Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
-
The present invention relates to lavatory systems
employing remotely actuated flush valves. A primary purpose
of the invention is to provide a lavatory system that may
be used in prisons and other potentially vandalized areas.
Another purpose is to provide such a lavatory
system that employs a self-closing faucet so that the users
of the lavatory cannot leave the water running indefinitely.
Another purpose is to provide such a lavatory
system using flush valve mechanisms which are located behind
a wall to prevent tampering with the valves by the users.
Another purpose is to provide an improved flush
valve mechanism for use in such lavatory systems.
Another purpose is to provide such a flush valve
mechanism that is inexpensive to manufacture.
Another purpose is to provide such a flush valve
mechanism that is compact in design and that saves water.
Another purpose is to provide such a flush valve
mechanism that can be actuated by either mechanical or ho-
draulic means using the same basic valve body interchange-
able for both such actuating means.
Another purpose is to provide such a lavatory
system that is relatively easy to install without requiring
accurate roughing-in measurements.
Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specie
ligation, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of a typical plumbing install
lotion of the disclosed lavatory system employing mechanical
actuating means.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a typical plumbing in-
stallation of the lavatory system employing mechanical
actuating means.
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FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view ox the lavatory
system of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the flush
valve mechanism with mechanical force-exerting means.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of a mechanic
eel remote actuating unit.
FIG. 6 is a partial top view of a typical plumbing
installation of the disclosed lavatory system employing
a hydraulic actuating means.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a typical plumbing in-
stallation of the lavatory system using hydraulic actuating
means.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the lava-
tory system of FIG. 6 taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6.
FIG. g is a partial cross-sectional view of the
flush valve mechanism with hydraulic force exerting means.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the
hydraulic remote actuating unit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention it concerned with a lava-
tory system for use in prisons and other areas subject to
potential vandalism. It effectively deals with the problems
of vandalism, tampering, and waste by providing a system
employing remotely-actuated self-closing flush valve mock-
anises: the user receives a predetermined volume of water
upon actuation of the system, after which the valves auto-
magically stop the flow of water: and the flush valves are
held behind the wall upon which the lavatory sink is mounted,
minimizing the possibility that the valves could be tampered
with or vandalized. The disclosed system is also relatively
easy to install since accurate roughing-in measurements are
not required. And since the flush valve mechanisms employed
are compact and inexpensive to manufacture, the cost of
Sue
the disclosed lavatory system is minimized.
The disclosed lavatory system includes two flush
valve mechanisms connected to a single spout. Each flush
valve has a remote actuating unit associated with it. One
flush valve may be used as a hot water supply, thy other
as a cold water supply.
Two embodiments of the lavatory system are disk
closed: one employs mechanical actuating means, one employs
hydraulic actuating means. The same basic flush valve mock-
anise is used in both embodiments because the mechanical and hydraulic force-exerting parts are interchangeable.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical installation of a
mechanically-actuated prison lavatory system 10. A first
flush valve mechanism 12 and a second flush valve mechanism
14 are both connected to a central conduit 16 which delivers
water to a spout 18. A first remote actuating unit 20 is
operably connected by mechanical means to first flush valve
mechanism 12. A second mechanical remote actuating unit
22 is also mechanically connected to its associated flush
valve mechanism 14. Both remote actuators are located on
the outer surface of a lavatory sink 24, the sink being
mounted on a wall 26 by means of mounting nuts I and mounting
bolts 30. Lavatory sink 24 is preferably made of an inferring-
isle material such as stainless steel so that the potential
for damage from vandalism is further reduced.
Flush valve 12 may be connected to a hot water
supply and flush valve 14 may be connected to a cold water
supply. Thus, the user of the lavatory may choose to no-
chive only hot water from spout 18 by actuating only the
first mechanical remote actuating unit. Or the user may
choose to receive only cold water by actuating only the
second mechanical remote actuating unit. Or the user may
choose to receive a mixture of hot and cold water by actuating
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both remote actuating units.
