The present invention relates to an improved toilet.

As is known, a toilet, commonly referred to as water closet, is a sanitation device consisting of a bowl made of various materials, such as for example ceramic, resin, glass or steel, which is intended to channel human urine and faeces towards a discharge pipe.

The bowl which has an upper and lower opening is installed at a suitable height so that the upper opening is at position suitable for the user to sit and the lower opening is connected by means of a siphon to a discharge pipe connected to the sewer system.

In addition, the bowl is connected to a flush system which comprises a tank for the flush water installed above the toilet and connected to it through a pipe and where the tank itself is supplied with the necessary water through a pipe connected to the water supply network.

According to some known embodiments, the upper opening of the toilet is delimited by a perimeter edge called “rim” which houses a flush water distribution channel and whose cross section is substantially in the shape of the letter U.

The channel receives the flush water delivered by the pipe of the flush system, it is recessed under the rim and it has an open area facing the bottom of the bowl.

The fact that the channel has its open area facing the bottom of the bowl has the drawback that the flush water conveyed therein immediately begins to run down along the walls of the bowl starting from the point where the water is delivered into the channel itself.

The water is therefore not able to completely fill the full length of the channel before starting to run down along the inner wall of the bowl and thus the water does not go down evenly distributed towards the bottom with sufficient speed and flow rate to properly wash away the deposited excretions and therefore perform a good cleaning of the bowl.

One attempt to overcome this drawback is to flush an overabundant flow of water into the distribution channel, but this only has the effect of increasing water consumption without distributing it more homogeneously along the walls of the bowl and therefore without significantly improving the cleaning. This clearly results in increased operating costs to the single user due to the greater water consumption and environmentally speaking, a useless waste of water and increased water purification costs.

Many toilets present on the market are also equipped with devices for the washing of one’s genital and anal area which comprise water spraying means in different configurations and positions in the bowl.

For example, toilets of the prior art comprise those in which there are spray nozzles which generate a jet of flush water, fixed or adjustable by the user, according to the needs.

Another drawback of known toilets is their shape, which usually have different internal concave designs.

These shapes do not favour the quick flow of the flush water towards the bottom of the bowl and therefore the effective cleaning of its walls.

The prior art also includes toilets in which the spray nozzles are installed on telescopic supports mechanically connected to motorized means which make them extendable and retractable with respect to seats to house them in the bowl.

The drawback of all the aforementioned known toilets is that the washing devices, whether equipped with fixed or adjustable sprayers or with spray nozzles attached to telescopic supports, are always installed in the inner part of the bowl, below the rim, and therefore below the channel delivering the flush water intended to clean the bowl.

Installations of this type have the drawback that the anal and genital area washing devices are in a position in which, during the use of the toilet, can easily be contaminated by contact with excretions.

This results in the frequent need to clean those devices, which should preferably also comprise suitable disinfection to free them of the bacterial charge that inevitably settles on them.

In addition, this cleaning and disinfection is not only particularly necessary but also difficult especially for those washing devices comprising spray nozzles installed on telescopic supports that can be extended and retracted with respect to seats to house them in the bowl.

In fact, in these cases cleaning and disinfection must also extend to the compartments of the bowl in which the nozzles and the respective telescopic supports are housed. The present invention intends to overcome all the described drawbacks found in toilets of the known type described.

In particular, a first object is to create an improved toilet which enables a reduction in the consumption of flush water.

Another object is that the toilet of the invention has a geometry and a configuration of the inner surface that facilitate the cleaning action of the flush water.

A further object is that the toilet of the invention is equipped with devices to wash the anal and genital area which are not subject to being contaminated by contact with excretions.

The objects and advantages listed are achieved by the toilet of the present invention, the basic characteristics of which are described in the main claim to which reference will be made.

Other characteristics of the invention are described in the dependent claims. Advantageously, as will be described in greater detail below, the particular conformation of the toilet also allows system improvements such as the elimination of the flush water storage vessel.

Moreover, advantageously, the toilet of the invention is easier to clean than known toilets.

Still advantageously, as will be described below, the devices to wash the anal and genital area will be installed in a suitable position so as not to come into contact with excretions.

