Urinal 698477 225936956 2008-07-16T02:44:15Z 76.183.110.206 Removed obviously ethnic oriented dislike comments [[Image:IMAG0249.JPG|thumb|450px|right|A stainless steel trough-style urinal from a public restroom in California.]] {{redirect|Urinals|the band|Urinals (band)}} A '''urinal''' is a specialized [[toilet]] for [[urination|urinating]] only, generally by men and boys. It has the form of a container or simply a wall, with drainage and automatic or manual flushing. It can be made for use by one man at a time (in which case there are often more of them), or it may be wider, for use by multiple men facing the same direction. Public urinals are normally designed for use while standing upright, and often contain a deodorizing [[urinal cake]] contained within a plastic mesh guard container or a plastic mesh guard without a urinal cake. The plastic mesh guard is designed to prevent solid objects (such as [[cigarette]] butts, feces, chewing gum, or paper) from being flushed and possibly causing a plumbing stoppage. [[Image:Urinal with urinal cake gsu cit 2004.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Urinal with [[strawberry]] scented [[urinal cake]].]] The term may also apply to a small building or other structure, in which such toilets are contained. It can also refer to a small container where urine can be collected for medical purposes, or for use where access to toilet facilities is not possible, such as in small aircraft or for the bedridden. ==Purposes== In busy men's [[washroom]]s, urinals are installed for efficiency: compared with urination in a general toilet, usage is faster because within the room there are no additional doors, no locks, and no seat to turn up; also a urinal takes less space and is simpler than a toilet. Finally the higher position make usage more convenient (except for small men). Because of the simplicity sometimes no other facilities than urinals are offered, e.g. on the street. == History == {{Expand|date=April 2008}} The urinal was first [[patented]] in the United States by Andrew Rankin on [[March 27]], [[1866]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1866/march_27_1866_56552.html|title=Andrew Rankin patents the urinal March 27 in History|publisher=www.brainyhistory.com|accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> == Flushing == Most public urinals incorporate a flushing system to rinse urine from the bowl of the device to prevent foul odors. The flush can be triggered by one of several methods: === Manual handles === [[Image:Ostia anticave - Vespasiano - foto Stefano Bolognini.JPG|thumb|200px|left|[[Ostia Antica]]. Old roman urinals]]This type of flush might be regarded as standard in the United States. Each urinal is equipped with a button or short lever to activate the flush, with users expected to operate it as they leave. Such a directly-controlled system is the most efficient provided that patrons remember to use it. This is far from certain, however, often because of fear of touching the handle, which is located too high to kick.<ref>In the case of toilets, users often kick the flush lever to avoid the perceived or real possibility of infection from touching the lever.</ref> Urinals with foot-activated flushing systems are sometimes found in high-traffic areas; these systems have a button set into the floor or a pedal on the wall at ankle height.<!-- {{tl|reqphoto}} added to talk page for this article --> Some establishments, often bars, pubs, or nightclubs, fill their urinals with ice cubes during peak hours. As the ice melts, it serves to slowly flush the urinal, and also cools the [[urine]] to prevent smells from rising during use. The [[Americans with Disabilities Act]] requires that flush valves be mounted no higher than 44" AFF (above the finished floor). Additionally, the urinal shall be mounted no higher than 17" AFF, which has a rim that is tapered and elongated and protrudes at least 14" from the wall. This enables users in wheelchairs to straddle the lip of the urinal and urinate without having to "arc" the flow of urine too high. === Voice-activated flush === In some regions of Japan, particularly the industrial zones of Honshu, many urinals feature a voice-activated flushing system. These flush systems are triggered by the word "wash!", "fire" or "destroy the grime" in over 30 different languages. === Timed flush === [[Image:CLHSUrinal.