Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02297603 2000-O1-28
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TITLE
ADJUSTABLE URINAL
Related Application
This application is related to Canadian application
No. 2,209,605, filed July 3, 1997.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable
urinal, and especially to a self-flushing adjustable
urinal that is unisexual in nature i.e. may be used by
either males or females. The adjustable urinal may be a
stand alone unit or it may be associated with a
conventional toilet. The position of the urinal in use
may be as low as the floor, for use by children.
Background to the Invention
A variety of toilets, also known as water closets,
are known, and typically have a stationary receptacle
member for receiving liquid or solid human waste, with an
associated water tank. When used as a urinal, the
conventional toilet is typically used by sitting on the
seat that is provided as part of the toilet, or in the
case of males often by standing in front of the toilet
receptacle member and discharging directly into the
receptacle member. Use of a conventional toilet as a
urinal has a number of disadvantages, including the
splashing of urine from the toilet receptacle member onto
areas surrounding the toilet, especially when used by a
male, associated objectionable noises, difficulties in
use particularly by smaller individuals e.g. children who
cannot reach the toilet receptacle member without using a
stool or other means of elevation, and the large volume
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of water, e.g. up to about five gallons, for each
flushing of the toilet. In addition, installation of a
toilet requires a significant area in which to
accommodate the toilet and its associated water tank as
well as installation of the associated plumbing.
Moreover, the toilet and its tank are heavy, which must
be taken into account during installation.
A number of adjustable urinals have been developed
for use in association with a toilet and which may in
some instances be intended to be unisexual. For
instance, U.S. 4,137,579 of P.S. Soler describes a urine
drain which has a housing attached to a flexible tube,
the drain part of which is discharged through the side of
the toilet receptacle member. The water inlet is
activated by a valve.
U.S. 5,153,947 of E.C. Markles discloses a urinal
that is rotated about a horizontal axis into the desired
position. It is believed that the receptacle is not
designed for females, and it is not variable in height.
The unit flushes only when the toilet flushes and the
amount of water used in flushing is not minimal.
U.S. 5,299,328 of W. Walega discloses a toilet that
includes a urinal disposed adjacent to the stationary
receptacle member of the toilet and which is movable
between a retracted position recessed into the tank of
the toilet receptacle member and a use position. It is
believed that the receptacle is not designed for females,
and the amount of water used in flushing is not minimal.
U.S. 5,390,374 of S.E. Hubrig, et al. has a
receptacle that does not drain until it is pushed up to a
height greater than the top of the toilet receptacle
member. Receptacle movement would seem to be awkward for
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children, and the amount of water used in flushing is not
minimal or automatic.
U.S. 1 660 260 of Diago discloses a pivot-mounted
urinal of restricted movement that returns to a vertical
position by gravity.
U.S. 4, 982 455 of Carter discloses a urinal with a
threaded collar for extension of the urinal bowl and
which is restricted to forward movement through an angle
of approximately 15°.
A urinal that is more user-friendly, which uses a
minimal amount of water and could be automatic in
flushing, and which may be used in locations other than
adjacent to a toilet would be useful. It would be
advantageous if the urinal is unisexual.
Summary of the Invention
A urinal has now been found that may be used in
locations other than adjacent to a toilet, and which may
be used by both males and females. The urinal is
adjustable in height and convenient to use.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention
provides a free-standing urinal for use by an adult
person or child of either sex, said urinal being
comprised of a receptacle member and a tube,
said receptacle member being connected by a rigid
non-extendible pipe to a pivot and pivotable between a
first position and a second position, said first position
being variable between a floor and said second position
by pivoting of said rigid non-extendible pipe and said
second position being a retracted position, said
receptacle member remaining in said first position when
moved thereto,
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said receptacle member being usable by said adult
person or child for the voiding of waste liquids therein
when said receptacle member is in the first position,
said receptacle member having a reservoir adapted to
retain waste liquid when in any first position between
said floor and a position of use by an adult,
a tube located within the receptacle member and
adapted to be connected to a supply of water to said
receptacle member, said tube adapted to provide flushing
of the receptacle member with less than one litre of
water per minute,
said receptacle member being connected to a drain
for disposal of said waste liquids and water.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention will be particularly described
with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings
in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a side
view of an adjustable urinal;
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an
adjustable urinal adjacent to a toilet;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a cross-
section of the receptacle of the adjustable urinal and an
automatic self-flushing device thereof;
Figure 4 is a schematic representation of an
embodiment of a drain system for discharge of waste from
the receptacle member;
Figure 5 is a schematic representation, in exploded
view, of an embodiment of a pivot mechanism used in the
adjustment of the urinal;
Figure 6 is a schematic representation, in exploded
view, of a tap used to connect the drain pipe to a drain;
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Figures 7A and 7B are schematic representations of
side and front view of an alternate urinal.
