Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
7 3~ ~ Fl/Br OTT9104DE
08.05.~992
__~______._____________________________________________
Gebr. Otto KG
Siegener Str. 69
5910 Kreuztal
West-Germany
____________________~_______ _________________________
Sanitary Cell with Cleaning
Appliances for Toilet Seat
The present invention relates to a new sanitary cell,
comprising appliances for cleaning the toilet seat
disposed on a toilet bowl.
From DE-A-27 21 433 a water flushing closet has been
known, comprising a lift-up lid -which is provided:at
the lower side of the lift-up lid with an:appliance for
automatically cleaning the toilet lid, by means of
which the toilet seat is flushed with a washing and
disinfection liquid and cleaned with brushes or wipers.
The device for cleaning the toilet lid is provided with
a splashing device by means of which the inner side of
the toilet bowl is simultaneously splashed and
disinfected.
Further, from DE patent 21 40 097 a device for
automatically cleaning toilet seats has been known,
wherein the toilet seat is flushed with a washing and
disinfection liquid cleaned with brushes and dried with
wipers. ~n this device, the splashing device and the
cleaning appliance provided with brushes and wipers are
arranged at the toilet lid to be lifted, which forms a
~?~
constructional unity -to be fixed to the closet body,
together with the toilet seat and a liftable bottom
part formed as a discharge ring sealing the parting
line between the toilet lid and the bottom part by
means of a water shielding provided at the toilet lid
and the bottom part.
An appliance for cleaning a WC seat by means of a
liquid flow has been known from DE patent 24 56 020
which flow is guided through a hollow arranged below
the surface of the WC seat to passage openings to the
surface of the seat, with a connection between seat and
liquid reservoir being provided. In addition to this,
an inlet tube for a medium for drying the WC seat is
provided which has been wet-cleaned befsre, and with
air being provided as a drying medium for the transport
of which a blower is arranged.
DE laid-open 25 11 300 describes a device for cleaning
a toilet bowl with water flushing in which the seat of
the toilet bowl is also intensively cleaned after each
use. To achieve this, above the splashing device and
below at a distance from the lid a guide plate is
arranged which covering the seat from above at a
distance, with the outer rim of the guide plate being
arranged in the area of the outer upper rim o f the seat
such that a ring gap is formed between the guide plade
and the seat, and that the lower rim of the lid has a
seal ~hich abuts to the outer upper rim of the seat
when they are in a closed condition, with a ring gap
resulting between the outer rim of the guide plate and
the lid. A further development of this device is
described in DE laid-open 25 23 782. A device for
disinfection and cleaning the seat surface of toilet
bowls after a contact with them is also the subject-
matter of the German patent application 26 21 802. Inthis application, the specially formed lid of the
toilet bowl, around which and along the inner rim
thereof a nose is formed, as to avoid running-out of
the cleaning water, the mounting of tubes and nozzles
is provided splashing the seat surface after each US2
with water and a desin~ectant.
DE laid-open 26 30 089 describes a further modification
for cleaning the toilet seat is described. In this
application, the toilet seat is made such that at leat
the surface of the seat is transportad along cleaning
devices and cleaned in this wa~ mechanically and/or
chemically and then dried~ For carrying out this
method, the toilet seat is supported rotatably in
itself, so that the surface thereof can be passed by
the cleaning appliances. ~s a rotatin~ drive for the
toilet seat which is preferably made like a hose serves
a flexible shaft which is automatically be rotated
after use of the toilet seat by means of a motor. ~he
cleaning of the toilet seat is carried out mechanically
by means of brushes and spraying nozzles out of which
water or a disinfectant, respectively, is splashed on
the surface of the rotating hose-like toilet seat.
Finally, stripping lips are provided engaged with the
toilet seat by means of which a quick drying of the
cleaned surface of the toilet seat is obtained.
In DE laid-open 26 42 985 something may be read about a
device permitting to maintain the seat and the toilet
bowl sterile after each use. This device is charac-
terized in that the seat has a ring channel connected
with a duct for the desinfectant and with a suction
implement, if necessary, and that the seat is made of a
porous material or i5 provided with bores distributed
at equal distances and joining in from the ring
channel.
From DE laid-open 29 07 754 a device for cleanin~ and
disinfecting the seat of a toilet bowl has been
provided, wherein in a bowl-like toilet lid nozzles for
splashing washing and disinfection liquids are arranged
in the form of a ring.
