US 5,906,011 AGranted

Dual foot pedal-operated flush toilet

AssigneeSanitation Equipment Limited

InventorDavid Charles Robert Fleming

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A flush toilet for a recreational vehicle has a flush mechanism including a pair of foot pedals, one for opening the bowl outlet closure of the toilet, and the other for opening the flush water valve. Depression of the first foot pedal also depresses the water valve foot pedal, though that pedal can also be operated separately. An actuating cable for the water valve extends through the arm of the bowl closure foot pedal so that, if the water valve foot pedal breaks or is damaged, the water valve can still be opened for rinsing the bowl.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A toilet comprising:

a housing which includes a bowl for receiving waste, the bowl having an outlet;
bowl closure means normally closing said outlet and operable to open the outlet for discharge of waste from the bowl;
water supply means operable to deliver water into the bowl;
a foot pedal assembly comprising first and second foot pedals for actuating respectively said bowl closure means and said water supply means, each foot pedal comprising an arm having an outer end portion accessible to a user of the toilet externally of the housing and an inner end portion coupled to the housing about a pivot axis oriented so that up or down movement of said outer end portion of the arm causes the arm to move about said pivot axis, said arms of the respective foot pedals being disposed side-by-side and the arm of said second foot pedal including a lateral extension below the arm of said first foot pedal so that depression of the first foot pedal also causes depression of the second foot pedal;
and,
first and second actuating elements extending between the foot pedals and the bowl closure means and the water supply means respectively, the bowl closure means being opened by tensioning of said first actuating element and the water supply means being operated by tensioning of said second actuating element, said first actuating element being coupled to the arm of said first foot pedal at a location between said end portions of the pedal so that depression of the pedal tensions the element, and said second actuating element extending through an opening in the arm of said first foot pedal and being coupled to said lateral extension of the arm of the second foot pedal, said second actuating element including, below said arm of the first foot pedal, an end fitment larger than said opening in the first foot pedal arm, whereby said second actuating element can be tensioned by depression of said first foot pedal arm in the event of failure of said second foot pedal arm or extension.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A toilet comprising:

a housing which includes a bowl for receiving waste, the bowl having an outlet;
bowl closure means normally closing said outlet and operable to open the outlet for discharge of waste from the bowl;
water supply means operable to deliver water into the bowl;
a foot pedal assembly comprising first and second foot pedals for actuating respectively said bowl closure means and said water supply means, each foot pedal comprising an arm having an outer end portion accessible to a user of the toilet externally of the housing and an inner end portion coupled to the housing about a pivot axis oriented so that up or down movement of said outer end portion of the arm causes the arm to move about said pivot axis, said arms of the respective foot pedals being disposed side-by-side and the arm of said second foot pedal including a lateral extension below the arm of said first foot pedal so that depression of the first foot pedal also causes depression of the second foot pedal;
and,
first and second actuating elements extending between the foot pedals and the bowl closure means and the water supply means respectively, the bowl closure means being opened by tensioning of said first actuating element and the water supply means being operated by tensioning of said second actuating element, said first actuating element being coupled to the arm of said first foot pedal at a location between said end portions of the pedal so that depression of the pedal tensions the element, and said second actuating element extending through an opening in the arm of said first foot pedal and being coupled to said lateral extension of the arm of the second foot pedal, said second actuating element including, below said arm of the first foot pedal, an end fitment larger than said opening in the first foot pedal arm, whereby said second actuating element can be tensioned by depression of said first foot pedal arm in the event of failure of said second foot pedal arm or extension.

3 more elements