Tilting-bowl toilets

• US 8,065,756 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shu-Ki Yeung
• Original Assignee: Shu-Ki Yeung
• Inventors: Yeung, Shu-Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): PUROL, DAVID M
• Application Number:
  US11/959,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 443/4, 443/6, 443/8, 443/9, 444/0, 444/1, 444/2
• US Class Current: 4/434
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/10 Bowls with closure elements provided between bottom or outlet and the outlet pipe; Bowls with pivotally supported inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/12 Swivel-mounted bowls, e.g. for use in restricted spaces slidably or movably mounted bowls; combinations with flushing and disinfecting devices actuated by the swiveling or sliding movement of the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/012 combined with movable closure elements in the bowl outlet bowls with closure elements between bottom or outlet and outlet pipe E03D11/10

Abstract

Tilting Bowl Toilet comprises a frame, a toilet basin, and a tilting bowl. The tilting bowl is supported below the toilet basin to receive and hold water/waste delivered from the toilet basin. The tilting bowl tilts to discharge its content to drainage. The tilting bowl at standby is sustained to stay in a horizontal position by forces applied to the tilting bowl creating a resultant sustaining turning moment about its support axis. When the turning moment produced by the tilting bowl with its content becomes larger than the sustaining turning moment, the tilting bowl moves to a tilted position to discharge its content. The effective support axis shifts with respect to the tilting bowl as guided by a motion guide.

Claims

1. A toilet comprising:

a frame defining a chamber,

a toilet basin associated with said frame to define said chamber into an upper chamber region and a lower chamber region, said toilet basin defining at least one basin discharge opening in communication between said upper chamber region and said lower chamber region,

a tilting bowl disposed generally in said lower chamber region, said tilting bowl defining a fluid-receiving volume,

said tilting bowl mounted for pivoting movement relative to said toilet basin between a substantially horizontal first position to receive and hold fluid communicated through said at least one basin discharge opening, and a second position permitting flow of fluid from said toilet basin, through said at least one basin discharge opening, and from said fluid-receiving volume into said lower chamber region, wherein

said tilting bowl is sustained to remain in said first position by forces applied to said tilting bowl producing a sustaining turning moment about an effective support axis at least sufficient to counterbalance the turning moment produced by said tilting bowl with its content,

said tilting bowl moves from said first position toward said second position when said sustaining turning moment is smaller than said turning moment produced by said tilting bowl with its content, and

after said tilting bowl starts moving, said support axis shifts along a relative motion guide to decrease said sustaining turning moment to accelerate said tilting bowl movement to effectively discharge its content to said lower chamber region.

2. The toilet of claim 1 further comprising triggering means to reduce said sustaining turning moment to start tilting bowl movement.

3. The toilet of claim 1 further comprising means to actuate said tilting bowl movement at an optimum fluid level of said fluid receiving volume.

4. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said fluid-receiving volume, in said first position, at least partially overlaps said toilet basin, and retains a volume of fluid sufficient to seal said at least one basin discharge opening to restrict flow of gas therethrough.

5. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said tilting bowl in said first position constitutes an impervious joint with said toilet basin to restrict flow of gas between said lower chamber region and said fluid-receiving volume.

6. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising means to restrict sewage gas from entering said lower chamber region.

7. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising means for delivering water through a plurality of outlets disposed and arrayed to direct water against said toilet basin for cleaning action.

8. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising means for maintaining a predetermined fluid level in said fluid-receiving volume, with said tilting bowl disposed in said first position, said level maintaining means triggering delivery of water when a fluid level below said predetermined fluid level is detected and stopping delivery of water when a fluid level at least equal to said predetermined fluid level is detected.

9. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising means to discharge excessive fluid when fluid level in said fluid-receiving volume exceeds a predetermined level.

10. The toilet of claim 7, wherein delivery of water to said plurality of outlets and movement of said tilting bowl from said first position toward said second position start simultaneously.

11. The toilet of claim 7, wherein delivery of water to said plurality of outlets and movement of said tilting bowl from said first position toward said second position start at different time intervals.

12. The toilet of claim 7 further comprising means to disable actuation when said toilet is operating.

13. The toilet of claim 12, wherein said means to disable actuation is controlled by fluid level in said fluid-receiving volume.

14. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said toilet is adapted for manual actuation, and/or electronic actuation, and/or remote actuation, and/or automatic actuation in response to departure of user.

15. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said forces applied to said tilting bowl comprise constituents of gravity force and/or magnetic force and/or pneumatic force and/or hydraulic force and/or spring force and/or electrical force and/or electromagnetic force.

16. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said tilting bowl is biased to return from said second position toward said first position.

17. The toilet of claim 16 further comprising retard means to retard said tilting bowl from returning from said second position toward said first position.

18. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said at least one basin discharge opening is disposed generally above a bottom discharge hole and with a vertical projection view at least partially overlapping a vertical projection view of said bottom discharge hole.

19. The toilet of claim 7, wherein said plurality of outlets are arrayed to define an enclosure region disposed generally above said at least one basin discharge opening and said bottom discharge hole, said enclosure region casting a vertical projection view at least partially overlapping a vertical projection view of said at least one basin discharge opening and/or at least partially overlapping a vertical projection view of said bottom discharge hole.

20. The toilet of claim 1, in separate parts comprising separate and/or foldable frame, separate and/or foldable toilet basin, separate and/or foldable tilting bowl, separate and/or foldable water storage container, and/or separate and/or foldable waste container.