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A multiperson urinal in [[Chung Ling High School]], [[Malaysia]], operated using timed-flush mechanism.]] In [[Germany]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Canada]] and some parts of [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]], manual flush handles are unusual. Instead, the traditional system is a timed flush that operates automatically at regular intervals. Groups of up to ten or so urinals will be connected to a single overhead cistern, which contains the timing mechanism. A constant drip-feed of water slowly fills the cistern, until a tripping point is reached, the valve opens (or a [[siphon]] begins to drain the cistern), and all the urinals in the group are flushed. Electronic controllers performing the same function are also used. This system does not require any action from its users, but it is wasteful of water where the toilets are used irregularly. However, in these countries men are so used to the automatic system, attempts to install manual flushes to save water are generally unsuccessful. Users ignore them not through deliberate laziness or fear of infection, but because activating the flush is not habitual.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} To help reduce water usage when restrooms are closed, some restrooms with timed flushing use an electric water valve connected to the restroom light switch. When the building is in active use during the day and the lights are on, the timed flush operates normally. At night when the building is closed, the lights are turned off and the flushing action stops. A flushing system connected to the opening of the washroom door can count the number of users and operate when the count reaches a certain value. At night, the door never opens, so flushing never occurs. === Automatic flush === [[Image:Plumbingsurveillancelightvectorpainting.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Toto battery-powered hands-free automatic sensor operated flush system.]] Electronic automatic flushes solve the problems of both previous approaches, and are common in new installations. Active or (more usually) [[passive infrared sensor]]s identify when the urinal has been used (or when someone has stood in front of it and moved away), and activate the flush. Thus the urinal is cleaned, where with a manual flush it might not have been, but water is not wasted when the toilet is not used. Automatic flush facilities can be retrofitted to existing systems. The handle-operated valves of a manual system can be replaced with a suitably-designed self-contained electronic valve, often battery-powered to avoid the need to add cables. Timed-flush installations may add a device that regulates the water flow to the cistern according to the overall activity detected in the room. This does not provide true per-fixture automatic flushing, but is simple and cheap to add because only one device is required for the whole system. To prevent false-triggering of the automatic flush, most infra-red detectors require that a presence be detected for at least five seconds, such as when a person is standing in front of it. This prevents a whole line of automatic flush units from triggering in series if someone just walks past them. The automatic flush mechanism also typically waits for the presence to go out of sensor range before flushing. This reduces water usage, compared to a sensor that would trigger a continuous flushing action all the while a presence is being detected. === Door-regulated flush === This is an older method of water-saving automatic flushing, which only operates when the room is being used. A [[push-button]] switch is mounted in the door frame of the restroom, and triggers the flush valve for all restroom urinals every time the door is opened. While it can't detect the use of individual urinals, it provides reasonable flushing action without wasting excessive amounts of water when the restroom is not being used. This method requires a spring-operated automatic [[door closer]], since the flush mechanism only operates when the restroom door opens. === Waterless urinals === [[Image:Waterless urinal (Armitage Shanks, UK).jpg|thumb|A waterless urinal by Armitage Shanks (UK)]] A more recent innovation is urinals that do not use water at all. Models introduced by [[Waterless Company]] in 1992<ref>[http://www.exceldryer.com/TopTen2002.asp XLerator Hand Dryer - Top Ten<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and others in 2001 by [[Falcon Waterfree Technologies]] and [[Sloan Valve Company]], as well as [[Duravit]], utilize a trap insert filled with a sealant liquid instead of water. The lighter-than-water sealant floats on top of the urine collected in the U-bend, preventing odors from being released into the air. Although the cartridge and sealant must be periodically replaced, the system saves