Abstract:
A dump bucket toilet that enables the construction of a toilet that has a low profile and that avoids splashing of water. A barrier ( 90 ) lies over much of the first side portion of the bucket to prevent the very rapid discharge of water from the bucket into the surrounding tank when the bucket is tipped, but to instead allow water to be discharged through an opening ( 92 ) of moderate size. This avoids splashing and keeps the bucket in it dump position for a few seconds to avoid the bucket scooping up water at the bottom of the tank. A return wall ( 120 ) at the bottom of the middle of the tank retains water at a second side portion of the tipped bucket to urge the bucket to tilt back to the filled position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a dump bucket toilet, a bucket that lies within a tank can be tilted to discharge substantially all water into the tank, the water flowing to a toilet bowl to flush out its contents. When the bucket is tilted, the water rapidly rushing out of the bucket can splash. To prevent water from leaking out of the top of tank, barriers are required to limit the effect of the splashing. As soon as the bucket has been tilted to a dump position, it tends to quickly return to its fill position for refilling with water. The bucket may scoop up some of the water in the tank, which results in much less than all of the water being used and which results in an incomplete flush. This is prevented by placing the bucket higher above the bottom of the toilet tank, but this results in a taller toilet tank which is undesirable. In some instances, the toilet pivots back from the dump position only partially towards the fill position, and remains in the in between position under the force of the refill water flowing into the bucket. This can be prevented by weighting the bucket, but then the bucket requires more torque to initially pivot it, and the bucket pivots back fast enough to make a noticeable sound, both of which are undesirable. A dump bucket toilet that avoided these disadvantages, would be of value. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a dump bucket toilet is provided which avoids substantial scooping of water by the bucket as it returns towards the fill position, to enable a toilet tank of low height to be used. The bucket can be initially tilted with a low force, and yet reliably returns to the filled position while making minimal noise. The bucket has first and second sides adjacent respectively to first and second sides of the toilet tank, and is pivotable about a longitudinally-extending tilt axis. The bucket carries a barrier that lies over a first side portion of the bucket. As a result, when the bucket is tiled so its first side is lowered, the barrier resists rapid discharge of the water and consequent splashing. The barrier forms an opening at the top of the first bucket side, through which water can flow out at a moderate rate, which avoids splashing and which keeps the toilet tilted for a few seconds while substantially all of the water is discharged. This avoids the bucket scooping water and the need for a taller gap between the bottom of the bucket and the bottom of the tank. 
     A return wall lies in the bucket near its bottom. When the bucket tilts to its dump position and then tilts partially back to an in between position, the return wall retains water on a second side of the pivot axis, to apply torque urging the bucket back towards the fill position. 
    
    
     The novel features of the invention are, set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front and top isometric view of a portion of a toilet constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the bucket shown in a fill position and the tank shown in phantom lines. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear and top isometric view of only the bucket of the toilet of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1, with the bucket in the fill position. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but with the bucket in a dump position. 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but with the bucket in an in between position and taken on line  5 — 5  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a dump bucket toilet  10  of the present invention, which includes a toilet tank  12  having laterally L opposite tank sides  20 ,  22 , longitudinally M opposite tank ends  24 ,  26 , and a tank bottom wall  28 . A bucket  30  lies within the tank and is pivotable about a longitudinal tilt axis  32 , to dump water lying in the bucket  30  into the tank  12 . The tank bottom wall has a water exit hole  34  through which water passes to flow along a water tunnel  36  to a toilet bowl  50  to discharge the water through openings  52  in the rim of the toilet bowl. 
     Each time the bucket is tilted to discharge its water into the tank, water from a refill valve  60  flows water into the bucket to refill it, until the refill valve senses that the bucket is filled, and then stops. The refill valve  60  directs water into a first end portion  62  of the bucket, which is closest to the first or primary end  42  of the bucket. 
