iota folding toilet reduces its size and water consumption

iota folding toilet reduces its size and water consumption
all images courtesy of gareth humphreys and elliott whiteley

undertaken as a final year project by gareth humphreys and elliott whiteley at the university of huddersfield, the ‘iota folding toilet’ reduces its size and water consumption by over 50% when flushing. wanting to find a solution for the excessive use of water that is used to clean the trap and also their difficulty in fitting into small bathrooms, a mechanism was created that allows the bowl to be folded away.

the integrated feature houses an inbuilt u bend that disengages from the waste pipe while still maintaining an air tight seal. when closed in the flush position, the component reengages simultaneously as the cistern is released. ‘iota’ offers a small footprint when in the upright position and the rimless design makes it easier to keep the bowl clean.

an interior frame holds the bowl in place ensuring that its rotation is smooth and accurate in order for the waste pipe to line up with the u bend – it also allows for shrinkage during the manufacturing of the porcelain. the outer panels are designed to be easily removed, enabling replacement parts to be fitted and a simple installation. the cistern protrudes into the bowl when in the upright position to apply maximum force and remove all contents from the water trap.

view of the toilet installed in the flush/stored position

view of the toilet installed in its in use position

a sectional view of the bowl while the toilet is flushing

a sequence of images showing the use of the toilet

sectional view of the interior frame and U bend

the interior frame without its casing

size comparison against a standard sized toilet

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.