Sanitary purging apparatus
The present invention provides a sanitary cleaning device or apparatus that includes a basin, a temperature controller, and a flow controller. The temperature controller supplies water at a predetermined temperature to the flow controller, while the flow controller manages the water flow to a sprayer located in the basin. The present invention also provides a flow controller connected to a transversely-oscillating sprayer and a longitudinally-oscillating sprayer, both located in the basin. Furthermore, a water distributor may be used to divide the flow between the transversely-oscillating sprayer and the longitudinally-oscillating sprayer. A housing may be disposed on the rear portion of the rim of the basin to house the temperature controller, the flow controller, and the water distributor. The present invention may also include a cover for the basin and a sitting ring for the basin rim.
The present invention relates to a sanitary appliance, particularly to a body purging or cleaning apparatus for cleaning a person after defecation and/or urination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAs commonly used in bathrooms, e.g., after defecation and urination, people employ toilet paper to clean themselves. However, as individuals may themselves be infected by disease or parasites, the use of toilet paper alone is not at all sanitary. As a matter of fact, it is not satisfactorily effective to clean a human body with just toilet paper. Furthermore, discarded toilet paper could clog the drainage.
A conventional cleaning or purging apparatus is set forth in Chinese utility model No. 89219065.5, entitled “A Portable Apparatus for Purging a Human Body”. As shown in
As people grow wealthier, more elaborate cleaning apparatuses have evolved from a so-called luxurious appliance to a routine necessity for all. With reference now to
(1) When the basin 9 is installed in a bathroom, it is usually placed against a wall. A user is then forced to seat himself on the basin facing the wall, cleaning himself by adjusting the tap, which abuts the wall. Since the tap is not disposed conveniently for front-facing use, it is awkward and inconvenient. Further, there is no mechanism for controlling the water temperature automatically.
(2) Additionally, since the basin is not provided with a sanitary cover, the user is forced to seat himself directly on the rim of the potentially unclean basin to clean himself. Most users feel quite uncomfortable and perhaps disgusted, as the basin is made of a ceramic material.
(3) Also, the tap 7 has a sprayer 8 mounted with a predetermined and set orientation, which is not adjustable to clean or spray in a desired direction, forcing the person to accommodate to the device's limitations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo overcome the disadvantages of the prior art as described above, the present invention provides a sanitary cleaning device or apparatus that includes a basin, a temperature controller, and a flow controller. The temperature controller supplies water at a predetermined temperature to the flow controller, while the flow controller manages the water flow to a sprayer located in the basin. The present invention also provides a flow controller connected to a transversely-oscillating sprayer and a longitudinally-oscillating sprayer, both located in the basin. The user may specify a desired water temperature by turning a handwheel connected to the temperature controller. A handwheel may also be connected to the flow controller to manage the amount of water flowing through the sprayers. Furthermore, a water distributor may be used to divide the flow between the transversely-oscillating sprayer and the longitudinally-oscillating sprayer. A housing may be disposed on the rear portion of the rim of the basin to house the temperature controller, the flow controller, and the water distributor. The present invention may also include a cover for the basin and a cushion ring for the basin rim.
Additional embodiments are further defined in the specification and also set forth in the dependent claims.
Compared with the prior art, the present invention is advantageous in that:
(1) The cleaning apparatus is provided with an easily adjustable water-temperature controller permitting control of the output temperature by means of rotation of a handwheel. The temperature can thus be kept constant during use. Additionally, the user will seat himself or herself on the basin and face opposite to the building wall. In other words, the user will not be forced to face the wall to operate the controls. As the water temperature is set to a predetermined value, users can readily adjust and control the direction of the water flow by rotating a flow-adjusting wheel.
(2) The water flow can be adjusted manually and simply by means of rotation of the flow-adjusting handwheel.
(3) A water distributor distributes the water flow to a transversely-oscillating sprayer and a longitudinally-oscillating sprayer so that the sprayers can direct the flow as per the user's wishes and for subsequent usage.
(4) The apparatus has a cover used for keeping the basin clean and includes a cushion ring for seating a user comfortably.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various aspects of the invention are described in detail in the following sections. The use of sections is not meant to limit the invention. Each section can apply to any aspect of the invention. In this application, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise.
With reference now to
With reference now to
It should be understood that a commercially-available central temperature controller unit 105 includes a hot water filter layer 105a for introducing a hot water stream, a cold water filter layer 105b for introducing a cold water stream, and an outlet 105c for outputting, at a predetermined temperature, a mixture of the hot water and the cold water as introduced. As shown in
The left and right sides of the housing 104 have two openings for connecting the cold water passage 114b and the hot water passage 114a, respectively. A cold water conduit 108a and a hot water conduit 108b, respectively, are inserted into the openings. Check valves 107a and 107b are disposed respectively in the upper ends of the cold water conduit 108a and the hot water conduit 108b so as to prevent the water flowing therethrough from flowing back.
