GB2210645A

GB2210645A - W.C. having user detection means

Info

Publication number: GB2210645A
Application number: GB8723102A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Min-Teh Chien
Original assignee: CHIEN KUNG HO
Current assignee: CHIEN KUNG HO
Priority date: 1987-08-25
Filing date: 1987-10-01
Publication date: 1989-06-14
Also published as: DE8711488U1; GB8723102D0

Abstract

A toilet assembly comprising means (2, 3) arranged to detect/sense the presence or absence of a user at or in the vicinity of the assembly and means arranged to operate at least one of the otherwise manually-operable components of the assembly, such as, the toilet seat cover (1), the toilet seat (9), the flushable cistern (13) and a sterilising device (15), into its respective operative or non operative state. <IMAGE>

Description

TOILET ASSEMBLY DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a toilet assembly of the type comprising one or more of the following components, namely: a flushable toilet bowl; a toilet seat; a toilet seat cover; a cistern for flushing the bowl; and a sterilising device. With the exception of the flushable toilet bowl, these components are, to-date, manually operable and in this specification are referred to as 11otherwise manually-operable components".

At present, such toilet assemblies are used commonly and, although comfortable to use, they can cause skin infections and spread diseases as a result of a user's direct contact therewith, in particular, with the toilet seat. Also, in domestic situations, restaurants and other publis places, separate toilet facilities for male and female users are not always provided. The result is that some male users do not always lift the toilet seat before urinating, thus tending to pollute the seat. Further, some users forget to flush the toilet bowl and/or lower the seat cover after use of the toilet assembly, resulting in poor sanitary conditions.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate, or at least substantially reduce, the abovedescribed disadvantages and drawbacks associated with known toilet assemblies with otherwise manually-operable components by providing, in accordance with the invention, a toilet assembly of the type referenced above, which assembly comprises means arranged to detect the presence or absence of a user at on in the vicinity of the ass embly and means arranged to operate, in response to such detection, at least one of the otherwise manuallyoperable components of the assembly into a respective one of operative and non-operative states.

Thus, when the detecting means detects the presence of a user at or in the vicinity of the toilet assembly, the operating means, in response to that presence detection, can move the toilet seat cover from its lowered, closed position to its raised, open position and/or, similarly, the toilet seat from its lowered position to its raised position. When the detecting means subsequently senses the absence of the user at or in the vicinity of the toilet assembly, after the user has used the latter, the operating means, in response to the absence detection, can operate the flushing mechanism in the cistern to flush the toilet bowl, move the toilet seat and/or associated cover into the lowered position and/or actuate a sterilising device, for instance, an ultra-violet light source, for killing any bacteria or other sources of contamination and infection in the toilet bowl and on the underside of the toilet seat and cover. Such a device may be arranged to operate for a predetermined time period after the flushing operation.

The detecting means may be arranged to transmit signals forwardly of the toilet assembly to detect a user at or in the vicinity of the assembly, in which case, said means is preferably located in the front of the rim of the toilet seat cover. Further detecting means may be associated with the underside of the toilet bowl cover, whereby signals transmitted therefrom forwardly of the assembly, when the cover is in its raised, open position, are arranged to detect the absence of a user at or in the vicinity of the toilet assembly.

Alternatively, the presence detecting means may be located in the front edge of the toilet seat.

Otherwise, the absence detecting means can be solocated.

A control circuit, sensitive to the presence and/or absence detecting means, may be employed to control the operation of a motor and associated transmission mechanism for raising and/ or lowering the toilet seat and any associated cover, as well as the operation of a cistern flushing mechanism and/or a sterilising device. In such an arrangement, the transmission mechanism may have associated with it microswitches which are operable to raise and lower the toilet seat and toilet seat cover, to flush the cistern, to actuate the sterilising device and to change over operation of the presence and absence means, as the case may be.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, an embodiment of toilet assembly in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet assembly, with the toilet seat cover in its raised, open position; Fig. 2 is a plan view, in partial section, of a part of the toilet assembly shown in Fig. 1 but with the toilet seat cover in its lowered, closed position; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of a transmission mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a nother part of the transmission mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is -a partial sectional view of a cistern of the assembly shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective, partially diagram matic view of a control for the cistern shown in Fig.

5.; Fig. 7 is a side view of the cistern shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a control for the assembly; and Fig. 9 is a control circuit diagram use for controlling operation of the toilet assembly.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, an embodiment of toilet assembly in accordance with the invention comprises detector means 2 located in holes in the front of the rim of a toilet seat cover 1 which is pivotable between respective lowered, closed and raised, open positions, the latter position being the case in Fig. 1 and the former in Fig. 2.

