GB2561330A

GB2561330A - Urinal Device

Info

Publication number: GB2561330A
Application number: GB1621018.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harris James; Harris Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-12-09
Filing date: 2016-12-09
Publication date: 2018-10-17
Also published as: GB201621018D0

Abstract

A urinal waste outlet cap comprises a cover portion defining a cavity 3 for locating a cleaning compound/bacterial block 4. A plurality of stems 5 extend from the underside of the cap for fitting inside the waste outlet 7. The cover portion includes a plurality of apertures 2 such that fluid passes across the block, dosing cleaning compound into the outlet. The block is activated exclusively by urine without the need for flushing. The block may sit sufficiently above the water line 8 so that release of the block's bacterial culture only takes place when urine passes through the apertures, thus allowing for waterless operation. Water released in the event of flushing or cleaning passes under the cap without coming into contact with the block. The stems may be flexible and resilient such that they can be urged into the waste outlet. At least one of the stems may comprise an arcuate outer section. The cap may include a connecting section for linking the stems to the cover portion, and the connecting section may be integral with the stems. The apertures may be elongate or circular.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

James Harris

Pilgrims Way, Rochester, Kent, ME2 1LQ, United Kingdom

Joseph Harris

Pilgrims Way, Rochester, Kent, ME2 1LQ, United Kingdom

1621018.9 (51) INT CL:

E03D 13/00 (2006.01)

09.12.2016

A47K 11/12 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

GB 2496870 A WO 2010/091862 A1 CN 002703802 Y

WO 2013/017424 A1 CH 000636923 A5 JP 2014045891 A (58) Field of Search:

INTCLA47K, E03D Other: WPI, EPODOC (72) Inventor(s):

James Harris Joseph Harris (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

James Harris

Pilgrims Way, Rochester, Kent, ME2 1LQ, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Urinal Device Abstract Title: Urinal waste outlet cap.

(57) A urinal waste outlet cap comprises a cover portion defining a cavity 3 for locating a cleaning compound/ bacterial block 4. A plurality of stems 5 extend from the underside of the cap for fitting inside the waste outlet 7. The cover portion includes a plurality of apertures 2 such that fluid passes across the block, dosing cleaning compound into the outlet. The block is activated exclusively by urine without the need for flushing. The block may sit sufficiently above the water line 8 so that release of the block's bacterial culture only takes place when urine passes through the apertures, thus allowing for waterless operation. Water released in the event of flushing or cleaning passes under the cap without coming into contact with the block. The stems may be flexible and resilient such that they can be urged into the waste outlet. At least one of the stems may comprise an arcuate outer section. The cap may include a connecting section for linking the stems to the cover portion, and the connecting section may be integral with the stems. The apertures may be elongate or circular.

1/2

FIGURE 1

2/2

FIGURE 2

Urinal device

The present invention relates to a device which contains a disinfecting or deodorising compound, which will retrofit a standard flushing urinal toilet, thus converting it into a waterless urinal which does not require flushing.

Urinals, as commonly used in public toilets, typically comprise a bowl or trough into which a person may urinate and a waste outlet connected to a sewage system or septic tank, through which the urine drains. Quite commonly, they also include an inlet connected to a clean water supply and a control valve operable to flush the urinal with clean water. Since the urinal plumbing is sized to carry fluid and not solid matter, many urinals are fitted with a waste strainer comprising a grille or aperture plate through which fluids and small articles may drain, but by which sufficiently large articles are blocked.

As an alternative to flushable urinals such as those mentioned above, the urinal can be replaced by, or converted into, a so-called ‘waterless’ urinal. Such replacement/conversion typically involves costly work to be carried out by a plumber or similar professional, expending considerable labour and using an array of tools, equipment and components.

Given the unhygienic and in some cases pungent nature of urine, many urinals are also furnished with cleaning compounds, typically in the form of dissolving blocks which sit within the urinal and serve to disinfect and deodorise. These blocks are usually located in the base of the bowl or trough and within the vicinity of the waste outlet. An alternative to the conventional disinfecting block is the use of urinal blocks comprising bacterial cultures. These bacterial cultures sanitise urinals in a number of ways. Firstly they digest uric salts and bio-film build up on the surfaces of the pipes, which reduces or eliminates bad odours, they break down lime scale build ups and they prevent the growth of harmful bacteria by competitive exclusion. One of the aims of using bacterial cultures rather than conventional sanitising products is that the former allows the reduction in the frequency of flushing and hence a saving of water. Relatively small amounts of the bacterial culture blocks are released with every contact with fluid, compared with the conventional blocks, resulting in longer life and consequent reduced costs.

It is preferable that any holder for securing or concealing such cleansing compounds can be retrofitted to the urinal without having to remove or replace the waste outlet since this could be very costly, particularly for public toilets having many urinals or large troughs with many waste outlets.

