Patent Application
20200407961
The present invention refers to a smart, tankless intelligent sanitary apparatus, which uses a direct discharge method and is based on a swing-tray mechanism (5) and a control unit (8) operationally attached to a presence sensor (19), which informs the control unit (8) if the sanitary device is in use; a flow sensor (12), which measures the volume of water entering the system; a solenoid valve (13), which allows or prevents the entry of water into the sanitary device; an operating mechanism (16), which opens and closes the hinged tray (5); and a locking mechanism (9), which fixes the hinged tray (5) in closed position, this combination allows to determine the mode of discharge of the toilet and regulate the water supply to the system, maintaining the formation of a water mirror that constitutes the hydraulic odour seal, ensuring that water consumption at each discharge is the same, independent of the fluid inlet pressure, and guaranteeing high performance, good dragging and excellent cleaning with very low water consumption.
The correct functioning of a sanitary device depends on the guarantee of an odour/gas trap, coming from the discharge line, and on the fulfilment of four main characteristics: performance, dragging, cleanliness and water consumption. Performance refers to the amount of waste that a sanitary device is capable of disposing of. Usually, this characteristic is expressed in units of mass (g) and is measured under the MaP (Maximum Performance) standard. For its part, dragging is the indicator of the certainty of transport of the waste through the discharge pipes to avoid obstruction, which is usually quantified by means of the tests set forth in ASME A112.19.2. In relation to the toilets ability to clean the internal walls of the bowl and that the water remaining after the flush cycle is as clean as possible. Finally, consumption is the amount of water used by the toilet in each flush cycle, usually defined in units of flush volume (lpf) and calculated according to ASME A112.19.2.
Discharge devices in different markets are regulated by environmental and quality standards that restrict the design spectrum. The design of a sanitary landfill can be understood as a function of the balance of the 4 variables described above. To date it has not been feasible to maximize the 4 variables by using traditional toilet designs such as siphonic bowls, siphon-jet toilets, or blowout, wash-down toilets. Generally, sacrifice of one of these four features is required to maximize the performance of another.
In the state of the art one of the strongest barriers is found in water consumption, which is traditionally the variable that manufacturers seek to optimize, to the detriment of dragging, cleaning or performance.
In the review of the state of the art, you will find publications of sanitary that use mechanical traps to achieve optimization of water consumption. Among them is the U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,101B1 which describes a fully mechanically operated toilet with a cylinder that communicates with the water source, a plunger arranged in a sliding manner inside the cylinder and a plurality of spray nozzles communicated with the mixing tube. When the drain valve is opened to allow water to enter the cylinder, the piston is pushed upwards, increasing the air and water pressure inside the mixing tube, allowing the spray nozzles to clean the toilet with a jet of the air and water mixture. This toilet has a funnel-shaped bottom end and has a suspended bucket, placed in the lower opening of the funnel so that, when the piston is pushed up, the bucket pivots on its axis, opening the mouth of the funnel and allowing the release of its contents, including waste.
There is also U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,887, which describes another mechanical trap toilet designed to reduce water consumption during on its axis, opening the mouth of the funnel and allowing the release of its contents, including waste. waste disposal. This toilet is based on a flap valve mechanism, which includes a valve element that has (1) a closed state in which that valve element covers that bottom outlet to prevent waste in that bowl from moving down through that bottom outlet to that drain line; and (2) an open state in which that valve element moves away from that bottom outlet to allow that residue in that cup to move down through that bottom outlet to that drain line under the force of gravity. In addition to said flap valve, the toilet comprises a liquid discharge medium and a solid discharge medium. In a realization of said invention, the user presses a first button to automatically open the saucer vertically down and flush the urine into an adjacent drainage line with approximately 0.25 gallons (250 ml) of water and in a second performance, the user presses a second button to automatically release a staged flow capable of causing a solid human waste to be carried further into an adjacent drainage line. This allows us to say that it is the user who selects the method of evacuation. Therefore, if the second button is not pressed, the solid waste will not be disposed of correctly.
