NL2007652C2

NL2007652C2 - Lavatory and wash fixture.

Info

Publication number: NL2007652C2
Application number: NL2007652A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Maria Loth
Original assignee: Univ Delft Tech
Priority date: 2011-10-25
Filing date: 2011-10-25
Publication date: 2013-05-01

Description

Lavatory and wash fixture

The invention relates to a lavatory and wash fixture, comprising: (i) a lavatory, (ii) a basin, (iii) a means for 5 discharging water into the basin, said means being switchable between a closed and an at least partially open position, and (iii) a sensor arranged to trigger at least switching of the means for discharging water between the closed and the at least partially open positions, wherein the lavatory and basin 10 are separate units.

Such lavatory and wash fixtures are commonly found in public places such as in trains, at railway stations, in restaurants and pubs etc. The basin is provided with a sensor arranged to trigger switching of a means for discharging water-15 between a closed and an at least partially open position for reasons of hygiene i.e. so that a person having used the lavatory does not need to manually operate a means for discharging water into a basin, such as a tap. The sensor in such prior art systems is provided in or in the vicinity of the basin.

20 Despite people generally being aware that washing, especially hand washing, is advisable after lavatory use for reasons of hygiene, many people still do not adhere to this advice. Washing after lavatory use is an important intervention that can help to reduce instances of, for example, gas-25 trie infections resulting from ingesting pathogenic bacteria. Certain types of bacteria, such as Escherichia Coli, can survive for some time outside of the body and are easily passed on through contact with contaminated surfaces.

It is an object of the invention to provide a lava-30 tory and wash fixture in accordance with the appended claims that overcomes problems of the prior art. In a particular aspect it is a goal of the invention to provide a lavatory and wash fixture arranged so as to encourage washing after lavatory use.

35 In a first aspect, the invention relates to a lavatory and wash fixture, comprising: (i) a lavatory, (ii) a ba sin, (iii) a means for discharging water into the basin, said means being switchable between a closed and an at least partially open position, and (iv) a sensor arranged to trigger at 2 least switching of the means for discharging water between the closed and the at least partially open positions, wherein the lavatory and basin are separate units, and wherein the sensor is in or in the vicinity of the lavatory. Examples of suitable 5 sensors are known to a person skilled in the art and include optical sensors.

In an embodiment the sensor also triggers flushing of the lavatory.

Through providing the sensor in or in the vicinity of 10 the lavatory, water begins to flow into the basin at the moment that the sensor is triggered i.e. when a person having used the lavatory steps away therefrom. The sight and sound of water flowing into the basin which is placed in another area than the lavatory serves to remind a person having used and 15 walking away from the lavatory to wash. Moreover, the person may be further encouraged by the thought that it would be wasteful not to use the water since it is already flowing.

Also social pressure from other people occasionally present in the toilet facilities may encourage the person having used the 20 lavatory to use the flowing water for washing his hands.

In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is positoned along an imaginary vertical axis passing through the centre of the lavatory. Such an arrangement ensures that the sensor is triggered by a person stepping away from the lavatory.

25 The term lavatory refers to a sanitary installation for receiving and disposing of urine and/or faeces. Suitable examples include: a common sit-toilet, a squat-toilet, a sit-squat toilet or a urinal; the toilet may be a flush-ing/flushable or a dry toilet. The lavatory is preferably em-30 bodied as a flushing/flushable toilet, most preferably a urinal .

In a further preferred embodiment the basin is a sink.

In an alternative embodiment the basin is a bidet.

35 Whilst a goal of the invention is to encourage hand washing, the invention could similarly be applied to encourage use of a bidet. Bidet use is a hygienic alternative or additional cleaning means to using paper.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a lava- 3 tory and basin fixture wherein an outlet from the basin feeds to an inlet of the lavatory for flushing said lavatory. The outlet from the basin is preferably at a lowest point of the basin; suitable ways of delivering water from the basin to the 5 lavatory are known to a person of skill in the art. The water is preferably delivered via a passage and cascades such that it efficiently rinses a bowl or similar inside surface of the lavatory. It is advantageous for both environmental and financial reasons to re-use the water i.e. for both washing and for 10 flushing and/or rinsing the lavatory.

