IE52424B1 - Sanitary apparatus having an anti-suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Sanitary apparatus of the type comprising a bowl (1), adapted to contain the sanitary water during use and being supplied with water by a supply conduit connected to the mains water supply, said apparatus comprising means to prevent any backflow through suction, from the bowl towards the mains supply, of the type comprising an intermediate chamber connected with the atmosphere, supplied by the conduit supplying the sanitary water, connected to the mains supply (5) and issuing into said chamber, with interposition upstream of the zone, of an adjustable obturator such as valve (6), or the like, characterized in that said chamber comprises an overflow wall or edge (13), over which the water can escape by gravity towards the bowl, the upper level (12) of said overflow being situated higher with respect to the water line (17) in the bowl when the latter has reached its maximum filling level, the intermediate chamber (8) communicating with the atmosphere via an opening (18, 18') which communicates with the upper part of said chamber, and the sanitary water conduit (7) supplying the apparatus and issuing into the chamber (8) is situated on a lower level with respect to the waterline (17) when the bowl has reached its maximum filling level, said chamber being filled by the upstream flow of the water until said water flows over the overflowing edge (13) to supply the bowl by gravity.

Description

The present invention relates to a sanitary apparatus comprising a basin or bowl adapted to receive the sanitary water during the period of use, said apparatus being connected to this effect with a supply conduit connected up with the mains water supply; the invention more particularly relates to an anti-backflow device adapted to prevent the water contained inside the basin or bowl from flowing back towards the mains water supply by way of a suction effect, if the pressure inside the mains supply is accidentally reduced.

Devices are known which are interposed between a sanitary apparatus and the mains water supply of a town with a view to preventing the interfering and unexpected phenomenon whereby the water is sucked upwards every time a reduction of pressure occurs in the mains supply, the condition for this being that the water supply to the basin or bowl constituting the apparatus issues into the basin or bowl at a level lower than the overflowing level of the latter; in this case, it is possible for the basin to accidentally fill up with polluted waste water, said basin communicating with the mains supply (the supply valve being open) and if a reduction of pressure suddenly occurs in the mains supply, the polluted water inside the bowl is then sucked up towards the mains supply and runs into it as a source of pollution; such an accident could occur for example when the sanitary apparatus in question is situated on a high floor and when there is a strong demand on water on the lower level.

To eliminate this risk, regulations provide the interposition of an anti-suction device with an air intake, interposed between the directly supplied sanitary apparatus and the mains water supply; said anti-suction device is held in closed position by the pressure inside the mains supply whereas whenever the pressure reduces therein, the anti-suction device can connect 52434 the conduit on which it is fitted with the outside air. Thus, when the pressure is reduced upstream, the suction causes an introduction of atmospheric air into the mains supply, without creating an interfering suction of the waste waters contained in the bowl of the direct-supply sanitary apparatus.

Apparatus such as these are complex and therefore expensive to produce and they are not altogether reliable; considering that they remain virtually constantly in a closed position, this causes a risk of blockages by gumming of the contacting surfaces which do not separate when the apparatus faces a reduction in pressure and as a result open out to the atmosphere.

It is the object of the present invention to eliminate this drawback and to produce a sanitary apparatus supplied directly on the level of the bowl whilst ensuring perfectly safe conditions by opposing in particular any external phenomenon of upstream backflow and suction of the waste waters contained in the bowl.

The present invention relates more particularly to a sanitary apparatus of the toilet and/or bidet type, and it will be described with particular reference to this application; but the invention is also applicable to any sanitary installation of the type comprising a basin or bowl supplied with water and containing sanitary water during its period of use, i.e. between the time when the bowl fills up and the time when it empties towards the waste water discharge system. The invention is particularly applicable to any sanitary equipment such as a lavabo, bath or bidet.

The present invention accordingly provides a sanitary apparatus comprising a basin or bowl adapted - 4 53434 to contain sanitary water when in use and supplied with water by a supply conduit connected to the mains water supply, said apparatus comprising means for preventing any back-flow through suction from the bowl towards the mains supply; said means comprising an intermediate chamber connected with the atomsphere supplied by the conduit supplying the sanitary water, connected to the mains supply and issuing into said chamber, with interposition upstream of the said chamber of an adjustable obturating means such as a valve or the like, said chamber comprising an overflow wall or edge over which the water can escape by gravity towards the bowl, the level of said overflow wall or edge being situated higher with respect to the line of the water in the bowl when the latter has reached its maximum filling level, the intermediate chamber communicating with the atmosphere via an opening which communicates with the upper part of said chamber, and the sanitary conduit supplying the apparatus and issuing into the chamber being situated on a lower level with respect to the waterline when the bowl has reached its maximum fill20 ing level, said chamber being filled by the upstream flow of the water until said water flows over the overflowing edge to supply the bowl by gravity.

It is obvious that in these conditions, the basin being supplied with the water discharges from the intermediate chamber, any suction occurring upstream will only affect the non-polluted water contained inside the chamber, without the water (which may be polluted) contained in the bowl going up from its maximum filling level to the rim of the overflow wall.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the apparatus is provided on the periphery of the bowl, with a substantially plane gullet surrounding at least part of the upper edge of said bowl, said gullet being situated in a substantially horizontal plane and collecting the water discharges from the said intermediate chamber, said water being thus able to flow into the bowl, filling it, and forming a film covering the walls of said bowl. 53434 - 5 The present invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description of a preferential embodiment applied to a toilet bowl with direct water supply and no flushing effect, given by way of example and non-restrictively with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : - Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the toilet bowl equipped with the anti-suction device according to the invention.

