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  Toilet flusher with novel valves and controlsUSPTO Application #: 20060101566Title: Toilet flusher with novel valves and controls Abstract: A tank-type flusher includes an intake valve, i.e., a fill valve, a diaphragm-operated flush valve, and a pressure control mechanism. The intake valve is connected to an external water source and is constructed to close water flow to a water storage tank at about a predefined water level in the water tank. The diaphragm-operated flush valve is constructed to control a flush valve member between a seated state and an unseated state allowing water discharge from the water tank into a toilet bowl. There is a diaphragm, separating a flush-valve chamber and a pilot chamber, arranged to seal the flush-valve chamber and thereby maintain pressure forcing the flush valve member to the seated state preventing the water discharge from the water storage tank to the toilet bowl. The pressure control mechanism is constructed and arranged, upon actuation, to reduce pressure in the pilot chamber of the diaphragm-operated flush valve to cause deformation of the diaphragm and thereby reduce pressure in the flush-valve chamber causing the water discharge. (end of abstract)
Agent: Ivan David Zitkovsky Ph.d PC - Lexington, MA, US Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Fatih Guler, Kay Herbert, David Hadley, Robert Shamitz USPTO Applicaton #: 20060101566 - Class: 004354000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Baths, Closets, Sinks, And Spittoons, Flush Closet, Tank Only, Pressure Tank The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060101566. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/441,151, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,976, filed May 19, 2003, which is a continuation of PCT Application PCT/US01/43273, filed Nov. 20, 2001; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/716,870, filed Nov. 20, 2000; and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/761,408, filed Jan. 16, 2001; and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/761,533, entitled filed Jan. 16, 2001; and is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application PCT/US01/11384, filed Apr. 6, 2001; and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/957,761 filed Sep. 21, 2001. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention is directed to toilet flushing. It finds particular, although not exclusive, application in automatic tank-type flushers. [0004] 2. Background Information [0005] The art of toilet flushers is an old and mature one. (We use the term toilet here in its broad sense, encompassing what are variously referred to as toilets, water closets, urinals, etc.) While many innovations and refinements in this art have resulted in a broad range of approaches, flush systems can still be divided into two general types. The first is the gravity type, which is used in most American domestic applications. The gravity type uses the pressure resulting from water stored in a tank to flush the bowl and provide the siphoning action by which the bowl's contents are drawn from it. The second type is the pressurized flusher, which uses line pressure more or less directly to perform flushing. [0006] Some pressure-type flushers are of the tank type. Such flushers employ pressure tanks to which the main water-inlet conduit communicates. Water from the main inlet conduit fills the pressure tank to the point at which air in the tank reaches the main-conduit static pressure. When the system flushes, the water is driven from the tank at a pressure that is initially equal to that static pressure, without reduction by the main conduit's flow resistance. Other pressure-type flushers use no pressure tank, and the main conduit's flow resistance therefore reduces the initial flush pressure. [0007] While flush-mechanism triggering has historically been performed manually, there is also a long history of interest in automatic operation. Particularly in the last couple of decades, moreover, this interest has resulted in many practical installations that have obtained the cleanliness and other benefits that automatic operation affords. As a consequence, a considerable effort has been expended in providing flush mechanisms that are well adapted to automatic operation. Automatic operation is well known in pressure-type flushers of the non-tank variety, but gravity-type flushers and pressurized flushers of the tank variety have also been adapted to automatic operation. [0008] European Patent Publication EPO 0 828 103 A1 illustrates a typical gravity arrangement. The flush-valve member is biased to a closed position, in which it prevents water in the tank from flowing to the bowl. A piston in the valve member's shaft is disposed in a cylinder. A pilot valve controls communication between the main (pressurized) water source and the cylinder. When the toilet is to be flushed, only the small amount of energy required for pilot-valve operation is expended. The resultant opening of the pilot valve admits line pressure into the cylinder. That pressure exerts a relatively large force against the piston and thereby opens the valve against bias-spring force. Pilot valves have similarly been employed to adapt pressure-type flushers to automatic operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] According to another aspect, a tank-type flusher includes an intake valve (i.e., a fill valve), a diaphragm-operated flush valve, and a pressure control mechanism. The intake valve is connected to an external water source and is constructed to close water flow to a water storage tank at about a predefined water level in the water tank. The diaphragm-operated flush valve is constructed to control a flush valve member between a seated state and an unseated state allowing water discharge from the water tank into a toilet bowl. There is a diaphragm, separating a flush-valve chamber and a pilot chamber, arranged to seal the flush-valve chamber and thereby maintain pressure forcing the flush valve member to the seated state preventing the water discharge from the water storage tank to the toilet bowl. The pressure control mechanism is constructed and arranged, upon actuation, to reduce pressure in the pilot chamber of the diaphragm-operated flush valve to cause deformation of the diaphragm and thereby reduce pressure in the flush-valve chamber causing the water discharge. [0010] Preferred embodiments of this aspect include one or more of the following features: The intake valve includes a float constructed and arranged without any fixed coupling to any valve member. The intake valve includes a float arranged to freely float within a float cage and to block a relief orifice at the predefined water level. [0011] The pressure control mechanism is controlled