Urinal drainage system

Abstract

The present invention uses a simple configuration to prevent accumulation of foreign matter in a horizontal drainage pipe.　An ozone supply device 60 is connected to a horizontal drainage pipe 40 to which fixture drainage pipes 10c-12c of urinals 10-12 are connected. Through this feature, ozone is supplied into the horizontal drainage pipe 40, and therefore, bacteria can be suppressed by the sterilizing action of ozone. As a result, decomposition of urea by bacteria is suppressed, thereby preventing adhesion of urinary scale and generation of unpleasant odors. Accumulation of body hair and debris in the horizontal drainage pipe 40 is also prevented. Furthermore, ozone has a specific gravity greater than air, so diffusion from the horizontal drainage pipe 40 into the toilet room is suppressed.

Description

Urinal drainage system

[0001] The present invention relates to a drainage system for a urinal.

[0002] The calcium in urine is converted by bacteria into water-insoluble components, which then mix with decaying organic matter, resulting in the formation of scale (urinary stones) that firmly adheres to urinary drainage pipes. In particular, in locations with numerous urinals, such as hotels, office buildings, department stores, and train stations, each urinal is connected to a common horizontal pipe installed under the floor slab, and wastewater is routed through this horizontal pipe to the vertical drainage pipe. Because the horizontal pipe has a slope of approximately 1 / 50 to 1 / 100, the horizontal pipe leading to the vertical drainage pipe is the site of the greatest accumulation of urinary stones. Conventionally, cleaning of urinary drainage pipes, including horizontal pipes, has been accomplished by supplying high-pressure cleaning water to remove the adhered urinary stones from the inner walls of the horizontal pipes and other drainage pipes. Additionally, or alternatively, cleaning has been accomplished by supplying specialized pipe cleaning solutions that dissolve urinary stones or highly effective disinfecting solutions (sterilizing water).

[0003] However, in recent years, efforts to conserve flushing water have reduced the amount of water supplied per urinal from 3.5 to 5 liters to around 1 to 2 liters. This has led to an increase in the amount of urinary stones adhering to the horizontal pipe, and foreign objects such as body hair often remain in the pipe instead of being flushed away. Furthermore, with water-saving urinals, the amount of flushing water is small, so urine does not become diluted even when flushed, and instead flows into the horizontal pipe at a high concentration. Urinal traps also cannot be made very large due to the small amount of flushing water required. Furthermore, the small amount of flushing water makes it easy for high-concentration urine to accumulate in the horizontal pipe. Due to these factors, water-saving urinals are prone to clogging of the drainage pipes and also pose odor issues.

[0004] In view of this, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a tank for storing flush water is disposed upstream of the urinal, the outlet pipe of this tank is connected to a horizontal pipe, and at a predetermined time, for example at night when use is low, flush water is discharged from this tank into the horizontal pipe, and foreign matter is washed away by this flow. Patent Document 1 also discloses that, if necessary, sterilizing water can be discharged after the water is discharged.

[0005] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 uses tap water (clean water) as flush water. Directly connecting the water supply pipe that supplies clean water to the horizontal pipe is prohibited by law due to the risk of backflow, even if a valve is used. Therefore, Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which a tank is placed between the two, the clean water (flushing water) is temporarily stored in the tank, and the stored clean water (flushing water) is discharged into the horizontal pipe. However, providing such a tank complicates the equipment and increases installation costs.

[0006] In view of the problems of Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology configured to supply grey water as flush water. The technology involves directly connecting a flush water supply pipe that supplies grey water to a horizontal pipe via a bypass pipe, and flowing a predetermined amount of grey water directly into the horizontal pipe at an appropriate timing, thereby flushing out foreign matter such as body hair that has accumulated in the horizontal pipe. When grey water is supplied to the horizontal pipe, a valve mechanism can be inserted in the bypass pipe, eliminating the need for a tank midway, simplifying the configuration. Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which a chemical solution with high anti-urinary stone adhesion and antibacterial properties is supplied directly to the horizontal pipe via the bypass pipe.

[0007] JP 2010-121276 A JP 2015-132099 A

[0008] According to Patent Document 2, grey water can be directly introduced into the horizontal pipe, allowing foreign matter such as body hair that has accumulated in the horizontal pipe to be flushed out. Moreover, the configuration is simpler than that of Patent Document 1, reducing the manufacturing cost of the entire system, and the use of grey water also reduces running costs.

