Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-09
2001-06-19
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Tank only
C220S023600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247192
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to devices intended to reduce consumption in WC flush apparatuses.
One of the acute problems in the world at present is the reduction in potable water reserves and, in parallel with this, the treatment of the water used.
Although more and more industries and individuals have become aware of this state of affairs, initiatives in this area are hampered by the age of equipment and installations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Toilets which use conventional water flush apparatuses are a typical example of waste, the quantity of water used to obtain effective flushing of the bowl often being disproportionate to the actual needs of the users.
A certain number of manufacturers have therefore included in their range double-release water flush apparatuses which allow the user to employ a partial or a complete cistern. In order to market effective water flush apparatuses, the manufacturer is obviously obliged to provide a maximalist solution which ensures an effective result whatever the conditions of use.
It is therefore difficult if not impossible to adapt each WC to the individual requirements of each household. Moreover, the dual control is seldom easy or obvious in its operation. The only real possibility of control left to the user is that of controlling the maximum level of the cistern, something which is possible only to a relatively small extent. Moreover, once the level of the water has dropped, the centre of gravity of the mass of water is displaced downwards, resulting in a reduction in the potential energy accumulated in the cistern and a consequent loss of efficiency.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Various devices have been developed to reduce the volume of water by reducing the volume of the cistern proper.
Mechanical systems such as those developed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,906 often have the disadvantage of a lack of universality: they can only be adapted to a limited number of cisterns and they are found to be susceptible to chalky deposits.
Numerous devices are based on the use of flexible plastic receptacles or pockets which hug the shape of the internal wall of the cistern to a greater or lesser extent. During use, the performance of these devices is found to be poor since ultimately they hinder the proper functioning of the mechanism for replenishing or releasing the water. Among these devices, attention may be drawn in particular to those described in FR 2 683 562 and GB-2 276 861, GB-2 249 325.
Other systems amount to the introduction into the cistern of heavy volumes (cast iron, brick, . . . ) or complex structures (U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,282), which are awkward to position because of their weight and their generally rather unsuitable shape.
The function of these devices should, of course, not be confused with that of dispensers for aromatic or disinfectant products which are to be hung in cisterns, as described in DE-U-8700305. This hanging dispenser, which is closed by a cover, comprises a chamber containing ballast and a chamber enclosing a disinfectant or aromatic product of controlled solubility in water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An attempt has therefore been made to develop a system which is both effective and easy to implement.
One object of the invention is to market a device which is easy to install and can be adapted to almost all flush cisterns, wherever they come from and whoever the manufacturer.
It is another object of the invention that this device should be highly stable over time and is at no risk of being displaced in the cistern.
Another object is that it should be possible for the device to be installed by a person with few mechanical skills.
The invention relates to a water economizer device for a water flush system, which is comprised of a plurality of stackable, ballasted base units, each of these base units having
a substantially prismatic hollow shape for storing a volume of water with a vertical axis with, in an operative position, an open top face,
lateral faces, these having nesting members capable of cooperating so as to join these base units together, the breadth and length of these units being a multiple of a modular value M, at least one calibrated opening being provided in the base of each of these units in such a way as to allow part of the stored volume to flow out in such a way as to ensure a flow of water which avoids stagnation.
This device is preferably constructed from a rigid moulded material such as a polymeric material selected, in particular, from the polyamides, the polypropylenes and the polystyrenes.
The prismatic shape is preferably a parallelepiped. According to another preferred form, it is a prism with a hexagonal or octahedral base.
The base units are advantageously ballasted at the level of the bottom face of the unit.
The nesting members advantageously comprise intentations and tenons and/or bosses which project relative to the bottom face of each base unit.
Outlet channels are preferably provided near to the upper edge of the lateral walls.
If the nesting members comprise bosses, intentations and tenons, the outlet channels advantageously correspond to the relative difference in height between these intentations and the tenons.
The device can comprise means capable of fixing at least one base unit to a fixed element of a water flush cistern.
The fundamental principle of the device according to the invention is to replace part of the volume of water in a flush cistern with a “captive” volume which flows out slowly, such that it is virtually only the volume of water outside the device according to the invention which is emptied towards the bowl when the flush apparatus is actuated.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the ballast of certain of these nestable units includes a magnetized material so as to prevent the formation of chalky deposits.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3982282 (1976-09-01), Kong
patent: 4057931 (1977-11-01), Stutelberg et al.
patent: 4121308 (1978-10-01), Raab
patent: 4128906 (1978-12-01), Raz
patent: 4151680 (1979-05-01), Sena
patent: 4178644 (1979-12-01), Zarlengo
patent: 5469655 (1995-11-01), Lin
patent: 87003058 (1987-10-01), None
patent: 2683562 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 2249325 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 2276861 (1994-10-01), None
Ladas & Parry
Phillips Charles E.
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