Figures 8A and 8B are schematic representations of
side and front views of a urinal with a pelican
5 reservoir; and
Figures 9A and 9B are schematic representations of
side and front view of a further urinal.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Figure 1 shows an adjustable urinal, generally
indicated by 1. Adjustable urinal 1 has a housing 2
connected by urinal pipe 3 to pivot mechanism 4. Pivot
mechanism 4 is preferably located at or near floor level.
An embodiment of pivot mechanism 4 is shown in more
detail in Figure 5. It is understood that the pivot
mechanism could restrict movement of the urinal pipe to a
vertical plane or permit some lateral movement. As
illustrated herein, the pivot mechanism may be mounted on
a floor, or above the floor. Water inlet 5 is connected
to urinal pipe 3 at the lower end thereof e.g. by tapping
into urinal pipe 3, as is urinal drain 6.
Within urinal pipe 3, water inlet 5 is connected to
water pipe 7 which extends up urinal pipe 3 to a location
at the bottom of housing 2, as described in more detail
below. Water inlet 5 and water pipe 7 could be part of
the same pipe. Water pipe 7 is shown as located within
urinal pipe 3 and housing 2, but it could be located on
the outside of either or both of urinal pipe 3 and
housing 2. For instance, water pipe 7 may be located
within housing 2 but not within receptacle member 8. In
the embodiment shown, urine receptacle member 8 is
located within housing 2 and is connected at its lower
end with drain pipe 9 that extends down and within urinal
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pipe 3 and is connected to urinal drain 6. Thus, urinal
drain 6 is an extension of drain pipe 9, and in
embodiments may be the same entity. Housing 2 and
receptacle member 8 could be the same, rather than
separate entities as illustrated in this embodiment i.e.
housing 2 per se could be omitted. Urinal drain 6 and
water inlet 5 should have sufficient flexibility for
pivoting of the urinal as described herein, or otherwise
adapted for such pivoting.
Housing 2 has lid 10, which is optional. Lid 10 may
be utilized in activation of the self-flushing mechanism
for the adjustable urinal. In the absence of lid 10, the
self-flushing mechanism could be activated on movement of
housing 2 about pivot mechanism 4, to provide flushing
during use or after use or continuous flushing could be
used.
In one embodiment, flushing commences when lid 10 is
opened and stops when lid 10 is closed. Thus, flushing
of the urinal is continuous when required i.e. when the
urinal is in use, to clean the urinal and maintain it in
a clean state. As an alternative, flushing may be
activated by movement of the receptacle into a use
position, whether or not the receptacle has a lid, or be
self-flushing for a period of time when the lid is
closed. As further alternatives, continuous, one-shot
rapid or other flushing techniques could be used.
Flushing is maintained at less than one litre/minute,
especially less than 600 ml/minute and preferably less
than 500 ml/minute. This minimises the amount of water
used, especially compared with about 18.9 litres/flush (5
gallons/flush) for a typical toilet. A water meter could
be used to limit the flow of water e.g. if the lid is not
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closed. Flushing could be accomplished by water flowing
or sprayed around part or all of receptacle member 8.
The pipe connecting the receptacle to the pivot is a
rigid non-extendible pipe, so as to permit easy and fast
positioning for use by any person, both adults and
children. As discussed herein, the positioning may be as
low as the floor, for use by children, or at a height
suitable for an adult, and the rigid non-extendible pipe
is necessary for such easy and fast positioning. This is
also necessary in the embodiments of the invention
described herein in which a reservoir extends down the
stem. The positioning of the receptacle for use is
achieved solely by pivoting about the pivot to which the
rigid pipe is attached.
