Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to toilet tank
fill valves.
The valve most commonly used in toilet tanks is a
ballcock valve which is responsive to the level of w~ter in
5 the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the level of the
water in the tank drops, causing a float to drop with the
water level. As the float begins to drop, its weight causes
the ballcock valve to open, allowing water to flow into the
toilet ta}lk from the main water supply. This type of system
10 consequently allows water to flow into the toilet tank
before the tank has been fully drained, thereby wasting a
certain amount of water.
The conventional type of valve also has a number
of parts which are prone to gradual deterioration, e.g.
15 washers, 0-rings, steel hinge pins, etc.. Such deteriora-
tion may cause water to leak from the main water supply into
the tank from time to time. A further problem is that sand
and dirt which are in the main wster supply may become
lodged in the valve seat, allowing water to escape from the
20 main supply into the tank. This type of valve is al~o
generally unable to prevent at least some backflow of tank
water into the water supply if the main supply is shut off.
Furthermore, many conventional valves generally do
not readily allow for adjustment of the water level at which
25 the inlet is closed, i.e. they do not readily allow for
adjustment of the tank-full water level, and thus the volume
of water to be used for the flush. In practice, when one
wants to vary the water level in a tank using a conventional
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valve, one frequently just bends the lever arm which c~rries
the float, to set the float to a different height for a
given valve positioD, although in some cases the float arm
may be threaded so that the float can be screwed up or down
5 the arm.
One valve which does allow for fairly simple
adjustment of the tank-full water level is the valve
described in United States patent nos. 3,319,913,
3,429,333, snd 3,495,803, in which the position of a float
10 on a rod attached to the lever which actuates the ballcock
valve can be changed. However, the valve described in these
patents does not deal at all with the problem of the inlet
valve opening before the tank is substantially emptied.
It is an object of the present invention to
15 provide a toilet tank fill valve in which the tank water
level at which the valve opens is different from the tank
water level ut which the valve closes.
It is a feature of the preferred embodiment of the
invention that the tank water levels at which the valve
20 opens and closes may be adjusted, which allows the user to
vary the water level in the tank at which the valve opens
for refilling after flushing, and to vary the amount of
water held in the tank when it is full, i.e. the "tank-full"
water level.
It is a further feature of the preferred
embodiment of the invention that the valve prevents backflow
of the tank water into the main water supply when the main
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supply is shut off.
Another feature of the preferred embodiment is
that a polyethylene filter is provided on the inlet side of
the valve, to prevent soil and dirt from reaching and
5 lodging in the valve seat to cause an imperfect seal of the
valve.
The valve comprises a substantially vertical rod,
which moves up to activate a lever to allow the ballcock
valve to close, and moves down to activate the lever to open
lO the ballcock valve. The rod has upper and lower stops
corresponding to the valve closing and valve opening
positions respectively. A float lifts the upper stop when
the tank becomes full, thereby allowing the ballcock valve
to close. A weight pushes the lower stop down when the tank
15 becomes empty, thereby opening the ballcock valve.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
float is connected to the upper stop, and may be formed, for
example, as a downwardly-opening cup, the air trapped in the
cup by the rising water causing it to act as a float. The
20 weight is connected to the lower stop, and may be formed,
for example, as an upwardly-opening cup, the weight of the
water carried in the cup causing it to act as a weight as
the surrounding water drops away.
In an alternative embodiment, the float and the
25 weight are one and the same, the float/weight riding up and
down the rod to act as a float against the upper stop, and
to act as a weight against the lower stop.
Preferably, the stop positions are adjustable on
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the rod, so that bo-th the water level at which the vulve
opens and the water level at which the valve closes can be
adjusted.
Embodiments are described in which the valve is
5 positioned either above or below the tank-full water line.
In the case of embodiments where the valve is below the
tank-full water line, a ball-seat check valve is provided to
prevent the backflow of water from the tank in-to the main
water supply if the main supply is disconnected.
The preferred,and alternative embodiments will now
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Fig.l i8 a cross-section through the preferred
embodiment of the toilet tank fill valve, in which the valve
15 itself is located above the full-tank water level and in
which there are sepsrate float and weight elements;
Fig.2 is a cross-section through a variation on
the preferred embodiment, in which the float and weight
elements are one and the same, in the form of a float/weight
20 which rides up and down on a rod;
Fig.3 is a cross-section of an alternative
embodiment in which the valve is located below the full-tank
water level, including a check valve to prevent draining of
the tank when the water supply is shut off.
Referring first to Fig. 1, the preferred
embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail.
The valve comprises a substantially vertical rod
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1I which moves up to activate a lever 3 to close a b~llcock
valve, and moves down to activate the lever 3 to open the
ballcock ~alve. The rod 1 i9 loosely attached near one end
to the lever 3, and near its other eDd is loosely attached
5 to pivotable support bracket 4, which serves simply to hold
the rod loosely in its substantially vertical position.
When the rod 1 moves down, the lever 3 pivots to
cause a plunger 5 to move up, pushing a ball 7 off its seat
8 to allow water to flow in from inlet tube 9. Inlet tube
lO 9 connects to the main supply line lO at the bottom of the
tank 11 and extends up to above the tank-full water line.
The ball 7 aDd seat 8 are located above the tank-full water
line. A filter 12 surrounds the ball 7 and seat 8, acting
as a ball cage and filtering out any dirt particles which
15 could interfere with the seal between the ball 7 and seat 8.
The filter 12 may be formed, for example, from polyethylene
foam.
