HYGIENE FLUSHING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hygienic flushing device for the controlled flushing of a water pipe to prevent stagnation of water therein.

[0002] Especially in hotels or retirement and nursing homes, but also elsewhere, it is important to ensure regular flushing of water pipes, for which purpose so-called hygiene flushing systems are provided. These can, for example, perform flushing triggered by temperature sensors, depending on compliance with certain maximum temperatures for cold water pipes or minimum temperatures for hot water pipes, in cases of prolonged water stagnation, by drawing water for this purpose. Time controls or combinations of time and temperature controls are also possible.

[0003] In individual cases, toilet flushes have already been designed for such water withdrawals. An electronic flush trigger can initiate a flushing process independently of user intervention, thus drawing the cistern's refill volume from a cold water line. There are also proposals for incorporating a hot water line. For example, see WO 2018 / 145878 A1.

[0004] A significant advantage of combining this with a toilet flush was seen in the easy drainage of the water generated during the hygienic flush through the toilet bowl, which is already connected to the sewage system via an odor trap.

[0005] Regarding the prior art, reference is made to DE 20 2021 102 529 U1, on which the preamble of claim 1 is based. Here, a bypass line is proposed parallel to a flush line, via which the cistern of a toilet is connected to a wastewater line, bypassing the toilet bowl.

[0006] Regarding the state of the art, reference is also made to DE 20 2017 007 225 U1, which features a toilet cistern designed as a hygiene station for flushing a water supply system, with the hygiene flushes occurring through the toilet bowl. The cistern has an inspection opening and an actuator plate.

[0007] On this basis, the invention is based on the object of providing an improved hygienic flushing device. This object is achieved by a hygienic flushing device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0008] The invention provides a combination with a toilet mounting frame for supporting a toilet and / or a cistern for flushing a toilet. The hygienic flushing device should have an odor trap independent of the toilet and with its own connection to the wastewater line, thus not draining through the toilet bowl. In the following, the toilet mounting frame and the cistern are considered to be part of the hygienic flushing device according to the invention. Furthermore, the hygienic flush valve and the odor trap of the hygienic flushing device should be designed so that they can be removed through an inspection opening when the hygienic flushing device is installed.

[0009] Firstly, the described combinations make it easy to ensure good accessibility of the hygienic flushing device in practical application, because accessibility must be ensured anyway with a toilet mounting frame and cistern, typically in the form of a so-called inspection opening. When installing a toilet mounting frame (even before the toilet is mounted on it), such an inspection opening must be provided, for example, to ensure accessibility for the purpose of later inspection or replacement of a flushing device that is necessarily present in a toilet. The flushing device can, of course, be a cistern, but also, for example, a simple flush valve.

[0010] In the same way, such accessibility must be ensured for a toilet cistern, or in the rather rare cases of installation outside a wall or partition wall, it is already provided. In both cases, the necessary accessibility of the toilet flushing system ensures that accessibility to the hygienic flushing device is particularly easy to set up or ensure thanks to the combination according to the invention.

[0011] Accessibility for inspection purposes concerns at least the hygiene flush valve and the odor trap, i.e. the hydraulic components, but preferably also the control system.

[0012] The combination requires, at a minimum, that the remaining components of the hygiene flushing device are mechanically combined with the toilet mounting frame and / or the cistern, i.e., held by or mounted on it, as will be discussed in more detail below. The hygiene flushing device also includes a hygiene flush valve for the corresponding flushing processes and a control unit with which this hygiene flush valve can be activated. In addition, it also includes the aforementioned odor trap for connection to the wastewater line.

[0013] Secondly, the separate design of the odor trap and the connection to the wastewater line avoids problems and disadvantages that previously occurred with the combination with a toilet, which was already common in the prior art. This particularly applies to the deterioration of the toilet bowl due to traces of limescale or other residues resulting from the hygienic flushing processes. In the prior art, the hygienic flushing device results in a greater number of water flow cycles through the bowl. This particularly applies to periods of user absence, for example, in apartments, houses, or rooms that are only used occasionally, such as in holiday homes, hotels, etc., but also to user absence due to travel.

[0014] In addition, there is the fundamental possibility of a toilet blockage, which, if not detected due to prolonged absence of the user, can lead to flooding during regular hygiene flushes.

[0015] Thirdly, the hygiene flushing processes can also be comparatively noisy due to the passage of water through the toilet bowl (and possibly also due to the use of an overflow device of a cistern, etc.) and can irritate or disturb residents of the affected room / apartment or those in the immediate vicinity.