If the non-use position of the receptacle has the
non-extendible pipe in a vertical position, then in
preferred embodiments of the invention the pipe is
capable of being pivoted by at least 90° for use.
Figure 2 shows adjustable urinal 1 located in
association with a toilet, generally indicated by 20.
Urinal 1 has housing 2, urinal pipe 3, pivot 4 and water
inlet 5, as described previously.
Toilet 20 has a toilet receptacle member 21 having
lid 22 thereon. Toilet receptacle member 21 is connected
to stand 23 which is connected to base 24. Toilet 20 has
water tank 25 with tank lid 26, located behind and above
toilet receptacle member 21.
Water pipe 27 is shown as connected to water inlet 5
of adjustable urinal 1 as well as to water inlet 28 of
water tank 25. Water inlet 5 and water inlet 28 have
valves 29 and 30 which may be used to control the flow of
water to the adjustable urinal 1 and to water tank 25, or
to cut it off completely during installation or for other
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reasons. It is understood that the location of the
valves with respect to the water pipes could be adjusted.
Valve 30 (or an equivalent) on water inlet 5 is
particularly important in control of flow of water into
the urinal.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, drain 6 from
adjustable urinal 1 is shown as being fed to base 24 of
toilet 20. In this embodiment of the drain, which is
shown in more detail in Fig. 4, drain 6 is connected
under base 24 into the drain beneath toilet 20, using a
spacing plate or shim adapted to receive drain 6 and
convey fluid to the drain beneath the toilet. In other
embodiments, drain 6 could be tapped into the side of
stand 23 of toilet 20. When adjustable urinal 1 is not
used in association with toilet 20, drain 6 would be fed
to another source of drainage for the urinal or another
area for waste disposal.
Figure 3 shows a cross-section of receptacle 8.
Water pipe 7 is shown as extending from urinal pipe 3,
not shown but located to the underside of receptacle 8
upwards along receptacle 8 to a location at water inlet
connector 41.
It is understood that the water pipes referred to
herein may be rigid, but the pipes may also be flexible
i.e. be more in the form of tubes or hoses. Lid 10 may
open in any direction, e.g. in a sideways direction,
front to back or slide back. Receptacle member 8 extends
from adjacent to lid 10 down to and smoothly
interconnecting with drain pipe 9, which as shown in
Figure 1 extends down urinal pipe 3. Urinal pipe 3 and
drain pipe 9 could be the same pipe. Likewise, urinal
drain 6 and drain pipe 9 could be the same pipe.
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Receptacle member 8 is shown as having trap 61
located in the bottom thereof, where receptacle member 8
merges into drain pipe 9. Trap 61 has a solid portion,
indicated by 62, having vents 63 therein through which
liquid may pass. Trap 61 is intended to prevent the
passage of solid material e.g. paper, into drain pipe 9,
in which it could cause a blockage. It is also
understood that trap 61 could be shaped so that drain
pipe 9 extends up into trap 61, to a height above vents
63, thereby forming a liquid trap (not shown). Traps of
other shapes e.g. S-shaped traps, may be inserted in
drain pipe 9 and/or urinal drain 6, in which case a
screen may be inserted in receptacle member 8, adjacent
to drain pipe 9, to prevent passage of solid material
into drain pipe 9.
Figure 3 also illustrates an embodiment of a self-
flushing device. Using coupling 66, water inlet pipe 7
is connected to flushing tube 40 which houses spring 101
and ball 102, the interior of flushing tube 40 being
shaped so that ball 102 prevents water from flowing.
