Flush toilet

Abstract

A toilet includes an inlet structure, a bowl structure, and an outlet structure. The inlet structure is configured to receive water. The bowl structure has a toilet bowl including a rim and a sump, a split fluidly connected to the inlet structure and including a first passage and a second passage, a shelf located below the rim of the toilet bowl and fluidly connected to the first passage, a side channel fluidly connected to the second passage, and a diverter that redirects the water from the side channel to the sump of the toilet bowl. The outlet structure is fluidly connected to the sump and is configured to discharge water from the sump into a drain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toilet bowl comprising:
 a rim; and   a shelf coupled to at least one water passage;   wherein together the rim and the shelf form an inset channel that extends along a perimeter of the toilet bowl in a flow direction and a height of the inset channel, between the rim and the shelf, decreases in the flow direction.   
     
     
         2 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the inset channel is open to a waste receiving surface of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         3 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the inset channel is configured to reduce fluid losses in the flow direction. 
     
     
         4 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the inset channel allows water to move a longer distance through the inset channel. 
     
     
         5 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the inset channel corresponds to a reduction in an amount of water sustain a vortex or swirl along the perimeter of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         6 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the inset channel at a beginning of the inset channel and the beginning of the inset channel is followed by a sharp curve along the perimeter of the toilet bowl in an area near a front of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         7 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the inset channel includes a first portion that extends between the shelf and a forward region through a central axis through the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         8 . The toilet bowl of  claim 7 , wherein the inset channel includes a second portion that extends between the forward region and a downstream end of the inset channel. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet bowl of  claim 8 , wherein the height of the first portion is approximately constant along a length of the first portion. 
     
     
         10 . The toilet bowl of  claim 8 , wherein the height of the second portion decreases continuously along a length of the second portion. 
     
     
         11 . The toilet bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the inset channel includes a compound radius. 
     
     
         12 . The toilet bowl of  claim 11 , wherein the compound radius includes an outer radius at least two times in curvature of an inner radius. 
     
     
         13 . A toilet bowl comprising:
 a rim; and   a fluvial terrace coupled to at least one water passage;   wherein together the rim and the fluvial terrace form an inset channel that extends along a perimeter of the toilet bowl in a flow direction and a height of the inset channel, between the rim and the fluvial terrace, decreases in the flow direction.   
     
     
         14 . A toilet, comprising:
 a toilet bowl comprising a rim; and   a shelf located below the rim and spaced apart from the rim, the rim and the shelf forming an inset channel that extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the toilet bowl, wherein a height of the inset channel, between the rim and the shelf, decreases continuously in a flow direction.   
     
     
         15 . The toilet of  claim 14 , wherein the inset channel is open to a waste receiving surface of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         16 . The toilet of  claim 14 , wherein the height of the inset channel is configured to reduce fluid losses in the flow direction. 
     
     
         17 . The toilet of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the inset channel at a beginning of the inset channel and the beginning of the inset channel is followed by a sharp curve along the perimeter of the toilet bowl in an area near a front of the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         18 . The toilet of  claim 1 , wherein the inset channel includes a first portion that extends between the shelf and a forward region through a central axis through the toilet bowl and a second portion that extends between the forward region and a downstream end of the inset channel. 
     
     
         19 . The toilet of  claim 18 , wherein the height of the first portion is approximately constant along a length of the first portion and the height of the second portion decreases continuously along a length of the second portion. 
     
     
         20 . The toilet of  claim 14 , wherein the inset channel includes a compound radius including an outer radius and an inner radius.