[0016] Of course, the two aspects of the invention described so far—namely, the combination with the mounting frame on the one hand and the cistern on the other—are combined in many practical cases, namely when a cistern is mounted or pre-assembled in the mounting frame. In this case, the hygiene flushing device can be combined with both or comprise both, and the other components can be held by the mounting frame, for example, via the cistern.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the hygiene flush valve and the odor trap, and preferably all components of the hygiene flush device (except for the mounting frame and cistern), are mounted on a housing integral with the cistern and secured to the mounting frame by this housing. The housing can be, in a sense, an attachment or an extension of the cistern beyond its function as a cistern. Reference is made to the second embodiment in this regard.

[0018] However, parts of the hygienic flushing device can also be located in the cistern. With regard to the odor trap, this could, for example, apply to a volume completely or partially below the water level when the cistern is filled; with regard to the flush valve and control system, this could preferably apply to a volume higher above the water level.

[0019] Of course, the cistern can also be used from the outside to mount the odor trap, the control system, and possibly other components of the hygienic flushing system. This is especially true for pre-assembly before the cistern is installed in the mounting frame.

[0020] Preferably, the described components are already pre-assembled on the mounting frame or the cistern, so that the hygiene flushing device according to the invention does not have to be fully assembled on the construction site or at the place of use.

[0021] In particular, the additional parts can be arranged next to the cistern, preferably in the direction of the wall in which the components are ultimately mounted, to the side of the cistern (instead of in front of, behind, above and below).

[0022] This of course also applies to mounting these components directly on the mounting frame.

[0023] The hygiene flushing device can have a flow sensor to quantitatively measure the water during a hygiene flushing process and thus ensure sufficient, but not excessive, flushing. Such a flow sensor is preferably combined with the hygiene flush valve and a pipe section as an integrated component. The exemplary embodiment shows such a solution. Furthermore, such an integrated component can be directly connected to a housing of the control system, thus forming a module.

[0024] Furthermore, the invention can, in principle, be designed for one water pipe or for two water pipes (hot and cold water). The exemplary embodiments show the implementation for two water pipes, but can also easily be imagined for just one of the two.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail below using two exemplary embodiments. These are illustrated in more detail in the figures.

[0026] Show in detail Figure 1 shows a hygiene flushing device according to the invention with a cistern, which is shown partially without a front wall in order to allow a view; Figure 2 shows some of the elements of Figure 1 for illustration; Figure 3a, b, cthe hygiene flushing device from Figure 1 combined with a mounting frame, but with the complete front wall of the cistern, in each case from the rear left, the front left and the front right; Figure 4a, b, c show a further hygiene flushing device according to the invention as a second embodiment, in Figure 4c analogous to Figure 1 , Figure 5, namely perspective from the front right, in Figure 4b in elevation view, but with omission of part of the front cistern wall at the top left analogous Figure 1 and Figure 4c , and in Figure 4a analog Figure 4b , but with complete cistern front wall; some of the elements made of Figure 4c for illustration; Figure 6a, b the hygiene flushing device from Figure 4 combined with a mounting frame, in Figure 4a in elevation and in Figure 4b perspective from diagonally front right.

[0027] In Figure 1 , one can see an essentially conventional concealed cistern 1, the interior of which opens into a flush water pipe 2 with a bend 3 at the bottom for connection to the flush water connection of a toilet. In its upper central front wall area, the cistern 1 has an inspection opening 4, to which Figure 1 There is an area on the left and bottom left where the front wall is omitted for illustration and drawing purposes only, but for example in Figure 3b can be seen in full.

[0028] In this area, two vertically running water pipe sections 5 and 6 can be seen, namely a front hot water pipe section 5 and a rear cold water pipe section 6, which can be connected to corresponding water pipes above and outside the cistern 1 via respective fittings. In their upper area, but inside the cistern 1, the water pipe sections 5 and 6 each contain a shut-off valve 7 and 8, respectively, in the form of a ball valve, with the cold water pipe section 6 having a forward-facing fill valve connection 9 below it. This is used in a manner known per se to connect a fill valve actuated by the cistern mechanism.

[0029] Again below (i.e., downstream) of this, the two line sections 5 and 6 each show a flow sensor 10 and 11, respectively, and below them a bistable solenoid valve as the respective hygiene flush valve 12 and 13, respectively. The hygiene flush valves 12 and 13 are controlled via electrical control lines by a control system not shown here. Therefore, the control lines with the reference numerals 14 and 15 are shown as continuing straight to the right. In fact, the control system can, for example, Figure 1 to the left of the flow sensors 10 and 11 and the solenoid valves 12 and 13, but within the cistern 1, in the remaining cavity, for which purpose it is encapsulated in a water-protected manner, can be connected to an electrical supply and, in addition to the control lines 14 and 15, is or can be connected to signal lines (not shown) of the flow sensors.