Accordingly, in its broadest sense, the present invention provides a device comprising two main separable elements allowing for retrofitting to an existing urinal waste outlet. Firstly a urinal cap suitable for use with a urinal block or bacterial culture compound, possessing a plurality of stems extending downwards from the cap to hold the cap in its appropriate position. Secondly, a simple push-in adapter section into which the aforementioned stems can be inserted according to the nature of the urinal’s waste outlet. Open waste outlets, i.e. those without any form of waste strainer fitted, can be retrofitted via the adapter component. Those fitted with waste strainers can be retrofitted by the cap component alone. Both elements of the invention simply push-in and pull-out as required, and do not require any tools or costly labour.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a urinal cap, comprising a cover section with apertures, a compartment housing a bacterial culture urinal block sitting above a domed cage, and two stems inserted into a urinal waste outlet leading directly to a waste pipe.

Figure 2 shows a urinal cap with an alternative cover section with apertures, and two stems configured for insertion into the corresponding slots of the push-in open waste outlet adapter, which in turn is configured for insertion into the open waste outlet.

In Figure 1, a cover portion 1 defines a cavity 3 for locating a bacterial culture sanitising product 4, said cover portion being adapted to overlie the waste outlet 6, and to permit urine to flow through the cavity via apertures 2 before entering the waste pipe 7. The cavity housing the bacterial culture is adapted to sit sufficiently above the water line 8 of the urinal, thus allowing any non-urine fluids, e.g. water used for periodical cleaning of the urinal, to pass under the cavity, so that release of bacterial culture only takes place when urine passes through the cap’s apertures, thus avoiding the need for flushing and allowing for waterless operation. However, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that a large number of designs are possible which will perform the task and the invention is by no means limited to any one arrangement of apertures or shape or design of cover portion or cavity. It will also be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to a particular type of sanitising block.

A plurality of stems 5 extending downwards from the underside of the cap, are inserted into the waste outlet 6 in order to hold the cap section in place. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative arrangements for the stems are possible, including a different quantity of stems. The present invention is not limited by any particular arrangement of stems or their connection to the cap section. Neither is its use confined or limited to any particular type or shape of waste strainer.

By way of example, the device is shown attached to a waste outlet fitted with a domed strainer, but it can also be used with an open waste outlet via the attendant simple push-in adapter.

Figure 2 shows the bacterial culture-containing cap with an alternative cover portion 1, featuring a plurality of apertures 2, and a plurality of stems 3 extending downwards from the underside of the cap. The stems are configured for insertion into the corresponding slots 4 of the attendant push-in open waste outlet adapter 5, which itself is configured for insertion into the open waste outlet 6 for the purpose of holding the cap in its appropriate place, thus retrofitting an existing urinal lacking a waste outlet strainer, without the need for any tools or labour. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative arrangements for the stem slots are possible, including a different number of slots.

Urinal device

02 18

Claims

1. A urinal cap suitable for use with a urinal block, which cap may be retrofitted to a urinal waste pipe or outlet and waste strainer, said cap comprising:

a cover portion defining a cavity for locating a cleaning compound/bacterial block;

a plurality of stems depending from the underside of said cap, said stems being adapted to locate inside said waste outlet;

said cap comprising a plurality of apertures located in said cover portion; such that, in operation, urine fluids pass over said cap and through said apertures and across said cleaning compound/bacterial block, eroding the block, and dosing cleaning compound/bacterial block into the waste pipe or outlet;

said cleaning compound/bacterial block is secured in a position within said cap which facilitates activation of said cleaning compound exclusively by administration of urine, avoiding necessity of contact with flushing water, thus allowing for waterless urinal operation.

2. A urinal cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stems are flexible and resilient such that they can be urged into said waste pipe or waste pipe adapter so as to hold said urinal cap in its appropriate position.

3. A urinal cap as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said urinal cap comprises two stems.

4. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the stems are positioned so as to be separated by a distance substantially the diameter of a urinal waste pipe.

5. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of stems are of a quantity required for the specific urinal waste outlet present.

6. A urinal cap as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of stems comprises an inner section and an arcuate outer section.

7. A urinal cap as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cap and the stems are separate sections.

8. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, the cap and stems are directly connected.

06 02 18

9. A urinal cap as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a connecting section to which said plurality of stems is attached, said connecting section linking said stems to said cover portion.

10. A urinal cap as claimed in claim 9, wherein said connecting section is integral with said plurality of stems.

11. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said apertures are elongate.

12. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of apertures are sized according to level of block dosing required.

13. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of apertures are positioned according to level of block dosing required.

14. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of apertures are of a quantity according to level of block dosing required.

15. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of apertures are circular.

16. A urinal cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said apertures are shaped according to level of block dosing required.

17. A urinal cap substantially as claimed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB 1621018.9 Examiner: Mr William Crowe