Self-cleaning public toilet and corresponding safety equipment

Abstract

A self-cleaning public toilet comprising a safety and alarm system. The safety and alarm system includes a plurality of load cells that weigh the user who has entered a space; a photoelectric-sensor device, for detecting the presence or otherwise of a person in the space during washing and drying of the inside of the toilet; and at least one pressure switch located in a pneumatic system for supply of a pneumatic cylinder that actuates a rotating arm for cleaning a toilet bowl.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a self-cleaning public toilet and to the corresponding safety equipment.[0003]More in particular, the present invention regards a self-cleaning public toilet in which washing and drying of the toilet is carried out automatically after each individual use.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In towns, there is a more and more widespread use of self-cleaning public toilets to be installed in a fixed way in public places, or else in a removable way on the occasion of events (sports events, concerts, etc.) in which large crowds of people gather.[0006]In the past, the use of self-cleaning toilets of this type has highlighted different problems, which can be summarized as follows:[0007](1) the systems of cleaning and drying are costly and difficult to maintain;[0008](2) the toilet systems are subject to frequent acts of vandalism, which considerably raise the costs of management thereo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]Consequently, forming the main subject of the present invention is to provide a self-cleaning toilet that is not only simple to manage, but is also very safe for users.

Problems solved by technology

(1) the systems of cleaning and drying are costly and difficult to maintain;

(2) the toilet systems are subject to frequent acts of vandalism, which considerably raise the costs of management thereof; and

(3) the toilet systems do not respect effective rules as regards safety, both in terms of the aspects regarding safe opening of the exit door or as regards possible moving devices within the toilet itself.

In effect, in the past, there have occurred events, including even tragic ones, in which the exit door failed to open for a wide range of reasons, or else the users were injured by mobile washing devices present inside the self-cleaning toilet.

All of the above problems have merely had the effect of discouraging many potential users from using this type of toilets, both because they consider them not very clean, and because not they do not deem them altogether reliable from the safety standpoint.

Even though the system described in WO / 95 / 30801 has yielded certain appreciable results in the cleaning of sanitary appliances, it is deficient as regards the aspect of safety.

In fact, in this system no device is provided for stopping the rotary washing arm in the case where it were to encounter, during its rotation, an obstacle along its path.

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