Water conserving toilet

Abstract

Disclosed is a toilet ( 1 ) comprising a toilet bowl ( 2 ), a passage which extends from the base of the toilet bowl to a drain outlet ( 30 ), and a gate ( 100 ), the gate having an open position which allows water within the toilet bowl to flow out of the drain outlet by way of the passage and a closed position in which the gate retains a continuous body of water ( 98 ) within the toilet bowl and a portion of the passage, up to a fill level ( 96 ), the toilet further comprising a divider ( 19 ) arranged to close off the passage above the fill level and to extend below the fill level at a location intermediate the toilet bowl and the water line ( 100 ) where the surface of the continuous body of water contacts the gate, to form a water trap in use when the gate is in the closed position and water is retained up to the fill level. The gate may be a flap operated by a hydraulic actuator ( 36 ), responsive to operation of a manually operable flush control, using mains water as the hydraulic fluid. Water is supplied by a spray ring around the rim of the toilet bowl. The toilet requires less water to flush than toilets including a conventional S-shaped water trap.

1 . A toilet comprising a toilet bowl, a passage which extends from the base of the toilet bowl to a drain outlet, and a gate, the gate having an open position which allows water within the toilet bowl to flow out of the drain outlet by way of the passage and a closed position in which the gate retains a continuous body of water within the toilet bowl and a portion of the passage, up to a fill level, the toilet further comprising a divider arranged to close off the passage above the fill level and to extend below the fill level at a location intermediate the toilet bowl and the water line where the surface of the continuous body of water contacts the gate, to form a water trap in use when the gate is in the closed position and water is retained up to the fill level. 
     
     
         2 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the gate comprises a flap having a hinged base and wherein, in the open position, the flap extends horizontally, or horizontally downwards, from the hinged base, towards the drain outlet, to allow water to flow from the toilet bowl through the passage over the gate to the drain outlet. 
     
     
         3 . A toilet according to  claim 2 , wherein the flap is located within the passage and the divider is located entirely intermediate the flap and the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         4 . A toilet according to  claim 2 , wherein the hinged base of the flap is located underneath the divider, or within the toilet bowl, or between the toilet bowl and the divider, and extends under the divider towards the drain outlet. 
     
     
         5 . A toilet according to  claim 2 , wherein the gate further comprises flexible sealing members extending from the flap to the adjacent walls of the passage. 
     
     
         6 . A toilet according to  claim 5 , wherein the flap and flexible sealing members are formed as an integral piece of elastomeric material. 
     
     
         7 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet comprises an adaptor pipe portion and a bowl portion having a passage section, the passage is formed at least in part by the adaptor pipe portion and the said passage section, the adaptor pipe portion and the bowl portion are attached to each other in an abutting relationship, either or both of the adaptor pipe portion abutting end of the bowl portion and the bowl portion abutting end of the adaptor pipe portion comprise a recess for receiving the gate, and the base and sides of the gate are sealed into the said recess. 
     
     
         8 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet bowl and passage are formed and arranged to provide a continuous downhill path for water to flow from the toilet bowl through the passage to the drain outlet when the gate is in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the drain outlet is provided behind the toilet below the base of the toilet bowl and above a floor contacting base of the toilet. 
     
     
         10 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the passage comprises a first passage portion extending under the divider and a second passage portion extending from the divider towards the drain outlet, wherein the ceiling of the second passage portion is higher than the fill level so that there is an air space above the body of water in the second passage portion, extending up to the divider, when the gate is closed and the toilet is filled with water up to the fill level. 
     
     
         11 . A toilet according to  claim 10 , wherein the gate extends above the fill level but below the ceiling of the second passage portion when the gate is in the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the divider is integral to the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         13 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet bowl comprises a rim and a water conduit is provided around the periphery of the toilet bowl, near the rim, the water conduit comprising a plurality of apertures through which water is directed down the sides of the bowl to rinse the sides of the toilet bowl for a period of time and refill the toilet bowl up to the fill level when the toilet is flushed. 
     
     
         14 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet bowl comprises a rim and a water outlet for supplying flush water to a removable conduit. 
     
     
         15 . A toilet according to  claim 1 , wherein the toilet comprises a flush mechanism which is operable to cause the gate to move from the closed position to the open position for a first period of time following operating of a manually operable flush control and then to cause the gate to move from the open position to the closed position. 
     