In both cases mentioned above, water is supplied when the mechanical trap is opened. The advancement in U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,887 uses a distinct that allows to select if the discharge is of liquid waste or to use the method of discharge of two stages, when the waste is solid. Despite improving water consumption, the tests carried out on the toilets mentioned above showed that the probability of solid waste getting stuck in the toilet outlet and water being evacuated without taking all the waste with it is high In other words, low water consumption would be achieved to the detriment of capacity of dragging it.
Contrary to the teachings of the state of the art, the toilet of the present invention presents a different discharge process, since the water is supplied to the cup with the tray closed flooding the well of the toilet, raising and by dispersing the solid waste, providing enough potential energy so that when the tray is opened, the supplied water and the solid waste are evacuated with enough energy to prevent them from getting stuck at the toilet outlet or at the beginning of the drainage line and exceeding the standard for dragging tests (ASME A112.19.2.) In turn, the shape of the well, the hopper and the tray has smooth, accelerated geometries that facilitate the flow of water and solid waste into the drainage line, causing them to lose as little kinetic energy as possible. Different from this invention, in the prior art the geometries have geometrical transitions with sharp curves and strong edges that favor clogging in the drainage line.
In addition to the problems evidenced in the previous paragraphs, the performance of the mechanical trap toilets is affected by the inlet water pressure, if the pressure is low there will not be enough water flow to guarantee their performance, if the pressure is high the water consumption is higher, because the toilets such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,887, where the control of water quantity is done by time, cannot guarantee that water consumption will be constant, since such consumption will fluctuate with the water inlet pressure. Unlike that, in the case of the present invention the performance of the toilet is not affected if the flow is low, since the control unit measures the volume of water entering the toilet, ensuring that the amount of water consumed in each flush is the same and that the required flooding is always achieved to maximum performance, without the need to make additional requirements of the supply line or to place additional devices or equipment that guarantee the inlet pressure, achieving that the water consumption is the same regardless of the water inlet conditions.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,887 refers to a toilet whose discharge does not end up forming a water mirror, so the toilet must be used without a water mirror, unless the user presses a button to generate the water mirror. This causes three problems, the first of which is that the size of the of the water mirror is decided by the user, therefore not possible to guarantee water consumption, a second problem arises when the user uses the toilet without a water mirror, which will cause solid waste to adhere strongly to the walls of the toilet, affecting hygiene. The most serious problem is that the odour seal depends on the physical contact of the tray and the well, specifically the adjustment of the seal (48), and in case it fails or wears out, the toilet will not have an odour seal and odours from the pipe cannot be prevented from escaping, contaminating the bathroom.
In the present invention, the odour seal is created by the water mirror forming a water seal. Consequently, the odour seal is not dependent on the tight closure of the tray and the packaging, the packaging in this invention has the sole function of facilitating the flooding process at the time of discharge.
On the other hand, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,045,887 and 6,467,101B1 the water supply to the well or cup is done by sprinklers that are not integrated into the well. This type of protruding geometry creates corners and spaces that are difficult to access, allowing dirt and bacteria to accumulate and making cleaning difficult, affecting the cleanliness and hygiene of the sanitary device. In the present invention, the water is supplied directly to the well from the top of the well, so that it does not there are places where waste can accumulate, the bowl is easily cleaned, using 100% of the water for washing, helping to keep the toilet clean.
Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,045,887 and 6,467,101B1 do not have intelligent control, the first one is totally mechanical and the other one is a very basic control system, controlled by time. In both alternatives, if something unexpected happens, such as something stops the movement of the tray, the water valve does not close, no water supply, etc. such toilets have no ability to identify the fault. In the present invention the control unit is a closed-loop automatic control system (SAC), which detects at all times the position of the tray, determines whether the user is present and regulates how much water he has supplied. As such, the control has the ability to make decisions such as stop or relax the system to prevent damage to the mechanisms, increase energy and water consumption, and even shut off the water supply automatically in the event of leaks or blockages.
In the state of the art, mechanical trap toilets require approximately 5 liters of water to make a solid waste discharge that meets the established standards. In the present invention, this task is performed with only 2.5 liters, which represents a saving of 50% with respect to the existing toilets.
