Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~
This invention relates to a sel~-cleaning
sanitary apparatus.
As is known, lo~g available on the market have
been self-cl~aning ~anitary unit~ which are mainly
used as public bathrooms and are based on the concept
of providing ~utomatic clea~ing devices which are
operated according to a preset cycle by the intr~-
duction of a coin or by the user entering the
apparatus interior ~pace,
Such prior apparata are generally unsatisfactory
because the arrangement and con~truction of the
various automatic cleaning device~ seldom meet their
requisites~ Further~ the cited apparata are currentlg
designed such that no protection is afforded in
practice against vandalism~ .they generally including
variou~ elements which protrude from the walls and,
additionally to being dif~icult to keep clean, are
more readily e~posed to vandalic action.
Another disadvantage cf prior apparata is that
they are generally c~mbersome and cannot be readily
made to harmonize with the urban landscape for ~hich
such app~rata are purposely ~onceived.
Thus the tQ~k of thl~ invent~on i~ to pro~ide
~ ~sl~-clean~g sanitary apparatus, which is so
configur~d a~ to present in practice no elements
likely to be damaged by vandalic actions.
Wi~ that tabk lt i3 an d~ct o~ tbe ~ve~tion b~
pro~do ~ clearr~ anital~y a~ra~ ~bioh" ~ing to
~r~,
3 ~ 0~
the rational arr~lgement of its VariQUS component
part~, can be subjected to a highly effecti~e
cleaning action at any area~ thereof and~ above all,
those areas which are liable to ~e eontaoted by the
user~ -
~ f~r~h~r dh~ect of thi~ invention i~ to providea self~eleanirlg sanitary apparatus which~ by virtue
of its peculiar construction, can give full
assura~ce of the ~ltmost reliability a~d hygierlic
protection~
Still another object of the invention is to
pro~ide a ~elf-cleaning sanit~ry apparatu~ o~
unitary construction and easy to install.
These and other objects, such as will be
apparent hereinafter) are achieved by a self-cleanin~
sanitary apparatus, according to the invention,
characterized in that it comprises a booth proYided
with an automatically openable door and having
an outer shell and an inner shell whose interior
wall surface is substantially smooth, said shell~
being separated by a~ ~nters~aoa ~c ~ moaatl~g de~ic~
implementing the apparatus functions, within the
space defined by ~aid inner shell there being
provided a bowl seat, se~ectively actuatable
flushing water deli~ery nozzles for the
bottom region of the walls of said inner shell and
bowl seat, disinfectant ~iquid delivery nozzle~
mainly ~or the support a~c~ of said bo~l
~eat~ and hot air deli~ery outlets for drying said
3~ support ~urf~G~.
~ 4~ 319(3~
Further features and advan1iage6 will be more
readily apparent from the following description of a
preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of a
self~cleaning sanitary apparatus, as illustrated by
way of example and not of limitation in the
accompanying drawings5 where:
Figure 1 is a schematical partly cut-away
perspec-tive ~iew of the apparatus according to the
invention;
1~ Figure 2 i6 a cross-sectio.nal plan ~iew of the
apparatus,
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the
line III-III of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line
IV-IV of Figure 2;
Fi~ure 5 is a sectional view taken alsng the line
V-V of Figure 2;
Figure 6 i8 a sectional view taken along the line
VI-VI of Figure 2;
z~ ~igure 7 is a sectional view of a modified
embodiment of this apparatus; and
Figure 8 is a detail view of the bowl and bowl
flushing means, in section along the line ~III-YIII
of Figure 7.
~laking reference to the drawing figures, the
self-cleaning sanitary apparatus according to the
invention comprises a booth, generally indicated at 19
which is shown in the accompanying drawings as having
_ 5 ~ ~2~ ~
a subst~rltially cylindrical ~hape but may
obviou~ly have any desired shape.
The booth 1 has an automatically open~ble
door 2, which will be explained hereinafter. The booth
1, as far as its general construetion is concerned,
includes an outer shell 3 and an inner shell 4, which
both bear on a base 5.
The outer shell 3 and inner shell 4 define a
space 6 therebetween~ whose function is that of
0 accommodating all of the devices which implement the
apparatus functions.
More specifically, the outer shell 3 may be in
the form of a prefabricated concrete cylinder with
a patterned outer surf`ace, or possibly in the form
of a cylinder of glass fiber reinforced concrete. In
eit~er case~, the outer surface may be provided with
mounts for accommodating advertizing elements, if
desired.