[0009] However, if the formation of urinary stones inside the horizontal pipe can be further suppressed, the amount of chemical solution required will be reduced and the foul odor will be suppressed. As mentioned above, this is particularly true for water-saving urinals, but it is also true for urinals that are not water-saving.

[0010] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above, and its objective is to provide a urinal drainage system that can suppress the adhesion of urinary stones in the horizontal pipe and the generation of bad odors, and can suppress the spread of bad odors through the urinal drainage section.

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the urinal drainage system of the present invention comprises a horizontal pipe to which the drainage part of the urinal is connected and through which the drainage water that has passed through the urinal flows and leads to a vertical drainage pipe, and an ozone supply device connected to the horizontal pipe and supplies ozone into the horizontal pipe.

[0012] The ozone supply device is preferably connected further upstream of a urinal connected to the most upstream side of the horizontal pipe.

[0013] The ozone supply device preferably includes an ozone generator and an ozone supply pipe connecting the ozone generator and the horizontal pipe.

[0014] It is preferable that a concentration adjusting means for adjusting the concentration of ozone generated by the ozone generator is provided. The concentration adjusting means can be composed of an air pump for adjusting the flow rate of gas input to the ozone generator.

[0015] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that a microbubble generating means is provided for generating microbubbles from the ozone generated by the ozone generator. It is more preferable that the microbubble generating means includes a surfactant introduction system connected to the ozone supply pipe, and mixes the ozone with a surfactant to generate microbubbles, and it is even more preferable that the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant.

[0016] According to the present invention, ozone can be supplied into the horizontal pipe. When urea in urine is decomposed by bacteria, it becomes ammonia, which gives off a foul odor. Furthermore, the decomposition into ammonia makes the liquid in the urinal or horizontal pipe alkaline, which causes calcium ions in the urine to transform into sparingly soluble calcium compounds, which then form and adhere to the urinary stones. The adhesion of urinary stones creates a breeding ground for the foul odor of urine and bacteria, promoting the further formation of urinary stones. However, according to the present invention, the bactericidal action of ozone supplied into the horizontal pipe can suppress bacteria. As a result, the decomposition of urea by bacteria can be suppressed, preventing the adhesion of urinary stones and the generation of foul odors.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a urinal drainage system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a urinal trap. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an ozone supplying device. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of an ozone supplying device and microbubble generating means used in a urinal drainage system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a urinal drainage system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, for three urinals 10-12 arranged in parallel on a wall, the urinal drainage system 1 would consist of drainage sections (fixture drain pipes) 10c-12c downstream of traps 10b, 11b, and 12b (see FIG. 2) and a horizontal pipe 40. A flush water supply pipe 20 is connected to each of the urinals 10-12, and flush water is supplied to each of the urinals 10-12 via the flush water supply pipe 20 by operating valves 10a-12a. The flush water flowing through the flush water supply pipe 20 may be tap water, but it is also possible to use recycled water (recycled wastewater) as in Patent Document 2.

[0019] Here, it is preferable to attach a chemical liquid supply means to each of the urinals 10-12, which supplies a chemical liquid having high urinary stone removal and sterilizing effects. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a chemical liquid supply device (hereinafter referred to as the "urinal chemical liquid supply device") 30 serving as a chemical liquid supply means is disposed in the flush water supply pipe 20 located further upstream than the urinal 12, which is installed on the most upstream side. The urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 comprises a chemical liquid storage tank 31, a pump 32, a chemical liquid supply pipe 33 connected to the flush water supply pipe 20, and a flow meter 34 that measures the flow rate of flush water flowing through the flush water supply pipe 20. The pump 32 operates in accordance with the flow rate of flush water measured by the flow meter 34, and a predetermined amount of chemical liquid is mixed from the chemical liquid storage tank 31 via the chemical liquid supply pipe 33 into the flush water supply pipe 20. This urinal chemical liquid dispenser 30 is capable of supplying chemical liquid to all of the urinals 10 to 12 with a single unit, and for example, "Sanitizer MK111" (product name) manufactured by Nippon Calmic Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0020] The urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 is not limited to the configuration described above, and for example, a type that is installed individually to correspond to the number of urinals 10 to 12 installed (for example, "Sanitizer MK7" (product name) manufactured by Nippon Calmic Co., Ltd.) can also be used.