Means for mounting slush valves 12, 14 on the
side of wall 26 opposite the side on which lavatory sink
24 is mounted are also provided so that the flush valves
are not accessible to the user of the sink. In the pro-
furred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this mourlting means come
proses a mounting member 32 having a first surface 34 for
supporting the flush valves. Mounting member 32 has a
second surface 36 which is substantially orthogonal to the
first surface, the second surface being held in a face-to-
face relationship with the wall by mounting nuts 28 and
mounting bolts 30.
Each flush valve mechanism 12, 14 has two inlet
ports 38 either of which may be used for receiving the water
supply. In the lavatory system employing mechanical actual
tying means shown in FIG. 1, only one inlet port 38 is Utah-
lived on each valve mechanism, the other inlet port being
sealed off.
As shown in FIG. 2, each flush valve mechanism
12, 14 has an outlet port 39 connected to central conduit
16. Thus, the outputs of both valve mechanisms share the
common conduit and exit from the single spout 18.
As shown in both FIGS. 2 and I valve mechanisms
12, 14 are each bolted to mounting member 32. The mounting
member is substantially shopped in cross-section. Its
surface area is great enough to cover the aperture 41 in
the wall 26.
Both the first 12 and the second 14 flush valve
mechanisms are the same. A typical cross section of a
mechanically-actuated flush valve mechanism is shown in
FIG. 4. Flush valve mechanism 12 has a hollow body 40
having an inlet 42 and an outlet 44. The hollow body is
interchangeable and may be used for both the mechanical
31 SLY
and the hydraulic actuated lavatory systems. Within the
hollow body of the valve mechanism, an annular main valve`
seat 46 is formed upstream from outlet 44. A hollow piston
assembly 48 normally rests upon and closes main valve seat
46. The piston assembly includes a bypass 50 and a bypass
ring 52.
Bypass ring 52 encircles the piston assembly,
filtering the water entering from the inlet, and allowing
the filtered waxer to communicate with bypass 50. The struck
lure and function of the bypass ring 52 are the same aesthete disclosed in US. Pat. No. 4,285,361, issued to Lucy
25 August 1981~
Means for sealing the piston assembly with the
wall of the hollow body is also provided. As shown in FIG.
4, this sealing means comprises a rubber packing ring 54.
It provides a water-tight seal between the inlet and an
upper pressure chamber 56, but allows piston assembly 48
to reciprocate within hollow body 40. The upper pressure
I chamber is defined by piston assembly and a cap 57 which
I , is screwed iota the body 40 of the flush valve.
Separating the inlet 42 from the outlet 44 of
the flush valve mechanism is a throat 58~ Normally extend-
in into throat 58 is a cylindrical portion 60 of the piston
assembly 48. This cylindrical portion has a slot 62 through
which inlet water passes when the flush valve is opened.
Within piston assembly 48 is a relief valve seat
64 comprising an annular recess 66 and a sealing ring 68
fitted into the recess. The relief valve seat normally
has a relief valve assembly 70 closed upon it
Relief valve assembly 70 comprises a bell-shaped
relief valve head 72 having a threaded bore 74 along its
central axis. The bore 74 extends substantially to crown
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76 of relief valve head 72. The cap 57 has a bell-shaped
recess for receiving the bell-shaped relief valve head 720
The bore 74 of the relief valve head 72 threadedly
engages a stem 78. The stem depends from the relief valve
head. The length of the stem depending from the relief
valve head is adjustable by the extent to which tune stem
is screwed into the relief valve head. The stem has a tote-
sloping part 80 which can reciprocate along the axis ox
the stem.
Means for exerting force on the stem 78 is pro-
voided so that relief valve assembly 70 can be tilted off
relief valve seat 64 when force is exerted on stem 78.
In the preferred embodiment, the force exerting means come
proses a reciprocable plunger 82 proximate to the stem.
