Pedal actuated toilet flush

Abstract

The invention is a simple and inexpensive device to be applied in the health area, in order to solve a serious problem of contamination by pathogens through skin contact with toilet flushing devices. The invention is able to adapt to any type of lever or toilet flush rope and allows it to be activated without the need for skin contact. This device consists of a Pedal (1), a flexible Tape (2) and an adjustable Clip (3). The tape takes the vertical movement of the Pedal to the lever or rope and gives sustainability to the suspended positioning of the Pedal (1). The toilet is then flushed with the use of one of the feet, without personal contamination, which encourages its use, which, consequently, increases the hygiene of the bathroom.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] In the health and hygiene area, this invention can be added to most types of toilets, both for domestic use and for public establishments.PRINCIPLES OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Although toilet flushing devices are simple and date back dozens of years, there have never been significant improvements in the hygiene of the handling thereof.

[0003] They all have a lever, button or handle for operation with the hand in direct contact. Given their usefulness and location, it is very common for these parts to be quickly and constantly contaminated with microorganisms that are harmful to health.

[0004] The very nature of the requirement of contact with the user's hand to activate it makes many of them prefer not to flush the toilet to avoid contact with these surfaces that, notoriously, must be contaminated. It is noted that those who have a rope to pull it down, usually white, have a good part of it yellowed, from the handle upwards, showing that the user prefers not to touch the handle that so many other people have touched before him, right after having done their business and possibly contaminated their fingers and, consequently, that surface. The same is true with lever drives. This ends up causing even more contamination of these objects because they encourage not flushing and greater contamination of the place as a whole.

[0005] For this reason, an alternative way of activating such mechanisms is necessary. In general, in any bathroom, the emphasis is on hand hygiene due to its contact with the rest of the body, especially the face. However, the feet are always considered non-contaminating because of the distance they maintain from critical parts of the body, such as the mouth, nostrils, and eyes.

[0006] The model presented can be coupled with practically any type of toilet flush actuator and provides them with the possibility of being activated with the use of the feet. That is, it provides them with the possibility to maintain their functionalities without the need for contact with the user's skin (fingers / hands), keeping them away from the possibilities of contagion by contaminants. Since the user can easily operate them with one of the feet, he avoids contact with his skin, which is imminently critical in a public bathroom and whose hygiene is uncontrollable.

[0007] Especially in times of pandemics and the spread of all kinds of diseases, this device represents a real and significant advantage in the fight against and eradication of easily transmitted diseases.

[0008] One of the biggest advantages of this product is its easy integration with existing systems, representing a negligible cost of implementation, as it is extremely low-priced. It makes the toilets of any bathroom immediately more hygienic at a negligible cost, representing a major leap in public health and comfort for users, who perform real acrobatics to avoid skin contact with these devices.

[0009] The simple fact that the current mechanisms do not have this type of possibility of contactless handling makes the bathrooms increasingly contaminated, as it is very common for the user not to flush the toilet because they do not want to touch the objects for this purpose. This ends up inadvertently providing even more proliferation of contaminants in these parts.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 shows the oblique view of the assembled Pedal (1), Tape (2), and Lever Sleeve (3a).

[0011] FIG. 2 shows the oblique view from below of the Pedal (1) with Rubber Base (1a) and Tape terminal (2).

[0012] FIG. 3 shows the oblique view from below of the Clip (3), Tape (2), Lock (4), manual screw (5) and tape cut and lock.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows the oblique view of the Clip (3) with the triangular locks (3t) and extension (3x) and Manual Screw (5).

[0014] FIG. 5 presents the oblique view of the Lever Sleeve (3a) for cylindrical lever actuators, with Strap Ring (3b) and circular lock (3c) for attachment to the plumbing structure.

[0015] FIG. 6 shows the oblique view of the Clip (3) applied to a traditional lever with a detail of the Manual Screw (5).

[0016] FIG. 7 presents the alternative form of the double flexible tape (2), which is composed of inner tape and outer tape, with the Clip integrated into the inner strap, which fits into the outer strap through its compatible triangular profiles, leaving the set intact, without dispersed parts and with adjustable length via flexible Manipulators (6) by pressure.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In a simplified way, the present invention consists of a Pedal (1) to flush the toilet, both for those who use a lever (coupled box) and those with a vertical rope puller (overhead box).

[0018] In toilets with a lever-operated flush, this pedal is connected by a Tape (2) to a small metal plate, the Clip (3), which attaches to the flush actuation lever at its furthest point from the rotation axis. This clip has protrusions at the base of the top plate for greater adherence to the surface that forms conventional levers, usually plastic. The Manual Screw (5) allows installation without the need for any tools.

[0019] It presses the surface of the lever against the top plate, securing it to the Tape (2). The opening between the two plates of the clip allows it to be installed on levers that do not have space between their surfaces. In these cases, the Clip (3) has its upper surface exposed, and therefore has an aesthetically perfect finish for these cases, where it becomes apparent. The use of more than one Manual Screw (5) in the Clip (3) aims at better fixing it to the toilet's flush lever. The Clip (3) has an extension that may or may not be used, as it fits easily into the main part and aims for greater fixing power, although not all levers allow the use thereof. It has a “U” opening, which allows the use of adjustable plastic strap for extra fixation, if the situation requires and allows same.

[0020] The Tape (2) shown in FIG. 7 keeps the set intact, without scattered parts, and has a length adjustable via pressure-flexible Manipulators (6). Its composition and flexibility allow the necessary natural suspension in the Pedal, allowing its actuation to activate the lever without just stretching without providing the transfer of movement, which would happen if a very flexible string were used, for example.