Push rod 100 is used to move ball 102 and let water pass
through. Push rod 100 extends through a small hole in
plug 42. Water exits flushing tube 40 through water vent
holes 43. Shield 105 attached to push rod 100 prevents
water from exiting out of receptacle 8. In an
embodiment, movement of lid 10 depresses push rod 100 by
means of knob 106. Another alternative embodiment
utilizes forward movement of receptacle 21 to depress
push rod 100. A valve could be used to control the flow
of water to flushing tube 40. It is understood that
flushing tube 40 could be a spray head, spray nozzles or
other flushing device. Spray nozzles with holes similar
to a paint spray gun may be usable in some locations
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particularly depending on water purity, and capable of
continuous flushing at as little as 2.6 ml/minute i.e.
less than a gallon/day. Other spray devices may be used
including, devices with holes of adjustable sizes.
5 Figure 4 shows a cross-section of urinal drain 6
connected under base 24 of a toilet receptacle member,
partially shown by stand 23. In the embodiment of Figure
4, base 24 is attached to floor 85 by means of nut and
bolt combination 51. The standard method of attaching
10 toilet receptacle member to a floor has been modified in
the embodiment of Figure 4 by having urinal drain 6 enter
under base 24, using spacing plate or shim 52 that is
adapted to receive urinal drain 6 and convey fluid
therefrom to toilet drain 53. Toilet drain 53 is a drain
for a toilet receptacle member (not shown), to a drain
system e.g. the sewer. Urinal drain 6 extends under base
24, through spacing plate 52, so as to effect discharge
of urine and flushing water from adjustable urinal 1 into
toilet drain 53. In the absence of a toilet receptacle
member, it is understood that urinal drain 6 would be
connected to some other suitable source for discharge of
urine and water from adjustable urinal 1. Urinal drain 6
and its connection to a drain could utilize one or more
pipes for discharge of urine or water.
In an embodiment, the drain pipe, urinal drain and
water inlet may be directed to the back of the toilet and
encased in a flexible tubing that is fastenable to the
urinal pipe, toilet or the floor, although each could be
attached separately. This would increase aesthetic
appeal and also provide additional strength, which might
be important for use by children.
Figure 5 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of
pivot mechanism 4 of Figure 1 for use with the adjustable
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urinal of the present invention. Urinal pipe 3 is
connected to an elbow 55. Elbow 55 is connected in turn
with rigid material 56, guide 200, non-compressible
spring material 58, curved plate 59, two plates 57 and
adapter 60; adapter 60 may be in the form of a threaded
nipple, and be a single part or assembled from several
parts. It is intended that the combination of parts
shown in the exploded view of Figure 5 would permit
urinal pipe 3 to be adjusted to any desired angle,
including to floor level and to retain urinal pipe 3 at
that position. The combination of the screw thread on
adapter 60 with the non-compressible spring material 58
would effect this ability to position adjustable urinal 1
i.e. the urinal pipe 3, in the desired position. Other
pivot mechanisms could be used.
The combination of the pivot mechanism, rigid stem
and drainage ensures that the receptacle will drain at
any height. This makes the urinal usable even by small
children who are just starting to toilet train, in
addition to older children and adults.
Movement of elbow 55, or parts associated therewith,
may be used to open or close a ball valve.
In an alternate embodiment, rigid material 56
extends into adapter 60, or other male threaded fitting,
to contact non-compressible spring material 58, plates 57
and plate 59. Plate 59 is preferably curved.
Alternatively, plate 59 could be a pair of plates or
plates 57, 59 could be placed with non-compressible
spring material 58 around the threaded part of the
adapter 60 or other appropriate male threaded fitting so
that compression occurs on the outside of adapter 60
instead of inside elbow 55. Preferably, the non-
compressible spring material 58 would fit adjacent to the
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threaded part of adapter 60 on an unthreaded part to
avoid wear caused by the threads. The non-compressible
spring material 58 would be compressed between the elbow
and a larger diameter of the adapter 60 with an
arrangement of plates 57 and curved plates 59 adjacent to
the non-compressible spring material 58. Other
embodiments could be used. The guide can be shaped at
the end to connect to the opening handle of a ball valve
to turn the valve off and on with rotational movement of
elbow 55. In another embodiment, a ball valve is screwed
onto a nipple, after inserting a washer and a plate into
the female end of the ball valve. The other end of the
valve is also sealed. A rod connecting the on/off lever
of the valve to the stem enables the movement of the stem
to open and close the valve.