In a preferred embodiment, water passing from the basin to the lavatory is visible to a user of the lavatory; this could be achieved for example through use of an at least partially transparent passage, or an at least partially open pas-15 sage e.g. at an upper side thereof. Thus a person using the lavatory and wash fixture is aware that water is being recycled. This is both aesthetically interesting and serves to raise awareness of the importance of not wasting water, this is particular important in countries that suffer from water 20 shortages and similarly in situations such as in trains and aeroplanes where water is in limited supply.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, a storage tank for water is provided between the basin and the lavatory such that an outlet from the basin passes via the tank to an 25 inlet of the lavatory. Such an arrangment is advantageous to provide, for example, a means for delivering different predetermined volumes of water to flush the lavatory e.g. a short and a long flush.

The lavatory and wash fixture of the invention is 30 primarily intended for use in public places. In a third aspect wherein the basin is preferably a sink, the lavatory and wash fixture further comprises a screen shielding a user from public view wherein the screen shields only the lavatory. I.e. the lavatory is in a space shielded from public view and the 35 basin is in a publically viewable space. Such an arrangement serves to stimulate hand washing by social control. Social control refers generally to societal and political mechanisms or processes that regulate individual and group behavior, leading to conformity and compliance to the rules of a given 4 society, state, or social group. Simply put, if a person is being watched, they are more likely to behave as society expects, in much the same way as a child typically is less likely to misbehave under the watchful eye of their parents.

5 In a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a pre fabricated unit comprising the lavatory and wash fixture of the invention for use in public spaces such as to be incorporated into a train.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated 10 with reference to the drawing of Figure 1 which is not limiting of the appended claims.

Figure 1 shows a lavatory and wash fixture 1, comprising: (i) a lavatory 2, (ii) a basin 3, (iii) a means 4 for discharging water into the basin e.g. a tap 4A, said means 4 15 being switchable between a closed and an at least partially open position, and (iii) a sensor 5 arranged to trigger at least switching of the means 4 for discharging water between the closed and the at least partially open positions, wherein the lavatory 2 and basin 3 are separate units. The lavatory 2 20 is embodied as a urinal 2A, the basin 3 is embodied as a sink 3A. The sensor is positoned above the lavatory along an imagi nary vertical axis X passing through the centre of the lavatory. The basin 3 further comprises an outlet 0 connected to an inlet I of the lavatory by a passage P. The lavatory and 25 wash fixture further comprising a screen S for shielding a user from public view wherein the screen shields only the lavatory 2.

In this example, the lavatory and wash fixture 1 is for example on a train and the lavatory 2 and basin 3 are em-30 bodied as a urinal 2A and sink 3A. Whilst at the urinal 2A the user U is shielded from the view of fellow passengers, whereas whilst using the sink 3A, the user U is in plain view. In use, a user U first approaches the urinal 2A. At some point later, the user U then steps or turns away from the urinal 2A acti-35 vating the sensor 3 and thus triggering the discharge of water from the tap 4A. Water flowing from the tap 4A drains from the outlet 0, via the passage P and into the inlet I, efficiently flushing the urinal. Water in the urinal is then discharged to a drain D or is further recycled.

5

In a preferred outcome the user U is reminded by the flow of water to wash their hands; is sufficiently concious that they are visible to fellow passengers to wash their hands properly and considers the importance of not wasting water af-5 ter noting that water is recycled.

Claims

A toilet and washing facility (1), comprising: (i) a toilet (2), (ii) a basin (3), (iii) means (4) for carrying water to the basin (3), which means (4) be switchable between a closed and at least partially open position, and (iv) a sensor (5) adapted to at least switch the means (4) between the closed and at least partially open positions cause water release, wherein the toilet (2) and basin (3) form separate units, characterized in that the sensor (5) is located in or near the toilet (2).

Toilet and washing facility (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor (5) is positioned along an imaginary vertical axis (X) that runs through the center of the toilet.

Toilet and washing facility (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the toilet (2) is a urinal (2A).

Toilet and washing facility (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basin (3) is a washbasin (3A) or bidet.

Toilet and washing facility (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a drain (O) from the basin (3) feeds an inlet (I) from the toilet (2), for flushing and / or cleaning said toilet (2).

Toilet and washing facility (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the toilet and washing facility (1) further comprises a passage (P) between the drain (O) of the basin (3) and the inlet (I) of the toilet (2), which passage (P) is at least partially transparent or open.

A toilet or washing facility (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims and further comprising a screen (S) for shielding a user (U) from a public view, characterized in that the screen (S) is exclusively the toilet (2) shields.

A prefabricated unit comprising the toilet and washing facility according to one or more of claims 1-7.