube further downstream and the bowl  10  would then be drained by siphon action until the water in the bowl  10  is lowered to a predetermined level. Thus, in a toilet, a cistern would operate as the fluid driving means  21  while a siphon tube operates as the fluid discharge means  25 . A certain amount of water will be trapped at the bottom opening  16  if the bowl  10  is used as part of a toilet system. 
     The rim portion  22  need not be formed near the open top  14  or the highest part of the bowl  10  and, for example, could be formed around the middle of the bowl  10  or lower. But if the rim portion  22  and subsequently the cavities  32  are located higher on the bowl  10 , it is likely that more of the interior surface  30  will be covered by fluid flow when fluid flow occurs. 
     The interior surface  30  of the bowl  10  includes a plurality of cavities  32  which extend from the inner channel  24  to the interior surface  30  and allow fluid communication between the inner channel  24  and the interior space  18 . The cavities  32  may be formed at substantially the same height on the interior surface  30  and may be evenly scattered along the periphery of the interior space  18  so that the fluid exiting the cavities  32  can flow and cover all or a significant part of the interior surface  30 . The cavities  32  may be formed in various ways to achieve a variety of effects in the introduction of fluid into the interior space  18  and, for example, may be oriented in radial directions so that the cavities  32  are formed horizontally. For the cavities  32  to be oriented in a substantially radial manner, the inclination of the interior surface  30  on which the cavities  32  are formed will have to be closer to vertical rather than horizontal. In this embodiment, the cavities  32  are oriented at a slight downward angle as they proceed from the inner channel  24  to the interior space  18 . However, the angle at which the cavities  32  are formed is not limited in range and may be completely horizontal (i.e., 0° about a horizontal surface), tilted toward the bottom opening  16  by 5° from horizontal, 10° from horizontal or more, or may even be tilted away from the bottom opening  16 , e.g., −5° from horizontal. There may be a combination of angles in a single bowl  10  depending on the geometry of the interior surface  30 . If the interior surface  30  is steeper near a cavity  32 , a larger incline toward the bottom opening  16  may result in better contact by water flow with the interior surface  30  as water flow exits the cavity  32 . 
     The interior space  18  of the bowl  10  is substantially defined by an interior surface  30  of the bowl  10 , the open top  14  and the bottom opening  16 . The interior space  18  substantially and vertically extends from the open top  14  to the bottom opening  16 . The interior surface  30  need not extend fully from an uppermost part to a bottommost part of the bowl  10  because the uppermost part and the bottommost part of the bowl  10  need not coincide with the open top  14  and bottom opening  16  respectively. The interior space  18  may be smooth and free of substantial protrusions for purposes of effect as to fluid flow or aesthetics. The interior space  18  is configured such that introduction of fluid in the bowl  10  removes substantially all matter from the interior surface  30  and channels substantially all matter in the interior space  18  toward the bottom opening  16 . The interior space  18  may be configured such that the interior space  18  is at its widest at the open top  14  and at its narrowest at the bottom opening  16 . The interior space  18  may also gradually narrow or taper from the open top  14  to the bottom opening  16 . In this configuration, a horizontal cross section of the interior space  18  at a given height of the bowl will be larger in area than a horizontal cross section at a less elevated height. 
     The interior space  18  may also be configured such a horizontal cross section of the interior space  18  at a given height of the bowl  10  is not wider or larger in area than a horizontal cross section of the interior space  18  at a more elevated height on the bowl  10 . This configuration encompasses an interior space  18  that has a portion whose horizontal cross section maintains an equal dimension or area vertically or does not narrow. 
