Abstract:
A personal hygiene cleansing apparatus for use on the toilet is connected to hot and cold water supply lines in a bathroom. The water flows from these lines to a manually-controlled mixer for temperature control and then delivered to a hand-held spray gun. The apparatus may be built in to a wall or vanity, or it may be installed in a case for portability. Optionally, the apparatus comprises a soap tank which mixes soap with a portion of the incoming water for controlled application with the spray gun.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is commonplace in developed countries to cleanse one&#39;s nether body parts with either bathroom tissue or a bidet, or both, after using the toilet. The problem with tissue alone is that sometimes it is not sufficient to cleanse completely enough to suit the user. The problems with the bidet, on the other hand, are plumbing cost and space requirements for installation. The present invention provides the same or greater cleansing thoroughness of the bidet at significantly less cost and essentially no additional required space. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a cleansing apparatus to connect to existing hot and cold water supply lines in a bathroom, that would be either built into a wall or vanity, hung on or hinged to a vertical surface, or made portable in either a cart or carrying case. The apparatus comprises means for mixing the hot and cold water and conveying the water stream to a hand-held sprayer having a built-in control valve. Means are also provided, optionally, for adding soap solution to the stream. The invention also provides a bracket for holding the spray head when it is not in use. The invention also comprises alternative sprayer heads which can be attached to, or substituted for, each other by the user or by multiple users. 
   Objects of this invention are to provide: a) a space- and money-saving alternative to a bidet for personal hygiene cleansing; b) a discreet and unobtrusive personal hygiene cleansing apparatus; c) a portable apparatus for personal hygiene cleansing; d) a personal hygiene apparatus that can be used with interchangeable spray heads; e) a personal hygiene cleansing apparatus that will add soap or other additives to the water conveniently and at the user&#39;s discretion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first generic embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a second, built-in, embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a third, soap-applying, embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a fourth, portable, embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of interchangeable spray heads for the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like numerals depict like features in all drawings: 
     FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the invention. A hot water supply line  1  and a cold water supply line  2  are connected to a hot water tube  3  and a cold water tube  4  respectively, either directly or through isolation valves  5  and  6 . The tubes  3  and  4  are connected in turn to a mixer  7 , containing one or more mixer valves  8  capable of being manually adjusted to control the proportions of hot and cold water fed through the invention and thereby the temperature of the water.  FIG. 1  shows two valves with separate valve bodies, but the valve bodies may be combined into a single body with multiple flow paths. The configuration of the mixer is not important as long as the mixer is capable of controlling the individual proportions of the hot and cold water. The mixer outlet  9  is connected to a flexible hose  10 , which in turn is connected to a hand-held spray gun  11 . The spray gun  11  comprises a valve body  12 , a spray head  13  and a valve handle  14  that is spring-biased and normally closed. Once the temperature of the water is adjusted to a satisfactory level by adjusting the mixer valve or valves  8 , pressing the handle  14  opens the valve body  12  and allows properly attemperated water to emerge from the spray head  13  for application to a user&#39;s body. A bracket  15 , attachable to a vertical surface and shaped to hold valve body  12  when not in use, may be provided. The mixer  7  may be built into a generic faucet assembly  16 , shown here as environmental structure. 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second, built-in, embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, hot and cold water tubes  3  and  4  come from isolation valves  5  and  6  (not shown) within a space  20  fronted by a vertical panel  21 . The sides of a rectangular cabinet or vanity, and the wallboard of a hollow wall, are examples of such vertical panels fronting spaces within which this embodiment may be built. Mixer  7  and bracket  15  are mounted on the inside surface  22  of a door  23 , which is attached by hinges  24  to vertical panel  21 , and may be opened outwardly by pulling on door handle  25 . The extreme positions of door  23  may be delimited by latch  26  and rail assembly  27 . A user seated on a toilet nearby may access the invention by pulling door  23  open and pulling spray gun  11  upwardly through bracket  15 , and then by extending hose  10  sufficiently to reach into a position directing water into the toilet. By pressing valve handle  14 , water can be sprayed into the toilet and tested for the proper temperature. The temperature can be adjusted as desired by adjusting mixer  7 . Then the spray gun  11  can be pointed toward the user&#39;s body and the flow and force of the water stream controlled by the valve handle  14  to clean the body completely and comfortably. After use, the valve handle  14  is released, stopping the flow of water, and the user can dry off the spray gun  11  with tissue and return it to its bracket  15 . When the door  23  is closed in the direction of arrow C, the invention is hidden from view by the door  23  and vertical panel  21  and protected from dust. 
     FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a third, soap-applying, embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, cold water tube  4  is connected to a check valve  35 , thence to one arm  30  of a tubing tee  31 . A second arm  32  of the tee  31  is connected to a second tube  33 , which directs water to the mixer  7  for mixing with water from the hot water tube  3 . To the third arm  34  of the tee  31  is connected a lower petcock  36  which allows a side stream of water to enter a soap tank  37  at inlet tap  38 . An outlet tap  39  at the top of the soap tank  37  allows soapy water to flow via soap tube  40  to the inlet of soap control petcock  41 . Watertight cap  42  on tank  37  allows soap to be added into the tank, or cleaning of the tank. The outlet of soap control petcock  41  may be attached directly to the outlet of mixer  7  (as shown) or it may be attached to (not shown) or built into (not shown) spray gun  11  so that the user can control soap application and water flow with one hand. In these latter cases, soap tube  40  is extended to the spray gun preferably by being attached alongside or wrapped around hose  10 . 
     FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a fourth, portable, embodiment of the invention. In this illustration, it is embodied in a wheeled cart  50 , although the same assembly could be fitted into a carrying case or other means of portage. The functional difference between this embodiment and the third embodiment is that there is only one water tube  51  instead of hot and cold water tubes  3  and  4  (not shown). A flexible funnel  52  is used to connect the apparatus to a sink or bathtub faucet (not shown) after the temperature of the water has been adjusted properly at the sink or faucet. The water from tube  51  flows to one arm of a tee  53 , where it is split to a soap tank supply hose  54  and a fresh water supply hose  55 . The soap tank supply hose  54  goes to a lower petcock  36  and thence to the soap tank  37 . The soap tank  37  is mounted within cabinet  56  so that its watertight cap  42  may be opened at an accessible surface  57  of the cabinet  56 . Cabinet  56  is shown here with rigid transparent walls so that components of the invention can be seen, but neither transparency nor rigidity of walls is a necessary aspect of the invention. The fresh water supply hose  55  goes to a mixer  7  where the flow of fresh water is controlled by a water valve  58 . Soapy water leaves soap tank  37  via soap supply hose  40  to mixer  7  where its flow is controlled by soap valve  59 . Mixed water leaves the mixer  7  via hose  10  to enter spray gun  11 . Spray gun  11  is stored in recess  60  in surface  57  when not in use. Funnel  52  likewise is stored in hole  61  in surface  57  when not in use. When the invention is installed in a cart  50 , typically the cart may comprise additionally a handle  62 , wheels  63  and a foot  64  for ease of handling, but other means of portability including casters or a shoulder strap are not meant to be excluded by these depictions. 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view the spray gun  11  configured to receive detachable and interchangeable spray tips. This is a variation of the spray gun  11  portion of the invention in which the spray gun  11  does not have a built in spray tip, but instead a quick connect  80 . Several spray heads of identical function but for different users  81   a,    81   b,  and  81   c,  etc., or spray heads of different function (e.g, angles, spray patterns)  82   a,    82   b,  and  82   c,  etc., can be connected to quick connect  80  as needed.