     The bucket primary and secondary ends  42 ,  44  carry short shafts or trunnions  70 ,  72  that project along the tilt axis  32 . The trunnions are pivotally mounted in bearings (not shown) in the end walls  24 ,  26  of the tank. A handle  74  fixed to a portion of trunnion  70  that projects beyond the tank, can be depressed to tilt the tank from the fill position to a tilted dump position. During such tilting in the tipping direction of arrow  80 , a first side  82  of the bucket moves down while an opposite second side  84  moves up. As the bucket tilts perhaps 100° in the tipping direction  80 , water in the bucket is discharged into the tank  12  and rapidly flows out through the water exit hole  34 . 
     Applicant provides a lid or barrier  90  which lies above a first side portion  91  (FIG. 3) of the bucket (opposite a second side portion  93 ) that lies adjacent to the first bucket side  82 , the barrier extending at least partially towards the bucket second side  84 . The purpose of the barrier  90  is to prevent a sudden dumping of substantially all of the contents of the bucket into the tank, as this can result in splashing of the water. The splashed water can find its way to the top of the tank and cause a few droplets to leak out, which is undesirable. The barrier  90  forms a gap opening  92  between itself and the top of the first bucket side  82 , and much of the water in the tank can flow out at a moderate rate through the gap opening into the tank. Such moderation of outflow of water greatly reduces splashing. The barrier preferably extends as part of a cylinder centered on the pivot axis from the top  130  of the bucket first side, to avoid requiring an increase in tank width, while providing more volume to hold dumped water. The longitudinal M length of the barrier is more than one-third the length of the bucket. 
     As also shown in FIG. 2, the dump bucket forms a hold-down container  100  with longitudinally-opposite end walls  102 ,  104 . The barrier  90  lies at the top of the hold-down container. The end wall  102  limits the rapid outflow of water in the bucket being tilted, through the first end portion  62 . The bucket is also provided with an axillary container  110  that traps water and slowly empties the water into the hold-down container  100 . The bucket also has a return wall  120  that traps water when the bucket has been tilted to its dump position and then pivots back only partially to an in between position, to help return the bucket to the initial fill position. 
     FIG. 3 shows the bucket in its fill position, wherein the level of water at WA lies near the top  122  of the bucket. The bucket is shaped so the center of gravity at  124  is slightly below the pivot axis  32  and lies slightly closer to the second side  84  of the bucket then to the first side  82 . A stop indicted at  126  can hold the bucket in this fill position. 
     When the handle is depressed and the bucket turns in the tipping direction  80 , the bucket tilts by an angle A of about 95° to 100° to a dump position. The top  130  of the bucket first side  82  moves to the position  132 . A stop (not shown) prevents the bucket from tilting any further than the position  132 . The dump position is almost always between 60° and 120° away from the fill position. 
     FIG. 4 shows the bucket at  30 A as it reaches the dump position. The water WB tends to be thrown out of the bucket and against the first side  20  of the tank. However, the barrier  90  greatly limits the amount of water that is forcefully thrown out of the bucket. A volume  134  between the refill waterline WA and the barrier  90  receives some of the water. In FIG. 4, a moderate amount of water at  140  flows over the far side  94  of the barrier  90  into the tank. 
     The barrier has an average width less than half the width of the top of the bucket. The rest of the water in the hold-down container  100  can exit only through the gap opening  92  between the top of the bucket first side  82  and an adjacent edge of the barrier  90 . It is noted that it is possible to extend the barrier  90  further across the width of the bucket toward the second side  84 , so that substantially no water flows at  140  over the barrier, although applicant prefers to allow a small amount of water to flow over the barrier. It should be noted that considerable water flows rapidly out of the first end portion  62  (FIG. 2) of the bucket, where the barrier  90  does not lie. Applicant does not have the barrier extend over the first end portion  62 , because water from the refill valve flows into the bucket through the first end portion  62 . However, the hold-down container  100  preferably extends by more than half the longitudinal length of the bucket. 
