Description

Monobloc hygienic apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a monobloc hygienic apparatus, designed above all for use in rooms used as bathrooms.

Background Art

The development of rooms used as bathrooms in modern architecture has produced a series of solutions intended to obtain comfortable, easily-maintained rooms. Research carried out by architects followed two main paths: rooms of moderate size for inexpensive and council housing and larger rooms for medium - large accommodation.

There are various requirements for public buildings, studio flats, renovation of council houses dating back to the start of the last century, which have very little space dedicated to bathrooms, pleasure boats, prefabricated small houses, camper vans, etc.

In particular, when the space available is very limited, it is difficult to fit a room with all of the facilities necessary, allowing the user to use them with maximum convenience. Especially in countries where the bidet is also normally present in bathrooms, it is often the case that the closeness of the various sanitary elements makes it difficult to use them easily.

Disclosure of the Invention The aim of the present invention is, therefore, to eliminate the above- mentioned disadvantages. This is achieved thanks to a monobloc hygienic apparatus which combines the functions of several sanitary components.

The main advantage of this invention is basically the fact that it is suitable for small rooms and still allows an agreeable level of comfort, and it can also be placed a considerable distance from existing waste pipes.

Moreover, its modular structure allows various embodiments to be provided, in conformity with user requirements and the customs of various countries.

In the more complete solution, the apparatus may combine the sanitary components for a toilet, bidet and washbasin.

To make it completely autonomous, it may also have a boiler for heating water and a trirurator for reducing solid waste.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The set of terms used is the same in all of the figures and may be summarised as follows:

I toilet element with surface forming a seat and a soap holder; 2 bidet element;

3 washbasin element with specific extractable taps and fittings for shower;

4 supporting column fixed to the floor on a baseplate bolted to the floor;

5 ring nuts for rotation;

6 bidet and washbasin element supporting brackets; 7 toilet element supporting uprights;

8 bolts for securing the baseplate to the floor of the room;

9 cistern supplying water so that solid waste can be flushed from toilet element;

10 triturator and device for expelling solid and liquid waste from toilet element;

I 1 pressure boiler, supplies hot water to bidet and washbasin elements;

12 ring nuts for rotation of bidet element relative to supporting column;

13 ring nuts for rotation of washbasin element relative to supporting column; 14 pulvino on the cover of the toilet element;

15 holder for objects, soap and various toilet accessories;

16 vanity cabinet;

17 mirror.

Further advantages and features of the invention are more evident in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment without limiting the scope of the invention, in which:

Figure Ia is a schematic perspective view of the invention with the three elements positioned one on top of another for use as a washbasin; Figure Ib is an exploded axonometric view of the three elements rotated to different points about the supporting column;

Figure 2a illustrates the two upper elements rotated through 180 degrees for use of the apparatus as a toilet;

Figure 2b illustrates the washbasin element rotated through 180 for use of the apparatus as a bidet;

Figure 3a illustrates the base at floor level, indicating the dimensions of the triturator and the boiler;

Figure 3b schematically illustrates the upper surface of the bidet element; Figure 3c schematically illustrates the upper surface of the washbasin element;

Figure 3d is a plan view and cross-section of the basic structure at the toilet element;

Figure 3e is a plan view and cross-section of the structure at the bidet element; Figure 3f is a plan view and cross-section of the structure at the washbasin element;

Figure 4a illustrates the finished surface of the toilet element; Figure 4b illustrates the surface and the hollow of the bidet element; Figure 4c illustrates the surface and the hollow of the washbasin element; Figure 4d is a cross-section and plan view of the toilet element complete

with operating accessories;

Figure 4e is a cross-section and elevation view of the bidet element;

Figure 4f is a cross-section and elevation view of the washbasin element;

Figure 5a is a plan view and cross-section of a second version of the apparatus with a block consisting of two elements, intended for use as a washbasin and a toilet;

Figures 5b and 5c are axonometric views of the block of Figure 5a;

Figures 6a, 6b and 6c are plan views at the level of each of the three sanitary elements of which the apparatus consists; Figure 7 is a more detailed cross-section showing the three sanitary elements and the relative accessories;

Figure 8 illustrates the apparatus equipped with additional accessories, respectively in a front perspective view (Figure 8a) and relative cross-section (Figure 8b), and a longitudinal section (Figure 8d) and relative cross-section (Figure 8c) with some parts cut away to better illustrate others;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an alternative version of the apparatus to that of Figure 8, respectively in a condition for use as a washbasin (Figure 9a) and in a condition for use as a bidet (Figure 9b).