The objects and advantages listed and other possible ones will be better highlighted in the following description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the toilet of the invention which is provided below with reference to the attached drawings in which:

- Figs. 1 and 2 show two axonometric views of the toilet of the invention;

- Fig. 3 shows another axonometric view of the toilet of the invention separated from the support plane to which it is applied;

- Fig. 4 shows a view from below of the toilet and of the relative support plane shown in Fig. 3, assembled;

- Fig. 5 shows a top view of the toilet and of the relative support plane shown in Fig. 4 above;

- Fig. 6 shows a sectioned and exploded side view of the toilet of the invention; - Figs. 7 and 7a show the toilet of Fig. 6 assembled and sectioned with a vertical plane along two orthogonal axes;

- Figs. 8 and 9 show enlarged details of Fig. 7;

- Fig. 10 shows a top view of a cross section of the toilet of the invention;

- Fig. 11 shows the section of the toilet of Fig. 12 performed according to the section plan XI;

- Fig. 12 shows a plan view of the toilet of the invention.

The toilet which is the object of the invention is shown in different axonometric views in Figs from 1 to 5 where it is indicated as a whole by 1.

With particular reference to the sectional views shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and in the detailed views of Figs. 8 and 9, it can be seen that the toilet 1 comprises a collection body 2 which in a vertical direction identifies a longitudinal axis Z and in which there is an upper opening 4 delimited by a plane A and a lower opening 6 configured to be connected to a sewage network, not shown, by means of a siphon S.

The toilet 1 also comprises an annular body 5 which is arranged outside the collection body 2 and delimits its perimeter at the upper opening 4.

In the annular body 5 there is an annular channel 7 which can be seen in particular in Figs. 7 and 11 , which is equipped with an annular slot 8 located near the upper opening 4 and facing the inner volume 9 of the collection body 2

There are also water supply means, indicated as a whole by 10 in Figs. 6, 7 and 9, which serve to convey the flush water inside the annular channel 7 so as to wash the inner surface 11 of the collection body 2.

According to the invention the annular body 5 comprises an upper ring 12 outside which a seating surface 13 is defined for the person using the toilet 1 and a lower ring 14 which is perimetrically fixed outside the collection body 2 and is spaced from the perimeter edge 15 which delimits the upper opening 4 of the collection body 2.

The lower ring 14 thus defines a perimeter band 16 of the collection body 2 which is comprised between the lower ring 14 and the perimeter edge 15.

As can be seen, the perimeter band 16 is inserted in the annular slot 8 and is housed in the annular channel 7.

In particular, the annular channel 7, as can be seen, comprises a concave area 7a which is formed in the upper ring 12 and is delimited from below by the lower ring 14.

Furthermore, the upper ring 12 and the lower ring 14 are removably joined together by connecting means which preferably but not necessarily consist of screws 17.

This facilitates the assembly of the toilet 1 since first the upper ring 12 is fastened to the supporting plane P, as can be seen in Fig. 3, and subsequently, operating below the supporting plane P, by means of screws 17 the lower ring 14 is fastened to the upper ring 12 thereby forming the final assembled configuration which can be seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

Obviously this also facilitates the disassembly of the toilet 1 when it is necessary to carry out maintenance or repair.

It is during the assembly phase that the perimeter band 16 is inserted into the annular slot 8 and penetrates the annular channel 7 to define the annular basin 18 which is seen particularly in Figs. 8 and 9.

The annular basin 18 is delimited by the perimeter band 16, by the lower ring 14 and by a portion 7b of the concave area 7a and serves to create, inside the annular channel 7, an accumulation of flush water coming from the water supply means 10 which favours the washing of the inner surface 11 of the collection body 2 and, at the same time, also reduces water consumption, compared to that found in toilets of the known art.

In fact, when the water supply means 10 convey the water inside the annular channel 7, the presence of the perimeter band 16 prevents it from immediately flowing out through the annular slot 8 and keeps it confined in the annular channel 7 until the annular basin 18 is full.

When the flush water inside the annular basin 18 exceeds the height of the perimeter band 16, it begins to overflow along the entire perimeter of the perimeter band 16 and through the annular slot 8 falls by means of gravity inside the collection body 2 skimming its inner lateral surface 11 which is thus washed.