     
         16 . A toilet according to  claim 15 , wherein the flush mechanism is operable to cause water to flow into the toilet bowl, for example, by way of said apertures in said water conduit, for a second period of time, which is longer than the first period of time. 
     
     
         17 . A toilet according to  claim 15 , wherein the flush mechanism comprises a hydraulic actuator operable to move the gate between the closed and open position and a hydraulic line operably linked to the manually operable flush control and hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         18 . A toilet according to  claim 17 , wherein mains water is used as the hydraulic fluid to transmit hydrostatic force to the hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         19 . A toilet according to  claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is a piston cylinder which is mechanically linked to the gate. 
     
     
         20 . A toilet according to  claim 17 , wherein the flush mechanism comprises a pressurisable chamber in fluid communication with the hydraulic line, the pressure within which is changeable by operation of the manually operable flush control. 
     
     
         21 . A toilet according to  claim 17 , wherein a pressure equalising device is provided which is operable to restore pressure in the hydraulic actuator to an equilibrium pressure a period of time after operation of the manually operable flush control. 
     
     
         22 . A toilet according to  claim 21 , wherein the pressure equalising device is formed and arranged so that pressure within the hydraulic actuator returns to equilibrium at most slowly for a period of time and then returns rapidly to equilibrium to return the gate rapidly to the closed position. 
     
     
         23 . A toilet according to  claim 21 , wherein the pressure equalising device comprises a slowly leaking member 
     
     
         24 . A toilet according to  claim 21 , wherein the pressurisable chamber is a chamber within a piston cylinder and the manually operable flush control is operably linked to the piston cylinder. 
     
     
         25 . A toilet according to  claim 24 , wherein the pressurisable chamber is formed in a piston cylinder between a first piston which is operably linked to the manually operable flush control and a second piston which is biased to compress the pressurisable chamber wherein the second piston divides the pressurisable chamber from a further chamber within the piston cylinder, the further chamber comprising one or more orifices, wherein the second piston is biased to occlude a pressure equalising port of the piston cylinder, and moveable slowly as a result of water passing slowly out of the further chamber through the said one or more orifices, enabling the second piston to move slowly to a position where it brings the pressurisable chamber into fluid communication with the pressure equalising port, to enable pressure within the pressurisable chamber to rapidly return to the equilibrium pressure. 
     
     
         26 . A toilet according to  claim 15 , wherein the flush mechanism is operably linked to a valve which is openable for a period of time responsive to operation of the flush control to supply water to the toilet bowl, wherein the mechanism is operable to close the valve responsive to detection by a level sensor that the level of water within the toilet bowl or passage has reached a fill level. 
     
     
         27 . A toilet according to  claim 26 , wherein the flush mechanism comprises a lever arm having opposite first and second ends with a pivot therebetween, the first end being mechanically attached to a float, functioning as the level sensor, and the second end being mechanically attached to the said valve. 
     
     
         28 . A toilet comprising a toilet bowl, and a passage which extends from the base of the toilet bowl to an outlet located to the rear of the toilet, the toilet further comprising a divider arranged to close off an upper portion of the passage between the toilet bowl and outlet. 
     
     
         29 . A toilet according to  claim 28 , comprising an aperture extending rearwards from the toilet bowl under the divider into a passage, the passage having an interior surface which extends higher than the uppermost point of the aperture. 
     
     
         30 . A toilet according to  claim 28 , wherein the toilet bowl, passage and divider are formed as an integrated unit. 
     
     
         31 . A toilet according to  claim 28 , wherein the outlet is located below the base of the toilet bowl, above a floor contacting base of the toilet, rearwards of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         32 . A kit comprising a toilet according to  claim 28 , further comprising an adaptor pipe having a gate attached thereto, or a fitting for receiving a gate. 
     
     
         33 . A kit according to  claim 32 , wherein the kit further comprises a gate and an adaptor pipe having an end, the said end of the adaptor pipe and the outlet are adapted to join in an abutting relationship, and either or both of the said end of the adaptor pipe and the outlet comprise a recess for receiving and sealedly retaining the gate. 
     
     
         34 . A kit according to  claim 33 , wherein the gate comprises a flap and flexible sealing members extending from either side of the flap, formed as a piece of elastomeric material arranged to cooperate with the recess.