anywhere between 15,000 and 45,000 gallons (approx. between 56,800 and 170,000 liters) of water per urinal per year{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. Other companies do not use a cartridge; instead they have developed an outlet system that traps the odor, preventing the smell often present in toilet blocks. They can be installed in high-traffic facilities and in situations where providing a water supply may be difficult or where water conservation is desired. Due to high-level [[water restrictions]], [[Brisbane]] has mandated conversion to waterless urinals and flush urinals are rarely seen. ==Arrangement of urinals== [[Image:Sensor-operated-urinals1377p.jpg|220px|thumb|A typical arrangement of urinals, in a linear array, without partitions: a row of sensor operated fixtures provides for optimal traffic flow and throughput.]] Urinals in high capacity men's [[washroom]] are usually arranged in one or more rows. Those in the street may come in sets arranged in a circle, with all men facing the center, with screens high enough that men cannot wet each other, and usually high enough that they even cannot look over it. In a street urinal with outside screen or wall the men may stand back to back. Urinals used for high throughput capacity are part of an efficiently designed [[washroom architecture]]. For this reason, one seldom finds an individual urinal. Instead, large numbers of them are installed along a common supply pipe and drain. They are always out in the open so that those using them are in plain sight to everyone in the room. They are usually located in the traffic pattern of the room so there is little to no privacy at a urinal. There may be small partitions for [[privacy]] but they only serve the purpose of hiding the exposed private area. The rest of the person will be in plain view. Also, the urinals may be spaced far apart to create an air of comfort. Where urinals are more closely arranged, some men follow the so-called "1-3-5 rule," under which men only occupy the odd-numbered urinals, thus leaving the even ones to serve as barriers. Of course, this rule can be followed only when the facility's instantaneous usage is low enough to permit using only every other urinal. However, men will generally stare straight ahead at the wall or down into their own urinal rather than at a man at an adjacent urinal. [[Image:Portable-toilet-Netherlands.jpg||thumb|220px|left|A portable set of four urinals in the Netherlands.]] Often, one or two of the urinals, typically at one end of a long row of urinals, will be mounted lower than the others; they are meant for young boys and other males who cannot reach the regular urinals. In facilities where males of various heights are present, such as schools, urinals that extend down to floor level may be used to allow anyone of any height to use any urinal. Individual single-user facilities usually do not have a urinal, and instead have just one [[toilet]]. Once used exclusively in commercial or institutional washrooms, urinals for private home installation are now available. They offer the advantage of substantial savings of water in homes with multiple male occupants. ===Street urinals and ''vespasiennes''=== In some localities, urinals may be located on public sidewalks or in public areas such as parks. These urinals are usually equipped with partitions or dividers to stop someone from seeing someone's penis. They may or may not be equipped with flush mechanisms. [[Image:VespasienneLarge.jpg|thumb|230px|right|The last surviving [[vespasienne]], on the boulevard Arago in Paris]] A city famous for its street urinals is [[Paris, France]]. Until the 1990s, street urinals were a common sight in the city, and in the 1930s more than 1200 were in service. Parisians referred to them as ''vespasiennes,'' the name being derived from that of the [[Roman Emperor]] [[Vespasian]], who imposed a tax on urine. Beginning in the 1990s, the vespasiennes (renowned for their smell and lack of hygiene) were gradually replaced by the far superior [[Sanisette]]s. Today only one vespasienne remains in the city (on the boulevard Arago), and it is still regularly used. They still exist in other French cities, and in other countries. See also [[Toilet#Public toilets|Public toilets]]. ==Makeshift urinals== During the [[Korean War]], [[Vietnam War]], [[Operation Desert Storm]] etc., "piss tubes" were used as make-shift urinals.