by a solenoid. The flush valve member is constructed to move linearly within a flush valve housing. The flush-valve chamber is arranged to receive water pressure from the external source and to prevent the water discharge utilizing at least a portion of the water pressure. [0012] According to another aspect, a tank-type flusher includes an intake valve (i.e., a fill valve), and a diaphragm-operated flush valve. The intake valve is constructed to close water flow from an external water source to a water storage tank when there is a predefined water level in the water tank. The intake valve includes a float constructed and arranged to freely float within a float cage. The diaphragm-operated flush valve includes a flush-valve chamber, wherein the diaphragm-operated flush valve is constructed to open upon actuation to discharge water into a toilet bowl from the water tank. [0013] According to yet another aspect, a tank-type flusher includes an intake valve, and a diaphragm-operated flush valve. The intake valve is connected to an external water source and is constructed to close water flow to a water storage tank at about a predefined water level in the water tank. The flush valve is constructed to control position of a flush valve member movable between a seated state and an unseated state allowing water discharge from the water tank into a toilet bowl, wherein the flush valve member is biased to the unseated state by a bias member and is forced to the seated state by at least a portion of water pressure from the external source. [0014] Preferred embodiments of this aspect include one or more of the following features: The intake valve and the flush valve are located within a single housing. The flush-valve chamber is arranged to receive water pressure from the external source and is arranged to prevent the water discharge utilizing at least a portion of the water pressure. [0015] The diaphragm-operated flush valve may be controlled by a solenoid. The water tank may be an exposed water tank or a concealed water tank located behind a wall. The intake valve enables a variable water level in the tank. [0016] The tank-type flusher may include a vacuum breaker arranged to prevent transfer of water from the tank to a water supply. [0017] The tank-type flusher may include a manual actuator constructed and arranged to actuate the flush valve. The manual actuator may be a push button actuator. The push button actuator is constructed to actuate the flush valve enabling a dual water volume flush. The push button actuator is constructed to actuate hydraulically the flush valve. [0018] The tank-type flusher may include an automatic actuator constructed and arranged to actuate the flush valve. The automatic actuator is constructed to be triggered by a sensor. The sensor may register presence of an object or movement of an object. The sensor may be an optical sensor. The automatic actuator may be constructed to actuate the flush valve enabling a dual water volume flush. The automatic actuator may be located outside of the water tank and is constructed to actuate hydraulically the flush valve. [0019] The tank-type flusher may include a check valve arranged to reduce variation of closing pressure depending on water line pressure. The tank-type flusher may include a pressure compensated flow regulator. The tank-type flusher may include a wiper seal co-operatively arranged with the flush valve to prevent water leaking into the toilet bowl. The tank-type flusher may include a vent for controlling odor. [0020] We have invented novel gravity-type and pressure-type flush mechanisms. In the case of the gravity-type flush valve, we have recognized that operation can be made more repeatable by simply employing a configuration that is the reverse of the one described in the above-mentioned European patent publication. Specifically, we bias our flush valve to its unseated state, in which it permits flow from the tank to the bowl, and we use line pressure to hold the flush valve shut rather than to open it. We have recognized that this approach makes it very simple to have a repeatable valve-opening profile. Also, high line pressure actually aids in preventing leakage through the flush valve, rather than tending to reduce the effectiveness of the flush-valve seal. Since the toilet's suction generation is principally dependent on that profile, and since our approach makes the bias mechanism essentially the sole determinant of that profile, our approach enables this aspect of flush operation to be largely independent of line pressure. [0021] We have also recognized that pressure-type flush systems adapted for automatic operation can be simplified by providing a pressure-relief passage that extends through the flush-valve member itself. Specifically, part or the entire valve member is disposed in a pressure chamber, into which line pressure is admitted. This pressure overcomes a bias force and holds the valve member in its seated position, in which it prevents flow from the pressurized-liquid source into the bowl. To open the flush valve, it is necessary to relieve the pressure in the pressure chamber by venting it into some unpressurized space. Rather than follow the conventional approach of providing an additional pressure-relief exit from the flush mechanism, we use the flush outlet for pressure relief by providing a pressure-relief conduit that extends from the pressure chamber through the flush-valve member itself. A pressure-relief mechanism ordinarily prevents flow through this pressure-relief conduit, but it permits such flow when the toilet is to be flushed. [0022] In both pressure- and gravity-type systems, much of the mechanism employed to operate the flush valve is typically local to the wet region. That is, it is inside the pressure vessel in the case of a pressure-type system, and it is in the tank below the high-water line in case of a gravity-type system. For automatic operation, though, at least some part, such as a lens used as part of an object sensor to collect light reflected from the object, is disposed at a remote location. So there is some communication between the local and remote regions. This communication may be totally hydraulic, wherein a pressure-relief line extends from the local region to a remote region outside the pressure vessel or outside the part of the tank interior. A remote valve controls a pressure-relief line for controlling the flush valve's operation. In this embodiment, there is no need for a sealed enclosure for the electrical components. Continue reading... Full patent description for Toilet flusher with novel valves and controls Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Toilet flusher with novel valves and controls patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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