The Applicant believes that water is being wastefully used in toilet systems of which he is aware. He believes that adequate flushing of toilets may be obtained by using less water than present.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of flushing contents from a toilet bowl having an outlet opening, the method including discharging one or more spouts of water from a high pressure water supply into the toilet bowl where at least one of the spouts of water is aimed directly at the toilet bowl outlet opening.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of flushing contents from a toilet bowl having a siphon outlet with an outlet opening in the bowl, the method including discharging at least one spout of water, from a high pressure water supply and having sufficient kinetic energy to initiate siphonic outflow of water from the bowl, directly at the outlet opening.

The at least one spout of water may be discharged from above a normal water level in the toilet bowl. Instead, or in addition, such a spout of water may be discharged from below a normal water level in the toilet bowl. The water may also be discharged or flushed over interior surfaces of the bowl thereby to clean the bowl.

The toilet bowl may be refilled with water to its normal water level after its contents have been flushed out. The refill water may be provided from a conduit of the high pressure water supply which includes a rapid flow toilet flush valve at an elevation above the toilet bowl and which may be closed, or only partially open. The conduit may be provided with a vacuum breaker or automatic air inlet valve, to ensure that water drains from the conduit into the toilet bowl even when the flush valve is fully closed.

The high pressure water supply may provide water into the toilet bowl at a pressure of more than 10 kPa, typically at least about 30 kPa, preferably at least about 100kPa.

At least one spout may be discharged at a flow rate of at least about 2 litres per second, preferably at least about 4 litres per second, particularly if the toilet bowl contains solids to be flushed. This is in contrast to conventional cistern toilets which flush at a rate of about 1 litre per second. Preferably, less than 8 litres of water are used in a flush. tviore preferably, less than 5 litres, e. g. 3 litres, are used in a flush.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a toilet bowl which includes at least one flushing water inlet into and a flushing water outlet from the bowl and a siphon extending from an opening of the flushing water outlet, the at least one flushing water inlet being positioned to discharge a spout of water from a high pressure water supply directly at the flushing water outlet opening.

At least one flushing water inlet may be located above a normal water level in the toilet bowl. Instead, or in addition, at least one such flushing water inlet may be located below a normal water level in the toilet bowl. At least one flushing water inlet may be provided to flush water over interior surfaces of the bowl to clean the bowl.

The flushing water inlet may include a nozzle configured to form a spout of water aimed directly at the flushing water outlet opening, and at least one interior surface flush stream to clean the bowl.

The invention also extends to a rapid flow toilet flush valve which includes a valve body defining an inlet chamber and a delivery chamber in flow communication via a passage with the inlet chamber; the valve body having an inlet connection for connecting the inlet chamber to a high pressure water supply ; the valve body having an outlet connection leading out of the delivery chamber, the outlet connection being connectable to a toilet bowl flushing water inlet ; a valve closure member within the valve body and displaceable relative thereto to open and close the passage; and a pilot valve/bleed valve arranged in use to relieve upstream water pressure on the upstream side of the valve closure member, to permit easier displacement of the valve closure member.

The displaceability of the valve closure member may be by means of a valve operating member outside the valve body, passing via a gland in the valve body to the valve closure member within the valve body.

The valve may include a valve seat around the passage and the valve closure member may be in the form of a mushroom valve closure member operatively displaceable off and on the seat to open and close the valve.

The valve operating member may be a stem of the mushroom valve closure member.

The pilot valve/bleed valve may be located within a crown or centre of the mushroom valve closure member. The pilot valve/bleed valve closure member may be c-axial with the stem of the mushroom valve closure member. The pilot valve/bleed valve closure member may have lost motion relative to the crown of the mushroom closure member, thus being arranged in use to relieve upstream water pressure on the upstream side of the mushroom closure member, to permit easier displacement of the mushroom closure member, after the lost motion has been taken up to open the pilot valve/bleed valve.

The invention also extends to a toilet bowl and valve system which includes a toilet bowl as hereinbefore described; and a valve in line with a high pressure water supply for the toilet bowl.

The valve may be as hereinbefore described.

Further features of the invention will became apparent from the following description by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation view of a toilet bowl in accordance with the invention having a siphon extending from the outlet opening of the bowl ; Figure 2 shows the toilet bowl of Figure 1 being flushed; Figures 3A, 3B and 3C shows a sectional view of a rapid flow toilet flush valve in accordance with the invention in three different stadia of operation respectively ; and Figure 4 shows a sectional side view of a toilet bowl and valve system in accordance with the invention; Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a toilet bowl in accordance with the invention having a flushing water outlet opening 12 leading into a siphon 14 comprising an upward siphon leg 14.1, a downward siphon leg 14.2 and a siphon apex 14.3.

Typically, once installed, a body of water 17 is resting in a bottom of the toilet bowl 10. The toilet bowl 10 further includes a flushing water inlet 15 which is positioned to discharge a spout of water from a high pressure water supply directly at the flushing water outlet opening 12.