     Although the common method of “slip casting” is used to describe how the shape of the bowl  10  can be formed, the benefits that the present invention can offer are not limited to slip casting and the problems that the present invention can solve do not arise only in slip casting. In other words, the present invention contemplates, and can be applied to, variations of slip casting and any and all methods of using liquid clay to form a product. Accordingly, the present invention has applicability to other methods such as drain casting, solid casting, vacuum casting, pressure casting, centrifugal casting, fugitive-mold casting, or gel casting. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the geometry and configuration of the bowl  10  are such that only a top mold component  34  and a bottom mold component  36  are required to substantially shape the bowl  10 . The mold components  34 ,  36  may be made of plaster of Paris. The mold components  34 ,  36  may include other materials, such as porous resin in case of pressure casting which is less susceptible to pressure than plaster. The slip may be made from a mixture of clay and water. The top and bottom mold components  34 ,  36  are shaped such that a reservoir  38  substantially similar in shape to the bowl  10  is created when the two mold components  34 ,  36  mate or are put together. Thus, the shape of the bowl will be substantially defined by the reservoir. Thereafter, the reservoir  38  is filled with slip which is left to harden for a predetermined amount of time. After a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, the unhardened slip is poured out of the mold components  34 ,  36  through drain holes (not shown) provided on the bowl  10  and the mold components  34 ,  36  such that the inner channel  24  in the rim portion  22  and the foot drain cast cavities  26  near the base  12  of the bowl  10  are created. The mold piece  60  ( FIG. 4 ), once it has been removed from the top and bottom mold components  34 ,  36  after sufficient hardening, will be substantially similar in shape to the bowl  10  except for the plurality of cavities  32  that have not been created yet. The plurality of cavities  32  can be formed on the hardened slip through perforating means, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic punching device, and the mold piece  60  is left to dry into a greenware piece. The greenware piece can be glazed or coated and then fired, in a kiln or a furnace, to complete the bowl  10 . 
     In this embodiment, the top mold component  34  and the bottom mold component  36  respectively act as a male portion and a female portion of the mold assembly. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the bottom mold component  36  provides as a basin  43  for the slip while a first protrusion  40  of the top mold component  34  projects into the basin  43  occupying the majority of the space in the basin  43 . The first protrusion  40  which shapes the interior space  18  of the bowl  10  is configured to contact a second protrusion  42  of the bottom mold component  36  as the top and bottom mold components  34 ,  36  are assembled, creating a contact surface  44  and thereby forming the bottom opening  16  of the bowl  10 . The exterior of the top and bottom mold components of  FIGS. 3 and 4  look different but the first and second protrusions  40  and  42  are the same. An extension of the interior space  18  below the contact surface  44  tends to widen and is not considered as part of the interior space  18  of the bowl  10  in this embodiment. 
     The molding of the bowl  10  is simplified by the shape of the bowl  10  because only the top and bottom mold components  34 ,  36  are needed to mold the bowl  10  of the present invention. The shape and geometry of the bowl  10  are such that the bowl  10  does not require multiple pieces to be separately molded and secured prior to firing up the bowl  10  because the only greenware piece need to form the bowl  10  is created and substantially shaped in the reservoir  38  of the mold components  34 ,  36 . 
     There may be variations in the configuration of the interior surface  30  that can still be formed using only the top and bottom mold components  34 ,  36 . For example, the interior surface  30  may be ridged in such a way that the horizontal cross section of the interior space  18  does not widen from the open top  14  toward the bottom opening  16 . Such minor variations are believed to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     Moreover, multiple bowls  10  can be molded at the same time or simultaneously using mold components  34 ,  36  that are configured to be stacked or placed on top of one another. As shown in  FIG. 5 , intermediary mold components  46  may be provided to make such stacking possible. Intermediary mold components  46  include an upper portion  48  that is similar in shape to the bottom mold component  36  and a lower portion  50  similar in shape to the top mold component  34 . Alternatively, a component similar to the intermediary mold components  46  may be formed by stacking or gluing a bottom mold component  36  on a top mold component  34 . 
     Although the embodiment of the bowl  10  has features similar to a toilet system, the bowl  10  in accordance with the present invention may be configured to be utilized in any type of application, large or small, in which fluid flow occurs in and about a vessel-like structure, including, but not limited to, a basin, a bath tub, a Jacuzzi, a sink, a bidet, a swimming pool, a fountain or other systems with plumbing. 
     The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.