Figure 6 illustrates a tap that could be used to
connect urinal drain 6 to drain 64, using a coupling,
generally indicated by 66. Coupling 66 has opposed
wedge-shaped ends 67 and 68. Coupling 66 is hollow, to
allow passage of fluid from urinal drain 6 to drain 64.
Coupling 66 is coated with a suitable sealant or sealing
ring, not shown, before being pressed into orifice 65 in
drain 64. Wedge-shaped end 67 is of a shape and material
to enable the end to be pushed into orifice 65 and be
retained therein; in practice, end 67 may be pushed into
drain 64 to effect a good seal. The sealant provides a
seal against the leakage of liquid. Similarly, wedge-
shaped end 68 is inserted and sealed into urine drain 6.
While Figure 6 illustrates a tap directly into a drain,
64, it is understood that a wedge shaped flaring on the
end of the drain line could be passed through holes in
the floor and drain pipe of the toilet or through a wall
and drain vent or some other suitable location. A
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sealing hose would then be pushed over it and the drain
line pulled through the holes to complete a tap. It is
also to be understood that such tapping techniques could
be used to connect a source of water to the urinal. The
ends of the ball valve may be sealed and tapped into
using this method.
In order to provide a vent to a drain trap e.g. an
S-shaped trap, an air line may be tapped into the drain
pipe or the urinal drain 6, urinal pipe 3 or drain pipe
9. Such an air line (not illustrated) may be connected
to an appropriate location in the drainage system of the
building in which the urinal is located. For example,
the air line could follow the drain line under the toilet
to a location open to the toilet drain, similar to urinal
drain 6 but separated from the end of urinal drain 6.
Parts of the tapping of the water supply, drainage or
venting may be reinforced to prevent removal.
A variety of methods of tapping into water supply
lines may be used, including use of holes drilled in the
water supply line and the use of tapping mechanism
frequently used to attach humidifier systems to water
supply lines. It is understood that some methods may not
comply with plumbing or other by-laws in some
jurisdictions, and thus could not be used.
Figures 7A and 7B show an embodiment of the present
invention as described herein that has the additional
feature of being very easy to install. In this
embodiment, liquid waste and water drains through a
flexible urinal drain 6 that extends along the inside of
the toilet receptacle member 21 to the toilet drain 53
(not shown). More than one urinal drain 6 may be used.
The urinal is mounted on a stand 87 that is secured
to the toilet seat bolt holes 86 and/or the floor 85
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and/or the wall 84. A reservoir 88 has been added to the
urinal to hold the flushing water and the urine drained
from the receptacle 8, in particular, for children who
are not tall enough to use the receptacle 8 at a height
at which it will empty i.e. below the top of the toilet
receptacle member 21. It is understood that the urinal
receptacle member 21 may be lowered below where it is
secured to the toilet. The reservoir 88 may be stem 3
described above, or part thereof, that has been swollen
to the appropriate shape demonstrated in Fig. 7A and 7B,
and/or could be part of the receptacle. However, a
preferred shape is shown in Figures 8A and 8B. The
latter shape may be referred to as a "pelican" shape,
resembling the shape of the pouch on the bird. Another
alternate shape is shown in Figures 9A and 9B. It will
be appreciated that the pelican shape of reservoir 88
could extend all or partly down urinal pipe 3.
When the reservoir 88 (or the liquid therein) rises
above the rim of the toilet receptacle member 21, the
liquid waste empties through urinal drain 6. The height
of the urinal must be such that the liquid waste can
drain from the reservoir 88. The reservoir 88 is large
enough to hold both the water used in flushing, if need
be, and the urine waste. In Fig. 7A and 7B, the top of
the elbow 55 is connected to the reservoir 88 and points
horizontally, instead of vertically as in Fig s 1, 8A and
8B.
The receptacle can drain directly into reservoir 88
or through a drain pipe 9 (not shown).