Differently from the prior art, the flush water begins to drop by means of gravity along the inner lateral surface 11 of the collection body 2 simultaneously from every peripherally distributed point along the upper opening 4 only after the annular basin 18 is completely full and the flush water that fills it overflows from the perimeter band 16.

In this way an optimal washing of the walls of the collection body 2 is obtained, despite using less water compared to that which is normally necessary for the washing of toilets of the known type.

Moreover, this allows the further advantage of being able to eliminate the flush water accumulation tank which is installed in systems of the known type to create a flow rate and above all a head sufficient to give the flush water adequate speed to achieve a good washing.

Advantageously, therefore, the embodiment now described also enables, in combination with the reduction of consumption and resulting cost of the water necessary for washing, the elimination of the costs for the installation of the accumulation tank.

As far as the collection body 2 is concerned, note particularly in Figs. 10 and 12 that its upper opening 4 has in plan view two horizontal symmetry axes, respectively a major axis Y and a minor axis X which are orthogonal to each other.

Moreover, the sections of the collection body 2, carried out by means of two section planes both passing through the longitudinal axis Z and each passing through a corresponding horizontal symmetry axis Y and X, define for the collection body 2 two truncated-conical profiles with different inclinations.

Particularly, a section made with a first plane passing through axis Z and the major axis Y defines a first truncated-conical profile 3y which is observed in Figs. 6, 7 and 11 , while a section made with a second plane passing through axis Z and the minor axis X defines a second truncated-conical profile 3x which can be seen in Fig. 7a.

Both truncated-conical profiles 3y and 3x are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis Z with angles respectively (Dy and Fc with values different from each other but between a maximum value of 40° and a minimum value of 10°.

Experimental tests carried out on prototypes made it possible to ascertain that the optimal washing of the inner surface 11 of the collection body 2 is realized when the amplitude of the first angle (Dy is 27° and the amplitude of the second angle (Dx is 20°.

The collection body 2 is formed from a flat sheet which, by means of a plurality of successive bends performed according to directions spaced apart and converging with each other, is progressively shaped until it assumes, when the bends are finished, the truncated-conical profile which is observed in particular in Fig. 6.

At the end, the inner surface 11 of the collection body 2 is composed of a plurality of flat triangular surfaces 11a, each of which converges towards the lower opening 6 and towards the flat surface 11a adjacent to it along a common bending line 11 b.

In this way, each pair of flat surfaces 11a creates a rectilinear groove 2a which extends along the aforementioned common bending line 11b so that the inner surface 11 of the collection body 2 comprises a plurality of rectilinear grooves 2a each of which coincides with the direction of a generatrix of the collection body 2 and converges towards the lower opening 6.

The rectilinear grooves 2a realize just as many channels along the inner surface 11 of the tubular body 2 and favour, in synergy with the truncated- conical shape 3y and 3x of the inner surface 11 , the flow of the flush water and therefore the cleaning.

Therefore, the truncated-conical shape of the collection body 2 and thus the rectilinear profile of its generatrices favour the flow of the flush water and therefore improve the cleaning with respect to toilets of the known type having a variously shaped concave interior.

As far as the flush water supply means 10 are concerned, they comprise a hose 19 which can be connected at the inlet to a water supply pipe, not shown, where the hose 19 is fastened to the lower ring 14 of the annular body 5 and by means of a through hole 20 made in the same lower ring 14 communicates with the annular channel 7.

The hose 19 conveys the flush water coming directly from a water network into the annular channel 7 without the real need to install an accumulation tank, which in contrast is always provided in all flush systems of the prior art.

Moreover, as can be seen in Figs. 6 and 7 and in the detailed Figs. 8 and 9, the toilet is also equipped with heating means 21 for the seating surface 13 which comprise an annular electric resistance 22 associated with the upper ring 12 of the annular body 5 which by means of electric conductors, not shown, is connected to an electricity source.

