Self-cleaning toilet assembly and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10519643-B2
Application number	US-201414332209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Toilet assemblies having various embodiments of a cleaning system are described herein which include a toilet assembly and a cleaning system. The toilet assembly has a toilet bowl, a tank, a flush valve, and a rim in fluid communication with the bowl through a rim flow path from an outlet of the flush valve to at least one rim outlet port. The flush valve is configured to operate in a flush actuation mode wherein the flush valve is able to provide flush water flow sufficient for the toilet assembly to initiate a flush siphon or provide a wash down flush and to operate in a cleaning actuation mode wherein the flush valve is only partially opened to allow for introduction of a cleaning agent and flush water mixture to the bowl that is insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the bowl. The cleaning system includes a reservoir for a liquid cleaning agent, a housing for the reservoir, a supply conduit for receiving fluid from within the reservoir and delivering it to a flush valve, a flow control device capable of controlling flow of cleaning agent and a control system activatable by an actuator feature to initiate a clean cycle by operating the flow control device to deliver a dose of cleaning agent to one or more rim outlets, and operating the flush valve in cleaning actuation mode to introduce flush water to carry the dose of cleaning agent through the at least one rim outlet port into the toilet bowl at a flow rate insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the bowl.

First claim

We claim:

1. A toilet assembly having a cleaning system, comprising:
(a) a toilet assembly comprising
a toilet bowl defining an interior space,
a toilet tank defining a tank interior,
a flush valve, and
a rim in fluid communication with the interior of the bowl through a rim flow path extending from an outlet of the flush valve to at least one rim outlet port, wherein the flush valve is configured to deliver fluid to the at least one rim outlet port, and

wherein the flush valve is configured to operate in a flush actuation mode wherein the flush valve is able to provide flush water flow sufficient for the toilet assembly to initiate a flush siphon or provide a wash down flush and to operate in a cleaning actuation mode wherein the flush valve is only partially opened to allow for introduction of a cleaning agent and flush water mixture to the bowl that is insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the bowl; and
(b) the cleaning system having the cleaning actuation mode that operates independently of the flush actuation mode of the toilet assembly, the cleaning system comprising
a reservoir for holding a liquid cleaning agent having a body defining an interior space and having an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior space of the reservoir body;
a housing configured to receive the reservoir;
a supply conduit in fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir and having a first end for receiving fluid from within the reservoir;
a flow control device capable of controlling flow through the supply conduit; and
a control system activatable by an actuator feature, wherein upon activation of the actuator feature, the control system is adapted to initiate a clean cycle by:
operating the flow control device for a first period of time sufficient to deliver a dose of the liquid cleaning agent from the reservoir to one or more rim outlets, and
operating the flush valve in the cleaning actuation mode to open the flush valve so as to introduce flush water to carry the dose of the liquid cleaning agent through the at least one rim outlet port into the toilet bowl at a flow rate insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the bowl.

2. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flush valve introduces flush water at a flow rate that is about 20% to about 80% slower in the cleaning actuation mode than the flow rate through the flush valve during a normal flush mode.

3. The toilet assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the flush valve introduces flush water at a flow rate that is about 40% to about 60% slower in the cleaning actuation mode than the flow rate through the flush valve during the normal flush mode.

4. The toilet assembly according to claim 2 , wherein flush water enters the valve in a flush actuation mode over a period of about 2 s to about 30 s.

5. The toilet assembly according to claim 4 , wherein flush water and cleaning agent are introduced into the bowl and have a residence time of about 30 s to about 30min. for cleaning the bowl.

6. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bowl is a direct-fed jet, siphonic, gravity-powered bowl.

7. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bowl is a non-jetted, siphonic, gravity-powered bowl.

8. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bowl is a rim-jetted, siphonic, gravity powered bowl.

9. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bowl is a gravity-powered, wash-down bowl.

10. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flush valve is a flapper-type flush valve with a poppet feature in the valve cover for use in opening the valve during the cleaning actuation mode.

11. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flush valve is a flapper-type flush valve with a hook and catch feature for use in opening the valve during the cleaning actuation mode.

12. The toilet assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flush valve is a poppet-type flush valve, wherein a poppet-type valve cover opens the flush valve in a normal flush mode and the flush valve has a side port having a cover thereon for use in opening the valve during the cleaning actuation mode.

13. A method for periodically cleaning the toilet in the toilet assembly with the cleaning system according to claim 1 , the method comprising
providing the toilet assembly according to claim 1 ;
activating the control system by the actuator feature to initiate the clean cycle;
operating the flow control device and opening it for the first period of time sufficient to deliver at least one dose of the liquid cleaning agent from the supply conduit to an interior space of a flush valve in a closed position; and
operating the flush valve to open the flush valve to introduce flush water along with the at least one dose of the liquid cleaning agent through the at least one rim outlet port into the toilet bowl at a flow rate insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the toilet bowl in the toilet assembly.

14. A cleaning system for use with a toilet assembly, comprising
a reservoir for holding a liquid cleaning agent having a body defining an interior space and having an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior space of the reservoir body;
a housing configured to receive the reservoir;
a supply conduit in fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir and having a first end for receiving fluid from within the reservoir;
a flow control device capable of controlling flow through the supply conduit; and
a control system activatable by an actuator feature, wherein upon activation of the actuator feature, the control system is adapted to initiate a clean cycle by:
operating the flow control device for a first period of time sufficient to deliver a dose of the liquid cleaning agent from the reservoir to one or more rim outlets of the toilet assembly, and
operating a flush valve in the toilet assembly in a cleaning actuation mode to open a flush valve in the toilet assembly so as to introduce flush water to carry the dose of the liquid cleaning agent through at least one rim outlet port of a toilet assembly into a toilet bowl of the toilet assembly at a flow rate insufficient to initiate a siphon but sufficient for cleaning the toilet bowl in the toilet assembly,
wherein the cleaning actuation mode operates independently of a flush actuation mode, the flush actuation mode operating at a flow rate sufficient to initiate a flush siphon in the toilet assembly.

15. The cleaning system according to claim 14 , wherein the cleaning system is installed in the toilet assembly having the toilet bowl and the toilet bowl is for use in a non-jetted, siphonic, gravity-powered bowl.

16. The cleaning system according to claim 14 , wherein the cleaning system is installed in the toilet assembly having the toilet bowl and the toilet bowl is for use in a rim-jetted, siphonic, gravity powered bowl.

17. The cleaning system according to claim 14 , wherein the cleaning system is installed in the toilet assembly having the toilet bowl and the toilet bowl is for use in a gravity-powered, wash-down bowl.

18. The cleaning system according to claim 14 , wherein the cleaning system is installed in the toilet assembly having the flush valve, wherein the flush valve is a flapper-type flush valve with a flapper cover and a poppet feature in the flapper cover and the control system operates the flush valve in the toilet assembly valve cover for use in opening to open the valve during the cleaning actuation mode.

Assignees

• As America Inc

Inventors

• Bucher Christophe
• Grover David
• Barndt Ronald
• Seggio Frank
• Mchale James
• Cicenas Chris
• O'Kelly Matthew

Classifications

• E03D9/037 Primary

  Active dispensers, i.e. comprising a moving dosing element (E03D9/035 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03D2009/028

  using a liquid substance · CPC title

• E03D2201/40

  Devices for distribution of flush water inside the bowl · CPC title

• E03D9/035

  Devices connected to the actuation mechanism (E03D9/036 takes precedence) · CPC title