[0021] Each urinal 10-12 is connected to a urinal drainage pipe system that includes a horizontal drainage pipe 40 and a vertical drainage pipe 50. The horizontal drainage pipe 40 is laid under the floor slab at a gradient of about 1 / 50 to 1 / 100, and the vertical drainage pipe 50 is connected to the tip of this horizontal drainage pipe 40.

[0022] Specifically, each urinal 10-12 is arranged such that traps 10b, 11b, 12b provided at the bottom of the urinal 10-12 are connected to the horizontal pipe 40 via the drainage sections (fixture drain pipes) 10c-12c (see FIG. 2). The drain outlets at the bottom of each urinal 10-12 are provided with, for example, strainer-type traps 10b-12b, as shown in FIG. 2. These are drainage traps often used in so-called water-saving urinals 10-12. Because the amount of flush water released into each urinal 10-12 is small, the traps 10b-12b have a smaller capacity than regular pipe traps. As described above, the traps 10b-12b are connected to the horizontal pipe 40 via the drainage sections (fixture drain pipes) 10c-12c. The urinal drainage system 1 of this embodiment is not limited to water-saving urinals, and pipe traps are used for regular urinals that are not water-saving.

[0023] In addition, the chemical liquid supplied from the above-mentioned urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 flows into the horizontal pipe 40 via the inner surface of each urinal 10 to 12, the traps 10b, 11b, 12b and the fixture drain pipes 10c to 12c, and within these passages, the effect of preventing urinary stone adhesion and the effect of sterilization are exerted.

[0024] In the urinal drainage system 1 of this embodiment, an ozone supplying device 60 is connected to the horizontal draw pipe 40, and ozone is supplied into the horizontal draw pipe 40. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the ozone supplying device 60 is connected to the upstream end 40a of the horizontal draw pipe 40, which is located further upstream from the urinal 12 connected to the most upstream end of the horizontal draw pipe 40. The ozone supplying device 60 is composed of an ozone generator 61 and an ozone supply pipe 62, and supplies ozone generated by the ozone generator 61 into the horizontal draw pipe 40 via the ozone supply pipe 62. Because the horizontal draw pipe 40 is inclined in a certain direction and wastewater flows in a certain direction, it is preferable to connect the ozone supplying device 60 as far upstream as possible of the horizontal draw pipe 40, as in this embodiment, so that ozone is dissolved into the wastewater as far upstream as possible. If there is a problem, such as a lack of installation space, it is desirable to connect the ozone supplying device 60 as far upstream as possible, although this is not a limitation.

[0025] The type of ozone generator 61 is not limited, and may be a silent discharge type, a surface discharge type, an electrolysis type, an ultraviolet lamp type, etc. In this embodiment, either a silent discharge type in which a dielectric is provided between parallel electrodes, oxygen gas, dry air, etc. is supplied between the electrodes, and a high AC voltage is applied between the two electrodes, or a surface discharge type in which a plane electrode and a wire electrode are provided with a dielectric sandwiched between them, and a high AC voltage is applied between the two electrodes to cause discharge, is preferred, but the surface discharge type is more preferred because it has a simpler structure than the silent discharge type that uses a parallel space.

[0026] One end of the ozone supply pipe 62, made of metal or synthetic resin, is connected to the ozone outlet of the ozone generator 61, and the other end is connected to the upstream end 40a of the horizontal drawing pipe 40. The upstream end 40a is opened as a cleaning port for cleaning the inside of the horizontal drawing pipe 40, and is normally closed by a lid member 41. Therefore, in place of the lid member 41, a joint-equipped lid member 410 having a through-hole (not shown) penetrating the pipe in the thickness direction and a joint pipe 410a rising from the periphery of the through-hole is attached to the cleaning port. This allows for easy connection by simply connecting the other end of the ozone supply pipe 62 to the joint pipe 410a.

[0027] The control unit 63 and power supply unit 64 that control the operation of the ozone generator 61 are preferably configured as separate units with detachable connectors, etc. Configuring these as separate units rather than as an integrated unit makes it easier to accommodate and arrange them within a narrow wall adjacent to the urinal 12, which is usually located at the end of the toilet room and is the most upstream side of the horizontal pipe 40.

