AU751102B2

AU751102B2 - Splash guard for urinal

Info

Publication number: AU751102B2
Application number: AU87917/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nino Soccio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-10-03
Filing date: 1998-10-02
Publication date: 2002-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-02
Also published as: AU8791798A

Description

-1- P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

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ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service Nino Soccio As Above in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE Level 189 Kent Street Sydney New South Wales 2000 Australia Invention Title: SPLASH GUARD FOR URINAL Details of Associated Provisional Application: PO 6926 filed 3 October 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us This invention relates to floor mounted, multiple user urinals of the kind found in many public lavatories, hotels, public buildings, shopping complexes and other situations wherein toilet facilities are provided for use by a large number of men. Urinals of the kind in question typically comprise an elongated catchment trough set into the lavatory floor, a back wall extending for the length of the trough and projecting upwardly from the rear edge of the trough against which urine may be directed by a man standing in front of the urinal for deflection and flow into the trough, and a drain connection from the trough to a sewer pipe or other external disposal means. Quite often, the portion of the floor in which the trough is set is in the nature of a plinth raised slightly above the main part of the lavatory floor.

go.Such urinals are conventionally provided with flushing means which direct a spray or fan jet of washing water onto the upper part of the urinal S" back wall for collection by the trough and disposal along with residual urine.

15 The flushing means are usually automatically operated in a timed sequence and may so operate without warning while the urinal is being used.

It has been observed that many men are careless in their use of such Soa urinal. They sometimes stand too close to its back wall with their toes or, more usually, the toes of their footwear, overhanging the front edge of the trough, resulting in the toes sometimes being soiled by splashes of urine or flush water. Furthermore, it is then possible for direct drippage from the penis to fall onto the toes, particularly at the end of urination when the speed of urine flow tapers off.

An object of the present invention is to alleviate soiling from splashes and, in preferred embodiments at least, to guard against direct drippage.

The invention consists in the provision, in a urinal of the kind comprising an elongated catchment trough set into a lavatory floor, a back wall extending for the length of the trough and projecting upwardly from the rear edge of the trough against which urine may be directed by men standing in front of the urinal for deflection and flow into the trough, and a drain connection from the trough to an external disposal means, of a barrier of rigid sheet material extending along the length of the trough at or closely adjacent the front edge of the trough and projecting above the lavatory floor portion in front of the trough.

It is uncomfortable to stand upon the upper edge of such a barrier so that it effectively dissuades men from standing with their toes, or the toes of their footwear, overhanging the trough when urinating.

In preferred embodiments, the barrier sheet is shaped or inclined so as to partly overlie the toes of a man standing on said floor portion with the 15 tips of his toes or the tips of the toes of his footwear in contact with the front face of the barrier sheet material at or near floor level.

Also, in preferred embodiments, the lower edge of the barrier sheet material is spaced, at least in part, above the immediately adjacent floor by l an amount of no more than ten millimetres, preferably no more than five millimetres, to provide for the drainage of floor washing liquid under the barrier sheet material into the urinal trough.

It is known to provide an upwardly projecting kerb of masonry, brick or concrete, often clad with floor tiles, to delineate the front edge of the trough. However, known kerbs have a relatively broad top face and men, in attempts to get close to the back wall, will stand on such kerbs. The inventive barrier is distinguishable from such known kerbs by the narrowness inherent in its manufacture from sheet material. Furthermore, the known kerbs do not provide for drainage of floor washing liquids into the trough that is a characteristic of preferred versions of the invention.

By way of example, two embodiments of the above described invention are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor mounted urinal of the kind described above provided, in accordance with the invention, with an upstanding barrier of rigid sheet material.

°'"Figure 2 is a front elevation of the barrier appearing in figure 1.

10 Figure 3 is a plan view of the barrier of figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the barrier of figure 2 Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken on line 5-5 of figure 2, drawn to a larger scale.

ego i Figure 6 is a view similar to figure 2 of a second embodiment of the invention.