The inner surface 4 which borders the interior
space of the sanitary apparatus is preferably formed
from optional1y enamellea stainless steel, which has
the peculiar property of defining substantially
smooth interior surfaces, practically defining no
handgr~p~ or projecting surfaces.
Internally to the space bordered by the inner
shell 49 there is defined a bowl seat, generally
designated with the reference numeral 109 whioh ha~
a concave upperplatform 11 con~er~k~ w4~h it~ mdddle
p~rtion into a first Swmp ~or~atio~ 12 at th~ ~id~ ~hereoi
support elements 13 are located which are advantageous-
- 6 ~ C~
ly made piYotable about a subs~antially vertical axis
for swinging outwardly during the flushing operations,
as will be described hereinafter~
The firs~ ~mp formatiQn 1~ op~ at th~ bottom ~nto
5 a lower sump :~o~a~o~ 14 w~ch, ~Rith the i~terpo~tio~ o~
a conventional siphon trap 15; is connected to a
drain conduit generally indicated at 16~ .
Advantageou61y7 at the outlet from said siphon
trap and at a location that carmot be reached inadvert-
ently, there may be provided a ~a~age chopper 17 toprevent possible clogging o~ the drain conduit.
The ~l~ r 0~ the ci~d ~ is co~ d o:e a ~srid
20 ~ c~tr~ls ~ 3i~g the u~r~ ~ weight
to initiate the apparatus operating cycle. Said grid
is positioned above a collecting trough 21~ which 1
connected through an auxiliary siphon trap 22 to the
cited drain conduit 16.
The apparatus according to the invention further
i.ncludes, on the interior thereof, noz~les deli~ering
flushing water for the cited lower sump 14, as
indicated at 30, which are arranged to continously
admit water into the lower ~ump; also provided are
flushing water delive~y nozzles 31 for flushing the
lower areas of the inner walls and sump~ which
~5 extend in a recess defined peripherally by the inner
shell so as to form in practice a water curtain which
sweeps the wall~ as w~ll a~ the area a~oY~ the c~nca~o
- plat~rm 11 of the bowl 8~at 10~ i~ order to convey
the wat~r into the ~irst ~ump a~d the~c~ to th0 drai~.
3~ Provided on the inner wall at the area o~ the side
7~ ~2~L~J~
of the bowl seat 10 are large handle~ 40 whîch
are pro~ided with disinfectant l:iquid delivery nozzles
whose jet mainly spans the support ~uxfaces d~fi~ed
by the bo~l seat, while hot air delive-ry outlets are
5 provided for drying the cited support ~urface~.
The apparatus further comprises, within the
cited space 6~ an a.utomatic door opener 39 which can
be coin~operated, an au-tomatic eontainer 41 o~ paper
seat cover~ which has a ~lot 42 toward the space
interior~ and a container 43 of toilet paper of the
automatically dispensing type with a di~pensing slot
44.
Again in the intershell space, there is defined
a flushing compartment 5G which includes a liquid
~5 soap container 51, a fouled air extractor 52 toWara
out~de~ and a water dispensing faucet 53 and hot
air drier 54, which are all accessible through a
mouth or opening 55 provided at the sidewalls
of the ~pace delimited inside the boothO
Above the cited mouth, there is preferably
pro~ided a mirror 60.
Provided on the booth floor, moreover~ is a
pedal control 70 for controlling the delivery of
hand washing water, a pedal or pushbutton control for
25 opening the door , indicated at 71, and a warning
pushbutton 72.
On the booth exterior~ vacant-occupied indicators
- are displayed, as well as an optional alarm indicator.
The use and operation of the self-cleaning~ sanitary apparatus according to this invention are
- 8 - ~2~
quite simple and automated~ In fact 3 the user is
only re~uired to drop one or more coins into the
aecess door opening automatic mechanism ; the intro-
duction of the coin will cause the door to open
automatically, as well as switch on the "occupied"
indicator on the outside and the light on the inside,
start the air extractor, and switch on any internal
lighted display informing the user that the apparatus
is made a~ailable to him/her for a preset time
period.
Upon the user ente~g the apparatus, the
pressure exerted on the grid ~0, w~ich forms the floor
surface thereof, will cause the door to close
automatically, and the delivery of a continuous water
15 flow through the nozzles 30 into the lower sump 14.