The preferred force exerting means further comprises means
for transmitting force to the reciprocable plunger from
remote actuating unit 20.
Reciprocable plunger 82 and the force transmitting
means are held in the lower portion 84 of flush valve body
Jo. this portion of the body has a threaded bore 86~ into
which a threaded cap 87 is screwed. The threaded cap 87
may have flatted sides so that a wrench or the like may
be easily applied thereto. The same valve body 40 may be
used interchangeably with either a hydraulic or a mechanical
force-exerting means. But a different threaded cap 87 is
used in the two systems.
A mechanical force-exerting means is shown in
FIG. 4. A rubber sealing cap 88 is snapped on the end of
a bushing 90. The sealing cap prevents leakage of water
outward from the outlet of the flush valve. Bushing 90
guides and supports plunger 82, and has a sealing ring 92
to further prevent leakage.
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Reciprocable plunger 82 in the mechanical force
exerting means has a flat head 94. The flat head is acted
upon by the means for transmitting force from the remote
actuating unit.
In the preferred embodiment of the lavatory system
employing mechanical actuating means, the force-transmitting
means comprises a mushroom-shaped nut 96 having a threaded
central bore 98 and a head 100 which contacts flat head
94 of reciprocable plunger 82. The mushroom-shaped nut
extends through a central bore in threaded cap 87. The
nut may have flatted sides 104 so that a wrench or the like
is easily applied thereto. The force-transmitting means
further comprises a threaded push rod 102. The push rod
is screwed into mushroom-shaped nut 96 and extends therefrom
to remote actuating unit 20. read 94 of reciprocable plunger
82 is biased against the mushroom-shaped nut by a restoring
spring 106.
FIG. 5 shows a typical mechanical remote actuating
unit 20. The threaded push rod 102 is screwed into a threaded
central bore of a hex nut 110 which is held within a push-
button 112. The push-button extends outward from a button
base 114. A second restoring spring 116 acts against an
annular shoulder 118 of the pushbutton, biasing the push
button, and thereby push rod 102, towards flush valve 12.
It should be noted that it is not necessary that
push rod 102 be cut to an exact length prior to its install
Lyon. Instead, the push rod may be cut to the approximate
length desired and then adjusted to the correct length by
the degree to which it is screwed into mushroom-shaped nut
96 and hex nut 110. Thus, accurate roughing-in measurements
are not required, facilitating installation of the system.
Tie rods 120 are threaded into the body of button
base 114 and extend therefrom through aperture 41 and second
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surface 36 of mounting member 32. The tie rods are bolted
against mounting member 32 to hold the remote actuating
unit firmly against the lavatory sink.
Alternatively, the lavatory system may employ
hydraulic actuating means. A hydraulic-actuated lavatory
system 122 is shown in FIGS. 6-10. This embodiment includes
two flush valve mechanisms: a first flush valve mechanism
124 and a second flush valve mechanism 126. Both flush
valves connect to a central conduit 128 which connects to
a spout 130 mounted on a lavatory sink 132. The first flush
valve is operably connected to a first hydraulic remote
actuating unit 134. The second flush valve is operably
connected to a second hydraulic remote actuating unit 136.
As in the mechanically-actuated prison lavatory
system, first flush valve 124 may be connected to a hot
water supply, and second flush valve 126 may be connected
to a cold water supply. Thus, the user of the lavatory
may choose to receive only hot water from the spout by actual
tying only the first hydraulic remote actuating unit. Or
the user may choose to receive only cold water by actuating
only the second hydraulic remote actuating unit. Or the
user may choose to receive a mixture of hot and cold water
by actuating both remote actuating units.
As in the mechanically-actuated prison lavatory
system, lavatory sin 132 is mounted on a wall 138 by means
of mounting nuts 140 and mounting bolts 142. Flush valves
124, 126 are mounted on the side of the wall opposite the
lavatory sink. Thus, the flush valves are not accessible
to the user of the lavatory sink.
