Programmable toilet flush initiating, monitoring and management system and method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toilet flushing initiating, monitoring and management system initiated by the unlocking of a locking member on a door mounted in a stall typically found in a bathroom such as a public bathroom.

Claims

1. A system for managing toilet flushing in a bathroom stall, comprising: a door locking member comprising, a door lock chamber, a slider capable of translating from a first position to a second position, the slider comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the slider first end in the first position is inserted in the door lock chamber and the slider first end in the second position is free of the door lock chamber, a signal emitter associated with the door locking member, the signal emitter configured to send a wireless signal to a flush signal receiver when the slider is in the second position, a sensor configured for sensing the slider when the slider is in the second position, the sensor operatively connected to the signal emitter; (ii) a toilet flushing controller operatively joined to the flush signal receiver; and, (iii) a toilet flushing actuator controlled by the toilet flushing controller, wherein, the toilet flushing controller is configured to wait for at least a minimum delay period to elapse between consecutive actuations of the toilet flushing actuator, wherein the minimum delay period is determined based on the frequency of slider operation and the number of times that the toilet has been flushed, and wherein the signal emitter is configured to transmit to the flush signal receiver a signal upon sensing that the slider has been translated to the second position, the toilet flushing controller configured to control the toilet flushing actuator to initiate a single toilet flush when the door is unlocked.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a system controller configured to set intervals of time between 5 seconds to 240 seconds during which a flush can be activated.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein the system controller is configured to set the duration of flushing intervals for all toilets in a bathroom.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein the system controller is configured to set the duration of flushing intervals for all toilets in a building.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein the system controller is configured to prevent any toilet from flushing for a period of 5 to 240 seconds after its previous flush.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a toilet handle, lever, or button operatively joined to the flushing apparatus to manually flush the toilet.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the signal is a Bluetooth signal or radio frequency signal.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor, signal emitter, flush signal receiver, and toilet flushing controller are energized by one or more photovoltaic cells or one or more batteries.

9. A method for managing toilet flushing in a bathroom stall, comprising: (i) providing a device comprising a door locking member comprising a slider having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a signal emitter, and a sensor, a flush signal receiver; a toilet flushing controller; and, a toilet flushing actuator; (ii) transmitting by the signal emitter to the flush signal receiver, a signal upon the detection of the position of the second end of the slider by the sensor; (iii) controlling the toilet flushing actuator by the toilet flushing controller; (iv) initiating by the toilet flushing controller a single toilet flush by the toilet flushing actuator when the slider second end position is detected by the sensor; (v) recording the frequency of slider operation by a system controller; (vi) determining a number of times that a toilet has flushed; and (vii) configuring the toilet flushing controller to wait for at least a minimum delay period to elapse between consecutive actuations of the toilet flushing actuator, wherein the minimum delay period is determined based on the frequency of slider operation and the number of times that the toilet has been flushed.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of the automatic toilet flushing system according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 1B is an illustrative isometric view of one embodiment of the stall door locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 1C is an exploded view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1B;

(4) FIG. 1D is an open front view of an exemplary housing enclosing the electronic components of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1B;

(5) FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of the stall door slider lock in the closed (first) position of the embodiment of the toilet flushing system illustrated in FIG. 1B according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 2B illustrates an embodiment of the stall door slider lock in the open (second) position of the embodiment of the toilet flushing system illustrated in FIG. 1B;

(7) FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the housing of the embodiment of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1B according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a slider of the embodiment of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1B.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The present solution without sacrificing user functionality or convenience addresses drawbacks such as too few or too many flushes characteristic of current toilet flushing mechanisms. The present solution is a device and a method thereof that initiates a toilet flushing sequence by the unlocking of a toilet stall door.

(10) As used herein, a stall may be any walled enclosure with or without a roof or ceiling having a door and any number of sides that will provide sufficient privacy to the typical toilet user to encourage its use and may be any shape including but not limited to rectangular, pyramidal, cylindrical, and trapezoidal.

(11) The invention disclosed herein is directed to a toilet flush management system and an automated toilet flushing system that does not require manual flushing of a toilet. Manual flushing of a toilet is an option that can be included with the present invention.

(12) FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate the toilet flushing management system. The overall scheme of the toilet flushing management system 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1A. The system 10 includes a stall door locking member 110 affixed to the door 100 of a stall housing a toilet 7, hereinafter toilet stall.

(13) The system 10 further includes a toilet flushing mechanism 112 comprising a flush signal receiver 3, a flush actuator 5 and a toilet flushing controller 16 associated with the toilet flushing actuator 5 for initiating a flush by the toilet 7.