~oreover, also automatically, a paper seat cover and
a metered amount of toilet paper are dispensed, while
a timer is started to count down the time period
that the apparatus is to be reserved for the user.
The user, after raising from the seated position,by
depressiogthe pedal control 70 on the floor
actuates the delivery of hand washing water and soap~
as well as of a hot air jet for drying purposes.
After use of the apparatus, by depressing t~e
pushbutton 71 the door is automatically opened.
As the user step~ out, the grid 20, being
relie~ed of the u~er's weight, eontrols sequentially
the actuation of the following op~rat~Q~ ~ automatic
reclosing of the door and switching off of
the interior ligh~, and operation of pressuri~ed water
- 9 -
o~
jets~ both through the nozzles 30 and nozzles 31,
thus providing complete flu~hi~r of the apparatu~i
- at the same time, ~he ehopper lc>cated down~tream of
the drain is operated to avert occlusion of the drain
oonduit; and on completion of the latter step, the
disin-fectant iets against the æupport elements 13
are acti~ated~ said support elements being
advantageously rotated outwardly to facilitate
removal toward the upp~3r ~3ump s~f any l~ft sea~
cover~ which will be then chopped.
Thereafter~ a ~urther flushing ~tep i8
completed, and ~he hot air delivery outlets are
operated to dry the support ~ur~ace~.
On completion of the flushing operations,
deodorant or ~erfuming substances may be injected
such that the apparatus can be le~t perfectly clean
and ready ~or subsequent use.
At the end of all the operation~ just described,
which will require approximately a couple of minutes
to carry out, the "free" indicator will be displayed
on the exterior, and the apparatus can be used ag~in
i~ ~h~ manner described above. In an emergency~
the u~er can operate the emergency pushbutton 72
whieh, in addition to i~mediately releasing the
aecess door lock, activates an i~termittent emergency
indicator externally to the booth.
The external emergency indieator and the door
release will be operated automatically where the
apparatus i~ being used in excess of the time
allotted.
1,21~01
It wqll be appreciated from the ~oregoing ~hat
the in~ention achieve~ its object~, and in particular
that t~e particular embodiment of the apparatu~
affords a thorough flushing action sweeping clean
5 all ~lose areas thereof which are likely to get
sQiled~ which action is favored by the reduced
pro~ision of 60-called support ~ur~ce~ which are
restric~ed in practi.ce to just the seating area.
~ urthermore 9 the absenc~ of protruding elements
10 defeats ~andalic actions, ~ince none of the
~aciliti.e~ are made accessible from the booth
interior~
~ e in~ention as conceived is susceptible to
many modifications and ~ariations without departing
15 from the true scope of the instant inventi~e concept.
~ 'hus, as an example and as shown i~ ~igure 7~
the outer 6hell ~ and inner shell 4 may be arranged
off-centered to each other~ thereby they would be
closer to each other at the door 2 and l~ave
a wider space at the area where the various
actuating mechanisms are accommodated.
MoreoYer, a bowl 80 having a substantiall~
fru~to-conical configuration may be used with an
internal flu~hing cyclone, known per se.
~lso pro~ided are disinfectant liquid dispenser
means on the support ~ace~ OI the bowl 80, which
would compri~e a slab 81 hinged to the bottom edge
of ~ opening 82 defined in the shell 4 and being
removably closed by a flap 83 which is hinged to the
top- edge of s~id operLing.
L~3~0~
The slab 81 is connected to di6infectant liquid
dispensers and to a hot air blower 84, and ha~ a
~hape sub~ta~tiall~ matching the top
support ~Urf~C~B of said bowl 80. ~hen it i8 to be
5 used, the slab 81 is automatically tilted toward the
interior o~ the shell 4 9 raising the flap 83, and
locate~ itself above the bowl 80 as indicated in dash
lines in Figure 8~ Owing to the proximity of the sl~b
81 to the top ~ of the bowl 80 f effective
disinfec-ting and drying actions of the top support
~u~e~ of the bowl 80 can be achieved within a very
~hort time lapse.
All of -the invention details may be replaced with
other~ technically equivalent, elements.
In practioing the in~ention~ the materials used9
6ubj ect to their being compatible with the intended
application, and the dimension~ and contingent 6hapes
m~y be any selected ones to meet individual
requirements.