The housing 104 includes a water output ring 120 connected to the casing bore 103c and a first longitudinal water output passage 121, under which a second receiving hole 118 is provided. A distributor valve 111 is tied to a water distributor pull 113 via the valve casing 112. The distributor valve 111 and the valve casing 112 are received in the second receiving hole 118, with the latter connected to the second receiving hole. The water distributor valve 111 is moved transversely in the end portion 118a of second receiving hole 118. The end portion of the distributor valve 111 is preferably shaped, in section, like a right hexagon with an upper salient and a lower salient. The end portion 118a of the second receiving hole 118 has a top portion connected to the first water output passage 121, a left portion connected to the second water output passage 119a, and a right portion connected to the third water output passage 119b. The frontal surface of the end portion 118a is inclined at the same degree as the frontal face of the distributor valve 111. The distributor valve 111 has a height greater than the general diameter of the second receiving hole 118 but less than the height of the end portion 118a. As the distributor pull 113 is moved to the left, the distributor valve 111 slides in the same direction until it abuts against the left side wall of the end portion 118a so as to prevent water from flowing into the third water output passage 119a through the left portion of the end portion 118a. Likewise, as the distributor pull 113 is moved to the right, the distributor valve 111 slides in this direction until it abuts against the right side wall of the end portion 118a so as to prevent water from flowing into the fourth water output passage 119b through the right portion of the end portion 118a. When the distributor valve 111 is located on a midway along the end portion 118a, water is allowed to flow into a third water output passage 119a and a fourth water output passage 119b concurrently. The third water output passage 119a and the fourth water output passage 119b are extended under the housing 104 for respective connections with the first water output conduit 109a and the second water output conduit 109b. As shown in
With reference now to
The detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art could contemplate any other alternative embodiments that should be deemed as falling into the scope of protection as claimed.
Claims
1. A cleaning device, said device comprising:
- a basin,
- a temperature controller connected to a hot water supply and a cold water supply,
- a flow controller connected to said temperature controller, said temperature controller supplying water to said flow controller at a specified temperature, and
- at least one sprayer located in said basin and connected to said flow controller.
2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said flow controller comprises:
- a valve casing with a casing bore, and
- a central flow controller with a flow bore, said central flow controller moving within the casing bore of said valve casing, and changing an area of overlap between said flow bore and said casing bore to adjust water flow.
3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a housing disposed at the rear of said basin, having at least one receiving hole therethrough, and holding said flow controller and said temperature controller therein.
4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, said housing further comprising:
- a cold water passage therein connected to said cold water supply, and
- a hot water passage therein connected to said hot water supply.
5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a first check valve at a first interface with said cold water supply, and
- a second check valve at a second interface with said hot water supply.
6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a cover for said basin, and
- a sitting ring across the rim of said basin.
7. A cleaning device, said device comprising:
- a basin,
- a flow controller connected to a water supply,
- a transversely-oscillating sprayer located in a first transverse position within said basin and connected to said flow controller, and
- a longitudinally-oscillating sprayer located in a second longitudinal position within said basin and connected to said flow controller, the outward flow of water through said sprayers being user adjustable.
8. The cleaning device according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a distributor valve,
- a distributor valve casing, and
- a distributor controller connected to said distributor valve through said distributor valve casing, said distributor controller adjusting water flow in a water passage between said transversely-oscillating sprayer and said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer.
9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein said distributor valve has a hexagonally-shaped end with an upper salient and a lower salient, said hexagonally-shaped end moving in said water passage to adjust water flow between said transversely-oscillating sprayer and said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer.
10. The cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein said flow controller comprises:
- a valve casing with a casing bore, and
- a central flow controller with a flow bore, said central flow controller moving within the casing bore of said valve casing, and changing an area of overlap between said flow bore and said casing bore to adjust water flow.
11. The cleaning device according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a housing disposed at the rear of said basin, with a receiving hole therein holding said flow controller.
12. The cleaning device according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a housing disposed at the rear of said basin, having a receiving hole therein connecting a first water output conduit from said flow controller to said transversely-oscillating sprayer and a second water output conduit from said flow controller to said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer.
13. The cleaning device according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a cover for said basin, and
- a sitting ring across the rim of said basin.
14. A sprayer device for use in a cleaning device, said sprayer device comprising:
- a transversely-oscillating sprayer in a first transverse position within said cleaning device,
- a longitudinally-oscillating sprayer in a second longitudinal position within said cleaning device, and
- a water distributor adjusting water flow between said transversely-oscillating sprayer and said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer, the outward flow of water through said sprayers being user adjustable.
15. The sprayer device according to claim 14, wherein said water distributor comprises:
- a distributor valve,
- a distributor valve casing, and
- a distributor controller connected to said distributor valve through said distributor valve casing, said distributor controller adjusting water flow in a water passage between said transversely-oscillating sprayer and said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer.
16. The sprayer device according to claim 15, wherein said distributor valve has a hexagonally-shaped end with an upper salient and a lower salient, said hexagonally-shaped end moving in said water passage to adjust water flow between said transversely-oscillating sprayer and said longitudinally-oscillating sprayer.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 13, 2004
Publication Date: May 26, 2005
Inventor: Zhaofeng Li (Beijing)
Application Number: 10/889,174