Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACK(;ROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many cities are attempting to cons~rve water by
reducin~ the amount of water used in each toilet flushing.
Such conservation is especially difficult to achieve for low
profile toilets, wherein the water tank has a small height
such as twenty four inches above the floor. One approach is
to supply compressed air to the tank to produce a high
pressure j~t directed along the bowl outlet, but the need to
provide compressed air greatly increases the cost of the
toiletO Another approach, described in U.S. Patent 380,854
to Boyle issued April ~0, 1888, is to create a vacuum in the
top of the tank as the water level drops during flushing, and
to apply that vacuum to the bowl outlet. It has required a
tall tank to create a considerable vacuum when the water
level drops, which make it difficult to llse this approach
with low profile toilets. A relatively simple system which
assisted the flushing of toilets, which was effective evan in
low profile toilets, would be of considerable value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention, a water conservation toilet is provided which is
effective even in low profile toilets. The toilet includes
a vacuum source coupled to the outlet of the toilet bowl to
apply a vacuum thereto during an early stage of a flushing
cycle. The vacuum source is coupled to a pxessured water
inlet that can supply water at a pressure of a plurality of
pounds per square inch, and that is otherwise used to refill
the tank after each flushing~ The pressured water from the
inlet is supplied to the vacuum source to energize it during
an early stage of each flushing cycle. An ordinary type of
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tank inlet valve, of the type that has a float that drops and
opens the valve when water from the tank is flushed into the
toilet bowl, can be used to supply pressured water to the
vacuum source when the level of water in the tank drops.
The vacuum source can include an actuator with a
plunger that is moved in a first direction by the pressure o~
water applied at the beginning of a flushing cycle. The
plunger moves a diaphragm extendlng across an enclosed
chamber to suddenly increase the volume o~ the chamber and
10 create a vacuum therein, the chamber being coupled to the
toilet bowl outlet. A tank refill device can be coupled to
a pressured-water conduit leading to the vacuum sourca, the
tank refill device opening at a predetermined pressure such
as B psi to flow water from the conduit directly into the
1~ tank. This limits the pressure applied to the vacuum source
so the vacuum source does not have to withstand high water
pressures.
The novel features of the invention are set forth
with particularity in the appended claims. The invention
20 will be best understood from the following description when
read in conjunction with the accompanying drawinys.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF_THE DRAWINGS
Fi~. 1 is a partlal, sectional, isometric view of
25 a toilet constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the toilet of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the vacuum source o~
30 the toilet of Fig. 1, ~howing its initial position in solid
lines, and showing its energized position in phantom lines,
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with the actuator water inlet turned 90 from its position in
Fig. l.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the collector of the
toilet of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view o~ the tank re~ill
device of the toilet of Fig. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PR~FERRED EMBODIMENT
Fi~. 1 illustrates a toilet 10 of the l~w profile
type, which includes a tank 12 whose top lies a small
distance such as twenty four inches above the level of the
~loor 14. The tank holds a conventional tank inlet valve 16
that dispenses waker into the tank until it reaches a
predetermined high water level 20. When a flush handle 22 is
depressed, a chain coupled thereto lifts a flush valve member
24 off a seat 26 of a flush valve 28, to allow water in the
tank to flow rapidly into a toilet bowl 300 The water from
the tank raises the water level in the toilet bowl from an
initial level 32, to cause water and any debris in the toilet
bowl to flow out of a toilet bowl outlet 34 that carries
water and waste to a drain 36 that connects to a s0wer
system.
As water in the tank Plows rapidly into the toilet
bowl, the level of water in the tank rapidly drops to about
the level of the flush valve seat 26 or slightly higher. The
pressured water valve, or tank inlet valve 16, has an upper
portion 40 with a float 42 that senses the initial drop in
tank water level by moving down to operate a prior art
mechanism 41 that then opens the valve 16. Pressured water
from a pressured water inlst 44 (connected to a household
water supply) that is connected to the inlet valve 16, can
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then flow through the valve to a valve outlet 46 in the lower
portion 48 of the valvP. In prior art toilets, water flowing
out of the valve outlet 46 flowed directly into the tank to
refill it. At the same time, about one quarter of the water
*lowing through the tank inlet valve flowed through a short
hose 50 into a refill tube 52 to re~ill the toilet bowl. In
large cities, the pressure of water supplied to the pressured
water inlet 44 is always a plurality of psi (pounds per
square inch) and is usually much more than 20 psi.