[0028] The ozone generator 61 is preferably provided with a concentration adjusting means. The concentration adjusting means may be a means for varying the discharge voltage, or, as shown in Fig. 3, an air pump 65 is provided to the ozone generator 61 to supply air for generating ozone, and the concentration is adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the gas supplied. The control unit 63 controls the flow rate of the gas supplied from the air pump 65 for adjusting the ozone gas concentration, the operation timing of the ozone generator 61, the ozone release time, and the like, and these are preferably set to appropriate values ​​using an operating unit such as a dial or button.

[0029] According to this embodiment, the user first operates the operating unit to set the gas flow rate supplied by the air pump 65, the operation timing of the ozone generator 61, the ozone release time, and other parameters to predetermined values. Ozone is recommended for use in unmanned environments, and standards stipulate that the acceptable concentration in air should be 0.1 ppm or less (Japan Air Cleaning Association, a public interest incorporated association). However, the ozone concentration inside the drainage pipe system, including the horizontal pipe 40 and the drainage standpipe 50, is not a human living environment and is therefore generally exempt from standards. Furthermore, ozone has a higher specific gravity than air. Therefore, ozone directly supplied into the horizontal pipe 40 generally does not flow into the toilet room where the urinals 10-12 are installed. For these reasons, the ozone concentration supplied to the horizontal pipe 40 is not necessarily limited to 0.1 ppm or less; it can be set to a concentration that effectively suppresses bacteria in the drainage pipe system, including the horizontal pipe 40. Furthermore, while ozone exhibits anti-rust properties when dissolved in liquid, excessively high concentrations can corrode the metal and rubber that make up the drainage pipe system. On the other hand, ozone reverts to oxygen in about 1 to 16 hours if it is in gaseous form, and in about 30 minutes if it is dissolved in liquid. Taking all of these factors into consideration, the ozone concentration should be at most 0.2 ppm, preferably in the range of 0.01 to 0.15 ppm, and more preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 ppm.

[0030] The ozone generator 61 is controlled by the control unit 63 so that it operates, for example, once every 30 minutes to several hours. When a predetermined timing arrives, the ozone generator 61 operates. At this time, the air pump 65 also operates, and the input gas flow rate is set to achieve a preset ozone concentration, and a corresponding amount of air is fed in. The ozone generated at the predetermined concentration by the ozone generator 61 is supplied via the ozone supply pipe 62 and the joint pipe 410 a of the jointed lid member 410 into the horizontal pipe 40.

[0031] The action of the supplied ozone in the horizontal pipe 40 suppresses the growth of bacteria that decompose urea. As a result, the generation of ammonia is suppressed, and foul odors are suppressed. Furthermore, the decomposition into ammonia makes the liquid in the urinals 10-12 and the horizontal pipe 40 alkaline, which prevents calcium ions in urine from converting into insoluble calcium compounds and forming urinary stones, which then adhere to the urinary pipe. This also prevents the accumulation of body hair and debris in the horizontal pipe 40. Furthermore, as mentioned above, ozone has a higher specific gravity than air, so its diffusion from the horizontal pipe 40 into the toilet room is suppressed. Moreover, because ozone returns to oxygen over time, the ozone introduced into the horizontal pipe 40 is rarely released directly into the toilet room where people enter and exit, even if the water seal in the trap is insufficient for some reason.

[0032] 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes a microbubble generating means 70 for generating microbubbles from ozone. The ozone supply pipe 62 according to this embodiment has an upstream pipe section 621 on the ozone generator 61 side and a downstream pipe section 622 on the horizontal drawing pipe 40 side, via a gas-liquid mixing device 711 (described later). The downstream pipe section 622 is connected to a joint pipe 410a of a joint-equipped cover member 410 attached to the upstream end 40a of the horizontal drawing pipe 40.

[0033] The microbubble generating means 70 of this embodiment is configured to have a surfactant introduction system 71 connected to the ozone supply pipe 62. The surfactant introduction system 71 has a gas-liquid mixer 711 such as an ejector, and the gas-liquid mixer 711 is connected to the upstream pipe section 621 of the ozone supply pipe 62 and also to a mixing liquid supply pipe 712 that supplies a mixing liquid containing a surfactant of an appropriate concentration.

