GB2179074A - Improvement in water closet cisterns - Google Patents

Abstract

A means for preventing condensation forming on the outside surface of a water closet cistern comprises a plastic material container which is fitted within the cistern for holding the flushing water. When fitted, there is preferably an air space between the container wall and the cistern wall.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvement in water closet cisterns The present invention is an improvement in water closet cisterns, which latter will hereinafter be referred to as "W.C. cisterns" or simply "cisterns".

It is a common observation that W.C. cisterns, especially ceramic cisterns, are liable to water condensation on their outside surface.

Such condensation is particularly marked during the winter months, when the water supply to the cistern is particularly cold and when air entering via the overflow pipe is also cold.

These two factors lead to condensation on the outside surface of the cistern, which is considerably warmer than the water and air entering the cistern. The problem is aggravated when the humidity of the surrounding air is high, for example when the cistern is installed in a bathroom or near a shower.

When the condensed water collects on the cistern surface and drips from its lowest point, damage may be done to the floor surface or covering and carpeting may become stained. Quite apart from such damage, the presence of such condensation on the cistern is aesthetically unattractive.

Attempts to solve the problem have been largely unsuccessful. Indeed many efforts appear to have concentrated on accepting such condesnation and merely aiming to prevent it dripping by the provision of a catchment tray or the like. While it has been proposed to form an inner layer of foamed material on the cistern during its manufacture, such a process entails a complicated sequence of operations inciuding shaping a cavity for the foaming material within the cistern, allowing the foamed material to set and then removing any spacers or formers by means of which the cavity was shaped. Perhaps not surprisingly, no such system appears to have been adopted commercially. In addition, it is unsuited to use with already-installed W.C. cisterns.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device whereby condensation upon a cistern surface may be considerably reduced or prevented and which is suitable for use with already installed cisterns.

The device according to the present invention is a container made of a low heat-conductivity material and of such dimensions as to fit within a cistern while leaving a space therebetween without excessively reducing the interior capacity of the cistern, said container having at least an aperture for the flush flow from the cistern.

An acceptable reduction in condensation may be obtained when the container is shallower than the cistern and the water inlet to the cistern, the flushing handle and the overflow pipe are all located above the upper edge of the container. However, since the container itself takes over from the cistern the role of water holder, then preferably at least the overflow is below the container edge, so that the container then has two apertures, one for the flush outlet and one for the water overflow.

It is particularly preferred that the container be provided with four apertures, namely the two above-mentioned and also one for the water inlet and one through which the toilet flush handle is operated. It is then possible, and much preferred, to provide a lid for the container, thereby effectively insulating the whole interior of the container from the surrounding cistern.

The shape of the container is not critical provided that its dimensions are as defined above. Thus the container may be rectangular or oval in plan view and may taper downwardly or have vertical or curved sides. However the requirements may be best met if the body of the container, that is not necessarily including such lid as may be used, follows the general shape of the cistern itself. In this way, the container and cistern may between them define a relatively uniform air space. Conveniently that air space may be between about 5mm and about 25mm in average thickness, preferably approximately 10mm.

The shape of the lid is largely determined by the shape of the container and by the dimensions and positioning within the cistern of the water siphoning device, which in modern toilets takes the form of a bell housing. Usually the top of the housing projects above the upper edge of the cistern and for this reason the cistern lid is usually domed. For the same reason, the lid of the container according to the present invention may either be domed or may be stepped upwardly or otherwise modified to accommodate the top of the siphon unit.

The positioning of the container within the cistern may be determined by the relative positioning of the aperture or apertures in the container and the features to which they correspond. The spacing of the container from the inside of the cistern may be assisted by the provision of one or more separate spacers, for example spacing bars, at the sides of the container and/or below the container.

However it is particularly convenient for any such spacers to be formed integral with the container itself. It is especially preferred that two or more such spacer bars or ridges be formed integral with the bottom outer surface of the container.

At points which need to be water-tight in the assembled system of cistern and container, that is where aligned apertures in the system lie below the normal level of water in the container, water-tight seals should be formed. Thus, at the flush outflow point, it is preferred that a sealing ring, for example of rubber or other similar compressible material; be fitted between the container and the cistern. A similar seal is preferably fitted at the overflow pipe and may also be fitted at the water inflow and flushing handle apertures.

The container according to the present invention is made of a material having a relatively low heat conductivity and this characteristic is very conveniently met by using a synthetic plastics material. Thus the container may be made of polythene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or a polyacrylic plastic for example. By using plastics materials, it becomes possible to manufacture the container in a variety of convenient ways; for example it may be made in a single piece by machine pressing or moulding. Alternatively, the container may be formed from several pieces bonded together with a suitable water-resistant adhesive.

It will be understood that the container may be made in a standardised simple form to fit a variety of designs of W.C. cisterns, in which case it is particularly suitable as a do-it-yourself product for post-fitting in an existing installation. Alternatively, it may be custommade for a particular cistern design or for a range of designs offered by a particular cistern manufacturer. Thus although the invention in its broadest form is a container suitable for fitting in a cistern, the present invention also includes a W.C. cistern with a container fitted therein.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates by way of example one embodiment of the invention after being fitted into a W.C. cistern. The illustration is a front elevation, largely in section.

In the drawing a conventional ceramic W.C.

cistern 1 is wall-mounted behind a toilet basin and has a close-fitting ceramic lid 2. The cistern is apertured at 3 to receive the flush pipe 4 of a flushing unit 5 and also has an aperture 6 for an overflow pipe 7 and apertures to accommodate the spindle of a flushing handle 8 and a water inlet pipe 9.

Located within the cistern 1 is a container 10 in the form of a unitary plastics moulding which is similar in overall shape to the cistern 1 but is some 20 mm smaller in its overall dimensions than the interior dimensions of the cistern. The container 10 is fitted with a lid 11, which has a convex mound 12 to afford space for the upper end of the housing of the flush unit 5. The container 10 and lid 11 are approximately 2 mm in thickness.

Integral with the base of the container 10 are formed two spaced bars 13, which support the container 10 above the bottom of the cistern 1 at a distance of about 10 mm, which is the same as the spacing around the sides and top of the container. Where the overflow pipe 7 and flush pipe 4 pass through apertures 14 and 15 respectively in the container 10 and apertures 6 and 3 in the cistern, rubber sealing rings 16 and 17 ensure a water-tight seal. Similar apertures in the container 10 afford passage to the water inlet pipe 9 and the spindle of the flushing handle 8.

Experiments have shown that a container according to the present invention similar to that illustrated can eliminate what previously had been persistent condensation on a W.C.

cistern. A further advantage has proved to be that, if the water within the container freezes as a result of severely adverse weather conditions, the container is able to allow expansion of the water on freezing and thereby prevent cracking of the W.C. cistern.

Claims (6)

1. A device for preventing condensation forming on the outside surfaces of water closet cisterns, comprising a plastic material container which is fitted within the cistern to hold the water for flushing the toilet.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the container, when fitted, leaves airspace between the insides of the cistern walls and the container walls. The container is supported by two bars at the bottom to allow airspace between the bottom inside of the cistern and the bottom of the container.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the container has four appertures in line with the four appertures in the cistern, namely, Water Inlet, Water Overflow, Flushing Handle and Flush Pipe.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the four appertures are fitted with rubber ring seals between the cistern wall and the container wall to ensure water tight sealing.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which a lid is fitted on the container, thus enclosing the cold air from the overflow pipe with the cold water in the container and thereby effectively insulating the cistern surfaces from these two elements.

6. A device as claimed in any preceeding claim, in which the container and lid are made from a plastics material.