     FIG. 4 includes arrows  150 ,  152  showing the paths of water flowing above and below the barrier  90 . The axillary container  110  has a small hole at  154  that allows water to flow along the path  156  down and through the gap opening  92 . The weight of water in the axillary container  110  and the hold-down container  100  tend to keep the bucket in its dump position shown in FIG. 4, for a total period of perhaps four or five seconds, which is long enough for almost all water at the bottom of the tank  12  to exit through the exit hole  34 . This avoids the bucket scooping up water as it begins to return towards the fill position. 
     FIG. 5 shows the bucket at  30 B in an in between position which is angled by an angle B (FIG. 3) of 55° from the fill position. Applicant finds that, unless special measures are taken, the bucket tends to slowly move to the in between at  30 B (FIG. 5) and remain there indefinitely as water from the refill valve moves along the direction of arrow  160 . To return the bucket to the fill position, applicant provides a return device  162  in the form of a return wall  120  that extends longitudinally along the lower end (when the bucket is in its upright fill position) of the hold-down container  100 . Refill water moving along arrow  160  fills the lower portion of the bucket, as to the height  166 , with additional water flowing out through the gap opening  92  into the tank. If the water at the height  166  filled the entire lower portion of the tank, this would not have any substantial effect in pivoting the bucket in the return direction  170  which is opposite the tipping direction  80 . However, the return wall  164  holds a net weighting or torquing portion  172  of water. The weighting portion  172  of water is not offset by water at the bottom of the hold-down container  100  because water cannot flow from the weighting portion  172  into the hold-down container  100  unless the water rises above the top  174  of the return wall. The weight of the water in the weighting portion  172  applies torque that pivots the bucket slowly back to the fill position of FIG.  3 . The slow return minimizes the amount of noise when the stop  126  is reached. It is noted that in the dump position of FIG. 4, the return wall  120  cannot hold water without such water also flowing into the hold-down container  100 , so no trapped water applies a torque in the dump position of FIG. 4 that would counter the hold-down effect of water in the axillary container  110 . 
     In a dump bucket that applicant has designed, the bucket is molded of plastic and has a longitudinal length D (FIG. 2) of 17.8 inches, a lateral width E of 6 inches and a height G of 4.75 inches. The barrier  90  has a longitudinal length of 11.5 inches and a width of 2.2 inches up to the opening  92 . The return wall  120  has a height of 1.5 inches. Applicant prefers that the barrier width H be at least one-fifth the width of the bucket. 
     FIG. 3 indicates another barrier  170  that could be used instead of the barrier  90 . The barrier  170  can extend along the entire longitudinal M length of the first side portion  91  of the bucket at a height above more than half the bucket height G. There is possibly a slot where water at  160  would hit the barrier. An opening  172  allows for the outflow of water in the dump position. 
     Thus, the invention provides a dump bucket toilet that avoids large splashing of water when the bucket is tipped to its dump position, which avoids scooping up water by the dump bucket returning away from the dump position so the tank can have a lower height, and which assures that the bucket will return to the fill position after each cycle and with minimum noise. A barrier lying above most of a first side portion of the upright (fill position) bucket prevents the sudden dumping of a large portion of water in the bucket when the bucket tilts to the dump position, and consequent splashing. Instead, water lying along most of the length of the bucket flows down to the bottom of the barrier to more slowly flow into the tank. An opening for the water can lie between the top of the bucket first side and the barrier and/or in one of them. The bucket forms a hold-down container that traps a considerable portion of the original water so it cannot rapidly flow out through a first end portion of the bucket that is kept open to receive water through the refill valve. An axillary container provides slight additional delay before the bucket starts pivoting back towards the refill position. A return wall at the bottom of the upright bucket, traps a quantity of water and holds the water there when the bucket has pivoted only partially back from the dump position, to an in between. The torque applied by the water trapped on the return wall, assures that the bucket will return to the upright refill position. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.