Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Pro2rammable Toilet Flush Initiatin2, Monitorin2 and Mana2ement System
and Method Thereof
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a system for managing toilet flushing
and
monitoring wastewater consumption in toilets, for example, toilets in bathroom
stalls, typically
found in locations that accommodate a large number of people such as but not
limited to airports,
college campus buildings, public buildings, sports arenas, and entertainment
events.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Public bathrooms such as those found in offices, schools, airports, and
parks, for
example, have toilets located in stalls to maintain privacy for the user.
Users typically lock the
stall door following entry and unlock the stall door upon exit.
[0003] In toilets designed to serve a large number of people, there are two
standard types
of toilet flushing mechanisms: manual flushing such as a toilet handle, lever,
or button and
automatic flushing initiated by a sensor and an automated flushing mechanism.
[0004] In manual flushing, toilets have a handle, lever, or button that is
actuated
manually and is operably joined to a flushing mechanism that flushes the
toilet when actuated.
This method relies entirely on the user to intentionally cause the toilet to
flush which can be
problematic for locations where high sanitation standards are required. Users
are often not
motivated to flush the toilet because, for example, flushing requires extra
time and effort or risks
contamination of the user to produce a consequence that to the user is
personally insignificant.
[0005] To mitigate the problem in which users fail to flush, many facilities
have installed
automatic flush toilets. Automatic flush toilets typically have infrared or
ultrasonic sensors that
detect the distance between the user and the toilet. When the user enters the
stall and then leaves
moving away from the toilet, a sensor detects that a predetermined distance
between user and
toilet is met, and the sensor triggers the toilet to flush.
[0006] Automatic toilet flushing systems are very popular and are even
required in
certain places. These systems keep toilets clean and reduce the incidence of
germ transfer and the
possibility of transmitting transmissible diseases. Disadvantageously,
automatic flushing toilets
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sometimes do not flush enough or, more commonly, flush too often. Actions such
as hanging up
a coat, placing down a backpack, or lining a seat with toilet paper may cause
the user to
unintentionally or unnecessarily trigger the automatic toilet flushing
sequence. Extra flushes,
particularly for toilets in public bathrooms that may be used hundreds or even
thousands of times
in a day, can accumulate significantly over time and create a significant
amount of water waste.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The primary advantage of the present invention is water saving by
significantly
more accurately determining when the toilet should be flushed and the
frequency with which the
toilet has been used compared to the currently existing automatic toilet
flushing systems. Prior
art systems measure the user's distance from the toilet, which is not an
effective predictor of
when and if the user has used the toilet due to errors in determining whether
a user has actually
used the toilet or is engaged in some unrelated behavior as discussed above.
The best indicator
of toilet use and water consumption is the unlocking of the toilet stall door
to open the door so
that the user may exit the stall. Because the present invention is based on
the reliability of the
user to unlock the stall door as the sole indicator that the toilet has been
used, the invention uses
the stall door unlocking action to determine when to flush the toilet.
Accordingly, because no
other user behavior initiates any unintentional flush, the likelihood that the
toilet will flush and
flush only once, as necessary, for each toilet use is improved. Not only is
the level of sanitation
of the toilet improved compared to existing systems, the number of unnecessary
flushes resulting
in excessive and undesirable water waste use is markedly limited.
[0008] A second key advantage of the present invention is that flushing does
not require
the user to be inconvenienced. Because users almost always lock and unlock the
stall door to
maintain privacy, by modifying the locking-unlocking steps to trigger the
toilet to flush, the toilet
will flush as the user leaves the toilet stall without any additional effort
on the part of the user.
[0009] Optionally, a sign may be added to the inside or outside of the stall
door
informing the user that the toilet has been equipped to flush automatically
when the stall door is
unlocked thereby avoiding or reducing inadvertent manual flushing by the user.
[0010] A third key advantage of the present invention is that it includes the
same sanitary
benefits associated with sensor based automatic toilet flushing systems.
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[0011] According to one aspect, the invention relates to a system for managing
toilet
flushing in a bathroom stall. The system comprises a door locking member, a
toilet flushing
controller and a toilet flushing actuator.
[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the door locking member of the
system
includes a door lock chamber, typically attached to a stall post, a slider
typically attached to the
stall door and aligned with the door lock chamber, a housing enclosing a
signal emitter
associated with the door locking member, the signal emitter configured to send
a wireless signal
to a flush signal receiver associated with a toilet flushing mechanism
comprising a toilet flushing
controller and a toilet flushing actuator. The locking member further includes
a sensor for
sensing the position of the slider, a door housing controller for receiving
input from the sensor
and initiating the sending of a signal by the signal emitter to the flush
signal receiver, and one or
more batteries and an SD card enclosed in the housing typically having a
cover. The door
housing controller further can optionally regulate the function of the
batteries and SD card. The
SD card can store data received from the door housing controller optionally
including without
limitation sensor input and signal emitter output.