(14) Referring to FIGS. 1B-1D, the locking member 110 includes a slider 12, a housing 19 enclosing a sensor 4 for sensing slider position, a signal emitter 1 for transmitting a signal to the flush signal receiver 3 associated with the toilet flushing mechanism 112, a door housing controller 27, a battery compartment 26 enclosing one or more batteries 25, an SD card 28, and a cover 22. The locking member 110 further includes a lock chamber 6, positioned on a stall post 8. The lock chamber 6 is aligned with the slider 12.

(15) Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the slider 12 is capable of manual reciprocal movement between a first (closed) position and a second (open) position. In the first position, illustrated in FIG. 2A, proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is inserted in the lock chamber 6 when the stall door 100 is closed and locked. The proximal end 15 of the slider 12 cannot be inserted in the lock chamber 6 unless the stall door 100 is closed.

(16) In the second position illustrated in FIG. 2B, the proximal end 15 of slider 12 that was inserted in the chamber 6 illustrated in FIG. 1A is positioned outside, i.e., free of, the lock chamber 6. In the second position, a distal end 17 of the slider 12 opposite to slider proximal end 15, contacts and/or is sensed by the sensor 4 initiating a signal from signal emitter 1 enclosed within the housing 19 (FIG. 1D) to emit a signal that is transmitted to flush signal receiver 3 positioned on the toilet or associated toilet plumbing when the stall door 100 is open.

(17) Each time a stall door is unlocked by moving the slider 12 from the first position where proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is positioned in the lock chamber 6, to the second position where the proximal end 15 of the slider 12 is free of the chamber 6, the opposite distal end 17 of the slider 12 contacts and/or is sensed by the sensor 4. The sensor 4 upon contact with and/or sensing distal end 17 of slider 12 triggers the signal emitter 1 to send a wireless signal such as a radio frequency or Bluetooth signal or a hardwire signal to the flush signal receiver 3 triggering the toilet flushing controller 16 operatively joined to the flushing actuator 5 on the toilet 7 to initiate a flush.

(18) The sensor 4 can be a variety of different sensors or a combination of sensors. Examples of possible sensors include but are not limited to: contact sensors, magnetic proximity sensors, vibration sensors, infrared sensors, or ultrasonic sensors.

(19) In one embodiment of the invention, a contact sensor 4 is positioned in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100 such that every time the slider 12 is transferred from the first position to the second position, the slider 12 makes physical contact with the sensor 4. Such contact signals flush actuation.

(20) In another embodiment, a magnetic proximity sensor 4 positioned in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100 is used to detect the presence of a magnet or magnetized material, e.g. piece of metal 14a,b affixed to the slider 12. Upon transfer of the slider 12 to the second position, the magnet or magnetized piece of metal 14a,b triggers the magnetic proximity sensor 4, signaling flush actuation. The number of magnets or magnetized materials are not limited to those illustrated.

(21) In still another embodiment, a vibration sensor 4, similar to the contact sensor, is positioned in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100 such that every time the slider 12 is transferred from the first position to the second position, the slider 12 makes physical contact with the sensor 4. The vibration sensor 4 detects the impact of the slider 12 signaling flush actuation.

(22) In yet another embodiment, an infrared sensor 4 is affixed in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100. The infrared sensor 4 emits an infrared signal to detect the distance of nearby objects. The infrared sensor is attuned to detect the distance of the slider 12 from the sensor such that it triggers flush actuation upon the movement of the slider 12 from first position to second position.

(23) In yet another embodiment, an ultrasonic sensor 4 is affixed in or on the housing 19 or on the stall door 100. The sensor 4 detects sound waves reflected back by nearby objects, thereby allowing the sensor to register distance. For example, the sensor 4 detects sound waves reflected back by slider 12 depending on the distance of the slider 12 from the sensor 4. Based on a predetermined distance between the slider 12 and the sensor 4, flush actuation would be initiated following translation of the slider 12 from the first position to the second position.

(24) Each locking member signal emitter 1 is matched to a corresponding toilet flush signal receiver 3 and uses unique signals that differ from other of the signal emitters 1 and flush signal receivers 3 in other nearby systems 10, for example, other systems 10 in the same bathroom. By the application of unique signals, one signal emitter 1 is prevented from activating the flushing system of other toilets to flush.

(25) In one embodiment of the invention, the system 10 further includes a toilet flushing actuator 5 that initiates a flush to occur in the toilet 7. The system 10 described herein could either be retrofitted to current toilets and bathroom stalls as an attachment or manufactured directly onto a new toilet and applied to bathroom toilet stalls or to pre-fabricated bathroom toilet stalls.