[0030] Alternatively, the control could also be arranged in or in front of the inspection opening 4, for example as part of an actuating plate.

[0031] Pipe sections 5 and 6, together with the respective flow sensors 10 and 11 and the hygiene flush valves 12 and 13, each form a prefabricated, integrated module. The two modules can also be pre-assembled with the control system before being pre-assembled or installed in the cistern.

[0032] Below the two hygiene flush valves 12 and 13, a free fall section (clearly visible in the figures) serves as a system separation device, which is mandatory in Europe for drinking water protection reasons. The water falls into a cup 16 of a submersible siphon that serves as an odor trap 17. Generally, any type of odor trap can be used here, for example, a duckbill siphon, a membrane trap, or a pipe bend siphon. It is important that the odor trap within the cup 16 is a separate odor trap 17 for the hygiene flush device and independent of that of the toilet. The cistern also serves as an overflow for the cup 16.

[0033] Of course, a splash guard or similar device can be provided around the free fall path between the hygiene flush valves 12 and 13 and the cup 16, but this is not absolutely necessary and is not shown in this case for clarity. Furthermore, one can see in Figure 1 that the upper edge of the

[0034] Cup 16 is just below the lower edge of the inspection opening 4 and thus, apart from the

[0035] The volume of the cup 16 does not further restrict or impede the usable capacity of the cistern 1.

[0036] The water collected in the cup 16 is then drained away via the odor trap further to the left, i.e. it runs into the downpipe 18 shown to the left outside the cistern.

[0037] This downpipe 18 is connected to the sewage system, as will be explained with reference to the second embodiment.

[0038] In the Figures 3a to cThe hygiene flushing device is made of Figures 1 and 2 combined with a mounting frame 19 of conventional design, whereby one can also speak of a hygiene flushing device according to the invention (with cistern and mounting frame). In particular, the parts of the hygiene flushing device, such as the Figures 1 and 2 As shown, it is initially mounted on the cistern, namely its upper and left side edges, and only indirectly on the cistern via the mounting frame. However, this could also be imagined the other way around.

[0039] In any case, in this embodiment, the already mentioned waste water downpipe 18 runs downwards behind a vertical strut of the mounting frame 19, whereby in the Figures 3a to cThe connection to the wastewater line is no longer shown. One can only see how the lower bend 3 of the flushing water pipe 2 is held in a transverse support plate 20 of the mounting frame, as is already known and conventional.

[0040] Furthermore, one can see particularly in Figure 3c that the inspection opening 4 of the cistern 1, which is also conventional, provides access to the Figure 1 explained parts of the hygiene flushing device, including the odor trap 17. The latter in particular, but also the upstream parts thereof, may require inspection or cleaning. This access option is provided according to the invention without additional measures, simply by a combination according to the invention with a cistern and / or mounting frame. In this exemplary embodiment, this applies to the installation of all other components (with the exception of the downpipe 18) within the cistern.

[0041] The second embodiment shows a variant in which the odor trap, now designated 21, is arranged outside the cistern.

[0042] The two solenoid valves thus form hygiene flush valves and are each arranged in a section of pipe with a flow sensor. Specifically, they are designed as an integrated unit, forming a single component that is connected to the aforementioned top-side fittings and positioned above the cup 16. The control unit (not shown) can also be attached to this component, as already mentioned.

[0043] In this case, both the cold water and hot water lines are covered by the hygienic flushing device, thus counteracting water stagnation in both pipe systems. Of course, the qualitative effect of the exemplary embodiment changes little if only one of the two lines is covered by the hygienic flushing device.

[0044] In the second embodiment, the same comments and relationships apply as in the first embodiment, which is why analogous reference numerals are used, but increased by the number 20.

[0045] The Figures 4a to c and 6show that the cistern 21 is narrower in its lower and middle area, with the area that was occupied by the cup 16 in the first embodiment (and the area below it) being missing on the left edge. In the resulting volume outside the cistern 21, one can see an odor trap 37, which Figure 5 below and in Figure 4b and c without an outer sleeve of the downpipe 38. One can see a cup 36 with outwardly projecting fins and, within the cup 36, an immersion pipe and thus a total odor trap 37.