[0013] The slider is capable of translating from a first position to a second
position and
comprises a first, or proximal end, and an opposite second, or distal end. In
the slider first
position the slider first end is inserted in the door lock chamber and in the
second position the
slider first end is positioned outside of, i.e., is free of, the door lock
chamber. The stall door
cannot open unless the slider is in the second position. The sensor is
configured for sensing the
slider when the slider is in the second position, and is operatively connected
to the signal emitter,
communicating the detected position of the slider to the door housing
controller. The door
housing controller triggers the signal emitter to send a signal to the flush
signal receiver. The
toilet flushing controller is operatively joined to the flush signal receiver.
[0014] The toilet flushing actuator is controlled by the toilet flushing
controller.
[0015] The signal emitter is configured to transmit to the flush signal
receiver a signal,
e.g., a Bluetooth or radio frequency signal, upon sensing the signal sent
from the sensor to the
door housing controller that the sensor has detected that the slider has been
translated to the
second position, the toilet flushing controller configured to control the
flushing actuator to
initiate a single flush when the stall door is unlocked.
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[0016] In one embodiment, the system further comprises a system controller
configured
to set intervals of time between 5 seconds to 240 seconds during which a flush
can be activated.
The system controller is capable of communicating with both the door housing
controller and the
toilet flushing controller wirelessly or through hardwire connection. The
system controller is
capable of setting the duration of flushing intervals for all toilets in the
bathroom and/or the
duration of flushing intervals for all toilets in a building and may be
configured to prevent any
toilet from flushing for a period of 5-240 seconds after its previous flush.
[0017] In another embodiment according to the invention, the system further
comprises a
toilet handle, lever, or button for manually flushing the toilet, and/or one
or more photovoltaic
cells or batteries for energizing one or more of the sensor, door housing
controller, signal emitter,
flush signal receiver, toilet flushing controller, and toilet flushing
actuator.
[0018] In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for managing
toilet flushing in
a bathroom stall. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a wireless
signal from a
signal emitter in a stall door latch, the wireless signal indicating a
retraction of the slider in the
stall door locking member and triggering a flushing actuator to initiate
flushing of a toilet in
response to receiving the wireless signal.
[0019] In another embodiment, the method for managing toilet flushing in a
bathroom
stall includes sensing a retraction of a stall latch slider by a sensor; and
emitting a wireless signal
by a signal emitter in response to sensing the retraction by the slider,
wherein the wireless signal
is matched to a flush signal receiver. This method may further include
receiving the wireless
signal by the flush signal receiver and triggering a flushing actuator by a
toilet flushing controller
in communication with the flush signal receiver in response to the receiving
of the wireless
signal by the flush signal receiver.
[0020] In still another embodiment, the method for managing toilet flushing in
a
bathroom stall comprises providing a device comprising a door locking member
comprising a
slider having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a signal
emitter, and a sensor, a
flush signal receiver; a toilet flushing controller; and, a toilet flushing
actuator. Additionally the
method includes transmitting by the signal emitter to the flush signal
receiver, a signal upon the
detection of the position of the second end of the slider by the sensor,
controlling the toilet
flushing actuator by the toilet flushing controller, initiating by the toilet
flushing controller a
single toilet flush by the toilet flushing actuator when the slider second end
position is detected
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by the sensor; and, optionally, recording the frequency of slider operation by
a door housing
controller onto the SD card.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
[0021] Figure 1A illustrates an embodiment of the automatic toilet flushing
system
according to the invention;
[0022] Figure 1B is an illustrative isometric view of one embodiment of the
stall door
locking mechanism illustrated in Figure 1 according to the invention;
[0023] Figure 1C is an exploded view of the device illustrated in Figure 1B;
[0024] Figure 1D is an open front view of an exemplary housing enclosing the
electronic
components of the locking mechanism illustrated in Figure 1B;
[0025] Figure 2A illustrates an embodiment of the stall door slider lock in
the closed
(first) position of the embodiment of the toilet flushing system illustrated
in FIG. 1B according to
the invention;
[0026] Figure 2B illustrates an embodiment of the stall door slider lock in
the open
(second) position of the embodiment of the toilet flushing system illustrated
in FIG. 1B;
[0027] Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the housing of the embodiment of
the locking
mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1B according to the invention;
[0028] Figure 4 illustrates a side view of a slider of the embodiment of the
locking
mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1B.
[0029] Figure 5 is a process flow diagram showing a method of managing
according to
an aspect of the present disclosure.
[0030] Figure 6 is a process flow diagram showing a method of providing
information
for managing facilities toilet flushing according to an aspect of the present
disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] DEFINITIONS:
[0032] The following listing comprises exemplary non-limiting definitions of
certain
terms used throughout the present description:
):)0.jtoO(*:f6oit.iomOivr.p0000tithvgdtit the stall
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Mechanism that the user uses to lock and unlock the stall door. A slider is
typically
Slider: attached to the stall door and aligned with a door lock
chamber.