[0034] According to this embodiment, ozone that has passed through the upstream pipe section 621 of the ozone supply pipe 62 is mixed with a mixing liquid containing a surfactant in the gas-liquid mixer 711. The ozone is converted into microbubbles by coming into contact with the surfactant. The microbubbled ozone is supplied into the horizontal drawing pipe 40 through the downstream pipe section 622 of the ozone supply pipe 62. Because the ozone has been converted into microbubbles, it is more easily dissolved in the liquid in the horizontal drawing pipe 40 and remains in the horizontal drawing pipe 40 for a longer period of time, allowing the ozone to function for a longer period of time, compared to when the ozone is supplied into the horizontal drawing pipe 40 without being converted into microbubbles.

[0035] In addition, by introducing ozone that has been microbubbled with a surfactant into the horizontal drawing pipe 40, the amount of liquid bubbles in the horizontal drawing pipe 40 increases, and the time they remain in the horizontal drawing pipe 40 also increases.

[0036] On the other hand, as explained in the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is preferable to provide each urinal 10-12 with a chemical liquid supply means for supplying a chemical liquid having high urinary stone removal and sterilization effects. As an example, in FIG. 1, a urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 is provided in the flush water supply pipe 20 located further upstream than the urinal 12, which is installed most upstream. The urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 supplies chemical liquid based on changes in the flow rate of flush water flowing through the flush water supply pipe 20. As described above, the chemical liquid flows into the horizontal draw pipe 40 via the inner surfaces of each urinal 10-12, the traps 10b, 11b, and 12b, and the fixture drain pipes 10c-12c. However, the chemical liquid's effectiveness increases the longer the contact time with these passageways. As in this embodiment, if ozone microbubbles generated by the action of a surfactant are introduced into the horizontal draw pipe 40, increasing the amount of liquid bubbles in the horizontal draw pipe 40, the residence time of the chemical liquid also increases. As a result, according to this embodiment, the duration of action of the chemical solution in the passageway centered on the horizontal pipe 40 is longer, which contributes to further improving the effect of preventing urinary stone adhesion and the sterilizing effect.

[0037] Furthermore, since the chemical liquid used in the urinal chemical liquid supply device 30 contains an organic acid, it is preferable to use a nonionic surfactant such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, which foams well even when used in combination with an organic acid, as the surfactant introduced into the horizontal pipe 40.

[0038] It is also possible to use other known microbubble-forming methods as the microbubble-forming means 70, such as a method of generating a swirling flow in a liquid mixed with ozone and forming microbubbles by the shear force generated when the liquid is discharged from a nozzle, or a method of mechanically shearing the liquid mixed with ozone with a rotor to form microbubbles. Similar to the case of using a surfactant, microbubbling makes it easier to dissolve ozone in the liquid in the horizontal draw pipe 40. However, using a surfactant is preferable in that it prolongs the duration of bubbles in the horizontal draw pipe 40, thereby prolonging the effectiveness of the chemical liquid supplied from the urinal chemical liquid dispenser 30, as described above.

[0039] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Urinal drainage system 10, 11, 12 Urinal 20 Flushing water supply pipe 30 Urinal chemical liquid supply device 40 Horizontal pipe 410 Jointed cover member 60 Ozone supply device 61 Ozone generator 62 Ozone supply pipe 63 Control unit 64 Power supply unit 65 Air pump 70 Microbubble forming means 71 Surfactant introduction system

Claims

1. A urinal drainage system comprising: a horizontal pipe connected to the drainage section of the urinal, through which drainage water that has passed through the urinal flows and leads to a vertical drainage pipe; and an ozone supply device connected to the horizontal pipe and supplying ozone into the horizontal pipe.

2. A urinal drainage system according to claim 1, wherein the ozone supply device is connected upstream of the urinal connected to the most upstream side of the horizontal pipe.

3. The urinal drainage system according to claim 1, wherein the ozone supply device comprises an ozone generator and an ozone supply pipe connecting the ozone generator and the horizontal pipe.

4. A urinal drainage system according to claim 3, further comprising a concentration adjusting means for adjusting the concentration of ozone generated by said ozone generator.

5. A urinal drainage system according to claim 4, wherein the concentration adjusting means is an air pump that adjusts the flow rate of gas input to the ozone generator.

6. A urinal drainage system according to claim 4, further comprising a microbubble forming means for converting the ozone generated by the ozone generator into microbubbles.

7. A urinal drainage system according to claim 6, wherein the microbubble generating means comprises a surfactant introduction system connected to the ozone supply pipe, and is a means for mixing the ozone and surfactant to generate microbubbles.

8. The urinal drainage system according to claim 7, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant.

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