The toilet 10 is a vacuum assisted type, wherein a
vacuum from a vacuum source 60 is applied through a vacuum
conduit 62 to the toilet bowl outlet 34 to apply a vacuum
therein during flushiny of the toile~. The vacuum draws
water and waste from the water pool 64 in the tollet bowl
into a trapway 66 of the toilet bowl outlet 34, to
efficiently flush out the contents of the bowl even though
only a small guantity of water passes through the bowl during
a flushing.
In accordance with the present invention, the
vacuum source 60 is coupled to the pressured water inlet 44,
and is energized by the pressured water to generate a vacuum
which it applies to the toilet bowl outlet. As will be
described below, water at a pressure of a plurality of psi,
which is applied to the vacuum source 60 during the early
stages of a flushing cycle, provides the energy to operate
the vacuum source to produce the vacuum that is applied to
the toilet bowl outlet. The pressured water flows from the
outlet 46 of the tank inlet valve 16 through a collector 70
that surrounds the valve outlet, and through a conduit 72 to
the vacuum source 60. Control of the flow of water that
energizes the vacuum source, is by the tank inlet valve 16,
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which opens a short time a~ter the beginning of the ~lushing
cycle, to thereby operate the vacuum source near the
beginning of the flushing cycle.
Fig. 3 illustrates details of the vacuum source 60
which receives pressured water from the pressured water
conduit 72 and which delivers a vacuum through the vacuum
conduit 62 to the toilet bowl outlet. The vacuum source
includes a housing 74 which contains a pressured-water
powered actuator 76. The actuator includes a water container
80 whose lower end is sealed, and a water diaphragm 82 which
extends acrvss the water container. A plunger 84 has a lower
end attached ~o the middle of the water diaphragm 82. When
pressured water passes through the conduit 72 through an
actuator water inlet 73 to the vacuum source, it rapidly
~ills a water chamber 86 formed between the water diaphragm
82 and the lower part of the water container 80, thereby
driving up the water diaphra~m and the plunger 84 connected
thereto. The upper part of the plunger is connected to a
vacuum diaphragm 90 which seals the upper portion of a vacuum
chamber 92 whose lower portion is sealed by the housing 74.
As the plunger 84 moves up, it moves the vacuum diaphragm 90
up to the position 50A and approxi:mately doubles the volume
of th~ vacuum chamber 92. The re~ulting vacuum is coupled
through the vacuum conduit 62 to the toilet bowl outlet to
apply a forceful vacuum therein which draws water and waste
~rom the toilet bowl.
After a flushing cycle, when the water tank has
been refilled and the tank inlet valve closes, pressured
water is no longer supplied to the conduit 72 to flow to the
30 vacuum source. Applicant provides a weight 94 which rests on
the vacuum diaphragm 90 to pxess it downwardly after a
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flushing cycle, to return the vacuum diaphragm 90 to its
initial position shown in solid lines in Fig. ~. The water
diaphragm ~2 is moved from the initial position shown in
solid lines, to an upward position 82A when pressured water
has entered the water chamber 86. As the water membrane
moves downwardly, water in the water chamber 86 drains out
through the conduit 72 and through a leak opening (to be
described~ into the water tank.
When the vacuum diaphragm moves upwardly from the
position 90 to the position 90A, it is preferably that air
lie above the vacuum diaphragm and the weight 94 to minimize
resistance to upward movement. Applicant provides a chimney
96 that extends up through the water tank to a level above
the high water level therein, to surround the vacuum
diaphragm with air. It is also noted that gaps are provided
at 98 to couple the top of the water container 80 to the area
above the vacuum diaphxagm 90, to allow the escape of air
therethrough when the water membrane 82 rises to the position
8~. The plunger 84 is guided in vertical movement by the
two spaced diaphragms 82, 90, so a sliding bearing can be
avoided.