Door Locking
Abibor: Component used to secure the slider in the locked position.
Receptacle attached to the stall door that contains the sensor, signal
emitter, door how
Housing: controller, batteries, battery holder, sd card, and has a
cover with photovoltaic cells
Sensor: Senses the position of the slider
Door Housing Microcontroller for all of the components within the
housing. Regulates the function
Controller: the sensor and signal emitter.
Signal Emitter: Sends wireless signal from the housing to the flush signal
receiver.
Covers door locking member components within housing and can be location for
Cover: photovoltaic cells.
Toilet Flushing A system for flushing the toilet that contains the toilet
flushing controller, toilet flibiti
Mechanism: actuator, flush signal receiver, and toilet
handle/lever/button.
Toilet Flushing
Actuator: Executes the operation of an automatic flush.
Flush Signal Receiver: Receives a signal from the signal emitter.
Toilet Flush Controller: Controls when the toilet flushipaigOmpx4Sitiates a
flush.
[0033] Computer: A laptop, desktop, tablet, or smart device with which a
facility
manager can view signals from the system controller as well as signal to the
system controller to
initiate certain actions.
[0034] System Controller: A central component of the overall system that
receives
signals from the door housing controller, toilet flushing controller, and
computer, and can also
signal the door housing controller and toilet flushing controller to perform
flushing actuation,
regulate time delays between flushes for one toilet, all toilets in a
bathroom, or toilets in an entire
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building the system controller also can be used to determine and vary flush
water volumes. The
system controller can be an independent module or integrated into the computer
through
hardware or software
[0035] Feedback loop: An occurrence where the door housing controller and
toilet
flushing Controller emit a signal to the System Controller that an action has
been completed,
along with an indicator for the action that has been completed (i.e. the
toilet has flushed), the
date, time, and battery life are recorded.
[0036] Usage Cycle: Process of the user entering the stall, using the toilet,
then leaving
the stall. While there are multiple possibilities of what could happen during
this cycle (i.e., the
user does a manual flush or the latch unlocking causes a flush). Each usage
should have these
three steps in this exact order. This means that the system controller should
expect to receive
information first from feedback loop 1, then feedback loop 2, then feedback
loop 3 in that exact
order, for every use. If information received is from the feedback loops out
of order, or if there
is an absence of information from one or multiple loops, then that could
indicate that a
component is malfunctioning.
[0037] Time bucket: An interval of time that can range of one hour, to one
day, to one
week, to one month, to one year, to multiple years. A time bucket can be an
arbitrary block of
time, or an interval between set times.
[0038] "x" and "y": Placeholders or variables that indicate values that can be
programmed into the system.
[0039] Opt-out Button: An additional component to the door locking member that
a user
could press to prevent an automatic flush (for example, if the user only uses
the stall to change
clothes, and did not need the toilet to flush).
[0040] Distance Sensor: A sensor used to actuate a flush based on the user's
distance
from the automatic toilet. This is the primary method for automatic flushing
with existing
technology, frequently using infrared technology. In this application, it is
an optional and
additional method of determining when to flush.
[0041] The present solution without sacrificing user functionality or
convenience
addresses drawbacks such as too few or too many flushes characteristic of
current toilet flushing
mechanisms. The present solution is a device and a method thereof that
initiates a toilet flushing
sequence by the unlocking of a toilet stall door.
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[0042] As used herein, a stall may be any walled enclosure with or without a
roof or
ceiling having a door and any number of sides that will provide sufficient
privacy to the typical
toilet user to encourage its use and may be any shape including but not
limited to rectangular,
pyramidal, cylindrical, and trapezoidal.
[0043] The invention disclosed herein is directed to a toilet flush management
system
and an automated toilet flushing system that does not require manual flushing
of a toilet. Manual
flushing of a toilet is an option that can be included with the present
invention.
[0044] FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate the toilet flushing management system. The
overall
scheme of the toilet flushing management system 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1A.
The system 10
includes a stall door locking member 110 affixed to the door 100 of a stall
housing a toilet 7,
hereinafter toilet stall.
[0045] The system 10 further includes a toilet flushing mechanism 112
comprising a
flush signal receiver 3, a flush actuator 5 and a toilet flushing controller
16 associated with the
toilet flushing actuator 5 for initiating a flush by the toilet 7.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1B-1D, the locking member 110 includes a slider 12,
a
housing 19 enclosing a sensor 4 for sensing slider position, a signal emitter
1 for transmitting a
signal to the flush signal receiver 3 associated with the toilet flushing
mechanism 112, a door
housing controller 27, a battery compartment 26 enclosing one or more
batteries 25, an SD card
28, and a cover 22. The locking member 110 further includes a lock chamber 6,
positioned on a
stall post 8. The lock chamber 6 is aligned with the slider 12.