The drawback of the above-described devices according
to the state of the art is that the~ are to a great
extent restricted to a water cleaning without using
other mechanical means. If mechanical claaning
appliances, such as brushes, are provided, they are
arran~ed by rather complicated methods in the sanitary
chamber. This particularly applies for the solution
according to DE laid-open 26 30 089. Neither is it
possible to have an optimun cleaning in all cases, as
to keep the toilet bowls clean, :in particulax if there
is no mechanical cleaning.
In DE patent 22 63 ~74 next to the toilet bowl or
behind it a cleaning box is arranged. In this box, two
guide bars are provided by means of which the toilet
seat can be slided in a vertical position in-to the
cleaning box. For this, a special mechanism had to be
developed, as to effect amendment of the direction of
the seat from the horizontal position to the vertical
position and onto the guide bars. Such a mechanism is
naturally connected with sufficient drawbacks. This may
also be taken from column 5, line 20 of DE patent 22 63
474, in which the construction of two special tappets
is described fixed above to the guide bar. Apart
there~rom, such a device is more sensitive, so that it
is not suitable for the automatic operation.
DE laid-open 27 34 056 describes a ~echanism rather
similar to those of DE patent 22 63 474. For also in
this patent, in the embodiment according to drawing 2 a
cleaning box is placed behind the toilet bowl into
which the seat is brought to be cleaned. Also a
vertical position of the toilet seat is provided
during the cleaning procedure. Contrary to patent
specification 22 63 474 no guide bars are provided and
thus, there is no special branch mechanism. For this
reason, the cleaning equipment according to DE laid-
open 27 34 056 is a disimproved embodiment as compared
with DE patent 22 63 474. Further cleaning proposals
are described in the following documents:
DE patent168 912
DE laid-open 17 78 929
GB patent133 039
DE patent75 425
DE patent240 687
DE patent252 298
US4 785 482
FR2 344 261
DE laid-open 3 127 890
WO 83/03532
EP patent252 861
EP laid-open 201 435
FR2 543 594
DK 22 227
FR2 397 821
FR2 380 762
FR2 365 323
FR2 316 905
US2 494 894
US2 59~ 167
US1 800 261
US1 800 226
DE 283 470.
It is the drawback of all of these devices that the
solution proposals are connected with very great
technical efforts. As a rule, those devices are
sensitive, so that they are not suitable for public
toilets which have always to be designed for a great
number of users.
A further essential drawback of all of the above-
described devices is that the service personnel has to
enter the toilet room ~or a control of the cleaning
degree o~ the toilet seat. This leads to the e~fect
that a check i5 carried out only at non-regular inter-
vals. For this reason it is quite possible that
contaminations or damages to the cleaning devices are
not noticed by the personnel.
German patent specification 283 470 provides to carry
out the cleaning of the toilet seats in a part
separated from the sanitary room by a wall.
Further, a seat disk is provided having a number of
seat openings which are partially arranged on this
side, partially on the other side of the saparating
wall. In the wall a shaft is provided, so that the seat
disk is rotatable. ~ rather complicated construction
has been described as a rotating mechanism. According
to the description, whe~ the toilet has been used, the
seat disk is rotated as far that the next opening is
placed over the toilet bowl.
On the other side of the separating wall a box is
provided in which the seat disk is cleaned. For this
reason, the box is equipped with fixed brushes and
sponges, that i5, the seat disk is only pushed through
the sponges or brushes, and a cleaning is carried out
in this way, which, however, has not proven to be
suf~icientl~.
The drawback of the German patent specification 283
~?~
470 is the fact that the cleaniny equipment ls provided
in a closed box, so that no optical control is possible
by the service personnel. Thus, it is not possi~le ko
recognize in good time tenacious contaminations or
damages to the toilet seat or the cleaning brushe~. On
the contrary, it is always necessary to open the box,
as to have the controls carried out by the service
personnel. From this follows that it is also necessary
to interrupt operation durin~ service and control
works.
Finally, it should be indicated that no drying of the
seat disk is provided according to German patent
specification 283 470. Consequently, this devic~ is not
suitable for an automatic operation already for this
reason. In addition to this, the arrangement of the
rotaking disk requires essential space. For as to
rotate the seat opening, the sanitary cell must have a
certain width. Besides, the complicated mechanism
described in patent specification 283 470 bears a
greater risk of being damaged. Also for this reason,
the device has sufficient drawbacks concerning the
automatic operation.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to
provide a sanitary cell with appliances without the
drawbacks known up to the present.