When the plunger 6 forces the ball 7 off its seat
8, water flows through the seat opening 13 and into the tank
20 11 via tube 14 concentric with inlet tube 9, to carry the
water to the bottom of the tank 11, so that the tank 11
fills from the bottom. The ball 7 is free-floating, rather
than being attached to the plunger 5. The plunger 5 acts to
force the ball 5 away from the seat 8 when the valve is to
25 be open, but is not required to seat the ball 7, since the
water pressure in the inlet tube 9 from main supply line 10
acts to force the ball 7 onto the seat 8. The ball 7 is
preferably of a resilient, compressble nature, to provide a
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~roper seal, though alt~rnatively the seat 8 may be of a
resilient nature.
The rod 1 ha~ upper and lower stops 16 and 17
respectively corresponding to the valve closing and valve
5 opening positions respectively. A float 19 lifts the upper
stop 16 when the tank becomes full, thereby closing the
ballcock valve. A weight 20 pushes the lower ~top 17 down
when the tank becomes empty, thereby opening the ballcock
valve.
The float 19 i8 connected to the upper stop 16,
and may be formed, for example, as a downwardly-opening cup,
the air trapped in the cup by the rising water causing it to
act as a float. The weight 20 is connected to the lower
stop 17, and msy be formed, for example, as an upwardly-
15 opening cup, the weight of the water carried in the cup
causing it to act as a weight as the surrounding water drop~
away. In prototypes of the invention, it has been found
that merely 1-1/2 ounces of water in the cup provides enough
weight to lift the ball 7 off its seat 8, though in practice
20 it may be desireable to use a somewhat larger volume allow
for a margin.
When the toilet is flushed and the toilet tank 11
starts to empty, the valve remains closed because of the
supply line pressure acting on the ball 7 to keep the valve
25 closed. As the water level drops below the weight 20, the
weight Z0 (e.g. the weight of the water in the cup~ forces
the lower stop 17 and thus the rod 1 to move downwardly.
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This causes the lever 3 to force plunger 5 upw~rd, driving
the ball 7 off its seat 8 and allowing water from the main
supply line 10 to flow via the inlet tube 9 past the valve
and into the tank 11.
A refill tube attachment 28 is located on the
valve housing to receive water from the valve when it is
open, so that a refill tube can be attached to the housing
and routed in conventional fashion so that the toilet bowl
refills as the tank is refilled.
Referring now to Fig.2, an alternative embodiment
will be described. In the alternative embodiment, the float
and the weight are one and the same, in the form of
float/weight 22. When the toilet is flushed, and the water
level in the tank 11 starts to drop, the float/weight 22
15 moves downwards until it comes into contact with the lower
stop 17. As the water level continues to drop the weight of
the float/weight 22 forces the lower stop 17 to moves
downwardly.
When water flows into the toilet tank 1, the
20 float/weight 22 rises. The floatjweight 22 comes into
contact with the upper ~top 16, forcing it to rise. The
movement of the stop 16 causes the rod 1 to move upwardly.
In all embodiments, the upper and lower stops 16
and 17 respectively are preferably of a design which permits
25 their position on the rod 1 to be readily varied, though
once set in position, they must of course remain securely
attached. The stops illustrated in the drawings are in the
form of adjustable clamps, for example, which can be moved
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to any position on the rod 1. If the lower clamp 17 is
moved to a lower position on the rod 1, the valve will open
when the toilet tnnk 11 is more completely drained. If the
lower clamp 17 i8 moved to a higher position on the rod 1,
water will begin to flow into the tank 11 sooner. The valve
5 must be set to open before the tank is fully emptied, of
course, or the tank will not refill.
In the same manner, if the upper clamp 16 is moved
lower down on the adjusting rod 1, the water supply will be
cut off before the tank is filled to it~ normal position.
10 It iB consequently possible to adjust both the amount of
water that i8 in the toilet tank 11 when it is full, and to
adjust the level at which the valve opens as the tank iB
draining. This may result in considerable saving of water.
Referring now to Fig. 3, another alternative
lS embodiment will be described.
In the preferred and alternative embodiments
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it i8 a feature that thé valve
i9 located above the tank-full water line and thus no
mechanism is needed to prevent backflow of water from the
20 tank 11 into the main supply line 10 when the water pressure
is removed. However, in the Fig. 3 embodiment, the valve is
below the water line.
If the main water supply is shut off, to prevent
the water in the toilet tank from flowing back into the
25 water supply line 10, a check valve 30, comprising a ball 31
and seat 32, iB provided between the inlet tube 9 and the
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alve ball 7 and seat ~. In a steady-state valve-closed
position, the housing area between the check valve 30 on the
one hand, and the valve ball 7 and seat 8 on the other hand,
iB at the pressure of the main supply line 10. When
5 pressure is removed from the main supply line 10, the
resulting greater pressure in this housing area immediately
causes the check valve 30 to close, thus preventing any
draining of the tank back through the valve. Should the
check valve 30 not close quickly enough to sustain line
10 pressure in the housing area, the weight of the water in the
tank itself still act to force the ball 31 onto it~ seat 32,
thus preventing any draining of the tank.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a float/weight
22 rides up and down on a shaft 24. A flange 25, hsving an
15 aperture 26, rides up and down on the rod 1 between the
upper and lower stops 16 and 17.
Alternatively, a separate float and weight could
be used, as in the preferred embodiment, in which case a
bracket would be required to support the rod 1 in its
20 substantially vertical position.
It should be appreciated that the above
description is by way of exsmple only, and that many obvious
variations are within the scope of the invention. For
example, it is not essential that the valve be of the ball-
25 seat type, although that is advantageous. The inventionlies more in the means to trigger opening and closing of the
valve than in the valve itself. Similarly, the check valve
30 need not be of the ball-seat type.