In order to allow air to be released from the
reservoir 88 when it is being filled and to bring air
into the reservoir 88 when it is emptying, an air vent
line 83 is used. Air vent 83 could be connected to air
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transfer line 82 which extends along the inside of the
toilet receptacle member 21, to a toilet drain. Air vent
83 and air transfer line 82 could be the same. Air vent
line 83 could be located on the outside of urinal pipe 3
5 and/or reservoir 88 e.g. in a trough and extend into the
reservoir 88 through a hole at the end of the trough.
The air vent line 83 could be fastened to urinal pipe 3
and/or reservoir 88 to prevent removal. More than one
air transfer line 82 may be used.
10 This model can use constant flushing as the
reservoir is big enough to accept the liquid waste of a
child and the water used in flushing. However, if the
child forgets to close the lid or push the receptacle
back to its resting position, the reservoir could
15 overflow and so a float valve or a water meter should be
used. The reservoir could drain at a slower rate than
the receptacle, as a result of the reservoir holding a
relatively large volume of liquid. Consequently,
drainage lines of small diameter would be used,
minimizing the height that the toilet would need to be
separated from the floor to permit drainage e.g. as
little as about 0.125 inches if the drainage line was of
that diameter. A plug and appropriate trap combination
can be easily installed where required.
For flushing of a urinal that does not utilize a
"pelican" reservoir when the receptacle is intended for
use at floor level, the rigid pipe would likely need to
be Z-shaped, or equivalent, to permit the receptacle and
drainage system to be at floor level.
It is understood that the "pelican" reservoir could
be used with the other urinal described herein.
The receptacle used on the urinal must be capable of
receiving liquid in all positions of use, from heights to
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be used by adult males and females to heights at or close
to floor level for use by children.
It is understood that drainage from the urinal may
pass through the pivot described herein, or by-pass the
pivot.
In use, a person pulls the housing down to an
acceptable height, and lifts (opens) the lid, if present,
on the housing. The housing remains at that height. The
self-flushing mechanism is activated, usually by the
opening of the lid although flushing could be activated
by movement of the housing to its use position. The
person then urinates in the receptacle member, and
returns the housing to its retracted or storage position.
The flushing of the receptacle member would normally then
cease, although in embodiments described herein flushing
could continue, preferably at a lower rate e.g. for
hygienic reasons, for instance to flush disinfectants,
deodorants or the like.
In the embodiment of Figure 3, flushing could be
activated manually using a push button e.g. knob 106.
Such flushing would normally be independent of use of the
urinal i.e. activated by the user of the urinal.
However, opening of a lid on the receptacle could open
the valve and effect continuous flushing. Alternatively,
movement of the receptacle to the first position could
open the valve and effect continuous flushing or the
flushing could be activated for a predetermined period on
return of the urinal to the storage position or upon
closing the lid.
The adjustable urinal of the present invention is a
free-standing urinal for both males and females. It uses
a unisexual configured small receptacle which is designed
to quietly capture urine without the usual splashing on
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surrounding areas. The receptacle is attached to a pipe.
The pipe is attached to a 90 elbow which in turn is
attached to an pivot mechanism that may be attached to
the floor, as has been shown in the drawings herein, or
to some other suitable location.
The receptacle may be raised or lowered to any
height and will remain there during use until the user
moves it. Therefore the invention is easily used by
toilet-trained people of all heights and ages including
children who, when using the conventional toilet to
urinate, have required help to reach the receptacle
member of the toilet, or in toilet training of children.
In the embodiment that has been illustrated, the
lowering of the receptacle is enabled by the rotation of
the elbow on the pivot mechanism. The pivot mechanism
has a male thread that the female thread of the elbow
screws onto. The thread is preferably configured so that
as the receptacle member/housing is lowered the elbow is
tightened. To make the receptacle member stay at the
desired height, a non-compressible spring material is
compressed by the advancement of the elbow on the pivot
mechanism. The resulting force enables the receptacle
member to stay at the desired position. It is understood
that other means may be used to make the receptacle
member remain at the desired height.
In embodiments, the receptacle may be adapted to
move in a lateral motion, to facilitate use in tight or
awkward places. The receptacle shape may be varied for
the same reasons or, for instance, to be more user
friendly for physically challenged persons.
The present invention has been described with
reference to a self-flushing mode which is the preferred
mode.