[0047] Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, the slider 12 is capable of manual
reciprocal
movement between a first (closed) position and a second (open) position. In
the first position,
illustrated in FIG. 2A, proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is inserted in the
lock chamber 6 when
the stall door 100 is closed and locked. The proximal end 15 of the slider 12
cannot be inserted
in the lock chamber 6 unless the stall door 100 is closed.
[0048] In the second position illustrated in FIG. 2B, the proximal end 15 of
slider 12 that
was inserted in the chamber 6 illustrated in FIG. 1A is positioned outside,
i.e., free of, the lock
chamber 6. In the second position, a distal end 17 of the slider 12 opposite
to slider proximal
end 15, contacts and/or is sensed by the sensor 4 initiating a signal from
signal emitter 1 enclosed
within the housing 19 (Fig. 1D) to emit a signal that is transmitted to flush
signal receiver 3
positioned on the toilet or associated toilet plumbing when the stall door 100
is open.
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[0049] Each time a stall door is unlocked by moving the slider 12 from the
first position
where proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is positioned in the lock chamber 6, to
the second
position where the proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is free of the chamber 6,
the opposite distal
end 17 of the slider 12 contacts and/or is sensed by the sensor 4. The sensor
4 upon contact with
and/or sensing distal end 17 of slider 12 triggers the signal emitter 1 to
send a wireless signal
such as a radio frequency or Bluetooth signal or a hardwire signal to the
flush signal receiver 3
triggering the toilet flushing controller 16 operatively joined to the
flushing actuator 5 on the
toilet 7 to initiate a flush.
[0050] The sensor 4 can be a variety of different sensors or a combination of
sensors.
Examples of possible sensors include but are not limited to: contact sensors,
magnetic proximity
sensors, vibration sensors, infrared sensors, or ultrasonic sensors.
[0051] In one embodiment of the invention, a contact sensor 4 is positioned in
or on the
housing 19 or on the stall door 100 such that every time the slider 12 is
transferred from the first
position to the second position, the slider 12 makes physical contact with the
sensor 4. Such
contact signals flush actuation.
[0052] In another embodiment, a magnetic proximity sensor 4 positioned in or
on the
housing 19 or on the stall door 100 is used to detect the presence of a magnet
or magnetized
material, e.g. piece of metal 14a,b affixed to the slider 12. Upon transfer of
the slider 12 to the
second position, the magnet or magnetized piece of metal 14a,b triggers the
magnetic proximity
sensor 4, signaling flush actuation. The number of magnets or magnetized
materials are not
limited to those illustrated.
[0053] In still another embodiment, a vibration sensor 4, similar to the
contact sensor, is
positioned in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100 such that every
time the slider 12 is
transferred from the first position to the second position, the slider 12
makes physical contact
with the sensor 4. The vibration sensor 4 detects the impact of the slider 12
signaling flush
actuation.
[0054] In yet another embodiment, an infrared sensor 4 is affixed in or on the
housing 19
or on the stall door 100. The infrared sensor 4 emits an infrared signal to
detect the distance of
nearby objects. The infrared sensor is attuned to detect the distance of the
slider 12 from the
sensor such that it triggers flush actuation upon the movement of the slider
12 from first position
to second position.
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[0055] In yet another embodiment, an ultrasonic sensor 4 is affixed in or on
the housing
19 or on the stall door 100. The sensor 4 detects sound waves reflected back
by nearby objects,
thereby allowing the sensor to register distance. For example, the sensor 4
detects sound waves
reflected back by slider 12 depending on the distance of the slider 12 from
the sensor 4. Based
on a predetermined distance between the slider 12 and the sensor 4, flush
actuation would be
initiated following translation of the slider 12 from the first position to
the second position.
[0056] Each locking member signal emitter 1 is matched to a corresponding
toilet flush
signal receiver 3 and uses unique signals that differ from other of the signal
emitters 1 and flush
signal receivers 3 in other nearby systems 10, for example, other systems 10
in the same
bathroom. By the application of unique signals, one signal emitter 1 is
prevented from activating
the flushing system of other toilets to flush.
[0057] In one embodiment of the invention, the system 10 further includes a
toilet
flushing actuator 5 that initiates a flush to occur in the toilet 7. The
system 10 described herein
could either be retrofitted to current toilets and bathroom stalls as an
attachment or manufactured
directly onto a new toilet and applied to bathroom toilet stalls or to pre-
fabricated bathroom toilet
stalls. In one implementation, the toilet flushing actuator 5 may be designed
to fit over a manual
another illustrative embodiment, the toilet flushing actuator 5 may be
designed for mounting
externally over existing toilet plumbing and configured to actuate an existing
manual flush
mechanism. This implementation, does not require water to be shut off to the
system and does
not directly interact with any flowing water, so there is less reliability
risk of electronics being
exposed to water. This embodiment of the toilet flushing actuator is
comparatively easy and
inexpensive to install to existing toilet installations without requiring a
plumber to easy
installation over existing manual flush mechanisms.