Thus, the present invention aims at developing an intelligent sanitary device, which optimizes water consumption, ensuring that the amount of water required is equal to or less than 2.5 liters and that the same amount is always used, regardless of the pressure of the inlet fluid; that it has a water mirror that eliminates the emergence of odors from the outlet pipe and facilitates cleaning of the bowl; to monitor at all times the position of the bowl, determine if the toilet has been used, regulate how much water it has supplied and make decisions about stopping or releasing the system, to avoid damage to the mechanisms, increase energy and water consumption, and even turn off the water supply automatically, in case of leaks or blockages; while ensuring a high performance, excellent dragging and cleaning with very low water consumption, all this.
The present invention refers to an intelligent, tankless sanitary device, because it comprises a hinged tray (5), a well (2) with a water mirror and hydraulic odour seal (21), a hopper (3), located under the well (2) and used to convey the waste into the drain line, and a control unit (8) operationally linked to a presence sensor (19), which informs the control unit (8) whether the sanitary device is in use; to a flow sensor (12), which measures the volume of water entering the system; to a solenoid valve (13), which allows or prevents water to enter the toilet; an actuator (16), which opens and closes the hinged tray (5); and a locking mechanism (9), which secures the hinged tray (5) in the closed position.
Preferably, the hinged tray (5) has a curved geometry shown in
On the other hand, the operating mechanism (16) can be any type of mechanism capable of inducing the necessary movement to open and close the tray (5), such as a linear actuator, a motor, a servo motor, a reduction motor, a 4-bar mechanism, a transmission with belts and pulleys, among others. In a preferred alternative to the invention, the drive mechanism (16) is a belt and pulley transmission, while the locking mechanism (9) of the tray (5) is selected from the group that consists of a linear actuator mechanism with pin, pins, ratchet, self-locking gear motor, torsion springs in general any mechanism that allows the tray to be stopped in the closed position at rest and without generating power consumption.
In addition to the above, the sanitary apparatus of the present invention comprises a water inlet (10), directly connected to the hydro-sanitary network. Through said entrance the water enters the toilet and then passes through a filter (11), which retains solid particles and impurities that could be contained in the water of the aqueduct.
Likewise, the toilet has a pressure regulating device (14), which in the case of very high inlet pressure, lowers it to appropriate levels to avoid splashing in the bowl.
Alternatively, the presence sensor (19) can also be equipped with a manual (18), which is activated by the user to start the download. The presence sensor (19) can be of any technology that can detect the presence of the body, such as infrared, inductive, microwave, ultrasonic, etc.
In a preferred mode of the invention, the toilet has a self-calibration sensor (17) which detects the closing position of the tray (5), when the toilet is connected to the power source (20) said toilet starts the initial self-calibration routine, to detect the closing position, the control unit (8) gives the command to the operating mechanism (16) to close the tray until 20 that the self-calibration sensor (17) sends the closing signal to the control unit (8). The control unit (8) stores this position in the memory as the closing position and all other movements are calculated with respect to this position. This prevents a manual calibration procedure from having to be performed between the drive mechanism, the locking mechanism and the control.
However, the well (2) has a nozzle (15) at the top, which discharges the water onto a track (22) that directs the water to the walls of the well (2) by making a downward spiral path (23), to clean the walls of the well (2). This well (2) has a gasket (4) assembled at its lower end, which comes into contact with the tray (5) when it is in a closed position, in order to prevent the flow of water between the tray (5) and the well (2) and encourage the flooding process during the toilet flushing process, and thus, achieve the desired level, as shown in
Under the well (2), the sanitary device comprises a hopper (3), which has a geometry with smooth curves. Specifically, the hopper (3) has two upper projections (31, 32), which surround the lower part of the cup (2), and a central curvature (34), where the diameter of the hopper (3) is narrowed, its direction is changed and the mouth (35) is formed, which receives the waste from the cup (2), as shown in
Similarly, the sanitary unit has structural elements such as a casing (1), a seat (7) and a cover (6).
Tray Control
In a preferred mode, the toilet has two modes of discharge, one for solid waste disposal and the other for liquid disposal. In both cases, the sequence and times of the system depend on the volume of water delivered to the system, which is regulated by the flow sensor (12), while the control unit (8) establishes which type of discharge to perform according to the information captured by the presence sensor (19).
