|
PatentVote.com: Vote on your favourite invention!
|
|
|
 |
Title: Water closet
Claims: It is claimed: 1. A water closet comprising a bowl having an open upper end and an open lower end, a concave pan beneath said bowl and supported thereon at the upper end thereof for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a first position in which said pan encloses said open lower end and a second position in which said pan is tilted in an elevated position at one side of said bowl, said pan being in spaced relation to said bowl and having a depth so that when in its first position its peripheral lip is at a higher elevation than the open lower end of said bowl, water flushing means actuable for discharging flush water to the interior of said bowl, and an actuator mechanism connected to said pan and to said water flushing means for moving said pan to its second position and for simultaneously actuating said flushing means to deliver flush water to the bowl while the pan is tilted and for returning the pan to its first position and for rendering said flushing means inactive, said actuator mechanism including a control means, a crank having at one end a crank axis coincident with said horizontal axis, said crank being operably connected at said one end to said pan for pivotal movement with said pan around said horizontal axis, and a link connected to the other end of said crank and to said control means for pivoting said crank and thereby said pan around said horizontal axis in response to movement of said control means. 2. The water closet that is defined in claim 1, wherein said water flush means includes a rotary ball valve for controlling flow of the flush water, and the control means of said actuating mechanism is rotatable and is connected to said ball valve for rotating the latter between its open and closed positions, said link being operably connected to said rotary control means for pivoting said crank and thereby said pan in response to rotary movement of said control means. 3. The water closet that is defined in claim 2, wherein said actuating mechanism includes a second crank operably connected at one of its ends to the stem of said rotary ball valve for turning therewith, the other end of said second crank being connected to said link. 4. The water closet that is defined in claim 3, wherein said rotary control means includes a knob mounted on the shaft of said ball valve having finger grip portions for turning said knob in one direction to the open position of said ball valve, and spring means for urging said stem in the other direction to the closed position of said ball valve. 5. A water closet comprising a bowl having an open lower end, a concave pan beneath said bowl supported for movement between a first position in which said pan encloses said open lower end and a second position in which said pan is tilted in an elevated position at one side of said bowl, said pan being in spaced relation to said bowl and having a depth so that when in its first position its peripheral lip is at a higher elevation than said open lower end, water flushing means actuable for discharging flush water to the interior of said bowl, and an actuator mechanism connected to said pan and to said water flushing means for moving said pan to its second position and for simultaneously actuating said flushing means to deliver flush water to the bowl while the pan is tilted and for returning the pan to its first position and for rendering said flushing means inactive, said water flushing means including a valve adapted to be opened to supply flush water, a flush water accumulation chamber located adjacent to the upper end of said bowl and downstream of said valve for discharging by gravity a measured quantity of flush water into said bowl after said actuating mechanism has returned the pan to its first position and closed said valve, said flush water accumulation chamber including a wall portion projecting laterally from the rear side of said bowl and defining a channel having a downward slope from its upstream end to its downstream end, the downstream end of said channel being directed into the upper end of said bowl tangentially thereof. 6. The water closet that is defined in claim 5, wherein a vacuum breaker riser extends upward in said accumulation chamber at the upstream end of said channel through which flush water can enter said accumulation chamber from said valve. 7. The water closet that is defined in claim 6, wherein said vacuum breaker riser is located to the rear of and laterally of said bowl, and said channel extends transversely of said bowl and has a reverse bend with the downstream end thereof discharging tangentially into said bowl at a location adjacent to said riser. 8. The water closet that is defined in claim 5, wherein said bowl defines in its inner wall a spiral ledge extending around said bowl, and the downstream end of said channel is aligned with the upper end of said ledge for delivering flush water onto said ledge. 9. A water closet comprising a bowl having an open upper end and an open lower end, a concave pan beneath said bowl supported for pivotal movement between a first position in which said pan encloses said open lower end and a second position in which said pan is tilted in an elevated position at the rear of said bowl, said pan being supported for pivotal movement around an axis located at the upper end of the bowl and in a vertical transverse plane passing essentially through the center of said open lower end, the portion of the bowl forward of said open lower end having a circular curvature with its center essentially on said axis and the portion of the bowl to the rear of said open lower end having a relatively steeper upwardly inclined surface, the portions of said bowl on opposite sides of said open lower end having relatively steeper upwardly inclined surfaces than said portion of the bowl forward of said open lower end, said portions on opposite sides being relatively closer together than the front and rear portions of said bowl, said pan being in spaced relation to said bowl and having a depth and a configuration so that when in its first position the peripheral lip of the pan is at a higher elevation than said open lower end and the pan closely conforms to the shape of the enclosed lower portion of the bowl, water flushing means actuable for discharging flush water to the interior of said bowl, said pan conforming to the shape of the enclosed lower portion of the bowl so as to provide a wet spot of maximum effective area in the bowl consistent with minimum volume of water when the pan contains water above the level of the lower end of the bowl, an actuator mechanism connected to said pan and to said water flushing means for moving said pan to its second position and for simultaneously actuating said flushing means to deliver flush water to the bowl while the pan is tilted and for returning the pan to its first position and for rendering said flushing means inactive, and a flush water accumulation chamber located adjacent to the upper end of said bowl and downstream of said flushing means for discharging by gravity a measured quantity of flush water into said bowl after said actuating mechanism has returned the pan to its first position. 