(26) FIG. 3 illustrates the location of a magnet or magnetizable plate 18 on the portion of the housing 19 that faces an end 17 of the slider 12 that is opposite to the insertable end 15 of the slider 12. The shape of the plate is not limited to the illustrated shape, as the shape could be rectangular, circular, triangular, trapazoidal or another shape. Magnetizable materials include but are not limited to iron, nickel, cobalt, rare-earth metals, and lodestone. The location of magnets or magnetizable materials and the number of magnets or magnetizable materials on the housing 19 are not limited to those illustrated.

(27) Referring now to FIG. 4, a side view of the slider 12 is illustrated. The location of slider magnets or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b on end 17 of slider 12 are positioned to magnetically interact with magnetic or magnetizable plate 18 on housing 19. The slider magnets or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b are aligned with the magnetic or magnetizable plate 18 of the housing 19 to (i) ensure that proper contact is made between the slider 12 and housing 19 such that the slider 12 is aligned with the sensor 4, (ii) prevent the slider 12 from bouncing back and forth upon the opening and closing of the stall door, and (iii) attract the slider 12 to the housing 19 in the event the user does not slide the slider 12 sufficiently towards the housing 19.

(28) The strength of the magnets or magnetizable materials are sufficient to attract the slider 12 to connect to the housing 19 immediately upon unlocking, but not so strong that the magnets or magnetizable materials prevent the slider 12 from reaching its extended locked position. The housing 19 and lock slider 12 are either at a predetermined or adjustable distance away from each other such that immediately upon unlocking, i.e., immediately upon moving the slider 12 from the first position illustrated in FIG. 2A to the second position illustrated in FIG. 2B, the magnets or magnetizable materials 14a and 14b of slider 12 contact the magnets or magnetizable materials 18 of the housing 19. This avoids the possibility that when the user unlocks the stall door 100 the slider 12 will not move all the way into the second position, preventing the slider 12 from initiating the process for the signal emitter 1 to emit a signal to be received by the flush signal receiver 3 to initiate the events leading to a flushing. In other words, by fully reaching the second position, which is ensured with the magnets, the sensor 4 adequately senses the presence of the slider 12 in the second position so that a flush signal is emitted by signal emitter 1 to flush signal receiver 3, regardless of the type sensor, for example, the sensors disclosed above, that is being used.

(29) The electronic circuitry for the electronic components inside the housing 19 may be powered by either one or more photovoltaic cells 23 or by one or more batteries 25 housed in housing 19, for example. The electronic circuitry for the flushing mechanism 112 including the flush signal receiver 3, the toilet flushing controller 16, and the toilet flushing actuator 5 may be powered by either one or more photovoltaic cells or by one or more batteries.

(30) In one embodiment of the invention, the toilet flushing controller 16 and/or the door housing controller 27 is configured to implement a programmable time delay that is introduced to set minimum intervals between flushes, preferably ranging from, but not limited to, 1-5 seconds, 1-10 seconds, 5-25 seconds, 5-50 seconds, 25-50 seconds, 50-100 seconds, 100-200 seconds, 150-250 seconds, preferably, 5 to 240 seconds. The programmable time delay setting minimum intervals between flushes may also be set to be less than 5 seconds or more than 240 seconds. The programmable time delay can be manually programmed, or determined through an algorithm that uses machine learning or deep learning techniques to determine an optimal time interval. The programmable time delay prevents users from repeatedly flushing the toilet in short intervals of time by repeatedly switching the slider 12 of the stall locking member 110 back and forth between locked (first position) and unlocked positions (second position). Managers of the bathroom will be able to manipulate the time delay range at their discretion with a system controller (not shown) for example, a computer, a mobile application, or a combination of various electronics and/or computer based technology.

(31) In one embodiment, a system controller (not shown) may be specific to one toilet, alternatively to all the toilets in the same bathroom, or central to all the toilets in the entire building, but with the ability to regulate the time delay in each or every individual toilet.

(32) In a particular embodiment, a different time delay may be appropriate for a handicap toilet as opposed to a regular toilet because the handicap toilet may be used differently from a non-handicap toilet. The system controller measures how many times the toilets flush, allowing the facility manager to collect data and adjust settings to maximize water efficiency. The system controller sends data to the flush signal receiver wirelessly via Bluetooth or radio frequency, for example. Also a required daily flush for toilets that were not used can be programmed into the system 10 to keep toilets clean. The system controller records the frequency of slider operation.