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} To make one, soldiers would affix an inverted water bottle on one end of a rigid tube, burying the other end. Removing the base of the bottle made a funnel which would be left at the proper height. Deposited urine simply soaked into the ground. When the area became saturated, the device was relocated. ==Urinals for women== [[Image:Female Urinal.jpg|thumb|250px|A modern female urinal at [[Dortmund Airport]], [[Germany]].]] <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Male Urinal.jpg|thumb|250px|A pack of urinals that are not female urinals.]] --> Nearly all urinals are intended for use by males, but a few have been designed for use by women. From 1950 to 1974, the [[American Standard Companies|American Standard]] company offered the mass-produced "Ladies' Home Urinal." It did not provide significant advantages over conventional toilets, because it used just as much floor space and flushing water. Its main selling point was that women could use the fixture without touching it. Several other designs have been tried since then, but they either required the user to hover awkwardly or to bring her genitals into close contact with the fixture. Most have not caught on. Current clothes fashion such as panty hose and slacks inhibit women from using them because they don't want their garments to touch the urinals or the floor. Often, women have little experience with them and don't know whether to approach them forward or backward. More recently, models that use specialized [[funnel]]s have been introduced, with some success, at outdoor festivals (to reduce cycle times and alleviate long lines). {{see|Female urination device}} ==Special urinals== "''Kisses!''" is a controversial urinal designed by the female Dutch designer Meike van Schijndel. [[Image:Urinal mouth.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A mouth kiss urinal.]] It is shaped like an open pair of red lips.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bathroom-mania.com/en/endesign/enkisses.html|title=http://www.bathroom-mania.com/en/endesign/enkisses.html}}</ref> In early March of 2004 the [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW) took offense to these new urinals [[Virgin Atlantic Airways]] decided to install in the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse at [[JFK Airport]] in [[New York, New York]].<ref>{{cite web | year = [[March 18]], [[2004]] | url = http://www.now.org/issues/media/031804virginatlantic.html | title = Tell Virgin Atlantic: There's Nothing 'Fun' About Exploiting Women | work = Media Activism | publisher = [[National Organization for Women]] | accessmonthday = April 23 | accessyear = 2006 }}</ref> After receiving many angry phone calls from female customers Virgin Atlantic Vice President John Riordan called NOW to apologize.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher= [[National Organization for Women]] |date= [[March 19]], [[2004]] |url= http://www.now.org/press/03-04/03-19.html |title= Outrageous Interruptus: NOW Cheers Decision to Abandon Sexist Urinals |accessdate=2006-04-23 }}</ref> Protestors surmised a connection to [[oral sex]] and/or [[urolagnia]], and based complaints on the urinals being sexist. A [[McDonald's]] restaurant in the Netherlands removed them after an American complained to the U.S. head office. In March of 2006, the [[Associated Press]] reported that the plumbers [[Trade union|union]] in [[Philadelphia]] had become upset because the developer of the city's newest skyscraper, Liberty Property Trust, has decided to use waterless urinals. Many in the union decided that because of the decision that this would lead to less work for them. The developer cited saving the city 1.6 million gallons (approx 6.06 million liters) of water per year as its deciding factor.<ref>{{cite news | first= Inga (Inquirer Architecture Critic) | last= Saffron | title= Phila. no-flush standoff unclogged, with a catch | publisher=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | pages=A1, A10 | date=April 5, 2006 }} ''Note: available on-line from publisher with account''</ref> [[Image:Duchamp Fountaine.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Fountain (Duchamp)|Fountain]]'' by [[Marcel Duchamp]], 1917, photographed by [[Alfred Stieglitz]] at his 291 gallery after the 1917 [[Society of Independent Artists]] exhibit.]] *[[Marcel Duchamp]]'s ''[[Fountain (Duchamp)|Fountain]]'' (1917) is one of the most influential pieces of modern art.