The present invention relates to a fluid deployment apparatus and method, and is concerned particularly, although not exclusively, with a personal hygiene apparatus and method.

A bidet is an article of sanitary ware found in many bathrooms. It is used to wash the personal areas of a user, by directing a stream of water to the area to be cleaned. The bidet is usually a large, heavy, ceramic installation that a user sits upon, and that is connected to the mains water supply.

Installing a bidet can be an expensive and time consuming matter, due to the fact that the article must be plumbed in. Furthermore, the article is installed permanently, and is not moveable. This means that it may be necessary to install one of the units in each bathroom that may be used.

Various attempts have been made in the prior art to devise a portable, or at least readily transportable, bidet. In one previously considered device an electrical pump is used to deliver washing water from a reservoir to one or more nozzles. This requires either a connection to mains electricity - which some bathrooms do not have - or else relies on batteries that may run out of charge and require replacement without notice. Another previously considered device uses a conically wound coil spring to exert pressure on a piston that forces water from a reservoir to a nozzle. In this case the reservoir must be charged from a hose in order to overcome the force of the spring. One problem with this requirement is that there may not be a hose connection present in the bathroom. Even if there is, the supply will be either hot or cold, depending on the supply, with no means to vary the temperature. Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a fluid deployment apparatus and method, and/or a personal hygiene apparatus and method, in which at least some of the aforementioned problems with the prior art are at least partly addressed.

The present invention is defined in the attached independent claims, to which reference should now be made. Further, preferred features may be found in the sub-claims appended thereto.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a fluid deployment apparatus comprising a fluid inlet, a charging vessel, a discharging vessel and a fluid outlet, wherein the charging vessel is in fluidic communication with the discharging vessel and wherein the fluid is arranged in use to be urged from the discharging vessel to the outlet by a resilient biasing member.

In a preferred arrangement the resilient biasing member is arranged to urge the fluid from the discharging vessel at a substantially constant force.

Preferably the fluid is arranged in use to be introduced to the discharging vessel from the charging vessel through a one-way valve.

The discharging vessel may comprise an expandabl container, which may more preferably comprise a bellows. The resilient biasing member may be arranged in use to act upon the expandable container, preferably so as to cause the container to reduce in size, so as to discharge the fluid.

The resiliently biased member preferably comprises at least one spring and more preferably comprises at least one constant force spring.

Preferably a plurality of constant force springs are arranged to act upon the expandable container to bring about the discharge of fluid. More preferably there are four springs spaced around the container.

The charging vessel may comprise a piston/plunger for urging the fluid from the charging vessel into the discharging vessel.

The charging vessel may include a reservoir for holding fluid prior to its introduction into the charging vessel. The charging vessel may include a one-way valve for allowing fluid into the discharging vessel.

The piston/plunger may comprise a substantially hollow body and may comprise a one-way valve for releasing fluid into the charging vessel.

The device may include a nozzle or spray head for directing fluid discharged from the discharging vessel. A hose, preferably flexible, may be arranged to fluidically connect the outlet nozzle to the discharging vessel.

The apparatus may comprise a housing in/on which some or, more preferably all, of the components described are housed/mounted.

The apparatus may comprise a personal hygiene device, such as a bidet .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fluid deployment apparatus comprising a discharging vessel and an outlet, wherein the discharging vessel is arranged in use to discharge fluid through the outlet under the action of a constant force spring.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of deploying a fluid, the method comprising introducing fluid to a charging vessel, urging the fluid from the charging vessel to a discharging vessel and urging the fluid from the discharge vessel to an outlet by a resilient biasing member.

In a preferred arrangement the method comprises urging the fluid from the discharging vessel using a substantially constant force.

The method preferably includes introducing the fluid to the discharging vessel from the charging vessel through a one-way valve. The method may include urging the fluid from the charging vessel into the discharging vessel using a piston/plunger.

The method may include introducing fluid into the charging vessel from a reservoir.

The method may include directing fluid discharged from the discharging vessel using a nozzle, which may be connected to the discharging vessel by a hose.

The invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein, except such a combination of features as are mutually exclusive, or mutually inconsistent.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows generally a personal hygiene apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 2 to 7 show the apparatus of Figure 1 in schematic sectional view, at various stages of operation, including a charging stage and a discharging stage; and

Figure 8 is a more detailed cutaway view of a constant force spring mechanism of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 7.

Turning now to Figure 1, this shows, generally at 100, a personal hygiene apparatus, in the form of a bidet. Unlike a conventional, permanently installed bidet, the apparatus 100 is not intended to be sat upon in use, but is to be used alongside a lavatory. Accordingly, the apparatus 100 is moveable and freestanding, requiring no connections to mains water.

