Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Bidets – Nozzle attachment
Patent
1993-05-17
1994-11-01
Recla, Henry J.
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Bidets
Nozzle attachment
4443, 44202, 44204, A61H 3500
Patent
active
053597362
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a spray means for a toilet pedestal particularly, although not exclusively, envisaged for use as an alternative to toilet paper used in water closets (generally referred to as "toilets").
More particularly, the present invention relates to a bidet attachment for a toilet to allow cleaning and drying of a person's genital area and anus.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
In-general, a person using a toilet employs toilet paper to clean his/her anus and/or genital area after using the toilet. The toilet paper must be periodically replenished and the toilet paper must be readily biodegradable in a sewerage system to which the toilet is connected.
It is known to provide a bidet for use in washing the person's anus and/or genital area after use of the toilet. Such bidets comprise, a pedestal, a cistern and a hot water system from which water fills the pedestal. The bidets operate by completely filling with water which uses about 10-15 liters of water which is inappropriate where water must be conserved. The bidet must be located adjacent a toilet and be readily accessible to a user of the toilet. Where the user has limited mobility, such as, in the case of physically handicapped people, it is generally not feasible to move the person from the toilet to the bidet to perform the washing function. Accordingly, such washing is generally performed by an aide to the handicapped person. Also, the bidet requires the use of a towel to dry the person's anus and/or genital area after use of the bidet. Further, the hot water system required by the bidet adds to the expense of the bidet installation. Still further, the conventional bidet takes up valuable space.
Various bidet attachments for toilets have been proposed in the past. The prior art bidet attachments fall generally into the broad categories of having spray nozzles that (a) pivot about vertical or
(b) horizontal axes and
(c) are disposed for movement fore and aft or
(d) transverse of a pedestal of the toilet. Spray nozzles which pivot about horizontal axes (category (b)) have a disadvantage in that a spray of water from the spray nozzle tends to be directed to a focal point irrespective of the angle of disposition of the spray nozzle. In order to enable cleaning of both anal and genital areas the spray nozzle must be at a relatively large distance from these areas. Hence, its effective operation is affected by variations in water pressure and difficulty in achieving accurate delivery of a spray of the water to said areas. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4062072 by A. B. Roberts UK Patent Application No. 2142054 by Ina Seito Company Limited (Japan) and Australian Patent Application No. 80610/87 by J. Diaz and L. Diaz. These bidet attachments seem to be concerned with general washing of the entire anus and genital area and are not concerned with accuracy of confinement of spray. Therefore, they assume that drying will be with a towel and are not suited to drying by blowing with warm air because of the excessive amount of water used and the size of the wetted area. Whilst Roberts does disclose a hot air drying unit, separate to the bidet attachment, the unit directs air only generally at the area of the anus from a rear of the toilet pedestal and thus does not provide accurate drying to the anus, nor drying to the genital area. Also, the unit requires separate plumbing and mounting, which is inconvenient and more costly.
Bidet attachments of category (d) (transverse movement of the spray nozzle) have a disadvantage in that their movement is at right angles to the alignment of the anus and genital area. Hence, category (d) bidet attachments are only suited to application of broadly directed sprays of water for cleaning the anus and genital area simultaneously. Due to the amount of water used and the size of the wetted area such bidet attachments are not suited to drying by blowing with warm air. See for example, US Patent No. 4642820 by G. E. Boring and U.S. Pat. No. 4334329 by F. H. Miyanaga. Both of these patente
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patent: 4205402 (1980-06-01), Miller
patent: 4334329 (1982-06-01), Miyanaga
patent: 4406025 (1983-09-01), Huck et al.
patent: 4616368 (1986-10-01), Nagai et al.
patent: 4642820 (1987-02-01), Boring, Jr.
Colivier Pty Ltd.
Recla Henry J.
Vidovich Gregory M.
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