Further detector means 3 is located at or in the under side of the cover 1, the first-mentioned detector means 2. being arranged to detect the presence of a user approaching the toilet assembly and the further means 3 being used -to detect the absence of a user, per se. A transmission mechanism, comprising a built in motor 4, a reduction gear set 5, a drive gear 6 and a drivable gear 7, is mounted within a housing 8 at the left and towards the rear of the toilet seat 9 and associated cover 1.

A flanged shaft 10 receives and holds thereon the pivotable toilet seat 9 and another flanged shaft 11 receives and holds thereon the pivotable toilet seat cover 1, with the two shafts 10,11 being mounted for rotation within a casing 12 fixed at the rear of the seat 9 and cover 1. Also, the shafts are connected or connectable to the transmission mechanism within the housing 8, for rotation by that mechanism, as will be described hereinbelow, and are shown in greater detail in respective Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

As shown in Fig. 5, an automatic flushing device 14 for a cistern of the assembly is located therein, the cistern being indicated generally at 13 in Fig. 1, and, as also shown in Fig. 1, a sterilisation lamp 15 is positioned on or in the underside of the toilet seat cover 1.

The detector means 2 is, when the cover 1 is in its lowered, closed position, arranged to transmit signals forwardly of the assembly, to detect the presence of a user approaching it. With the cover 1 in its raised, open position, the detector means 3 transmits signals forwardly of the assembly, to detect the absence therefrom of a user leaving it on completion of his toilet.

The signals are transmitted continuously from their respective detector means 2,3. With the cover 1 in its lowered, closed position, signals are transmitted from only detector means 2 and with the cover 1 in its raised, open position, signals are transmitted from only detector means 3, the changeover being caused by a control circuit, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

On detection of the presence or absence of a user by the respective detector means 2,3, said means is used to trigger a control circuit, as shown in Fig. 9, in response to such presence or absence detection, which circuit, in turn, starts the motor 4, to raise the toilet seat cover 1 and toilet seat 9 in sequence or to lower the seat 9 and cover 1, as well as causing the cistern to be flushed automatically and the sterilising lamp 15 to switched on for a predetermined time period.

The motor 4 can rotate in either direction, with its output shaft driving a pinion gear 16 of the reduction gear set 5, which engages a gear 17, to reduce drive speed. The shaft 18 of the gear 17 is connected with a partially-toothed drive gear 6 whose teeth have an angular extent of about 90" to 100" around the periphery thereof and engage with the drivable gear 7. The radii of the gear 17 and drive gear 6 are the same, so that the drive gear 6 can rotate the drivable gear 7 through about 90" to 100 . Also, the gear 7 is connected to one end of a shaft 19, whilst the other end of this shaft 19 is slotted into the flanged shaft 10, to cause the latter to rotate through the same 90" to 100 , together with the other shaft 19.The flanged shaft 10 is also hollow, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and one end of its inner bore is slotted to mesh with the correspondingly-shaped outer surface of the corresponding end of the shaft 19. Also, one end of the shaft 10 remote from its inner slotted end, has one or more outer slots 21 arranged to engage in and mesh with the corresponding inner rim of a shaft 20 of the toilet seat 9, whereby the seat 9 can be pivoted between respective lowered and raised positions, through the previously-mentioned 90" to 100" angle.

The outer surface of the other end of the shaft 10 is provided with a flange 22 whose angular extent, namely, about 90" to 100 , corresponds with that of the drive gear 6, so that, when the toilet seat 9 is raised or lowered to its upper or lower position by the drive gear 6, the flange 22 just engages a microswitch 23 which cuts off power to the motor 4.

As shown in Fig. 2, the other part of the transmission mechanism in the housing 8 is employed to pivot the seat cover 1 between respective open and closed positions, its structure and operation being generally the same as those described above for the toilet seat 9, except that, when and after the cover 1 has been lowered to its closed position, one flange on the associated drive shaft 11, which is shown in Fig. 4, cuts off power to the motor 4, whilst the other two flanges on the shaft 11 engage respective microswitches 24 and 25 to cause the cistern 13 to flush and to actuate the sterilisation lamp 15 for, say, a predetermined time period of five minutes.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the automatic flushing device 14 is provided in the cistern 13 and consists of a water inlet valve 26, a water outlet valve 27 and a drive arrangement 28. The water inlet and outlet valves are of conventional design and, thus, there is no need to elaborate further with respect to these particular components. The drive arrangement 28 is arranged to engage with the top rim, under the lid, of the cistern 13 and to be adjustably moved along cisterns of different structures and dimensions, to align with the respective water outlet valves thereof.