The flushing water inlet 15 is in the form of, or includes, a nozzle which is configured to form a spout of water which is aimed directly at the flushing water outlet opening 12, as well as to form a plurality of interior surface flush streams to clean an interior surface of the toilet bowl 10. The water inlet 15 may thus be integrally moulded with the toilet bowl 10 to define a nozzle. Instead, it may comprise a conduit or socket to which a nozzle can be attached. A plurality of nozzles may thus be provided, from which a nozzle can be selected to suit water supply pressure and/or other conditions.

In use, the toilet bowl 10 is connected to a high pressure water supply (see Figure 4). In order to flush contents from the toilet bowl 10, a spout 16 of water from the high pressure water supply is discharged through the water inlet 15 into the toilet bowl 10 (see Figure 2). The spout 16 is aimed directly at the flushing water outlet opening 12. The spout 16 of water has sufficient kinetic energy to force a portion of the body of water 17 normally lying in the bottom of the toilet bowl 10, upwards along the upward siphon leg 14.1 and over the siphon apex 14.3, thereby to initiate a siphon action and to flush the contents of the toilet bowl 10 out of the bowl 10 as shown by arrow 18. At the same time, a plurality of more or less sideways directed interior surface flush streams 16.1 (only one of which is shown) is discharged through the flushing water inlet 15, in order to clean the interior surfaces of the toilet bowl 10.

As will be appreciated, the spout 16 of water may be discharged from above a normal water level 20 in the toilet bowl 10 and/or such a spout 16 of water may be discharged from below the normal water level 20 in the toilet bowl 10. It may even be desirable for the water inlet 15 to be submerged, in order to avoid splashing when the toilet bowl 10 is flushed.

Figure 3A to Figure 3C show a rapid flow toilet flush valve, in accordance with the invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 30. The valve has a body 32 defining an inlet chamber 34 and a delivery chamber 36 in communication with the inlet chamber 34. The valve body 32 has an inlet connection 38 for connecting the inlet chamber 34 to a high pressure water supply. The valve body 32 also has an outlet connection 40 leading out of the delivery chamber 36, the outlet connection 40 being connectable to a toilet bowl flushing water inlet. The valve 30 includes a valve closure member 42 of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material within the valve body 32. The valve closure member 32 is displaceable relative to the body 32 to open and close the valve 30. The valve 30 further includes a copper pilot valve/bleed valve 46 arranged in use to relieve upstream water pressure on the upstream side of the valve closure member 42, to permit easier displacement of the valve closure member 42.

A valve operating member or stem 48 is provided outside the valve body 32, and passes via a gland 52 in the valve body 32 to the valve closure member 42 within the valve body 32.

The valve closure member 42 is in the form of a mushroom valve closure member operatively displaceable off and on a copper seat 44 (see Figure 3C) to open and close the valve 30.

The pilot valve/bleed valve 46 is located within a crown or centre of the mushroom valve closure member 42, the pilot valve/bleed valve closure member 46 being c-axial with the stem 48 of the mushroom valve closure member 42. The pilot valve/bleed valve closure member 46 has lost motion relative to the crown or centre of the mushroom closure member 42 when displaced in the direction of arrow 50, thus being arranged in use to relieve upstream water pressure on the upstream side of the mushroom closure member 42, to permit easier displacement of the mushroom closure member 42, after the lost motion has been taken up to open the pilot valve/bleed valve 46, as shown in Figure 3C. It is to be appreciated that the valve 30 provides the ability to flush a toilet bowl in two different manners. With only the pilot valve/bleed valve 46 open, a smaller flush is obtained, which can be used as a urine flush. When the valve closure member 42 is open, a much larger and stronger flush is obtained, which can be used to flush solids from the toilet bowl. The selection and duration of both of these flushes are under hand control.

Figure 4 shows, in accordance with the invention, a toilet bowl and valve system which includes the toilet bowl 10 and the valve 30 in line with a high pressure water supply for the toilet bowl 10. With the arrangement shown in Figure 4, once the valve 30 has been closed, water in a line 60 connecting the valve 30 to the toilet bowl 10 can be used to refill the toilet bowl 10. This may require the presence of an air inlet valve or vacuum breaker in the line 60 or in the delivery chamber 36. Instead, the pilot valve/bleed valve 46 can be used to carefully bleed the required volume of water into the toilet bowl 10 once the siphonic flushing has ended.

For low cost or informal housing purposes, it may be desirable not to use the valve 30. An ordinary ball valve or the like can then be used in a supply line from the high pressure water supply. The supply line may in this case be connected directly to the water inlet 15 at the front of the toilet bowl 10, instead of being connected to a more conventional moulded water passage extending from a rear of the toilet bowl 30 under the seating area to the front of the toilet bowl. A quick opening and closing of the valve will then flush the toilet bowl and in order to refill the toilet bowl with water, the water can be carefully bled through the valve until the normal water level 20 has been reached.

The Applicant believes that the invention will assist in reducing water wastage in toilets and that this may be of particular importance in arid countries.