Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to an improvement in a flushing
rim portion of a stainless steel toilet.
In flushing toilets, -there is a re~uirement to prevent
and/or remove the accumulation of odour-causing substances from the
inside wall of the toilet bowl. One solution is to provide a
means for washing the sidewall by means of a relatively high
velocity concentrated sheet or stream of water. This is easily
accomplished with ceramic toilets where the water is caused to
swirl around the wall of the ~owl by angled holes formed in the
rim of the toilet bowl, which is about one half inch thic~.
In stainless steel toilets, however, there is only about
one sixteenth inch thickness, so that drilling holes at an angle
would be totally ineffective.
In stainless steel toilets, the water has previously
simply entered a flushing rim formed in an integral toilet seat
and flushing rim combination. U.S. patent 3~9~3,582 issued on
October 5, 1976 to Acorn Engineering Company, discloses such a
device. When the toilet is flushed, the water enters into the
hollow seat-flushing rim from the side opposite the front of the
seat-rim and fills both sides of the rim. At the same time, water
is forced through openings between the sidewall and a serrated
edge on the bottom portion of the seat-rim. These openings simply
result in the water flowing vertically down the sidewall to wash
it.
The present invention is an improvement on this arrange-
ment and involves forming a number of up-turned notches on the
outer edge of a flushing rim through which the water flows. A
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baffle causes the water to circulate around the flushing rim in
one direction only and, when it encounters tlle up-turned notches,
it is directed through openings in such a manner that the water
swirls around the sidewalls in the toilet bowl. This arrangement
provides a better cleaning action than the arrangement shown in
u.s. Patent 3,983,582.
More particularly according to the present invention there
is provided, in a sheet metal toilet of the type including a
bowl having a sidewall with a seat affixed thereto, said seat
comprising interconnected upper and lower portions defining there-
between an annular space, the periphery of said lower space having
apertures to allow escape therefrom of water introduced into said
space during flushing of the toilet, the improvement comprising,
in combination therewith, means for producing unidirectional
peripheral water flow within said space, and an upwardly deformed
leading edge at each aperture to intercept the peripherally flowing
water and direct the same o~liquely down the wall of the toilet
bowl.
Preferably, each of the apertures defines substantially
a ~riangle bounded on one side by the sidewall of the bowl, the
other two sides o~ each triangle being formed by a notch in the
periphery of the lower seat portion.
The means for producing unidirectional water flow is
preferably a baffle angularly positioned before a water supply
inlet to the annular space.
The advantages and other features of the present invention
will. be more fully described with reference to the accompanying
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drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the flushing rim with a
portion cut away to show the location of the notches on the
outer edge of the ~lushing rim;
Figure 2 is an elevational section view of the seat rim
combination taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the
hollow flushing rim.
Figure 3 is a more detailed side view of the notches in
the flushin~ rim and shows the flushing action that results from
a flushing rim in a stainless steel toilet as disclosed.
Figure 4 is a schematic view of the flushing action that
results from a conventional flushing rim in a stainless steel
toilet.
With reference to ~igure 1, a top view is shown of the
integral toilet seat and rim combination 10, hereinafter sometimes
referred to for simplicity as rim 10. A baffle 11 attached by
suitable meansl such as welding, ~o the sidewall 21 of rim 10,
ensures that the flow of water is directed in one direction only.
An arrow designated 12 indicates the direction of flow in this
emobod~ment. When the toilet is flushed, the water enters through
a tubular water entry duct 13.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 of
Figure 1 of the toilest seat and rim combination 10. This seat and
rim combination comprises an upper portion 14 (forming the seat)
and a lower portion 15. The lower portion lS is identical to the
upper portion 14 except for a notched outer circumferentlal edge
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16. The upper and lower portions 14 and 15 are aligned so that
inner edges 17, 18 of the portions 14 and 15 contact each other.
Once aligned, these edges 17, 18 are welded or brazed together
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thereby forming a unitary seat and rim combination 10.
As further shown in Figure 2, an upper portion 20 of a
sidewall 21 of a toile-t bowl 19 is essentially vertical throughout
a distance which is at least e~ual to that of the maximum thick-
ness of the cross-sectiona] portion of the seat and rim 10.
The seat and rim combination 10 i.s then slidably inserted
into the upper vertical portion 20 of the sidewall 21 of the
toilet bowl 19 until the upper part of the rim is flush with the
top of the sidewall 21. Following this, the outer edges 26, 28 of
the portions 1~ and 15 are brazed or welded to the sidewall 20 of
the toilet bowl 19.
When the toilet is flushed, water enters the ~ubular
water entry duct 13 and flows into a hollow, annular flushing rim
chamber 27 which is formed by the rim 10 in conjunction with the
vertical section of the upper portion 20 of the toilet bowl side-
wall 21. As the water enters the flushing rim chamber 27, it
flows arowld the seat-rim 10 in one direction, in this case coun-
terclockwise. Simultaneously, the water within the chamber 27,
due to the swirling effect of the water flow in one direction and
gravity, is forced into the toilet bowl 19 beneath the rim 15 via
water exit passageways 28 formed by up-turned notched portions 29
around the outer periphery of lower portion 15, the notched por-
tions being best shown in Figure 3. The swirling water is caught
by;the upward turned portions 31 of the notches 29 and directed
against the sidewall 21 of the toilet bowl 19 in an overlapping
spray pattern (see Figure 3). The combined effect of the uni-
directional water flow caused by the baffle 12 and the up-turned
notches 29 produces a swirling effect, which increases the velocity
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and the strength of the waterflow. This increased velocity of
waterflow combined with the overlapping pattern that is produced
ensures that little or no residue remains on sidewall 21 of the
toilet bowl 19 a~ter flushing. This is to be contrasted with the
conventional flushing action of the arrangement of Figure 4 which
simply has holes 50 in the bottom of the rim.
The notches are shown as being triangular and are easily
formed by a punching operation. They may be about 1/2 inch long
and spaced about 3/4 inch apart, although the dimensions are not
critical. They may be bent up to give openings about 1/16 inch
high by about 1/4 inch wide.