When the solid waste discharge cycle starts, the tray (5) is in the closed position, the water mirror level and hydraulic odour seal in the well (2) is in its initial state as shown in
To avoid wasting water during flooding, the well (2) has a gasket (4), shown in detail in
Once the control unit (8) detects that between 700 ml and 900 ml of water have been supplied, by means of the flow sensor (12), the tray (5) opens and the water accumulated with the waste is evacuated through the mouth (35) of the hopper (3). While the tray (5) is open, the control unit (8) continues to supply water through the nozzle (15) to help evacuate the load, clean the well (2) and tray (5), and to allow the solid waste to be dragged through the drain line. When the control unit (8) detects that 800 ml to 1000 ml of water has already been supplied, the control unit (8) gives the command to the of drive (16) to close the tray (5). When the tray (5) is in the closed position, the control unit (8) gives the command to the locking mechanism (9) to secure the tray in the closed position, de-energises the drive mechanism (16) and supplies an additional 700 ml to 900 ml, to recover the water mirror (21) and with it to generate the hydraulic odour seal, and return to the initial state as shown in
In this mode of operation the system is intended to discharge with less water, the control unit (8) opens the tray (5) and the water that forms the water mirror and odour seal (21) shown in
In an alternative mode of the present invention, there is only one mode when the solid and liquid waste discharge cycle starts, the tray (5) is in the closed position, the water mirror level and odour seal (21) in the well (2) is in its initial state as shown in
The geometry of the tray (5), shown in
The tray (5) is attached to the hopper (3) by means of its axes (51 and 52) that allow its rotation. The tray (5) is controlled by the drive mechanism (16) and the locking mechanism (9). The drive mechanism (16) transmits the rotation movement to the tray (5) with the speed and position defined by the control unit (8), the locking mechanism (9) fixes the tray in closed position.
Whenever the toilet is at rest, the locking mechanism (9) keeps the tray (5) in the closed position. When the control unit (8) gives the command to open the tray (5), the control unit (8) operates the locking mechanism (9) to release the tray (5). Once the tray (5) is free, the control unit (8) activates the drive mechanism (16), which turns the tray (5) between 40 and 60 degrees, as shown in
In addition to the mechanisms described above, the toilet has a self-calibrating sensor (17), which detects the closed position of the tray (5). When the toilet is connected to the power source (20), the toilet starts the initial routine to detect the closed position. The control unit (8) gives the order the drive mechanism (16) to close the tray until the self-calibration sensor (17) sends the closing signal to the control unit (8). The control unit (8) stores this position in the memory as the closing position and all other movements are calculated with respect to this position. This prevents a manual calibration procedure from having to be performed between the operating mechanism (16), the locking mechanism (9) and the control unit (8).
When the appliance is not in use, the control unit (8) is in standby mode, in low energy mode, the tray (5) is closed and fixed in this position by the locking mechanism (9), the cup (2) has a water mirror (21) as shown in
To start the discharge, the control unit detects the presence of the user or the user can pass his hand near the presence sensor (19) or press the hand switch (18). The control unit (8) is activated and starts the discharge sequence by sending a signal that opens the solenoid valve (13), which allows the water to enter the system through the water inlet (10), which is directly connected to the hydro-sanitary network. The water passes through the filter (11), which retains solid particles that could affect the operation of the system.
The flow sensor (12) measures the amount of water entering the system, to ensure that the toilet works with the same amount of water and has the same performance, regardless of the pressure of the water supply system. When water supply pressures are very high, undesirable splashing can occur, so the toilet has a pressure regulating device (14), which lowers the water pressure to an appropriate level.
The water enters the well (2) from the top through the nozzle (15), which directs the water towards the walls of the well (2) making a spiral path, as illustrated in
The tray (5) remains closed while the incoming water accumulates and raises its level to suspend, disperse the load, and increase its potential energy as you can see on
Thus, the toilet of the present invention uses between 2 and 3 liters of water per flush for liquids and solids, activated by the user by means of a single presence sensor or button.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC2018/0002525 | Mar 2018 | CO | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2019/051829 | 3/7/2019 | WO | 00 |