Both flush valves are mounted on a mounting member
144 having a first surface 146 and a second surface 148
substantially orthogonal to each other. The first surface
holds the flush valves. The second surface is held in a
go _
I
face-to-face relationship with wall 138 by mounting nuts
140 and mounting bolts 142. The surface area of the second
surface 148 is great enough to cover the aperture 149 in
the wall.
In this embodiment, the force-transmitting means
includes a hydraulic element 150 for each remote actuating
unit 134, 136. Each hydraulic element is operably connected
to a remote actuating unit and extends therefrom through
the wall and mounting member 144. Each hydraulic element
includes an inlet port 152 and an outlet port 154. Inlet
port 152 is connected by a flexible inlet tube 156 to the
flush valve, to receive the water supply from the flush
valve. Outlet port 154 is connected by flexible outlet
tube 158 to the flush valve to deliver water pressure to
the valve so that force is exerted on the stem to actuate
the valve. The lengths of flexible tubing are firmly con-
netted to their respective ports by means of suitable come
press ion fittings. Since flexible tubing is used to connect
the flush valves to their respective hydraulic elements,
accurate roughing in measurements are not necessary and
installation is facilitated.
As shown in FIG. 6, each flush valve has two inlet
ports: a first inlet port 160 and a second inlet port 162.
The two ports are connected. One of the inlet ports, for
example the first inlet port receives the water supply.
The other inlet port, for example the second inlet port,
is connected to the inlet tube 156. Through this inter-
connection, water pressure supplied by the flush valve is
always present at the inlet port 152 of hydraulic element
150.
Outlet port 154 of hydraulic element 150 is con-
netted by outlet tube 158 to lower portion 164 of flush
valve body 40. The outlet port and the outlet tube are
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6261
normally at zero supply line pressure.
Within hydraulic element 150, a passage connects
inlet port 152 and outlet port 154. The passage is normally
closed to seal the inlet from the outlet but is openable
upon actuation by the remote actuating unit. When opened,
the passage provides a fluid flow path between the inlet
and the outlet of the hydraulic element so that pressure
from the inlet is delivered to outlet port 154 and conveyed
through outlet tube 158 to the flush valve to cause opera-
lion of the valve. The interior of the hydraulic element has not been shown because it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that any suitable valve will suffice.
As shown in FIX. 8, remote actuating unit 134
is mounted on the front surface of the lavatory sink. The
remote actuating unit is connected to hydraulic element
150, which element extends rearwardly through the wall and
through an aperture in second surface 148 of mounting member
1~4. Also extending from hydraulic element 150 is a threaded
tie rod 166 which also passes through a hole in a U-shaped
mounting bracket 168. The legs of the mounting bracket
straddle the hydraulic element and bear against mounting
member 144. A clamping nut 170 is threaded onto tie rod
166 against spacer 172 so that remote actuating unit 134
is firmly held to the front surface of the lavatory sink.
FIG. 9 shows the hydraulic means for exerting
force on stem 78 of relief valve assembly 70, the force-
exerting means comprising a reciprocable plunger 174 and
hydraulic means for transmitting force from the remote
actuating unit to the plunger. A threaded cap 17~ is screwed
onto the body of the flush valve and has a threaded passage
178 which is connected to outlet tube 158 by means of a
compression fitting (not shown) so that water pressure may
be transmitted from outlet port 154 of hydraulic element
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150 to plunger 174.
Water pressure from outlet tube 158 acts upon
a piston 180. The piston is slid able within the body of
the flush valve. It has a pressure side 181 upon which
the water pressure is exerted. The pressure side 181 of
the piston has small bumps 182 which space the piston 180
away from threaded cap 176. By so spacing the piston away
from the threaded cap, the area of the pressure side of
the piston exposed to the water pressure is maximized.
This spacing also enables drainage from passage 178 through
an orifice 184 in piston 180.
