Patent Publication Number: US-2011047694-A1

Title: Plumbing fixture

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a plumbing fixture, and more particularly, to a combination wash basin and bodily waste basin fixture. 
     Facilities such as public restrooms and homes may be scrutinized for space saving measures. Additionally, some public concerns may exist to find ways to recycle resources such as water. 
     In one exemplary scenario, the general public, in facilities such as an airport, may need to have many individual toilets and urinals as well as several wash basins. In some large scale airports, this may include several hundred separate wash basins, urinals, and toilets. Each wash basin, urinal and toilet may require its own respective water source for operation. The operation of a wash basin and a urinal or toilet separately may result in the use of many gallons of water per use. 
     On structure proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,285 includes a lavatory fixture including a urinal and a hand sink combined in a single lavatory unit. In this type of structure, the faucet appears to be within the same cavity as the urinal unit. A sensor detects when a user walks away from the fixture and releases a water flow to flush the urinal. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a plumbing fixture that may recycle use of one fixture&#39;s water for use in a separate fixture&#39;s water. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a plumbing fixture comprises a wash basin; a bodily waste basin; and a transition compartment connected between the wash basin and the bodily waste basin, wherein the wash basin is positioned above and external to the bodily waste basin. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a plumbing fixture connectable to a wash basin comprises a bodily waste basin removably connected to the wash basin, wherein the bodily waste basin is connected to a drain of the wash basin and the bodily waste basin includes a first flow area; and a transition compartment connected to the bodily waste basin wherein the transition compartment is positioned below the drain and above the bodily waste basin wherein the transition compartment includes a second flow area smaller than the first flow area 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of a plumbing fixture in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a side view of the plumbing fixture of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is an enlarged view of the circle  1 C depicted in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the plumbing fixture shown in  FIG. 1A  depicting an exemplary fluid flow; and 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a plumbing fixture accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
     Broadly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally provide a plumbing fixture combining a wash basin integrated with a bodily waste basin. Embodiments of the present invention may be beneficial for use in lavatories as a mechanism for using space efficiently. Embodiments of the present invention may also allow for recycled use of wash water originating from the wash basin for use in flushing bodily waste out of the bodily waste basin. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments may, in general, comprise an integrated structure or may comprise a bodily waste basin removably connectable to a wash basin. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  2 , an exemplary embodiment of a plumbing fixture  10  may generally include a wash basin  20 , a bodily waste basin  70 , and a transition compartment  30 . It will be understood that the plumbing fixture  10  may be attached to plumbing (not shown) of a lavatory (not shown). 
     The wash basin  20  may include an inner surface  25 , a drain  28 , and fixtures ports  15 . It will be understood that wash basin fixtures BF may optionally be connected to the fixture ports  15 . It will also be understood that the wash basin  20  may generally be concave shaped and the inner surface  25  may slope downward toward the drain  28 . Transition side surfaces  51  may be positioned near a bottom periphery  23  below the drain  28  defining a gradual constriction of a flow area  67 . The flow area  67  may be defined by a passage  69  spanning between the two side surfaces  51 . The drain  28  may be a free flowing drain or may be a controlled flow drain where fluid may be held in the wash basin  20  until a desired fluid capacity for release is achieved. 
     The bodily waste basin  70  may include a generally sloped inner surface  75  configured to receive bodily waste (not shown) and move the bodily waste down toward an outlet  80 . An upper periphery  73  of the bodily waste basin  70  may include side inner surfaces  71  defining a passage  63  permitting flow of fluid from the transition compartment  30  onto the inner surface  75 . A bodily waste basin flow area  65  may be defined by a gradual expansion of the passage  63  spanning between the inner surfaces  71 . The bodily waste basin may in one exemplary embodiment, be a urinal. In another exemplary embodiment, the bodily waste basin  70  may be a toilet. 
     The transition compartment  30  may be positioned between the wash basin  20  and the bodily waste basin  70 . The transition compartment  30  may be connected to the bottom periphery  23  of the wash basin  20  and the upper periphery  73  of the bodily waste basin  70 . The transition compartment  30  may include a water deflector  45  positioned underneath the drain  28 . It will be understood that the water deflector  45  may be a separable element or may be molded into the transition compartment  30 . It will also be understood that the water deflector  45  may be hollow or solid. The water deflector  45  may include a generally rounded deflection surface  40 . The deflection surface  40  may also include a deflection edge surface  44  extending along the sides of the water deflector  45 . The transition compartment  30  may be lengthened for increased water flow velocity due to gravity, however, for ease of illustration, the transition compartment  30  is shown relatively compact in relation to the wash basin  20  and bodily waste basin  70 . 