: The vacuum diaphragm 90 has an area that is a
plurality of times greater than the area of the water
diaphragm 82. This allowe a moderate flow of pressured water
into the vacuum source, to create a moderate vacuum of
several inches of water in a large volume. I~ would be
possible to use pistons moving within cylinders instead of
the diaphragms, but this can result in greater cost.
Fig. 4 illustrates details of the collector 70
30 which surrounds the lower part 4~ of the tank inlet valve 16
to divert pressured water from the valve outlet 46 to the
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pressured water conduit 72 that is connected to the vacuum
source. As described above, the tank inlet valve 16 was
originally designed to release water through a valve outlet
46 directly into the lower portion of the water tank to
refill it after each flushing. The collector 70 surrounds
the valve outlet 46 to pravent all of the water exiting the
outlet 4~ ~rom flowing directly into the tank. Instead, the
collector 70 directs the pressured water into the conduit 72
to power the vacuum source during an early stage of the
flushing cycle. The collector 70 includes a housing 102 and
includes a pair of seals 104, ~06 that seal locations above
and below the valve outlet 46 from the rest of the tank. The
collector 70 has a leak opening 110 through which a small
amount of water can pass directly from the collector into the
tank. The purpose of the leak opening is to permit draining
of watex out of the vacuum source after each flushing cycle.
Referring to Fig. 3, it can be seen that the weight 94
presses down the plunger 84, which presses down the water
diaphragm 82 after a flush cycle. This urges water in the
water chamber 86 to flow in the reverse direction R through
the conduit 72. Such water can f:Low through the conduit to
the collector 70 (Fig. 4) and drain from the collector
through the leak opening 110 into the tank.
It requires only a moderate water pressure such as
eight ko sixteen psi to provide suf~icient energy to rapidly
operate the vacuum source so as to provide a considerable
vacuum that enhances flushing of the toilet. Higher
pressures of water from the household water supply result in
more rapid flow and more rapid activation of the vacuum
source, but no advantage is qained over applying the vacuum
during a moderate period of a few seconds versus a shorter
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period. The pressure of water supplied by household pipes
varies, and can be well over 100 psi. If the vacuum source
had to withstand such high pressures, it would have to ~e
made very sturdy. Applicant avoids the need for a very
rugged vacuum source, by pxoviding a tank refill device l2n
which is coupled to the pressured water conduit 72 that
connects the collector 70 to the vacuum source. As shown in
Fig. 5, the tank refill device 120 includes a valve 122 with
a spring biased valve member 124 that opens when a
predetermined pressure such as 8 psi is applied to the refill
device through the water conduit 72. The valve 122 prevents
a pressure of more than about 8 psi from reaching the vacuum
source. Since the valve 122 does not open at a pressure
below 8 psi, it assures that a pressure of 8 psi will be
applied to the vacuum source during the early stages of a
flushing cycle.
A flushing cycle begins when the flush valve member
24 (Fig. 1) is lifted to begin the emptying of water in the
tanX 12 into the toilet bowl 30. It requires a few seconds
for the entire volume of the tank that will be flushed out to
pass into the toilet bowl. However, perhaps one second after
flushing begins, the level of watler in the tank will have
fallen far enough for the float 42 to drop so as to open the
tank inlet valve 16. Pressured water then fIows from the
tank inle~ valve 16 through the collector 70 and pressured
water conduit 72 to the vacuum source 60 to begin activating
it perhaps two or three seconds after the flushing cycle
begins. ~uring the next period of perhaps one or two
seconds, the vacuum source is fully operated to generate a
vacuum that is applied to the toilet bowl outlet. At this
time, water and waste in the toilet bowl has begun to flow
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out of the toilet bowl outlet 34, and the application o~ a
vacuum at khis time is most effective in drawing out water
and waste from the toilet bQwl. During a further period of
perhaps thirty seconds, water flows from the tank valve
through the tank refill device 120 into the tank to refill
it. During this time, water also flows from the tank inlet
valve through the short hose 50 to the refill tube 52 to
refill the toilet bowl.