[0058] Embodiments that use an external implementation of the toilet flush
controller 5
are not directly connected to the water supply flow, so they are unable to
detect a continuous
flush by interacting with the flow of water or based on signals from a flush
actuator solenoid
used in other embodiments, for example. However, in an illustrative embodiment
the external
implementation of the flush controller may include a sound sensor and/or an
ultrasonic sensor to
detect continuous flushes based on their sound pattern. A sound sensor and/or
an ultrasonic
sensor could be similarly implemented in other flush controller embodiments of
the disclosed
system in addition to or instead of other flow sensors.
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[0059] FIG. 3 illustrates the location of a magnet or magnetizable plate 18 on
the portion
of the housing 19 that faces an end 17 of the slider 12 that is opposite to
the insertable end 15 of
the slider 12. The shape of the plate is not limited to the illustrated shape,
as the shape could be
rectangular, circular, triangular, trapazoidal or another shape. Magnetizable
materials include
but are not limited to iron, nickel, cobalt, rare-earth metals, and lodestone.
The location of
magnets or magnetizable materials and the number of magnets or magnetizable
materials on the
housing 19 are not limited to those illustrated.
[0060] Referring now to FIG. 4, a side view of the slider 12 is illustrated.
The location of
slider magnets or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b on end 17 of slider 12
are positioned to
magnetically interact with magnetic or magnetizable plate 18 on housing 19.
The slider magnets
or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b are aligned with the magnetic or
magnetizable plate 18 of
the housing 19 to (i) ensure that proper contact is made between the slider 12
and housing 19
such that the slider 12 is aligned with the sensor 4, (ii) prevent the slider
12 from bouncing back
and forth upon the opening and closing of the stall door, and (iii) attract
the slider 12 to the
housing 19 in the event the user does not slide the slider 12 sufficiently
towards the housing 19.
[0061] The strength of the magnets or magnetizable materials are sufficient to
attract the
slider 12 to connect to the housing 19 immediately upon unlocking, but not so
strong that the
magnets or magnetizable materials prevent the slider 12 from reaching its
extended locked
position. The housing 19 and lock slider 12 are either at a predetermined or
adjustable distance
away from each other such that immediately upon unlocking, i.e., immediately
upon moving the
slider 12 from the first position illustrated in FIG. 2A to the second
position illustrated in FIG.
2B, the magnets or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b of slider 12 contact the
magnets or
magnetizable materials 18 of the housing 19. This avoids the possibility that
when the user
unlocks the stall door 100 the slider 12 will not move all the way into the
second position,
preventing the slider 12 from initiating the process for the signal emitter 1
to emit a signal to be
received by the flush signal receiver 3 to initiate the events leading to a
flushing. In other words,
by fully reaching the second position, which is ensured with the magnets, the
sensor 4 adequately
senses the presence of the slider 12 in the second position so that a flush
signal is emitted by
signal emitter 1 to flush signal receiver 3, regardless of the type sensor,
for example, the sensors
disclosed above, that is being used.
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[0062] The electronic circuitry for the electronic components inside the
housing 19 may
be powered by either one or more photovoltaic cells 23 or by one or more
batteries 25 housed in
housing 19, for example. The electronic circuitry for the flushing mechanism
112 including the
flush signal receiver 3, the toilet flushing controller 16, and the toilet
flushing actuator 5 may be
powered by either one or more photovoltaic cells or by one or more batteries.
[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the toilet flushing controller 16
and/or the
door housing controller 27 is configured to implement a programmable time
delay that is
introduced to set minimum intervals between flushes, preferably ranging from,
but not limited to,
1-5 seconds, 1-10 seconds, 5-25 seconds, 5-50 seconds, 25-50 seconds, 50-100
seconds, 100-200
seconds, 150-250 seconds, preferably, 5 to 240 seconds. The programmable time
delay setting
minimum intervals between flushes may also be set to be less than 5 seconds or
more than 240
seconds. The programmable time delay can be manually programmed, or determined
through an
algorithm that uses machine learning or deep learning techniques to determine
an optimal time
interval. The programmable time delay prevents users from repeatedly flushing
the toilet in
short intervals of time by repeatedly switching the slider 12 of the stall
locking member 110 back
and forth between locked (first position) and unlocked positions (second
position). Managers of
the bathroom will be able to manipulate the time delay range at their
discretion with a system
controller 114 for example, a computer, a mobile application, or a combination
of various
electronics and/or computer based technology.