10. The water closed that is defined in claim 9, wherein said bowl defines in its inner wall a spiral ledge extending around said bowl, and said accumulation chamber has a downstream end for discharging the measured quantity of flush water tangentially into said bowl onto the upper end of said ledge. 11. A water closet comprising a base with a hollow interior and having an upper annular portion for mounting a bowl, a bowl having an open lower end and an open upper end with a downturned flange around the outer periphery thereof, said downturned flange being positioned on and secured to the upper annular portion of said base, a concave pan beneath said bowl supported on the downturned flange for movement between a first position in which said pan encloses said open lower end and a second position in which said pan is tilted in an elevated position at one side of said bowl, the portion of the bowl forward of said open lower end having a circular curvature with its center essentially on the axis of movement of the pan and the portion of the bowl to the rear of said open lower end having a relatively steeper upwardly inclined surface, said pan being in spaced relation to said bowl and having a depth and a configuration so that when in its first position the peripheral lip of the pan is at a higher elevation than said open lower end and the pan closely conforms to the shape of the enclosed lower portion of the bowl, water flushing means actuable for discharging flush water to the interior of said bowl, and an actuator mechanism on the outer side of said downturned flange operatively connected to said pan and to said water flushing means for moving said pan to its second position and for simultaneously actuating said flushing means to deliver flush water to the bowl while the pan is tilted and for returning the pan to its first position and for rendering said flushing means inactive, said water flushing means including a valve adapted to be opened to supply flush water, a flush water accumulation chamber located adjacent to the upper end of said bowl and downstream of said valve for discharging by gravity a measured quantity of flush water into said bowl after said actuating mechanism has returned the pan to its first position and closed said valve. 12. The water closet that is defined in claim 11, wherein said actuator mechanism includes a control member, a crank operably connected at one end to said pan for pivotal movement around said axis, and a link connected to the other end of said crank for pivoting said crank and thereby said pan in response to movement of said control member. 13. The water closet that is defined in claim 11, wherein said downturned flange has aligned holes on the axis of movement of said pan, and said pan has hubs extending outwardly through said holes for supporting the pan, said actuator mechanism being operatively connected to one of said hubs for moving said pan. 14. The water closet that is defined in claim 11, wherein said bowl defines in its inner wall a spiral ledge extending around said bowl, and said accumulation chamber has a downstream end for discharging flush water tangentially into said bowl onto the upper end of said ledge. 15. The water closet that is defined in claim 11, wherein said flush water accumulation chamber comprises a wall portion projecting laterally from the rear side of said bowl and defining a channel having a downward slope from its upstream end to its downstream end, the downstream end of said channel being directed into the upper end of said bowl. 16. The water closet that is defined in claim 11, wherein the forward portion of said bowl has a flange extending in a downward direction from its bottom wall for engagement with the forward portion of the peripheral lip of said pan. 17. A water closet comprising a bowl having an open lower end, a concave pan beneath said bowl supported for movement between a first position in which said pan encloses said open lower end and a second position in which said pan is tilted in an elevated position at one side of said bowl, said pan being in spaced relation to said bowl and having a depth so that when in its first position its peripheral lip is at a higher elevation than said open lower end, water flushing means actuable for discharging flush water to the interior of said bowl, and an actuator mechanism connected to said pan and to said water flushing means for moving said pan to its second position and for simultaneously actuating said flushing means to deliver flush water to the bowl while the pan is tilted and for returning the pan to its first position and for rendering said flushing means inactive, said water flushing means including a valve adapted to be opened to supply flush water, a flush water accumulation chamber located adjacent to the upper end of said bowl and downstream of said valve for discharging by gravity a measured quantity of flush water into said bowl after said actuating mechanism has returned the pan to its first position and closed said valve, said flush water accumulation chamber including a wall portion projecting laterally from the rear side of said bowl and defining a channel having a downward slope from its upstream end to its downstream end, the downstream end of said channel being directed into the upper end of said bowl tangentially thereof, and a vacuum breaker riser extending upward in said accumulation chamber at the upstream end of said channel through which flush water can enter said accumulation chamber from said valve, said accumulation chamber including a cover with a vent opening aligned with said vacuum breaker riser, and a vacuum breaker float mounted in said riser for reciprocal movement between a first position closing the upper end of said riser and in response to flush water pressure to an elevated position closing said vent opening, said cover having a configuration so that if flush water should inadvertently be discharged through said vent opening the discharged water will flow to said bowl. Other info: Inventors: Miller, Marshall W. (Ann Arbor, MI, US) Vanden Broek, Christiaan J. H. (Ann Arbor, MI, US) Stansbury, Jr., Benjamin H. (Beverly Hills, CA, US) Jamison, Thomas H. (Culver City, CA, US) McHose, Charles W. (Hawthorne, CA, US) Dubson, Paul T. (Westchester, CA, US) Application Number: 427338 Filing Date: 1973-12-21 Publication_date: 1976-02-24 Assignee: Thetford Corporation (Ann Arbor, MI) Primary Class(es): 4/332 4/442 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Aegerter, Richard E. Assistant Examiner: Levy, S. Attorney: Olsen and Stephenson |
|