High performance toilets capable of operation at reduced flush volumes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487941-B2
Application number	US-201113182422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2011
Priority date	Feb 25, 2008
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

Siphonic, gravity-powered toilets are provided that include a toilet bowl assembly having a toilet bowl. The toilet bowl has a rim channel provided along an upper periphery thereof and a direct-fed jet channel that allows fluid, such as water, to flow from the inlet of the toilet bowl assembly to the direct-fed jet outlet port into the interior of the toilet bowl, in the sump of the bowl. The rim channel includes at least one rim channel outlet port. In the toilets herein, the cross-sectional areas of the toilet bowl assembly inlet, the inlet port to the rim channel, and the outlet port to the direct-fed jet channel are configured so as to be optimized to provide greatly improved hydraulic function at low flush volumes (no greater than about 6.0 liters per flush). The hydraulic function is improved in terms of bulk removal of waste and cleansing of the bowl.

First claim

We claim:

1. A siphonic, gravity-powered toilet having a toilet bowl assembly, the toilet bowl assembly comprising
a toilet bowl assembly inlet in fluid communication with a source of fluid,
a toilet bowl having a rim around an upper perimeter thereof and defining a rim channel, the rim having an inlet port and at least one rim outlet port, wherein cross-sectional area of the rim inlet port is greater than or equal to about 250% of the total cross-sectional area of the at least one rim outlet port, wherein the rim channel inlet port is in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet,
a bowl outlet in fluid communication with a sewage outlet, and
a direct-fed jet in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet for receiving fluid from the source of fluid and the bowl outlet for discharging fluid,
wherein the toilet is capable of operating at a flush volume of no greater than about 6.0 liters and the water exiting the at least one rim outlet port is pressurized such that an integral of a curve representing rim pressure plotted against time during a flush cycle exceeds 3 in. H 2 O·s for a 6.0 liter flush volume, and
and wherein a cross-sectional area (A jop ) of the jet outlet is about 0.6to about 5 square inches.

2. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein the toilet is capable of providing flow from the at least one rim outlet port which is pressurized in a sustained manner for a period of time.

3. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 2 , wherein the period of time is at least 1 second.

4. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 2 , wherein the toilet is capable of providing the sustained pressurized flow from the at least one rim outlet port generally simultaneously with flow through the direct-fed jet.

5. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein an integral of a curve representing rim pressure plotted against time during a flush cycle exceeds 5 in. H 2 O·s for a 6.0 liter flush volume.

6. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein the toilet is capable of operating at a flush volume of no greater than about 4.8 liters.

7. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 6 , wherein the water exiting the at least one rim outlet port is pressurized such that an integral of a curve representing rim pressure plotted against time during a flush cycle exceeds 3 in. H 2 O·s for a 4.8 liter flush volume.

8. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein the toilet bowl assembly further comprises
a primary manifold in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet capable of receiving fluid from the toilet bowl assembly inlet, the primary manifold also in fluid communication with the rim channel and the direct-fed jet for directing fluid from the toilet bowl assembly inlet to the rim channel and the direct-fed jet, wherein the primary manifold has a cross-sectional area (A pm );
wherein the direct-fed jet has an inlet port having a cross-sectional area (A jip ) and a jet channel extending between the direct-fed jet inlet port and the direct-fed jet outlet port; and
wherein the rim channel has an inlet port having a cross-sectional area (A rip ) and the at least one outlet port has a total cross-sectional area (A rop ), wherein:
A pm >A jip >A jop   (I)

A pm >A rip >A rop   (II)

A pm >1.5·( A jop +A rop ) and  (III)

A rip >2.5 ·A rop .  (IV)

9. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly further comprises a primary manifold capable of receiving fluid from the toilet bowl assembly inlet, the primary manifold being in fluid communication with the rim channel and the direct fed jet for directing fluid from the bowl inlet to the rim channel and the direct fed jet, and the at least one rim outlet port that has a total cross-sectional area, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the primary manifold is greater than or equal to about 150% of the sum of the cross sectional area of the direct-fed jet outlet port and the total cross-sectional area of the at least one rim outlet port.

10. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein the toilet further comprises a mechanism that enables operation of the toilet using at least two different flush volumes.

11. The toilet according to claim 1 , wherein toilet bowl assembly has a longitudinal axis extending in a direction transverse to a plane defined by the rim of the toilet bowl, and the primary manifold extends in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the toilet bowl.

12. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area (A jim ) of a jet inlet port of the direct fed is 2.5 to about 15 square inches, a cross-sectional area (A rip ) of the rim inlet port is about 1.5 to about 15 square inches, and a cross-sectional area (A rop ) of the at least one rim outlet ports is about 0.3 to about 5 square inches.

13. A siphonic, gravity-powered toilet having a toilet bowl assembly, the toilet bowl assembly, the toilet bowl assembly comprising
a toilet bowl assembly inlet in communication with a fluid source,
a toilet bowl defining an interior space therein for receiving fluid,
a rim extending along an upper periphery of the toilet bowl and defining a rim channel, wherein the rim has a rim channel inlet port and at least one rim channel outlet port, wherein the cross-sectional area of the rim inlet port is greater than or equal to about 250% of the total cross-sectional area of the at least one rim outlet port, wherein the rim channel inlet port is in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet and the at least one rim channel outlet port is configured so as to allow fluid flowing through the rim channel to enter the interior space of the toilet bowl,
a bowl outlet in fluid communication with a sewage outlet and
a direct-fed jet having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the direct-fed jet inlet port is in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet for introducing fluid into a lower portion of the interior of the bowl,
wherein the toilet bowl assembly is configured so that the rim channel and the direct-fed jet are capable of introducing fluid into the bowl in a sustained pressurized manner
and wherein a cross-sectional area (A jop ) of the jet outlet port is about 0.6 to about 5 square inches.

14. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 13 , wherein the toilet bowl assembly further comprises
a primary manifold in fluid communication with the toilet bowl assembly inlet capable of receiving fluid from the toilet bowl assembly inlet, and the primary manifold also in fluid communication with the inlet port of the rim channel and the inlet port of the direct-fed jet for directing fluid from the toilet bowl assembly inlet to the rim channel and to the direct-fed jet, wherein the primary manifold has a cross-sectional area (A pm );
wherein the inlet port of the direct-fed jet has a cross-sectional area (A jip ) and
wherein the inlet port of the rim channel has a cross-sectional area (A rip ) and the at least one outlet port has a total cross-sectional area (A rop ),
wherein:
A pm >A jip >A jop   (I)

A pm >A rip >A rop   (II)

A pm >1.5·( A jop +A rop ) and  (III)

A rip >2.5 ·A rop .  (IV)

15. The siphonic, gravity-powered toilet according to claim 14 , wherein A pm is about 3 to about 20 square inches, A jip is about 2.5 to about 15 squa

Assignees

• Grover David
• Bucher Christophe
• Zhou Jian
• As America Inc

Inventors

• Grover David
• Bucher Christophe
• Zhou Jian

Classifications

• E03D2201/40

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

• E03D11/08 Primary

  Bowls with means producing a flushing water swirl · CPC title

• E03D2201/30

  Water injection in siphon for enhancing flushing · CPC title