[0064] In one embodiment, a system controller 114 may be specific to one
toilet,
alternatively to all the toilets in the same bathroom, or central to all the
toilets in the entire
building, but with the ability to regulate the time delay in each or every
individual toilet.
[0065] In a particular embodiment, a different time delay may be appropriate
for a
handicap toilet as opposed to a regular toilet because the handicap toilet may
be used differently
from a non-handicap toilet. The system controller 114 measures how many times
the toilets
flush, allowing the facility manager to collect data and adjust settings to
maximize water
efficiency. The system controller 114 sends data to the flush signal receiver
wirelessly via
Bluetooth or radio frequency, for example. Also a required daily flush for
toilets that were not
used can be programmed into the system 10 to keep toilets clean. The system
controller 114
records the frequency of slider operation, and optionally may record and store
additional
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functional data and timestamps relating to any action of the system or signals
generated by the
system, for example. .
[0066] A method for automatically actuating a toilet flush using a flush
actuating system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described with
reference to FIG. 5.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the system may be programmed
and/or
configured such that unlatching of a stall door sends a wireless signal to the
toilet flush controller
that triggers the toilet flushing actuator to initiate a flush. In an
illustrative embodiment of the
disclosed system and method, an ordinary usage cycle 502 begins when a user
enters a toilet stall
504, then the user locks the door 506 , then the user uses the toilet 508,
then the user unlocks the
door 510, then the user leaves the stall. During the ordinary usage cycle, the
unlocking of the
stall door 510 by the user triggers a flushing of the toilet 512. The ordinary
cycle is effective as
a substantial water saving technique.
[0067] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the disclosed
system and
method can be programmed and/or configured to tolerate and/or accommodate
toilet stall uses
that do not include the ordinary usage cycle. For example, on some occasions,
a user only uses a
toilet stall to change clothes without using the toilet. On other occasions a
male user may choose
to refrain from latching the stall door in order to use the toilet as if it
were a urinal, for example.
On other occasions a user who may not be aware that the stall door latch
initiates flushing may
intentionally trigger a manual flush. On other occasions maintenance workers
may trigger
manual flushes to clean the toilet, for example.
[0068] In this illustrative embodiment, the flush actuating system includes a
distance
sensor in communication with programmable logic circuitry configured to
recognize and
accommodate toilet stall uses that do not include the ordinary usage cycle.
This adaptation to the
ordinary usage cycle system and method substantially improves water savings
and facilitates
improved management techniques. In an illustrative embodiment, the distance
sensor and
programmable logic circuit functionality adaptation can be enabled or disabled
by facility
managers, for example.
[0069] According to aspects of the invention, timestamps may be recorded by
the
feedback loops upon recognition of certain events. An identification of the
type of event that
occurred may be recorded by the feedback loops along with a corresponding time
stamp.
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[0070] Some events such as "user does not lock stall door," which falls in the
category of
events occurring during feedback loop 1, are not necessarily recorded by
feedback loop 1.
However, such events may be recognizable by their absence upon the occurrence
of an event that
usually follows, such as the occurrence of feedback from subsequent feedback
loops 2 and 3, for
example. In such cases the event may be retroactively recorded by the system.
If this is a
frequent occurrence of this event, then the facility manager may be alerted to
the fact that it is
consistently not receiving feedback from feedback loop 1, for example.
[0071] Similarly, while a "toilet does not flush" event may not actively
trigger the
transmission of a signal in feedback loop 3, the absence of an expected
"toilet flushes" event
after a "user presses opt-out button" event may be noted after a certain
period of time, for
example.
[0072] According to another aspect of the present disclosure the ordinary user
cycle may
be supplemented or adapted to accommodate various system faults. In a first
example of system
fault handling according to an aspect of the present dislosure, a system fault
may occur when one
or more component of the system stop working. In this situation, the system
controller may
detect that it is only receiving information from feedback loop 2 and feedback
loop 3, but not
from feedback loop 1, for example. The computer may be configured to recognize
when it is not
receiving signals from all feedback loops and, in response to sends an alert
to a platform having a
user interface with which the facility manager views the data. The alert may
include an
identification of the suspected fault type and a time stamp of the fault
recognition.
[0073] In a second example of system fault handling according to an aspect of
the present
disclosure, a system fault may occur when all components of the system fail.
In an illustrative
embodiment, the computer continuously stores data as it is received from the
feedback loops.
An algorithm executing on the computer sorts data indicating frequency of
flushes data into
multiple time buckets. The time buckets may include hours, days, weeks,
months, and years, for
example. In the illustrative embodiment, the computer then can compute the
frequency of new
flushes within each bucket and compare the computed frequency against
historical data for the
same time bucket. For example, the computer may compute whether the current
frequency is
within, higher, or lower than percentage range of the historical value.