- Figure 2 is a plan view of a partial cross-section of the same toilet bowl.

- Figure 3 is a cross-section along line III-III of Figure 1.

Toilet installations of this type are very useful and are becoming widespread because of the advantages which they present and which enable them to be fitted anywhere even without being connected to the main sewers; they can in addition be directly supplied with water without any flushing effect, requiring only a low amount of draining water.

To this effect, the bottom of the basin or bowl 1 is joined to the crushing chamber 2 wherein the rotor 3 rotates, causing the reduction of faeces and the rotation with centrifugal discharge towards the discharge conduit 4.

The novelty of the present invention resides in the water supply to the bowl 1.

The water supplying pipe 5 is connected with the mains water supply and reaches to an obturating member such as an electrovalve 6 controlled by a push-button (not shown),operated by the user. - 6 According to a known method, the electro-valve is programmed so as to operate for a predetermined period of time from the moment when the operator starts actuating the push-button; by way of example, the electrovalve is programmed to deliver the water immediately before the crushing member is actuated, the water delivery continuing a few seconds after the crushing member has stopped so as to ensure that a minimum quantity of water remains at the bottom of the bowl (said water filling also the crushing chamber' 2).

A conduit 7 receives the water coming from the electrovalve 6 and brings this water to the intermediate chamber 8 situated inside a hollow excrescence forming a casing 9 disposed on the rear portion of the bowl.

The chamber 8, contained inside the upper casing 9, is closed on all its faces except for the passage 11 provided above the upper edge 12 of the front wall 13 forming overflow and permitting the water to escape by gravity through the conduit 14 leading to the gullet 15 surrounding the upper edge of the bowl 1.

In these conditions, the water having filled rapidly the chamber 8 escapes through the overflow 12 and, after filling up the gullet 15 spreads as a film over the entire wall of the bowl 1, thus ensuring the best possible cleaning conditions for said wall both during drainage and rinsing.

Xt is obvious that in these conditions the water supplying conduit 5 is always isolated by the fact that the inside of the bowl 1 is provided with an air intake.

Indeed, supposing that accidentally, the electro-valve fails to cut off the water supply and that there is no draining off, the bowl 1 fills up as a result, and the water could not go over the limit of the upper edge 16 of the bowl, i.e. a - 7 level defined by the the dotted line 17; beyond that line, the water flows out, unless an overflow system of a known type is fitted, but in no case can the water go up to the level of the overflowing edge 12.

In these conditions, the upper part of the intermediate chamber 8 is always open to the air.

Moreover, and for additional safety, there are provided passages 18,18' on the back wall of the passage 14, as well as an opening 19 through which the chamber 20 communicates with the atmosphere said three passages are isolated from the chamber 8 and the passages 18,18' are situated on a higher level with respect to the maximum film of water 17 so that whenever a suction occurs on the level of the chamber 8, the atmospheric air passing through said passages 18,18* will supply the chamber and the sanitary water supply which may he under reduced pressure will then simply be supplied with atmospheric air without any risk of the polluted waters being sucked in again from the bowl 1.

The present invention is applicable to any supply device for any type of sanitary installation.

The invention enables in particular the supply to an apparatus such as a bidet or bath from a peripheral gullet; the supply of the entire bowl by a peripheral gullet presents definite advantages by permitting for example preheating of the walls of the bath and avoiding the phenomenon of contact with a cold wall and rapid cooling due to the heat gap created by the mass of cast-iron of the bath, part of which only has been gradually heated.

Likewise, at end of use, the water supply during the rinsing - 8 10 operation, flowing as a film over the whole surface of the wall, rinses and cleans the walls, and .in doing so, makes it easy for the user to rinse and clean up the installation after use.

The arrangement in pairs of the two chambers 8 and 20 makes it possible to use either chamber as water-supplying chamber, the second chamber being then in communication with the atmosphere. This enables adaptation of the device to the configuration of the water supply system of the location where it is meant to be installed.

Claims (4)

1. Sanitary apparatus comprising a bowl adapted to contain sanitary water during use and being supplied with water by a supply conduit connected to the mains water 5 supply, said apparatus comprising means to prevent any backflow through suction, from the bowl towards the mains supply, said means comprising an intermediate chamber connected with the atmosphere, supplied by the conduit supplying the sanitary water, connected to the mains supply and issuing 10 into said chamber, with interposition upstream of said chamber, of an adjustable obturator, said chamber comprising an overflow wall or edge over which the water can escape by gravity towards the bowl, the upper level of said overflow being situated higher with 15 respect to the waterline in the bowl when the latter has reached its maximum filling level, the intermediate chamber communicating with the atmosphere via an opening which communicates with the upper part of said chamber, and the sanitary conduit supplying the apparatus and issuing into the 20 chamber being situated on a lower level with respect to the waterline when the bowl has reached its maximum filling level, said chamber being filled by the upstream flow of the water until said water flows over the overflowing edge to supply the bowl by gravity. 25

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the adjustable obturator is a value or the like.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said apparatus is provided on the periphery of the bowl with a substantially plane gullet (of a type known per se) surrounding at least partly the upper edge of the bowl, said gullet being situated within a substantially horizontal plane and collecting the water flowing in from the intermediate chamber, said 5 water being thus able to flow into the bowl and fill it by forming a film over the walls thereof.

4. Sanitary apparatus according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.