The urinal illustrated by figure 1 comprises a conventional catchment trough 10, for example of stainless steel sheet, set into a raised plinth portion 11 of a lavatory floor, a rear wall 12, which may also be stainless steel sheet, integral with or liquid tightly connected to the rear edge of the trough 10, and conventional flushing means comprising a water supply duct 13 furnished with a plurality of fan jet nozzles 14. The urinal further comprises a waste pipe connector (not shown) whereby a drain pipe may be connected to the floor of the trough 10 for disposal of liquid therefrom.

Insofar as it is described in the previous paragraph the illustrated urinal is a typical prior art urinal of well known form and its construction and functioning need no further detailing herein. However in accordance with the invention it is provided with an upstanding barrier 15 of rigid sheet material extending for the length of the trough 10 at or closely adjacent the front edge of the trough and projecting above the lavatory floor portion 11 in front of the trough.

The barrier 15 comprises a blade 16 of, for example, stainless steel sheet, supported by a plurality of equally spaced apart mounting brackets, for example pedestals 17.

Each pedestal 17 (see figure 5) comprises a one piece moulding of metal or plastics material providing a rear face of a shape complementary the front surface of the blade 16, to which the blade 16 may be secured by screw fasteners 18. Each pedestal 17 has a flat base able to contact the 15 surface of the floor portion 11, and is secured to the floor by a hold-down bolt 19. If desired the bolt 19 may be hidden by plug 20. It will be appreciated that the pedestals 17 are preferred largely for aesthetic reasons, and in other embodiments may be replaced with any suitable supporting bracket for the barrier blade.

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As illustrated the blade 16 is shaped and inclined to permit the toes of a shoe to extend below the blade when the tip of the toe contacts the lower part of the front face of the blade.

For preference the spacing between neighbouring pedestals 17 is such that one man may stand comfortably between them, but two men may not do so. For example, the spacing between pedestals may be within the range of from 400 mm to 600 mm, preferably about 500 mm. This ensures that men using the urinal position themselves accordingly. This, in turn, allows drain holes, which allow floor cleaning liquid to flow under the blade 16 into the trough 10, to be created by bights 18 in the lower edge of the blade in register with the pedestals 17 without in any way detracting from the efficacy of the barrier as a splash guard.

In the embodiment illustrated by figure 6, those bights are eliminated and the entire edge of blade 16A (corresponding to blade 16 of the earlier described embodiment) is spaced above the floor by 5 mm or thereabouts to provide the same drainage facility. In this instance the very edge of a shoe sole may be exposed to splash, but this is of little consequence.

10 The above described preferred embodiments are adapted for inclusion as an add on feature in existing urinals. In other embodiments, applicable to new urinals, the barrier sheet material may be an integral edge S- flange on the trough itself, but even then it is preferable to have spaced apart supporting brackets to strengthen that flange.

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Claims

1. In a urinal of the kind comprising an elongated catchment trough set into a lavtory floor, a back wall extending for the length of the trough and projecting upwardly from the rear edge of the trough against which urine may be directed by men standing in front on the urinal for deflection and flow into the trough, and a drain connection from the trough to an external disposal means, the improvement comprising a barrier of upwardly projecting, rigid sheet material extending along the length of the trough at or closely adjacent the front edge of the trough and projecting above a lavatory floor portion in front of the trough.

2. In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spaced apart mounting brackets for mounting the barrier to the floor portion.

3. In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in claim 2, wherein at least one space is provided between a lower edge of the sheet material and a surface of said floor portion, providing for the drainage of floor washing liquid into the trough.

4. In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in claim 3, wherein there are a :15 plurality of such spaces and wherein the spaces are respectively in register with the mounting *o S.brackets.

In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein S said mounting brackets are spaced apart by an amount permitting one man only to stand between neighbouring brackets when using the urinal. 20

6. In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in claim 5, wherein the space between neightbouring brackets is within the range of from 400 mm to 600 mm.

7. In a urinal of the kind of the kind set forth in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein said barrier has a forwardly directed upper part or is inclined forwardly, to enable the barrier to overlie the tips of the toes of the footwear of a man using the urinal.

8. In a urinal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting brackets space the barrier above the floor portion. 004146715 8

9. In a urinal of the kind described herein with reference to figure 1, the improvement comprising a barrier as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 5, or figure 6 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this3rd day of May 2002 Nino Soccio by its attorneys Freehills Carter Smith Beadle