The bidet 100 comprises a body/housing 102 upon which are mounted a charging vessel 104 and a discharging vessel 106. The body 102 has a platform 102a for supporting the vessels 104 and 106, and a base 102b which rests, in use, on a floor surface (not shown) . A hose 108 extends from an underside of the platform 102a and terminates in a spray head 110.

The charging vessel 104 comprises a substantially upright cylinder 112 that opens at its upper end into a fluid reservoir 114. A plunger 116 rests inside the cylinder 112 and is used to charge the apparatus with fluid from the reservoir 114 before use, as will be explained below.

Figure 2 shows in part sectional view the apparatus of Figure 1 at a filling stage. From this drawing it can be seen that at the base of the charging vessel 104 there are two check valves, or one-way valves 118 and 120. The lower valve 120 is formed in the bottom of the cylinder 112 and opens into a conduit 122 through which fluidic communication can be established between the charging vessel and an expandable container 124 of the discharging vessel.

The discharging vessel itself, which can be thought of as the conduit 122 and expandable container 124, has an outer housing 106a within which is located the expandable container 124, in the form of a bellows. At an upper end the container 124 is constrained by a pressure plate 126, in the form of an inverted cup, and at its lower end the container 124 has a neck portion 128 opening into the conduit 122.

The plunger 116 comprises a hollow cylinder 130 that terminates at its upper end with an end cap 132, and at its lower end with the one way valve 118. Along the cylinder 130 are holes 134 for allowing fluid from the reservoir 114 to flow into the interior of the plunger 116. The plunger has a circumferential O-ring seal 116a towards its lower end to form a substantially water-tight fit with the inner surface of the vessel 104.

The one way valve 118 operates so as to only allow fluid to flow out of the hollow plunger 116 and the one way valve 120 operates so as to only allow fluid to flow into the conduit 122. The one way valves, 118 and 120, are sometimes referred to as check valves.

The hose 108 is securely connected at its proximal end to an outlet 136 of the conduit 122, by a threaded connection. Part of the hose is omitted from this drawing for reasons of clarity, but at a distal end the hose terminates in the spray head 110, which includes a stop valve 110a, spring biased in a closed configuration, and a control trigger 110b which a user can operate to overcome the bias and open the stop valve.

Pressing in a downward direction on the pressure plate 126 are four circumferentially spaced constant-force springs 138, which will be described in detail later.

In Figure 2, warm water is being poured into the reservoir 114 in the direction of Arrow Al . The water fills the hollow plunger 116.

In Figure 3, the plunger 116 is pulled upwards in the direction of Arrow A2 by a user's hand (not shown) . As it is pulled upwards, the upper check valve 118 opens, allowing water to flow out of the plunger and into the bottom of the charging vessel 104. The lower valve 120 closes to create a partial vacuum above it in the charging vessel. At this point the expandable container 122 is compressed under the force of the springs 138.

In Figure 4, the plunger 116 is depressed by the user (not shown) in the direction of Arrow A3. The pressure in the lower part of the vessel 104 causes the valve 118 to close and valve 120 to open, forcing water from the vessel 104 into the conduit 122. The stop valve 110a on the spray head 110 is closed and so as the plunger 116 is depressed the water flows into the container 124, where it compresses internal air until the point at which the pressure forces the container to expand against the action of the springs 138. The plate 126 travels upwards in the direction of Arrow A4. Some water W is drawn into the lower part of the container 124.

The plunger is pulled upwards and driven downwards repeatedly until all the water in the charging vessel 104 has been pumped into the container 124. At this point, continued pressing of the plunger drives only air into the container 124, expanding it towards its greatest volume, as represented in Figure 5.

When the expansion of container 124 actually reaches its maximum, a safety valve 140 opens to allow air out of the container 124, as depicted in Figure 6.

At this point, the apparatus is ready for use. As depicted in Figure 7, the user squeezes the trigger 110b of the nozzle 110 which has the effect of opening the stop valve 110a. This reduction in pressure is communicated to the container 124, where the force of the springs 138 now urges the plate 126 downwards in the direction of Arrow AS, driving the water from the container 124, through the conduit 122 and into the hose 108 in the direction of Arrows A6. The lower check valve 120 is closed under the pressure of water in the conduit 122.

The water is expelled through the nozzle 110, and its pressure remains substantially constant due to the force exerted by the constant force springs 138 on the plate 126.

Figure 8 shows the arrangement of the springs 138 in more detail, as a cutaway view. The four constant force springs 138 can be seen more clearly in this view. The springs 138 are described as constant force springs because the force exerted by the spring is substantially constant over the extent of its motion/extension. In this case the springs are each constructed from a ribbon of spring steel that is relaxed when fully rolled up, but which can be unrolled against a substantially constant restoring force.

The detailed example above is of a personal hygiene apparatus. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the apparatus can be put to a number of different uses, including but not limited to: spraying devices, such as are used in horticulture or pest control, and washing devices.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features referred to herein, and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.