Flush Toilet Bowl Guide Passage for Low-Pressure Swirling Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flush toilets require a significant amount of water and pressure to effectively wash the inner surface, which is inefficient in terms of water usage and pressure requirements.

Innovation Solution

A flush toilet design featuring a helical guide passage on the inner surface of the bowl that directs swirling water flow from a discharge port to a drainage outlet, with a concave and convex surface configuration that gradually lowers towards the outlet, allowing for reduced water volume and pressure while extending the waste transport distance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If conventional flush toilets use a significant amount of water and pressure to wash the inner surface, then the cleaning effect is adequate, but water usage is inefficient and pressure requirements are high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater amountVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curved surface design by forming a swirling flow that follows the curved inner surface of the bowl. The water flow is guided to rotate and follow the curvature of the bowl surface, increasing the contact time and coverage area of the washing water, thereby maintaining cleaning effectiveness with reduced water amount

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the water flow into multiple streams by providing multiple discharge ports distributed around the bowl. Each discharge port releases water at a different location, creating multiple swirling flow paths that collectively cover the entire inner surface, improving cleaning efficiency with less total water

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Force

If conventional flush toilets use high water pressure to wash the inner surface, then the washing power is sufficient, but the pressure requirement increases energy consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewashing powerVSAvoidpressure energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms static high-pressure water delivery into dynamic swirling flow. The water is discharged in a manner that creates rotational motion, allowing the kinetic energy and centrifugal force of the swirling flow to enhance the washing power, thereby reducing the need for high initial pressure while maintaining adequate washing force

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by designing the discharge ports and flow paths to leverage water pressure and flow dynamics. The swirling flow pattern creates hydraulic forces that distribute water more effectively across the surface, reducing the peak pressure needed while maintaining washing power

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Quantity of substance

If the bowl inner surface is washed with reduced water amount, then water efficiency improves, but the waste transport distance may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater amountVSAvoidwaste transport distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The swirling flow follows the curved surface of the bowl, naturally extending the flow path length. This curved trajectory allows the water to travel a longer distance along the inner surface compared to direct downward flow, enabling adequate waste transport with reduced water amount

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The discharge ports are positioned and oriented to create preliminary swirling motion at the point of discharge. This pre-established rotational flow ensures that the water maintains its swirling trajectory throughout its path, extending the effective transport distance without requiring additional water volume

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design enables efficient washing of the bowl inner surface with less water and lower pressure, extending the waste transport distance and ensuring thorough cleaning, even with reduced water amounts and lower discharge pressure.

Implementation Method 1

washing water discharged from a discharge port provided in an upper inner surface portion of the bowl to flow down while swirling along the inner surface of the bowl toward a drainage outlet portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSwirling flow: Vortex Ring

Implementation Method 2

The guide passage 2 includes a concave surface 4a that is concave in a vertical cross section of the bowl (cross-section that is cut along a plane including a vertical direction vector). A convex surface 5 that is convex in the vertical cross section is continuous to a lower side of the concave surface 4a (guide passage 2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3085842B1Flush toilet
Publication Date: 2022.02.09 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3085842B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3085842B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3085842B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A flush toilet that can be cleaned by a small amount of washing water and at a low water pressure is provided. The flush toilet includes a bowl (1) that includes a drainage outlet portion (4) in a bottom portion and a discharge port (3) in an upper inner surface portion. The flush toilet is configured to wash an inner surface of the bowl (1) by allowing washing water discharged from the discharge port (3) to flow down while swirling along the inner surface of the bowl (1). The inner surface of the bowl (1) includes a guide passage (2) configured to control flow of the washing water that flows down.