Advantageously, the toilet of the invention is also equipped with water spraying means which are especially seen in Figs. 10 to 12 for washing the anal and genital area and comprise at least one spray unit 23 associated with the upper ring 12 of the annular body 5. In the preferred embodiment described herein, there are three spray units 23 which are clearly visible in Figs. 10 and 12 and whose spraying direction is adjustable.

With reference to the seated position of a user of the toilet 1, the three spray units 23 comprise a rear spray unit 23a which is aligned along the major axis Y of the plan view of the upper opening 4 of the collection body 2 and two front spray units 23b and 23c which are located on the side opposite the rear spray unit 23a.

Moreover, each front spray unit 23b, 23c is positioned symmetrically to the other with respect to the major axis Y and defines a longitudinal axis respectively Y1 and Y2 which, as can be seen in Fig. 10, intersects the major axis Y.

The longitudinal axes Y1 and Y2 form an angle b between them the amplitude of which is between a maximum value of 130° and a minimum value of 10°. Experimental tests carried out on prototypes have shown that the best results are obtained when the angle b has an amplitude of 60° since this inclination value prevents the jets of water from interfering with each other or with the user’s hands before reaching the area of the body to be washed.

Flowever, it is also possible to envisage a different embodiment with one front spray unit and one rear spray unit, aligned along the major axis Y.

In general, embodiments in which the toilet may be equipped with any number of spray units arranged in any manner are possible.

It is important to note that the spray units 23, whatever their number and arrangement, are positioned on the annular body 5 and are therefore outside the collection body 2 and above its upper opening 4.

In this way, the spray units 23, differently from the known art, are substantially not subject to being contaminated during the use of the toilet.

It should be noted that each spray unit 23 comprises a spray nozzle 26 which communicates with a spray duct 27 formed in the upper ring 12 and a connecting body 30 to connect it to an external water supply pipe.

The spray duct 27 also comprises a spray mouth 29 facing the inside of the area delimited by the upper ring 12 and shaped in the form of a rectangular slot, indicated by 31 , especially visible in Figs. 1 and 2, where it is seen to be located above the plane A which delimits the upper opening 4.

In this way, the water flowing through the spray mouth 29 takes the shape of the rectangular slot 31 and gives the outgoing water the form of a sheet of water, shaped with the rectangular transverse profile that is given to it by the rectangular shape of the slot 31 of the spray mouth 29 itself.

The spray duct 27 and the spray nozzle 26 define a spraying axis K especially visible in Fig. 11 , which is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction identified by the plane A of a spraying angle a.

This spraying angle a, as shown in Fig. 11 , may face downward and therefore inward or upward and therefore towards the outside of the collection body 2 and its amplitude can assume any value between a minimum value greater than 0° and a maximum value less than 30° with reference to the direction parallel to that defined by the plane A at which the angle a assumes the value of 0°.

Preferably, the spraying angle aa of the rear spray unit 23a faces upwards at an amplitude of 10°, while the spraying angle ab and ac of each front spray unit 23b and 23c also faces upwards but at a smaller amplitude equal to 8°. Obviously, the amplitudes of the spray angles aa, ab and ac may be any value chosen by the user.

On the basis of the description provided herein, it is clear that the toilet of the invention achieves all the preset objects.

In particular, the first object of reducing the consumption of flush water is achieved, and this is mainly due to the presence in the annular channel 7 of the annular basin 18 which accumulates the flush water and discharges it simultaneously and in a rapid and homogeneous manner along the perimeter of the collection body 2 only when the water level in the annular basin 18 exceeds the level of the perimeter band 16.

The object of facilitating and improving the cleaning of the collection body 2 is also achieved in synergy with the presence of the annular basin 18, the truncated-conical profile 3 of the collection body 2, the value of its inclination angle g, and the presence of the rectilinear grooves 2a.

Moreover, the toilet of the invention is equipped with means to wash the anal and genital area arranged and configured so as to confer particular effectiveness and ease of washing, in addition to being arranged in a favourable position so as not to come into contact with the excretions which are collected in the collection body 2.

In the execution stage, modifications and variations may be made to the toilet of the invention, which are suitable to give it improved characteristics or to make its installation easier.

Should these modifications and variations fall within the sphere of the following claims, they must certainly be considered protected by the present patent.