When the tank is filled to the high water level 20,
the tank inlet valve 16 closes. During the next period of
perhaps twelve seconds, the weight 94 (Fig. 3) o~ the vacuum
source slowly drops and water is pressed out of the water
chamber 86 through the conduit 72, back to the collector 70
(Fig. 4), where the water ~lows out through the leak opening
110 into the tank. The vacuum source and the rest of the
toilet is then ready for the next flushing.
The use of the tank inlet valve 16 to supply
pressured water to the vacuum source has important
advantages. As described above, the tank inlet valve senses
the beginning of the drop of water in the tank, to
immediately begin energization of the vacuum source and start
the generation o~ a vacuum. In this manner, a vacuum i5
created at the proper time during the flush cycle, after
considerable water has been ~lushed from the tank into the
toilet bowl but before most of the water and waste in th~
toilet bowl has been dumped into the toilet bowl outlet (this
being "near the beginning of the flush cycle"). Existing
tank inlet valve designs have been refined over many years of
use, so that they can be manufactured at low cost and still
assure high reliability of operation. By using such low cost
and well developed valvesl applicant does not have to develop
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a valve to flow pressured water to the vacuum source at the
proper time during a flush cycle.
~ eferring to Fig. ~, it can be seen that the toilet
bowl outlet 34 includes an upper trap device 130 coupled to
the toilet bowl 30, the trapway 66 extending from the upper
trap device to a lower trap device 132 that leads to the
drain 36~ The uppermost location 134 along the lower trap
device lies higher than the highest location 136 downstream
thereof, to provide a lower trap pool 140 that allows gas to
~low therethrough to avoid siphoning out water from the
: toilet bowl between flushings. The top of the pool 140 is
close to the upper location 134, so that early during
flushing, water fills the lower trap device to above the
location 134 to prevent the vacuum applied through the vacuum
conduit 62 to the toilet bowl outlet, from being dissipated
through the drain.
As mentioned above, applicant prefers to couple the
top of the vacuum source 60 to air, aR through the chimney
96. It is also possible to place the entire vacuum source at
a location outside of the water t:ank. It should be noted
that the vacuum source will function in any orientation with
respect to gra~ity, and a spring can be used instead of a
weight to return the vacuum and water diaphragms to their
initiai positions. In a vacuum source that applicant has
designed, the water diaphragm 82 had an area of about 18
square inches while the vacuum diaphragm had an area of about
100 square inches and produced a vacuum of about four inches
of water. This allows a low flow rate of water to rapidly
generate a vacuum of large volume.
Thus, the invention provides a toilet with a vacuum
source that is energized by pressured water supplied by a
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pressured water inlet. This may be contrasted with prior art
vacuum sources, which relied upon the fall of water ln the
tank to create a vacuum at the top of the tank, and wherein
the energy for creating the vacuum was potential energy
stored in the water filling the tank to a high level. To
create a considerable vacuum, such a prior art approach
required a considerable tank height between its high and low
water levelsO Since applicant does not rely upon the
potential energy of water stored to a high level in a tank,
but instead relie5 upon the force of pressured water to move
a vacuum membrane to create a vacuum, applicant does not
reguire a large change in water height in a tanX. Also,
where large water pressures are available, which is commonly
the case in developed countries, a higher vacuum can be
created by using water pressure, than can be obtained by a
moderate drop in water level such as one and one hal~ feet as
occurs in common prior art regular toilets and perhaps one
foot in low profile toilets. Applicant uses a tank inlet
valve with a float that senses a drop in tank water level, to
control the application of pressured water to the vacuum
source. As mentioned above, the use of a float-controlled
valve provide proper timing for the application o~ the
vacuum, and enable~ reliable low cost tank inlet valves to be
used. The addition of a collector around the valve outlet,
is a simple approach to directing water from the tank inlet
valve to the vacuum ~ource. The pressure that must be
withstood by the vacuum source is limited by providing a kank
refill device that prevents the application of pressure of
more than a predetermined level to the vacuum source. A leak
opening is provided anywhere between the tank inlet valve and
the vacuum source (or in the vacuum source~ to allow water to
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drain out o~ the vacuum source at the end of a flush.ing
cycle, a biasing means such as a weight or spring being used
to return the vacuum source to its initial position.
Although parti ular embodiments of the have been
described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that
modifications and variations may readily occur to those
skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the
claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and
equivalents.