<ref>{{cite news |publisher= [[BBC News]] |date= [[December 1]], [[2004]] |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4059997.stm |title= Duchamp's urinal tops art survey: A white gentlemen's urinal has been named the most influential modern art work of all time |accessdate=2006-04-28 }}</ref> *On [[January 27]], [[2004]], inventor Eric D Page from [[Sarasota, Florida]] was granted {{US patent|6681419}} for a "Forehead support apparatus". The abstract of the patent makes it clear that this is "...for resting a standing users forehead against a wall above a bathroom commode or urinal or beneath a showerhead." The abstract continues: *:"The apparatus includes a mounting member adapted for attachment to an upright bathroom wall either above the commode or urinal or below the showerhead. A compressible head support member is attached to and extends from the wall and said mounting member. The head support defines an elastically deformable or resilient forehead support surface which is spaced above the floor and from the wall a distance sufficient for the user to lean his forehead thereagainst and be supported while using the commode or urinal." * [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]], [[New York]] Police adopt Talking Urinals in a unique Anti-Drunk Driving initiative. Utilizing Wizmark, a talking urinal screen, police can provide bars with free pre-programmed urinal screens urging patrons not to drink and drive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wizmark.com][http://www.policemag.com/t_newspick.cfm?rank=76670|title=http://www.wizmark.com][http://www.policemag.com/t_newspick.cfm?rank=76670}}</ref> * The [[bullet]] damaged [[brick wall]] from the [[St. Valentines Day Massacre]] was disassembled where it had been originally constructed at 2122 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=2122+N+Clark+Street,+Chicago,+IL|title=http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=2122+N+Clark+Street,+Chicago,+IL}}</ref> and reassembled in men's restroom of a bar called Banjo Palace in [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] where it served as a urinal wall. * [[Ernest Hemingway]] converted a urinal from [[Sloppy Joe's]] bar into a water fountain for his cats. The fountain remains a prominent feature at his former home in [[Key West]], [[Florida]]; which remains a popular tourist destination in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/house.htm|title=http://www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/house.htm}}</ref> *One example of urinals in popular culture was in a 1990 episode of the sitcom ''[[Roseanne (TV series)|Roseanne]]''. Roseanne Conner is dressed as a man for [[Halloween]] and is somehow forced into using a urinal. While doing so, she looks at and talks loudly to the men next to her, and when she gets silence and uncomfortable looks in return, she then looks straight ahead, and says: "Oh, I get it! It's like an elevator!" In the late 1990s, a similar gag was used on ''[[Third Rock from the Sun]]'', when [[Sally Solomon]] and [[Dick Solomon]] switch bodies, and Sally (in Dick's body) has to use a urinal alongside Officer Don (Sally's boyfriend). *Some urinals for men incorporate ''fly targets:'' images of flies that are either printed on labels stuck to the inside of the urinal or embossed directly into the porcelain. Men often feel a compulsion to aim their urine stream at the fly, and thus the fly target helps prevent men from urinating outside the basin or bowl of the urinal. Maintenance crews at [[Schiphol]] airport in Amsterdam reported in 2005 that adding a fly target to urinals reduced bathroom cleaning costs by giving men something to aim at. The urinals at terminal 4 of [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] in New York City have a fly target in the urinals. These are replaced every month because they slide off. *Urinals are mentioned briefly by [[George Carlin]] ([[wikiquote:George Carlin|Wikiquote]]) in his routine about sports, in which he comments, about [[ice hockey]], that "the only other place you'll find a [[urinal cake|puck]] is in the urinal to control the smell in the bathroom." In an earlier album he relates how important it is to "wetdown" all the dry spots on the porcelain, and how Kent cigarattes with the Micronite filter are the hardest to break up by urinating on them - requiring "...three men and a keg of beer." *''[[Pissoir]]'', retitled ''Urinal'' in some countries, was the first feature film directed by [[John Greyson]]. It was released in 1980 and takes place where you might expect. *[[Gabriel Chevallier]]'s 1934 satirical novel ''[[Clochemerle]]'' deals with the ramifications over plans to install a new urinal in a French village. *The aircraft manufacturer [[Airbus]] wil be offering its customers the option of installing urinals in its [[A380]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/04/10/222871/a380-male-urinals-to-become-bog-standard.html|title=A380 male urinals