According to an aspect of
the present disclosure, the percentage range is selectable by the facility
manager. The system
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notifies the facility manager when the current frequency is outside of the
selected range, for
example.
[0074] When none of the feedback loops are providing signals, the computer
determines
that the frequency of flushes is 0%. If this frequency is consistent for a
predetermined time
interval, during which historical data indicates that there should be a much
higher frequency of
flushes, then the facility manager is automatically notified. This fault
handling system and
method enables the facility manager to perform timely checks on the devices in
the
corresponding stall. In an illustrative embodiment, the facility manager can
program and/or
configure the system to vary the time buckets during which the frequency
determination and
fault analysis will occur or the computer may be programmed to automatically
complete this
process, for example.
[0075] In a third example of system fault handling according to an aspect of
the present
disclosure, a system fault may be recognized when one component signals more
frequently than
expected. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the system
controller can compare the
frequency of signals received within a specified time bucket from any and all
feedback loops to
the historical data. When a notable discrepancy from the expected results is
recognized, such as
numerous toilet flushes recorded for only one user lock and unlock sequence,
the system
controller captures the pertinent data and send it to the computer. The
computer can then
communicate an appropriate and specific fault alert to the facility manager.
[0076] In a fourth example of system fault handling according to an aspect of
the present
disclosure, a system fault may occur when one component signals unexpectedly.
When the
system controller receives signals out of order, such as a toilet flushing
before a user locks or
unlocks the door, then the system can send a signal to the computer to alert
the facility manager.
This can be especially useful information for facilities managers to quickly
recognize and repair
a toilet that is continuously flushing and wasting a large amount of water.
According to an
aspect of the present disclosure such continuous flushing is quickly
recognized base on constant
feedback signals being sent to the system controller.
[0077] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a variety of alerts
may optionally
be communicated to facility managers. The alerts provided extensive insight
regarding real-time
and historical functionality of system components and overall bathroom usage.
The alerts can be
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managed by the facilities manager on a user interface of the system
controller, or of a platform in
communication with the system controller.
[0078] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, facility
managers can view
toilet flushing records for daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or multiple year
periods to determine
patterns for best managing toilet flushing, for example. This information can
be useful to
identify times when a toilet has historically not been flushed, e.g., when the
facility is closed. In
such cases, the facility manager can schedule a sentinel flush to occur then
so as to ensure it does
not happen when a user is present. "Sentinel flush" is an industry standard
term that refers to an
automatic flush that is programmed to occur in order to keep a toilet clean.
[0079] In another example where such data can be useful, the data may allow a
facilities
manager to recognize when a flushing mechanism was not strong enough to
eliminate solid
waste. In such cases, the data may indicate that multiple users have manually
flushed before
using the toilet, and flush again when they leave. If this pattern persists or
increases over time,
The facility manager can recognize that a problem with a flushing mechanism
exists and can
then perform a timely replacement or adjustment of the flushing mechanism for
example.
[0080] In another illustrative embodiment, during ordinary system operation
facilities
managers can configure the system to display the real time or historic
frequencies at which
signals from feedback loops 1-3 are recorded. The frequencies can be displayed
numerically or
graphically, for example, and can be sorted by building, bathroom, or by
specific toilet/stall.
They can also sort between real time and historical recordings.
[0081] In another illustrative embodiment, during ordinary system operation,
facilities
managers can configure the system to provide notification of time periods
during which
frequency of usage is higher or lower than other periods.
[0082] In another illustrative embodiment, during ordinary system operation
facilities
managers can configure the system to display, or the system may be configured
to automatically
display a notification of low battery life for any of the system components.
For example, the
system may indicate that battery life is low for any component, that component
must be replaced
in a particular number of days, that that the battery is dead, so the
component may be recharged
or the battery may be replaced at an appropriate time.
[0083] In another illustrative embodiment, during ordinary system operation
facilities
managers can configure the system to display, or the system may be configured
to automatically
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display a notification of an unexpected signal or signal sequence. For
example, the system can
provide a notification when the system controller does not receive feedback
loops 1, 2 and 3 in
order. In another example, the system controller may provide a notification
when it receives
multiple signals from feedback loops 1, 2 or 3 within a single usage cycle. In
another example,
the system may provide a notification when the system controller is not
consistently receiving
signals from any or all of the feedback loops. Occurrences of unexpected
signals or signal
sequences can be recorded and frequencies of such occurrences can be displayed
to a facilities
manager, for example.
[0084] According to aspects of the present disclosure, facility managers are
enabled to
respond to certain alerts remotely. Such remote responses can shorten response
time and limit
the possibility of a catastrophic issue occurring from any of the technology.