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The receptacle member is drained using a pipe that
extends from the bottom of the receptacle member. As
described herein, the pipe may be fed directly to a
suitable drain. Alternatively, the pipe may be fed into
the toilet, either under the base in the toilet, as
described, or by tapping into the stand or base of the
toilet or into some other drainage means. In a further
embodiment, the urinal of the invention may be integral
with a toilet, not merely drained into a toilet drain.
It is understood that the drainage from the
receptacle member to the drain may include a trap, as is
known, to prevent odours from the drain from passing back
up to the receptacle member.
The invention requires simple connections to the
drainage system and a fresh water plumbing system and
therefore can easily be installed in any room of a
building, especially when compared to the installation of
a conventional or specially configured toilet or urinal.
Reference has been made herein to provision of a
supply of water to the urinal, especially to the tube
located within the receptacle. A number of methods of
providing the supply of water have been described, but it
is to be understood that any convenient source of the
supply of water may be used. For instance, the supply of
water might be from municipal sources through appropriate
connections to the urinal. However, in other
circumstances, the supply of water might be provided by
use of electrical, mechanical, manual or other pumping
devices, including dispensers, use of tanks or other
vessels that are elevated with respect to the urinal, or
from any other source.
It is also understood that the drain to which the
receptacle member is connected could discharge into any
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convenient system for collection and/or removal of the
waste from the urinal. For instance, the collection
system could be a municipal or other system for sewage,
but it may also be a tank or other vessel, container or
pit or the like that might be more commonly used, for
example, in cottages, camp sites or boats or the like.
The present invention provides a urinal that may be
used by both sexes, as well as by children. It may be
located adjacent to a toilet or at another location that
has a supply of water for flushing and a drain. It is
easy to use.
As it will be appreciated, solid discs of scent may
be used with the urinal. Sanitary covers may also be
used. The urinal could also be fitted with a bidet.
The urinal may be fabricated using the parts
described herein. However, it will be understood by
persons skilled in the art that some such parts may be
integrally manufactured as a unit e.g. by injection or
blow moulding. For example, the receptacle reservoir,
water pipe, drain pipe and stem may be manufactured as an
integral unit. A variety of materials may be used to
fabricate the urinal or parts thereof, including
fibreglass, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene.
The present invention is illustrated by the
following examples.
EXAMPLE I
A water system of Figure 3 was tested at water
pressures of between about 145 and 160 psi, using the
embodiment in which constant flushing was achieved on
movement of the push rod.
The system was operated for 25 000 cycles without
visible signs of any failure.
CA 02297603 2000-O1-28
Tests also showed that spray holes in tubing as
disclosed herein could be operated using a volume of
water from a municipal water supply system equivalent to
about 18 years of usage, without evidence of build-up of
5 calcium or magnesium carbonates from the water supply.
EXAMPLE II
A pivot mechanism utilizing a bolt that extends
through the elbow and through a guide having plates and
10 polyurethane non-compressible spring material, with the
last plate contacting a threaded nipple, was tested
through 25 000 cycles without visible signs of failure.
15 EXAMPLE III
A total of 126 taps of a type disclosed herein were
connected to a fresh-water plumbing line at a pressure of
150 psi. There were no signs of failure i.e. no signs of
leakage.
CA 02297603 2000-O1-28
21
EXAMPLE IV
An embodiment of a urinal as described herein was
subjected to normal use by one person in a residential
bathroom for a period of approximately six months. The
urinal was found to operate successfully, using an
average of less than 400 ml of water per flush. Normal
use was less than one minute. In contrast, a
conventional toilet will use about 18.9 litres of water
per flush, depending on the size of the tank on the
toilet.
r~.,vr~er~r r' cs
An embodiment of a urinal having a "pelican"
reservoir was mounted on a pivot located at 16" above the
floor, but capable of being pivoted to floor level. The
pelican reservoir could hold up to 600 ml of liquid at
any angle of use including at floor level.
The embodiment was tested and found to provide
acceptable operation.
Similar tests were made with a pelican reservoir
capable of holding one litre of liquid, and the same
results were obtained.