     The transition compartment  30  may include an outer side surface  53  defining a generally hourglass shape between the wash basin  20  and the bodily waste basin  70 . The outer side surface  53  may cooperate with the inner side walls  35 , inner front wall  37 , inner rear wall  39  and the water deflector  45  to define fluid choke areas  55 . Transition compartment fluid flow areas  60  may be defined by passages  66  spanning between the inner side walls  35  and the water deflector  45 . In one exemplary embodiment, the water deflector  45  may be attached to the inner front wall  37  leaving the sides and rear of the water deflector disconnected for passage of fluid between the inner side walls  35  and the inner rear wall  39 . Thus, the passages  66  may comprise a circular arc passage circumventing the water deflector  45  along its sides and rear deflecting fluid flow against the side inner surfaces  35  and inner rear wall  39 . It will be understood however, that other attachments of the water deflector  45  to the transition compartment  30  may be contemplated such as bridging sides of the water deflector  45  to the inner side walls  35  or by suspending the water deflector  45  from the drain  28  while achieving similar fluid flow. 
     In operation, a user (not shown) may use the bodily waste basin  70  for disposal of bodily wastes. When the user is done with using the bodily waste basin  70 , the user may operate fixtures BF on the wash basin  20  to wash the user&#39;s hands with fluid. In one exemplary use, the fluid may be water originating from the fixtures BF. As the water flows down the inner surface  25 , it may build up momentum due to gravity as the water flows toward the drain  28 . As the water is released through the drain  28 , it begins to encounter lower pressure as it crosses through the flow area  67  and transitions into the transition compartment  30  commencing a build-up of velocity. If desired, the water may be temporarily detained in the wash basin  20  to build up a sufficient volume of water by control of the drain  28 . Upon release, the detained volume of water may flush down through plumbing fixture  10 . 
     As water flows into the transition compartment  30 , it may encounter the water deflector  45  by making contact with the deflection surface  40 . Water encountering the water deflector  45  may flow around the deflection surface  40  and onto the deflection edge surface  44  into the fluid choke area  55  and the passages  66  without flowing outward toward the user thus, assisting in mitigating the occurrence of splashing on the user. The deflection edge surface  44  may cooperate with the inner side walls  35  and inner rear wall  39  to create a venturi effect on the water flow through the passage  66 . The velocity of water may increase as it flows through the flow area  60  which may be smaller in area and thus, lower in pressure relative to the both the flow area  67  and the flow area  65 . As the flow of water passes through the flow area  65  of the bodily waste basin  70 , a higher pressure may result from the water flow exiting the constricted transition compartment  30  and entering the bodily waste basin  70 . The increase of pressure may assist in the water flow traveling along the inner surface  75  and flushing any bodily waste out of the bodily waste basin  70 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , another exemplary embodiment of a plumbing fixture  100  is shown. Plumbing fixture  100  is similar to plumbing fixture  10  except that the wash basin  20  and the bodily waste basin  70  may be disconnected and separate elements that may be connectable to one another. The transition compartment  30  may be connected to either the wash basin  20  or the bodily waste basin  70 . In one exemplary embodiment illustrated, the transition compartment  30  is depicted as being part of the bodily waste basin  70  connected to the bodily waste basin  70  at an upper periphery. The water deflector  45  may be suspended from the drain  28  via suspender  151  as illustrated and inserted into the transition compartment  30  during connection of the wash basin  20  and the bodily waste basin  70 , or the water deflector  45  may be affixed to an anterior portion of the transition compartment  30  as illustrated previously in  FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 2 . A connector  150  may be employed to connect the wash basin  20  to the bodily waste basin  70 . The connector  150  may be, in exemplary embodiments, a threaded connection or may be an interference fit. In one exemplary embodiment, a wash basin  20  may be a fixture previously installed in a lavatory and may thus, be adapted by installing the bodily waste basin  70  underneath the wash basin  20 . It will be understood that sealing elements such as gaskets or silicone may be applied around the connector  150  providing a water tight seal. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.