For example,
according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a facilities manager can
program the system
controller, via a computer in communication with the system controller, for
example, to set
system parameters and control system functionality. Some programming
capabilities of a
facilities manager according to aspects of the present disclosure include:
preventing flushes,
delaying flushes, actuating flushes, reducing flush volume, preventing usage
of a stall, and/or
controlling alerts, for example.
[0085] Although the term facilities manager is used throughout the present
application to
describe the entity who is responsible for operating and managing the
disclosed system, it should
be understood that such an entity may not necessarily have a title or function
as a facilities
manager. Persons skilled in the art should appreciate that in some
implementations of the
disclosed system persons other than a facilities manager, including virtually
any authorized user
may operate the system. The authorized user may be a facilities employee or a
remote service
provider, for example.
[0086] In an illustrative embodiment, a facilities manager can program the
system to
prevent flushes by programming the toilet flush controller to stop signaling
the toilet flushing
actuator to actuate a flush. Alternatively, or in addition, the facilities
manager can also program
the system to prevent flushes by programming the door housing controller to
stop signaling the
signal emitter to emit signals to the flush signal receiver. According to an
aspect of the present
disclosure, preventing flushes can be implemented manually at virtually any
time, or the facility
manager may set times for this to occur at regular intervals, for example.
This programmable
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functionality to prevent flushes can be used to set long term intervals of
when a toilet should not
flush, for example when a building is closed at night, the facility manager
may want to shut-off
flushing functionality during that time. The facility manager can also set
this to occur after
specific types of feedback, such as, but not limited to, an absence of signal
from a specific
feedback loop
[0087] In an illustrative embodiment, a facilities manager can program the
system to
cause the toilet flush controller to signal the toilet flushing actuator to
actuate a flush.
Alternatively or in addition, the facilities manager may program the system
controller to have the
door housing controller signal the signal emitter to emit a signal to the
flush signal receiver to
actuate a flush. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, actuation
of flushes can be
performed manually at any time, or the facility manager may set times for this
to occur at regular
intervals, for example.
[0088] In an illustrative embodiment, a facilities manager can program the
system to set a
default flush volume for ordinary operation, set a specific flush volume and a
period of time for
which the toilets should flush at that volume
[0089] In an illustrative embodiment, the system may be configured to allow a
facility
manager to remotely manipulate the position of the stall latch slider to
prevent it from locking or
unlocking, for example. This functionality may be implemented when a facility
manager notices
unusual activity, but does not have time to immediately address the problem.
In this
embodiment, the system controller may instruct the door locking chamber to
prevent the slider
from achieving the locked position, for example. This would prevent the user
from being able to
lock the stall and achieve privacy, therefore subtly discouraging them from
using the stall.
[0090] Alternatively the system may be programmed to cause the housing to
interfere
with the slider travel and thereby to prevent the slider from reaching an
unlocked position, for
example.
[0091] In another illustrative embodiment, the system controller may be
programmed to
delay flushes by setting a selected time interval beginning after the instance
of a flush, during
which the system prevents another flush from occurring until the time interval
has passed, for
example. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the facility manager can set
notifications to be
received when a specific percentage threshold of expected, or unexpected,
flushes occur within a
time bucket, for example.
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[0092] In several situations, toilets do not need to flush at their normal
volume. In these
situations flushing with normal flush volumes wastes a substantial volume of
water. An
illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure includes proactive methods
for reducing flush
volume. According to this embodiment, the system is configured so that a
toilet bowl will
initially have a lower flush volume than necessary. The system then reacts to
adjust the flush
volume based on user activity. In one example, this functionality may be
useful at times of high
facilities usage, such as during halftime of a sporting when urinal overflow
often leads to toilets
in stalls being used urinals. According to an aspect of the present
disclosure, a facility manager
can program the system controller in such instances in order to temporarily
lower the flush
volume of each toilet to save water, then return the flush volume to ordinary
levels after half
time. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a facility
manager could also
program the system controller through the management system to initiate a
flush of all the toilets
at once, for example at the end of half time.
[0093] In another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a toilet
can be set to
constantly operate at a reduced flush volume unless if a user locks the stall,
as in these cases the
user is more likely to use the toilet to defecate instead of urinate. In an
illustrative embodiment,
when the signal emitter detects the slider in locked position or transitioning
to the locket
position, the signal emitter transmits to the original receiver and thereby
command the toilet
flushing controller to increase the flush volume back to ordinary levels.
[0094] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the facility manager
can
optionally trigger reduced volume flushes for selected times or ranges of
times, such as single
instances, during a selected time interval, at regular time intervals, or
automatically based on
user actions for example. A wide range of flush volumes can be triggered for
particular times or
conditions. In an illustrative embodiment, the flush volume may be set from 0
gallons to 5
gallons of water, for example. Alternatively, the flush volume can be
controlled based on an
amount of water that is allowed to enter the bowl, and/or an amount of water
that is used to flush.
Flush volume can also be recorded during the feedback loops, for example.
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