On the surface of piston 180 opposite pressure
side 181, there is a backing plate 186 attached to plunger
174. A second orifice 188 in the backing plate is aligned
with orifice 184 in the piston. The two orifices provide
a pressure drop across the piston to insure its positive
operation when pressure is exerted on the pressure side
of the piston. The body of the flush valve has a drain
189 so that the water which has drained through the two
orifices can drain through to outlet 44 of the flush valve.
Together, the drain and two orifices comprise a preferred
means for reducing pressure from the outlet port, the fluid
from the outlet port being thereby expelled into the outlet
of the flush valve mechanism so that the piston can return
to its initial at-rest position and so that the outlet port
and outlet tube can again be at zero supply line pressure.
Reciprocable plunger 174 passes through a bushing
190 which guides the plunger in its movement. The plunger
is encircled by a restoring spring 192 which extends between
the backing plate 186 of the piston 180 and bushing 190.
The restoring spring biases the plunger away from stem 78
of the relief valve assembly.
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A sealing gasket 194 is provided to prevent leak-
age from the juncture of body 40 and threaded cap 176.
FIG. 10 shows remote actuating unit 134 used with
hydraulic element 150. The remote actuating unit is threaded
onto the hydraulic element The hydraulic element includes
a reciprocable stem 196 held within a stem bushing 198.
A reciprocal push button 200 acts on the stem. A first
restoring spring 202 biases the push button away from the
reciprocal stem.
Push button 200 has a shoulder 204 which prevents
the push button from being pulled out of button base 206.
The push button has a central bore which holds a driving
member 208. The driving member can reciprocate within the
central bore. The driving member is biased by a second
restoring spring 210 against an annular abutment 212.
The design of the remote actuating unit minimizes
damage to the hydraulic element 150 if the user of the lava-
tory sink pushes too hard on the button because two restoring
springs 202, 210 can absorb some of the shock.
I OPERATION
In the ordinary operation of the mechanically-
actuated prison lavatory system shown in FIGS. 1-5, the
user of the lavatory pushes against push buttons 112 on
one or both of the remote actuating units 20,22, depending
upon whether only hot, only cold, or a mixture of hot and
cold water is desired.
By pressing the push button, push rod 102 and
mushroom-shaped nut 96 are pushed towards reciprocable
plunger 82. read 100 of the mushroom-shaped nut engages
head 94 of the reciprocal plunger. By pressing the push
button, head 100 of nut 96 forces the reciprocal plunger
against telescoping element 80 of stem 78.
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The movement of the stem tips bullwhipped relief
valve head 72 off of sealing ring 68 of relief valve seat
64. By opening the relief valve, the water in upper pros-
sure chamber 56 is released through hollow piston assembly
48. With the release of the water from the upper pressure
chamber, the water pressure from inlet 42 raises the piston
assembly off of main valve seat 46. Inlet water then flows
through slot Ç2 in the piston assembly, and through throat
58 to outlet 44. From the outlet, the water flows through
lo central conduit 16, and there through to spout 18, where
it is delivered to the user of lavatory sink 24.
The water from inlet 42 must pass through slots
I in the piston assembly to reach throat 58 of the valve.
Thus, the slots serve to restrict the flow through the valve
and thereby to maintain the water pressure upstream of the
restriction. So long as the water pressure at the inlet
exceeds the pressure in the upper pressure chamber, the
piston assembly will not close upon the main valve seat.
When the piston assembly has risen a sufficient
distance, reciprocable plunger 82 no longer acts on stem
78. Bell-shaped relief valve head 72 may then close upon
relief valve seat 64, closing off upper pressure chamber
56.
The pressure differential between inlet 42 and
upper pressure chamber 56 causes water to flow to the upper
pressure chamber by passing through bypass ring 52 and then
through bypass 50. The bypass ring filters this water to
prevent any sediments from clogging the bypass; it also
times the passage of water into the upper pressure chamber.