to become 'bog standard'}}</ref> == Social aspects of urinals == {{Unreferencedsection|date=July 2008}} Conduct in urinals varies widely across cultures and sexes. In some western societies, men do not address each other while urinating and do not stare at others who are urinating, although, some men will continue a conversation with a friend, while only shifting their eyes and not staring the other male's genitals. In [[USA]], staring at someone's genitals at a urinal is an offer for oral [[sex]], irrespective of the sexual orientation of the beholder or the object {{Fact|date=July 2008}}. In [[Japan]], staring at someone at the urinal is to be completely avoided, starers are deemed as committing [[sexual harassment]] and are [[prosecuted]]. In [[China]], staring at each other at the urinal and comparing is deemed a sort of [[camaraderie]] and to share tips of [[STD prevention]]. It is also considered proper to wash one's hands after urinating. In [[UK]] and [[Germany]], upon urination, men let drip their penises and wash their hands with soap upon urination. In [[Europe]], especially in [[France]], [[Italy]] and [[Spain]] (less so in [[Germany]]), where water is scarce, most users swing their genitals upon use or to squeeze, swing and clean the final drops out of the penis upon urination, with no contact to the urine and without washing their hands. In [[China]], users [[drip]] upon urination without washing their hands. In [[Muslim]] societies, men wash their hands after urination. In [[Singapore]], men do not spit at their penises (unless they are foreign-born), but drip and wash their hands with water and soap upon urination. In [[Hong Kong]], men exit the toilet upon a speedy release without dripping, squeezing, swinging their genitals or washing their hands. In [[Australia]], due to scarce water supply in areas like [[Brisbane]], men squeeze, swing their genitals upon urination, but do not spit (since most of their urinals are waterless, spitting saliva can damage the sealant) on their genitals and do not wash their hands. In [[Jewish]] culture, because all men are circumcised, like most American men, they squeeze and drip but don't have to swing their penises. Because the Jewish religion emphasizes cleanliness, all Jewish men wash their hands with at least water upon urination, and some others with [[soap]]. In African cultures, most [[men]] swing and exit. Due to lack of water and sanitation, hand washing is not an option, unlike the sanitation opportunities offered to the male African-American population. In some societies, it is the custom for a man to wipe his penis with toilet paper or equivalent after urinating. That custom causes problems in many western restrooms, since urinals rarely have wastebaskets (dustbins) adjacent to them. The paper user thus deposits his used paper in the urinal, causing it to clog, overflow, and make much of the restroom unusable. ==Manufacturers== Some manufacturers of urinals are: * [[Addicom]] * [[American Standard Brands]] * [[Armitage Shanks]] * [[Dongfeng]] * [[Falcon Waterfree Technologies]] * [[Gustavsberg]] * [[Ifö Sanitär AB]] * [[Kohler Company]] * [[Siam Cement]] * [[TOTO (company)|TOTO Ltd.]] * [[Villeroy & Boch]] * [[Zurn]] == References == {{reflist|2}} == See also == * [[Ecological sanitation]] * [[Female urination device]] * [[Outhouse]] * [[Pay toilet]] * [[Pissoir]] * [[Plumbing fixture]]s * [[Plumbing]] * [[Sanistand]] * [[Sanitation]] * [[The Urinals]] (music group) * [[Toilet]] * [[Water closet]]s == External links == *[http://www.urinal.net Collection of urinals worldwide] (eg [http://www.urinal.net/main_st_sta/ Berlin wall], [http://www.urinal.net/naturescall/ flowers] and at the [http://www.urinal.net/south_pole/ South Pole]) *[http://www.falconwaterfree.com/how/index.htm How waterfree urinals work] *[http://www.ecourinalcartridge.com/ Eco Urinal Cartridge system] *[http://ganimede.transboys.info/stp.html Guide to urinal use by female-bodied people] *[http://www.pulppackage.com/english-pulpmolded-Disposable%20Receptacles.htm Photos of Pulp Urinals made by recycled pulp] *[http://www.urinalology.net Urinal etiquette, classification and typology] from urinalology.net.] *[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_255.html Urinals for women] from [[The Straight Dope]]. [[Category:Restrooms]] [[Category:toilets]] [[Category:Plumbing]] [[bg:Писоар]] [[cs:Pisoár]] [[da:Urinal]] [[de:Urinal]] [[es:Mingitorio]] [[fr:Urinoir]] [[he:משתנה (מתקן)]] [[nl:Urinoir]] [[no:Pissoar]] [[pl:Pisuar]] [[pt:Mictório]] [[ksh:Sikkenß]] [[ru:Писсуар]] [[sk:Pisoár]] [[fi:Pisoaari]] [[sv:Urinoar]] [[uk:Пісуар]] [[zh:小便器]]