System for minimizing water usage and splash during urination

Abstract

A handheld urinal designed to reduce splash and water consumption. In one embodiment, the handheld urinal is integrated into the plumbing of a new toilet through a separate, small, water trap and fitting built into the side of the toilet. In another embodiment, the handheld urinal is retro-fitted to an existing toilet through various clamping means. Both embodiments use a rinsing wand in order to keep the invention clean and odor-free.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION[0001]Generally, this invention relates to the class of inventions known as Baths, Closets, Sinks and Spittoons. More specifically, this invention belongs to the sub-classes of inventions relating to urinals, flush water closets with plural receptacles, and flush water closets with splash guards and water bafflesBACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0002]Plumbing fixtures used within modern water closets are little changed from their predecessors of a hundred years ago. The term “water closet” is often used for describing the room in which such a fixture is located. Alternately, the room may be called a lavatory, a bathroom, or a restroom. The fixture, itself, may be called a toilet, commode, stool, or other like name. Modern conceptions of cleanliness, hygiene, and water conservations are ill-served by these fixtures, which are ubiquitous in almost every home in western society.[0003]During male urination, substantial splash is created, contaminating the rim, side, and seat of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]In the primary or first embodiment, the present invention is integrated into a new toilet or commode. The present invention is a hand-held urinal constructed from a plastic funnel and some plastic drain tubing. The water intake is usually on the left-hand side of most standard toilets, so the present invention is plumbed for the left side of the toilet. The toilet would be fabricated in a normal fashion from vitreous enamel or other standard material. A plumbing fitting would be added to the toilet, and would be connected to a pipe, inside the toilet, containing its own small, water trap. This pipe would employ below the main water trap, directly in the sewer down pipe. The drain tube from the hand-held urinal would connect to the fitting, with standard plumbing threads, allowing urine to flow into the sewage pipe. The funnel would have a spring-loaded lid that could securely seal the funnel when not in use. Because the funnel is relatively small compared with most of the prior art, the funnel could be hung, easily, on a hook on the wall or the toilet tank. The invention would have a second piece, a rinsing wand that could be used to rinse out the hand-held urinal. The rinsing wand would be plumbed to the left of the toilet, also, using a standard plumbing splitter from the fresh water feed into the toilet. The rinsing wand could clean the hand-held urinal, removing any urine or residue, while using only a few ounces of water.

Problems solved by technology

Modern conceptions of cleanliness, hygiene, and water conservations are ill-served by these fixtures, which are ubiquitous in almost every home in western society.

During male urination, substantial splash is created, contaminating the rim, side, and seat of the toilet bowl, as well as the walls and floor of the water closet.

This is more than just an aesthetic mess.

Urination contamination can cause objectionable odor, ruin the floor and sub-floor of the water closet, and become a breeding ground for bacteria.

During the potty-training process, young males have limited accuracy.

When they first learn to urinate while standing, this can cause substantial urination contamination during each trip to the bathroom.

Since young boys may urinate as much as every two hours, on average, while awake, young males who are just learning to urinate standing up can often create a substantial mess in a relatively short amount of time.

When men age, accuracy problems can once again cause substantial messes in a relatively short amount of time.

As men age, their accuracy when urinating starts resembling that of young boys, again, creating a substantial mess in a relatively short amount of time.

Additionally, urination wastes a substantial amount of water.

The need for water conservation is widely recognized and has become an issue to many localities and consumers.

Limited resources, drought, water pollution, and rising populations have led to water shortages in many areas of the world.

This means that each person is wasting between, on average, 8 and 24 gallons, per day, flushing urination down the toilet.

This complicates any improvement, because a solution to the splash and water usage problems cannot take up appreciably more room than current commodes.

Although there are many inventions related to these topics, to date, none of the inventions has met with any sort of market acceptance.

First, the length of tube required for such an invention would tend to deform, substantially reducing its capacity.

More importantly, everytime the tube is retracted, substantial toilet water would be splashed, contaminating the user and the surroundings.

Left over a week-end, or in use over time, this configuration will breed bacteria and create an objectionable smell.

While the shield is in place, the toilet seat cannot be used.

Clearly, this is not a market-friendly or practical choice, if it needs to be put, in situ, before each male urination.

Additionally, the shield leaves open the front half of the toilet bowl, which is still subject to substantial splash.

In fact, most splash barriers possess this same problem: they only prevent splash toward the back-half of the toilet bowl.

This provides very little protection against very young males, very old males, and males who urinate in the night without turning on the light.

Additionally, due to its size and position within the toilet bowl when the seat is down, this invention would likely be fouled quite often.

The invention is imperfect, because it would tend to get fouled, and would make using the toilet, in a sitting position, difficult.

The handheld urinal on the end of a rigid pole would still create significant splash, because the pole could not be sized for both boys and men.

Additionally, part of the pole is apparently intended to go in the toilet water, meaning that it will drip toilet water when it is removed.

The plumbed and wall-mounted embodiment is impractical, because there isn't room in most residential water closets to place such a urinal.

The invention is sized and designed for boys, and is not really practical for men, due to its size.

In spite of the ample prior art, no suitable solution exists for urination splash and water conservation.

For splash, most of the prior art is splash guards, which are difficult to put in place, dirty, and limit the ability to use the toilet in a seated position.

Various urinal adapters exist, but they either take up too much space, are intended only for boys, or create their own splash hazards.

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