Gradually, the upper pressure chamber is filled to inlet
pressure. With the pressures thus equalized, the weight
of the water in the upper pressure chamber overcomes the
frictional force between packing ring 54 and body 40 of
I
the flush valve and the lifting force of the water at the
inlet. The weight ox the water in the upper pressure chamber
then forces piston assembly 48 to close upon main valve
seat 46 to stop the flow of water from the inlet to the
outlet of the valve.
Since bypass ring 52 fixes the time required to
fill the upper pressure chamber, the time that the valve
is open is also fixed. Since the time that the valve is
open is fixed, a predetermined amount of water is delivered
each time the valve is opened. Thus, the use of these
valves in the lavatory system saves water.
Water is also conserved through the use of tote-
sloping element 80 of stem 78. In the event that the push
button is held unduly long, relief valve head 72 can still
close upon relief valve seat 64 so that piston assembly
48 can close upon main valve seat 46 to stop the flow of
water through the valve.
The hydraulic actuated prison lavatory system,
shown in FIGS. 6-10, operates similarly to the above-des-
cried mechanically-actuated system. The flush valves are
basically the same in both systems.
In the hydraulic system, the user of the lavatory
sink presses push button 200. Reciprocable driving member
208 then acts on reciprocal stem 19~ of hydraulic element
150, opening the passage connecting inlet port 152 and out
let port 154. After the pressure on the push button 200
is released, restoring spring 202 will return the push
button to its normal outstanding position.
Second restoring spring 210, located within the
central bore of the push button, biases driving member 208
against annular abutment 212. The second restoring spring
also acts as a shock absorber, preventing or minimizing
damage to the hydraulic element should the push button be
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pressed unduly hard. The design of the remote actuating
unit thus represents another feature of the disclosed lava-
tory system that minimizes the potential for damage done
by vandalism, making the disclosed system particularly
appropriate for use in prisons.
The hydraulic element's inlet port 152 is con-
netted to one of the flush valve's inlet ports 162 through
inlet tube 156. Thus, pressure derived from the flush valve
is always present at inlet port 152 of hydraulic element
150. When the passage in the hydraulic element is opened,
water from inlet port 152 is delivered to outlet port 154.
From outlet port 154, the water is conveyed through outlet
tube lS8 to passage 178 in cap 176 of the flush valve.
The water delivered through passage 178 acts
against pressure side 181 of piston 1~0, forcing plunger
174 against stem 78 of relief valve assembly 70. The flush
valve then operates the same as in the mechanically-actuated
prison lavatory system.
Because a pressure differential exists across
piston 180, the water drains from pressure side 181 through
orifices 184, 188, and then through drain 189 to outlet
44 of the flush valve. With the pressure thus equalized,
outlet tube 158 and outlet port 154 of hydraulic element
150 are restored to zero supply line pressure. With the
reduction in pressure exerted on the pressure side of the
piston, restoring spring 192 restores plunger 174 and piston
180 to the original at-rest position.
Both the mechanical and the hydraulic embodiments
of the disclosed prison lavatory system prevent or minimize
the problems associated with vandalism. Since the flush
valves are behind a wall or partition, the user of the lava-
tory cannot tamper with them. Because of the shock-absorbing
features of the remote actuating units, the potential for
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damage from excessive force is also minimized. Because
of the timing mechanism, a predetermined amount of water
it delivered with each use. Because the valves are self-
closing, the user cannot leave the water running indefi-
nicely. The flush valve mechanism used in the lavatory
system saves water. The flush valve is compact in design
and inexpensive to manufacture. It uses the same basic
valve body for both the mechanical and hydraulic embody-
mints, And the lavatory system is relatively easy to in-
stall without requiring accurate roughing-in measurements.
Whereas the preferred form of the invention has
been shown and described herein, it should be realized that
there may be many modifications, substitutions, and alter-
anions thereto.
