The present invention relates to a device for improving drainline clearance.
The invention has been primarily developed for use in relation to toilets with cisterns that have an ultra low flushing volume, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. The expression “ultra low flushing volume” is herein defined as having nominal full and reduced flush volumes of about 2.5 liters and 2 liters respectively.
A cistern is known as a flush tank in the United States of America.
The design of water closets (WCs) in Australia has been greatly influenced by the need to minimise water consumption and maintain adequate sanitation systems to safeguard and maintain a high level of public health. Since 1982, reductions in Australian WC flushing volumes have led to a major lowering of the average daily WC water consumption per person from 55 liters to 16.5 liters.
A major contribution to this reduction was the development of the two button dual flush WC having 6/3 liter reduced flush technology which gave the user the choice of applying either a 6 liter full flush or a 3 liter reduced flush option to operate the WC. More recently, toilets which give the user the choice of applying either a 4.5 liter full flush or a 3 liter reduced flush option have been developed.
Known attempts known to operate toilets with flushing volumes approaching the ultra low flushing volumes referred to above have led to difficulty in transporting solids waste through sewer drainlines.
Further, known devices developed to address these drainline problems have been large, complicated and expensive, and often required installation under the floor on which the toilet is installed. Such installations are not possible due to budgetary and/or space limitations in many buildings.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a device for improving drainline clearance for use with an ultra low flushing volume toilet, and that can be installed adjacent the toilet.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for improving drainline clearance for use with an ultra low flushing volume toilet, the device including:
The reservoir is preferably adapted to syphonically empty substantially all of its contents into the sewerage drainline after approximately 2 to 4, most preferably 3, flushes of the toilet.
The liquids outlet of the separator means preferably also functions as the inlet of the reservoir.
The substantially horizontal separator means inlet preferably has a slight downward fall away from the toilet pan outlet, most preferably about a 5 mm fall over its length.
The centrifuge device preferably has a substantially central lower opening through which the solids are directed, with the liquids being directed along the inner surface of the opening to the reservoir.
The separator means preferably has horizontal dimensions larger than its maximum vertical dimension. The reservoir preferably has horizontal dimensions larger than its maximum vertical dimension.
The liquids outlet of the separator means preferably includes a series of inwardly facing fins, most preferably spiralled fins.
The device preferably also includes a duct primarily for solids. The duct preferably has an inlet, most preferably with an outwardly flared upper end, beneath the solids outlet of the separator means. In one form, the duct has a substantially vertical outlet, most preferably a flanged outlet, adapted for connection to a floor mounted sewerage drainline connection. In another form, the duct preferably has a substantially horizontal outlet adapted for connection to a wall mounted sewerage drainline connection.
The reservoir preferably has an outlet connected to the inlet via a syphon pipe. The syphon pipe preferably has an outlet, beneath the reservoir, adapted to direct the contents of the reservoir into the sewerage drainline, most preferably via the duct. The syphon pipe outlet is preferably below the floor level of the toilet.
As used herein, the term “solids” includes human faecal waste and toilet paper.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The device 20 includes a centrifuge separator means 30 for separating liquid and solid waste. The separator means 30 has a substantially horizontal (tangential) inlet 32 which is connected, at seal 34, to the outlet 26 of the toilet pan 24. The inlet 32 has a slight downward fall away from the outlet 26 of about 5 mm over its length. The separator means 30 also has an outlet 36 primarily for solids and an outlet 38 primarily for liquids. The solids outlet 36 is in the form of the central lower opening in the lowermost surface of the separator means 30. The liquids outlet 38 is in the form of the inwardly facing curved surface surrounding the solids outlet/opening 36. It should be appreciated that the separator means 30 may not always completely separate solid and liquid wastes. A small percentage of the liquid waste may also travel with the solid waste (e.g. with toilet paper) through the solids outlet, hence the prior characterisation of the solids outlet as an outlet “primarily” for solids and the liquids outlet as an outlet “primarily” for liquids. The operation of the two outlets 36, 38 shall be described in more detail below. Further, the liquids outlet (surface) 38 includes a number of inwardly directed, spiraled fins 40 whose function shall also be described in more detail below.
The device 20 also includes a reservoir 42 in fluid communication with the liquids outlet 38 and a duct 44 beneath the solids outlet 36. The liquids outlet surface 38 also functions as an inlet to the reservoir 42. The duct 44 has an outwardly flared upper end 46, whose function shall be described in more detail below.
The reservoir 42 has a wider lower part 42a and a narrower upper part 42b. The reservoir 42 also has an outlet 48 in fluid communication with a syphon pipe 50 having a weir height 52. The weir height 52 is at the same height as the boundary between the wider and narrower parts 42a and 42b of the reservoir 42, the purpose of which will be described in more detail below. The syphon pipe 50 has a lower outlet pipe 54 which extends into the vertical part 22a of the drainline 22. The upper end of the outlet pipe 54 passes through the lower end of the duct 44 to join the lower end of the syphon pipe 50.
The duct 44 includes a locating flange 60 and a seal 62 at its lower end to seal it with respect to the upper end of the drainline vertical part 22a at or near the level of the floor F.
The separator means 30 is generally cylindrical in shape and is about 120 mm high and 200 mm in diameter. The reservoir 42 is generally rectangular in shape, albeit stepped, and is about 100 mm high and about 300 mm by 280 mm and 190 mm by 210 mm at parts 42a and 42b respectively. The separator means 30 and the reservoir 42 are thus both about two to three times wider than they are high. This width to height ratio, the horizontal inlet 32 of the separator means 30, and the positioning of the reservoir 42 directly under the separator means 30, results in the device 20 being compact. This compactness advantageously allows the device 20 to be installed on the floor level F on which the toilet pan 24 is installed. Further, the combined vertical dimension (i.e. installed height) of the separator means 30 and the reservoir 42 of the device 20 does not extend above the maximum height of the upper most part of the pan outlet 26. In new installations, this allows the device 20 to be simply and easily installed behind the toilet pan 24 and thus concealed from view. The device 20 is also suitable for retrofitted installations as it can be easily connected to an existing S trap style drainline without costly modifications to the floor or foundations or the like.
The operation of the device 20 will now be described.
As shown in
Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006900147 | Jan 2006 | AU | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/AU2006/001988 | 12/21/2006 | WO | 00 | 5/12/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2007/079522 | 7/19/2007 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20100326903 A1 | Dec 2010 | US |