This object is achieved in that a) the sanitary cell is
divided by a wall in the sanitary chamber with a
toilet bowl and a technical equipment chamber, b) the
toilet bowl is fastened to the wall, c) the toilet
seat is arranged on the toilet bowl in ~uide bars,
d) the ~uide bars are elon~ated into the technical
equipment chamber through an opening in the wall, in
a~
order that the toilet seat is displaceable along the
~uide bars into the technical equipment chamber, and
e) the appliances required for cleaning the toilet
seat are arranged in the technical equipment chamber.
The guide bars are preferably arranged in the technical
equipment chamber such that the toilet seat is moveable
on them while retaining its horizontal position.
However, it is further possible to arrange the guide
bars such that they are designed slightly inclined.
This would have the advantage that the displacement of
the seat becomes more easy. However, also other
directions of the guide bars, for example, a lateral
direction or an upright direction are possible.
The hight bars may freely project into the technical
equipment chamber without additional supports. This has
the adYantage that great space of the anyhow small
space of the technical equipment chamber is saved in.
However, it has proved to be good to underprop the
guide bars by one or more supports, as to avoid
possibly occuring bending forces because of the
displacement of the toilet seat on the guide bars into
the technical equipment chamber.
The advantage of the device according to the invention
consists in that a smooth automatic cleaning is
secured. For this purpose, preferably a motor drive is
provided, by means of which the toilet seat can be
moved into the technical equipment chamber after use.
The motor drive can be correspondingly triggered by a
control mechanism. For example, the control signal may
be coupled with the water flushing of the toilet or
also with the lock of the entrance door to the sanitary
chamber. Commonly the mechanism is triggered by which
the toilet seat is displaced into the technical
equipment chamber by means of triggering the flushing
mechanism or by means of a specially provided button
with the indication "Seat Cleaning" or by unlocking the
lock of the door.
As to avoid accidents, above the WC bowl a radar field
is provided, and the procedure will immediately be
stoppedl as soon as this radar field is violated. Apart
therefrom, a protection against accidental contact is
arranged, that is, as soon as the seat is pressed and
the motor has to draw more current for displacing the
same, the motor switches off immediately.
In the sanitary chamber appliances for cleaning the
toilet seat are preferably arranged above or laterally
to the guide bars. For this purpose may be provided,
for example, brushes, water nozz:les and fans. Accord-
ingly, the toilet seat moving along the guide bars is
cleaned in this chamber. By the rotating brushes a
mechanical cleaning is obtained. The water nozzles
support this procedure and the splashed Nater may also
be mixed with a disinfectant or a detergent, if
necessary. Finally, the toilet seat can be cleaned by
means of the fan. It may also be supported by wipers.
The cleaning may naturally be increased, the longer the
toilet seat is moved to and fro on the guide bars.
~ere, the optimum time point may be set by means of a
corresponding program control. In the same way, an
improved cleaning effect may be obtained by an
elongation of the guide bars. In addition to this, the
personnel can enter the technical equipment chamber and
check at any time by an optical control, whether all
cleaning appliances are correctly adjusted and whether
..
they work. This means, by this way it is possible to
execute a continuous maintenance for the toilet seat,
which was not the case in the initially described state
of the art, since for optically control the same the
service personnel had to enter the same door as the
user of the sanitary room.
In the following the invention is described in more
detail with reference to the Figures.
ig. 1 shows the sanitary cell of the invention as
an elevation;
Fig. 2 shows the the sanitary cell as an upright
projection.
In Fig. 1 the toilet seat 2 is placed on the toilet
bowl 1. ~he guide bars 6 are arranged protruding in a
horizontal position into the technical equipment
chamber 5. The toilet seat 2 may be moved from the
sanitary chamber 4 through the opening 7 of the wall 3
separating the sanitary chamber 4 from the technical
equipment chamber 5. During this movement water is
splashed onto the toilet seat via the nozzle bars 9.
The rotating brushes 8 arranged behind the nozzle bars
9 effect a mechanical cleaning o~ the toilet seat. The
toilet seat is moved on the guide bars 6 to their end
supported by the device 13. It is now possible to move
the toilet seat several times to and fro within the
technical equipment chamber, if required. Finally, the
rotating brushes are au`tomatically lifted and the
water flow is interrupted, as to initiate the drying
phase. Drying is obtained in that a plurality o~ to-
and-fro movements are made below the fan 10. Finally,
the toilet seat can be driven through the opening 7 in
the wall 3 into the sanitary room 4 until it is again
placed above the toilet bowl 1. Possible humidity
remainders are removed by means of the wiper lip 11.
