Jul 12 2007
Kohler Co., a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology, announces that its KOHLER® Cimarron Comfort Height™ toilet with Class Five™ flushing technology has earned the distinguished New Product Award in a national competition sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). Kohler competed in the mega-sized company category, with past product winners in this category having been the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Mercedes Benz M-Class All Activity Vehicle and Boeing 777 jumbo jet. It is the second time that Kohler has won the best New Product Award from NSPE, having done so in 1998 with its KOHLER 18 horsepower OHC gasoline-powered utility engine.
ach year, NPSE judges innovative products – first recognized as being the best at the state level – to select four that exemplify excellence. The NPSE’s Professional Engineers in Industry (PEI) awards are evaluated on engineering research, design and overall impact on the national economy.
“Kohler has always prided itself on being an engineering leader, whether the product is as seemingly simple as a toilet or as complex as an engine,” said Cynthia Bachmann, vice president of engineering for Kohler Co. “Tenacious engineering can elevate a product to the forefront of its industry.”
The KOHLER Cimarron Comfort Height toilet with Class Five technology, which was engineered from the beginning for extraordinary bulk flushing performance, began with a team of engineers intent upon creating a superior toilet. The consumer and trade mindset several years ago was that a powerful and reliable flush could only be achieved using former flushing technologies that used 3.5 gallons of water and that the federally mandated 1.6 gpf toilets of the time weren’t making the grade. With the introduction of Class Five technology, Kohler erased this misconception that a powerful flush requires a high volume of water – in fact it can be achieved with as little as 1.4 gallons of water.
More than just raw flushing power, the KOHLER Cimarron Comfort Height toilet also features some of the industry’s most advanced design elements as demonstrated by the two patents it holds. In addition to patented technology, the toilet’s Class Five technology features a 3 1/4-inch flush valve, an efficient direct-fed jet, a fully glazed 2 1/8-inch trapway, and a best-in-class 11- by 10-inch water spot. It also features both a standard 1.6-gallon flush and a water-saving 1.4-gallon flush. It is estimated that a family of four using the 1.4-gallon flush would save 2,000 gallons of water annually.
After addressing flushing performance, the Kohler engineering team also carefully considered the installation process and ergonomics of the toilet. The Cimarron toilet features Drylock™ installation technology which allows both professionals and homeowners to assemble and install the toilet quickly while eliminating potential leaks or tank breakage. The Cimarron toilet also features Comfort Height seating – a comfortable chair-height level of just over 17 inches that is accommodating for people of all sizes and statures. Additionally, most Comfort Height toilets comply with the height requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We are proud that the Cimarron toilet and Class Five technology have been recognized among such an impressive list of award winners and for the awareness that a toilet – which again would appear inherently simple with few moving parts – requires precise engineering in order to achieve optimal performance,” added Bachmann.