[0021] In the case of boxes with cylindrical levers or urinals with a lever directly attached to the plumbing, usually metallic and found in industrial and public restrooms, the connection is made by using the Lever Sleeve (3a), which encompasses the original lever and secures it with the end screw and the Circular Lock (3c)—FIG. 5—thus adapting to various types of levers, metallic or plastic, cylindrical or similar, fastening in a way that prevents it from coming loose when the pedal is pressed. The mechanism also has the Strap Ring (3b), which allows the passage of plastic strap to attach it to the body of the main plumbing common in public bathrooms-as an alternative way to keep it positioned on the original lever.

[0022] Its use for triggering toilet flushes based on a vertical rope puller is carried out by connecting a rope to the toilet flush rope, just above the puller, hanging therefrom, whereby the other end of this rope connects to the Tape (2) and this to the Pedal (1).EXAMPLES OF INVENTION EMBODIMENTS

[0023] In both cases presented, the flush actuation remains available in its original form but also makes it possible to use the foot for actuation, by means of the Pedal (1), which has its base against the ground and the suspended part, attached to the Tape (2), which allows it to function as a lever when stepped on. At the base of the Pedal (1) is the Rubber Base (1a), which can have suction cups on the bottom for adhesion to the floor, as well as serve as a counterweight for better stability and can even be stepped on to prevent movement of the Pedal (1) when activated, thus composing a two-stage drive. In this way, the user can flush the toilet without the need to touch any of its mechanisms, that is, they do not make direct skin contact with them, using only the sole of the shoe.

[0024] The Tape (2), which transfers the movement from the pedal to the lever, is composed of flexible plastic material but in such a way as to provide a certain resistance to curvature, thus being able to give greater stability to the pedal and the possibility of it being further away vertically from the lever. This makes it possible to place the pedal at a more comfortable distance for the user, that is, further in front of the lever. It also allows the flush to be triggered without the need for the user to lean or have to move to access the mechanism. In practice, two flexible self-coupling tapes (2) are used, as shown in the Section of FIG. 3, with a rail for longitudinal displacement between them, allowing adjustment of the length of the resulting tape through the Lock (4). Also part of the invention is the alternative Tape (2) presented in FIG. 7, composed of an External Tape and an Internal Tape, which fit together by compatible triangular shapes, allowing the adjustment of the length of the resulting tape by pressing the Manipulators (6) and moving the Internal one, with a circular opening at one end-both on the Internal and the External-for connection to the Pedal (1) and to the Clip (3 and 3a) (either U-shaped, cylindrical, or rope). Adequate flexibility and rigidity allow the pedal to be freely positioned and stable, so as to allow its connection with the additional parts of the mechanism. It connects with the Pedal (1) and the Clip (3 and 3a) (both U, cylindrical or rope), forming the lever system that activates the original toilet lever or the activation rope for vertical rope activation models. Thus, it is possible to activate the toilet flush by moving the Pedal (1) using one of the feet, without contact with the skin, or with a finger of the hand.

[0025] In the case of use in vertical rope drive, the system includes a sufficient amount of rope for the bridge between the Tape (2) and the existing puller. In the same way as the previous case, the Tape (2) allows the same stability for the pedal and greater flexibility for the positioning thereof.

Claims

1. A Foot Pedal Toilet Flush Actuator, characterized by a rigid flat Pedal (1), with a Rubber Base extension (la) at an angle with the pedal surface, which may contain suction cups at the bottom, in contact with the floor, to prevent displacement, forming an actuation lever; it has a connection point to screw the flexible Tape (2) that supports the elevation of the Pedal (1) by connecting to the appropriate Clip (3 or 3a), which joins with the toilet flush lever or directly to the rope in cases of vertical rope flush activation.

2. The Foot Pedal Toilet Flush Actuator, according to claim 1, characterized by a flexible self-attaching Tape (2) with a rail for longitudinal movement between it and another tape of the same shape or External and Internal Tape the latter with an integrated locking system, with Manipulators (6) that allow the adjustment of the length of the resulting tape, which may contain longitudinal holes for the same purpose, with a circular opening at the end, for connecting the Pedal (1) to the Clip (3 and 3a) (either U-shaped, cylindrical, or rope).

3. The Foot Pedal Toilet Flush Actuator, according to claim 1, characterized by a Clip (3) composed of a “U”-shaped metal plate with triangular or pointed locks to prevent displacement or disengagement and points for the Manual Screw (5), which does not require tools, with auxiliary Extension (3x) for locking, being in a position that can be easily removed for adjustments and adaptations, with opening (3u) for passage of adjustable plastic clip, for connection with the existing flush lever, which will have a surface pressed between the metal plate of the Clip (3) and the Manual Screws (5), with sufficient opening for connection over the end of the lever for models that do not have spacing at the end, therefore having an elaborate finish by becoming visible in this form of application.

4. The Foot Pedal Toilet Flush Actuator, according to claim 1, characterized by Lever Sleeve type clip (3a), which adapts to cylindrical levers, having a flexible metallic Circular Lock (3t), which allows the entry of several gauges but locks for exit, so that it does not move when activated, as well as a screw at the actuation end, which serves both for fixing the Tape (2) and for extra locking against the lever that is part of the toilet flush system where the invention is installed, internally containing deformable longitudinal plastic splines that give way when connecting with the cylindrical lever of the toilet during installation, but at the same time provide clearance adjustment and contact firmness, further providing a Strap Ring (3b) for the passage of plastic or metal strap for fixing to the body of the plumbing if this is presented as the most suitable form of fixation.

5. The Foot Pedal Toilet Flush Actuator, according to claim 1, characterized by Manual Screw (5) with rough handling area for better friction with the fingers, in order to allow the installation of the device without any tools, having a sharp protrusion at the tip for better locking on the surface of the flush lever.

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