[0046] A portion of the cistern 21 is connected to an upper flange of the aforementioned immersion pipe of the odor trap 37 and the sleeve of the downpipe 38 below the respective outlets of the hygiene flush valves (solenoid valves) 32 and 33, allowing them to drain into the odor trap 37. Accordingly, the water discharged during the hygiene flushes then flows downwards through the downpipe 38 outside the cistern 21.

[0047] In the present case, the upper left part of the cistern 1 thus forms, in a sense, a housing for the hygiene flushing device (apart from the mounting frame and the cistern itself), this housing being integrated with the rest of the cistern.

[0048] The second embodiment also shows how the downpipe 38 is connected at the bottom via an inclined piece to a wastewater connection elbow 42 of a wastewater line, to which the odor trap of the connected toilet is also to be connected (but not shown). This elbow 42 is held in the mounting frame 39 in a manner also known per se. The water from the odor trap 37 and the wastewater from the toilet are thus reunited downstream of the odor traps and connected to the same wastewater system.

[0049] Overall, the invention thus offers good accessibility to essential components of the hygiene flushing device. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the odor trap 37 can also be accessed for cleaning purposes through the inspection opening. At the same time, the toilet is not affected by hygiene flushing processes, which is advantageous in terms of noise development, limescale deposits, and possible other contaminants, as already explained.

Claims

1. Hygienic flushing device for controlled flushing of a water pipe in order to avoid stagnation, having a hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) for the flushing, a controller for controlling the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) for flushing, an odor trap (17, 37) for connection to a waste water pipe (42), discharging water passed through the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33), and blocking odors from the waste water pipe (42), a toilet mounting frame (19, 39) for supporting a toilet, by which toilet mounting frame (19, 39) the hygienic flushing device is supported, wherein the odor trap (17, 37) is a separate odor trap (17, 37) of the hygienic flushing device and is designed to be connected to the waste water pipe (42) independently of the toilet, characterized in that the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) and the odor trap (17, 37) are designed to be able to be removed through an inspection opening (4, 24) in the mounted state of the hygienic flushing device.

2. Hygienic flushing device for controlled flushing of a water pipe in order to avoid stagnation, having a hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) for the flushing, a controller for controlling the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) for flushing, an odor trap (17, 37) for connection to a waste water pipe (42), discharging water passed through the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33), and blocking odors from the waste water pipe (42), a flushing cistern (1, 21) for flushing a toilet, on which flushing cistern (1, 21) the hygienic flushing device is mounted, wherein the odor trap (17, 37) is a separate odor trap (17, 37) of the hygienic flushing device and is designed to be connected to the waste water pipe (42) independently of the toilet, characterized in that the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) and the odor trap (17, 37) are designed to be able to be removed through an inspection opening (4, 24) in the mounted state of the hygienic flushing device.

3. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 1 or 2, in which a or the flushing cistern (1, 21) is mounted on the or a toilet mounting frame (19, 39).

4. Hygienic flushing device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the inspection opening (4, 24) is a flushing cistern inspection opening.

5. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 3, optionally in combination with claim 4, in which the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) and the odor trap (17, 37) are mounted on a housing and are mounted via the latter on the toilet mounting frame (19, 39), wherein the housing is integrated in one piece with the flushing cistern (1, 21).

6. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 2, optionally also in combination with one of claims 3 to 5, in which the odor trap (17) of the hygienic flushing device is arranged in the flushing cistern (1).

7. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 2, optionally also in combination with one of claims 3 to 6, having a system separating apparatus with a vertical separating section for separating the water pipe, which system separating apparatus has an overflow into the flushing cistern (1).

8. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 2, optionally also in combination with one of claims 3, 4, 5, and 7, in which the odor trap (37) of the hygienic flushing device is arranged next to the flushing cistern (21).

9. Hygienic flushing device according to one of the preceding claims having a flow sensor (10, 11, 30, 31), wherein the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33) and the flow sensor (10, 11, 30, 31) are integrated together with a pipe section (5, 6, 25, 26).

10. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 9, in which the integrated component consisting of the flow sensor (10, 11, 30, 31), the hygienic flushing valve (12, 13, 32, 33), and the pipe section (5, 6, 25, 26) is directly connected to a housing of the controller and thus forms a module.

11. Hygienic flushing device according to claim 2, optionally also in combination with one of claims 3 to 10, in which a warm water pipe can be flushed through the hygienic flushing valve (12, 32) and the odor trap (17, 37), and in addition a further hygienic flushing valve (13, 33) is provided for hygienic flushing of a cold water pipe, which further hygienic flushing valve (13, 33) is designed to drain into the same odor trap (17, 37) during the cold water pipe flushing.