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

The present invention relates to a monobloc hygienic apparatus in which a plurality of functions normally performed by two or more separate components are concentrated. It comprises two or three widely used sanitary elements (1, 3; 1, 2, 3), such as: a first, toilet element (1), a second, bidet element (2) and a third, washbasin element (3), positioned one on top of another and connected to each other by connecting means (4; 5), so that the sanitary elements (1, 3; 1, 2, 3) can move from a home configuration, in which the overall dimensions are limited, to a configuration for use, in which user comfort is preserved.

For markets where use of the bidet element (2) is not required, the space intended for it may be substituted with a set of toilet drawers or incorporated in

the washbasin element (3).

The apparatus (20) proposed consists of a supporting structure, preferably made of metal or a composite material, so that it can support rotary rings in turn connected to the structures of the various sanitary elements (1, 2, 3). The accompanying drawings are provided by way of example to illustrate the basic concept of the invention: they show various types having the sole aim of illustrating the possibility of relative rotation of the sanitary elements (1, 2, 3) through 90 degrees or 180 degrees, depending on the space available in the rooms in which they are installed, and the possibility of combining a different number of sanitary elements, and if necessary combining additional components with them.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate an example of an embodiment, showing one of the possible configurations which the invention can adopt, highlighting the innovative basic concept of positioning the individual sanitary elements (1, 2; 1, 2, 3) one on top of another and rotating them, so as to reduce the dimensions when they are not in use. Said Figures show how the sanitary elements (1, 2, 3) are connected to a column (4) with a vertical axis (4a), fixed to the floor with fixing bolts (8), relative to which the bidet and washbasin elements (2, 3) can rotate (to put them out of use) on corresponding rotation ring nuts (12, 13). Also schematically illustrated are the brackets (6) supporting the individual elements, for the bidet and washbasin elements (2, 3) and uprights (7) for the toilet element (1). Figure 4 also schematically illustrates the necessary accessories for completing apparatus (20) autonomy: a water supply cistern (9), a waste triturator (10) and a boiler (11) for supplying hot water.

Figures 5 to 9 illustrate alternative embodiments of the basic solution with modifications to the shapes of the components, reducing the angle of rotation of the washbasin element (3), when the toilet element (1) and the bidet element (2) are to be used, so that the space needed can be cut to a minimum.

In Figures 5 and 6, which do not show the supporting column (4) acting as a rotation pin for the upper sanitary elements (2, 3), rotation of the components of the apparatus (20) relative to one another is allowed thanks to large ring nuts (5).

In this solution, which can be used both if there are two combined sanitary elements, as in Figure 5, or three, as in Figure 6, the water supply cistern (9) is integral with the washbasin element (3).

Figure 7 may be seen as summary of the solutions proposed and functionally valid for any other aesthetic form, at the discretion of the designers, the architects and anyone wanting to customise the invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Various types of materials may be used for this invention, according to market requirements and the type of intended use. The supporting structures for the chassis are mainly made of metal, such as iron, aluminium, anticorodal alloys and stainless steel.

The toilet element (1) is preferably made of vitreous china, for its intrinsic surface hardness, or, alternatively, it may be made of stainless steel.

The two bidet and washbasin elements (2, 3) may be made of plastic material with good mechanical properties: preferably fibreglasses, extensively tested and already used in many similar sectors.

There are no particular requirements for the taps and fittings and these are easily applied with devices which aim to allow rotation, therefore the feeds must be flexible, like the drainage. The connections necessary for apparatus (20) operation may be listed as follows: a) water feed from a tank or water mains with sufficient operating pressure; b) power supply for use of the triturator (10) and the boiler (11); c) drainage of waste water even over considerable distances using small- diameter pipes.

Without the triturator (10) sewage must be discharged using the existing sewer.

To complete what is described above, other possible solutions for the invention are schematically illustrated, whether in terms of shape or accessories typical of the conventional bathroom, such as a mirror (17) and a cabinet (16) with

drawers for storing objects.

Figure 8 illustrates the apparatus (20) already shown, on top of which a "vanity" cabinet (16) has been added, having shelves and a mirror (17). The shape suggested, complete with the end surface, allows the closing doors to be made of opaque, transparent or translucent material, sliding in suitable cavities and, when rotated, suitable for enveloping and hiding the upper part of the washbasin element (3).

Inside, a set of shelves or drawers complete the monobloc apparatus (20).

The alternative to the sliding doors may be simple hinged opening, fixed to the fixed part, consequently reducing the dimensions.

Figure 9 shows a half-moon shaped mirror (17), which may have different shapes at the discretion of the designer and according to the room in which the invention is to be inserted.