Generally, the drive arrangement 28 comprises a movable positioning bar 29 which can engage the cistern 13, a waterproof housing 30, a motor 31, a worm rod 32, a worm 33, a positive reduction gear set 34, a driven gear 35, a drivable gear 36, a drive rod 37 and a beaded chain 38. Each of the two ends of the positioning bar 29 has a hooked plate 39 which can adjustably engage the upper rim of the cistern 13, to be hooked thereon, for positioning purposes, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The main part of the bar 29 has an oblong slide slot (not shown) for screws for fixing the housing 30 thereon.

The waterproof housing 30 is of a rectangular form and its joined component parts are sealed together with a waterproof washer 40. The motor 31 is mounted in the housing 30 and the worm rod is connected to the output shaft of the motor 31, which is provided with a coaxial, positive pinion 41 of the reduction gear set 34, for driving the positive gear 42, thereby reducing the rotational speed. This positive gear 42 is, in turn, provided with a coaxial driven gear 35 drivably engaging the gear 36. One side of the drivable gear 36 has a drive pin 43 inserted in a slot 44 in the rear end of the drive rod 37, so that the gear 36 can move the drive pin 43 aiong the slot 44, thereby causing the drive rod 37 to rock up and down about a pivot 45 at the front of the housing 30.This rod 37 protrudes through the front of the housing and a hole 46 is provided at the front end of the rod, to which the bead chain 38 is connected, thereby joining the rod 37 to the outlet valve 27. The part of the drive rod 37 which protrudes through the front of the housing 30 has a flexible waterproof boot 47 on the front of the housing, to engage in a circumferential slot 48 on the rod 37, to ensure good waterproofing of the housing 30.

As shown in Fig. 6, an enlarged view of the drivable gear 36 of Fig. 5 indicates its relationship with the power supply for the motor 31, the transmission components being omitted for reasons of clarity. The gear 36 has one side face connected to an electrically conductive circular plate 49 which has a non-conductive radially-extending blank slot 50 therein. Two leaf spring contacts 51 are located adjacent the plate 49, so that, when they engage the conductive plate 49, the power supply becomes operative, to drive the motor 31 and, hence, the gear 36. When the slot 50 in the rotating plate 49 rotates to an in-register position with respect to the contacts 51, the power supply is disconnected, thus stopping the motor 31. Therefore, rotation of the motor 31 can only drive the gear 36 through one revolution before that gear is stopped.

In other words, the gear 36 only drives the rod 37 through one upward movement before the gear 36 is stopped, this movement being sufficient to open the outlet valve 27, to flush the toilet bowl for, say, a fixed duration before the valve 27 is closed again. In this particular embodiment, the gear 36 takes 3 seconds to undergo one revolution. When the motor 31 starts, the contacts 51 are located in, at or adjacent the slot 50, the power supply being made operative, to drive the motor 31, by an integrated circuit IC with a set time of, say, 1 second, thereby causing the slot 50 to move away from the contacts 51, so that the power supply provides the required power but is cut-off when the slot 50 once again reaches the contacts 51.

The sterilisation device shown in Fig. 1 and consisting of the ultraviolet lamp 15 is positioned at or on the underside of the toilet seat cover 1 and is controlled by rotation of the shaft 11 associated with the cover 1. When the shaft 11 pivots the cover 1 into its lowered, closed position, one of the flanges on that shaft engages and triggers the microswitch 25, thereby switching on the lamp 15. The sterilisation time is set by the control circuit, as shown in Fig.

9, for about 5 minutes, after which time the circuit cuts-off the power supply to the lamp. If a user wishes to use the toilet assembly during the sterilisation process, he merely needs to raise the cover 1 and the microswitch 25 will immediately cut-off the power supply, as a consequence of the rotation of the shaft 11.

Operation of the toilet assembly is illustrated by the block diagram of Fig. 8. When a user wishes to use the toilet assembly and approaches its front, the continuously transmitted signals from the detector means 2 at the front of the rim of the cover 1 sense, in this case inductively, the presence of the user, so that the cover 1 is pivoted upwardly through about 95" to 100" into its raised position, in response to such presence detection. After about 1 to 2 seconds, the seat 9 is also pivoted upwardly through the same angle of about 95" to 100" into its raised position.

Meanwhile, the microswitch 23 is changed over from signal-transmitting, detector means 2 to the signaltransmitting function of the other detector means 3, for continued detection of the presence of the user at the toilet assembly. Now, the seat 9 can also be manually lowered, entirely free from any effect of the signal-transmitting function of the detector means 3. When said latter means 3 detects or senses the absence of the use at the toilet assembly, after use thereof, the seat is first lowered and, after about 1 to 2 seconds, the cover 1 is lowered, in response to such absence detection or sensing. Also, the automatic flushing process is brought into operation, as described above, as is the sterilisation process.

If the detector means 3 detects the absence of the user at the toilet assembly but the seat 9 has already been lowered manually, then the motor 4 of the seat is rendered inactive by the respective microswitch. However, the cover 1 starts its motor, thereby causing the cover to be lowered and also to cause the automatic flushing and sterilisation processes to be initiated.

It is to be understood that the presence and absence detecting/sensing means 2,3 may be of any suitable type, for instance, inductive or capacitive proximity sensors, and may be positioned in any suitable location with respect to the toilet assembly, other than in the respective positions described above in relation to the preferred embodiment. Indeed, it is to be appreciated also that said means 2,3 may be a unified combination of both presence and absence detecting means.

Claims

1. A toilet assembly of the type defined above, comprising means arranged to detect/sense the presence or absence of a user at or in the vicinity of the assembly and means arranged to operate, in response to such detection/sensing, at least one of the otherwise manually-operable components of the assembly into its respective operative or non-operative state.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the components is. the toilet seat cover which, in response to such presence or absence detection/sensing, is operably pivotable into a raised, open positional state or into a lowered, closed positional state, as the case may be.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said presence detecting/sensing means is associated with the front of the rim of the cover and is arranged to transmit presence detecting/sensing signals forwardly of the assembly, when the cover is in its lowered, closed positional state.

4. An assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said absence detecting/sensing means is associated with the underside of the cover and is arranged to transmit absence detecting/sensing signals forwardly of the assembly, when the cover is in its raised, open positional state.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said presence detecting/sensing means is arranged not to transmit signals when the absence detecting/sensing means is transmitting signals and vice-versa.

6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein another of the components is the toilet seat which, in response to such presence or absence detection/ sensing, is operably pivotable into a raised positional state or into a lowered positional state, as the case may be.

7. An assembly according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the toilet seat and cover are mounted upon respective drivably rotatable shafts with flanges or cams for engaging respective microswitches arranged to provide power for rotating said shafts and, hence, the seat and/or cover between respective raised and lowered positional states.

8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein power for rotating the shafts is provided by an electric motor via a transmission arrangement.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the transmission arrangement includes a reduction gear set.

10. An assembly according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the toilet seat and cover shafts are mounted within a casing, preferably waterproof, located at the rear of the seat and cover.

11. An assembly according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the electric motor and transmission arrangement are mounted within a housing, preferably waterproof, located at the rear of the seat and cover.

12. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a further one of the components is a flushing device mounted in the toilet cistern and arranged to flush the toilet bowl in response to such absence detection/sensing.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the flushing device is arranged to flush when the toilet saet and/or cover is pivoted from its raised to its lowered positional state.

14. An assembly according to claim 12 or 13, when dependent upon any of claims 7 to 11, wherein operation of the flushing device is controlled by the rotatable shaft, upon which the seat or cover is mounted, and an associated microswitch.

15. An assembly according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the flushing device comprises a rotatable drive gear which is arranged to open and close the outlet valve of the associated cistern and which has an electrical contact arrangement for ensuring that the drive gear undergoes only one revolution of rotation each time the flushing device is operated.

16. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the electrical contact arrangement comprises an electrically-conductive plate fixed to one side of the drive gear and having a radially-extending, electrically non-conductive portion, and at least one fixed electrical contact which, when engaging the conductive plate,causes power to be supplied to the associated electric motor for corresponding rotation of the gear and which, when in register with the non-conductive portion, disconnects the power from the motor.

17. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein initial rotation of the drive gear is controlled by a control circuit.

18. An assembly according to any of claims 8 to 17, wherein the transmission arrangement includes a gear which is partially toothed over an angular extent corresponding to the angle through which the toilet seat and/or cover is pivoted between respective raised and lowered positional states.

19. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a sterilising device is arranged to be brought into operation when the toilet seat and/or cover is pivoted from its raised to its lowered positional state.

20. An assembly according to claim 19, wherein the sterilising device is an ultraviolet lamp.

21. An assembly according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the sterilising device is associated with the underside of the toilet seat cover.

22. An assembly according to claim 19, 20 or 21, when dependent upon any of claims 7 to 18, wherein operation of the sterilising device is controlled by the rotatable shaft, upon which the seat or cover is mounted, and an associated microswitch.

23. An assembly according to any of claims 19 to 22, wherein the sterilising device is arranged to be brought into operation when the cover has been pivoted into its lowered, closed positional state.

24. A toilet assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.