Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WATER SAVING DEVICE FOR FLUSH TOILET
This invention relates to a water saving device for
flush toilets and in particu1ar to a f1ushing device providing
full contro1 over the volume oE water discharged from the toilet
water tank in a Elush cycle. ~
A conventional flush toilet includes a water tank having ~;
a capacity typically between 3.5 and 7 yallons of water and -~
discharges substantia11y the entire vo1ume of water duriny a flush
cycle. Although in most instances significantly le~ss amounts oE
water would be sufficient for evacuatillg the toilet bowl, larger
volumes are utilized in order to provide a grea~er hydraulic he~d
pressure in the water tank to start the fluslling action, creating ~ -~
a "siphon efEect" in the toilet bowl facilitating emptying
thereof. Attempts at conservat;on which reduce the level of water
in the toilet tank, such as with the device of United States
patent 4,868,933 issued on September 26, 1989, have not been ~ ~
entirely satisfactory for this reason. ~-
Other approaches for reducing the amount oE water used
in a flush cycle provide flushing contro1 mechanisms whereby the
user ~selects between predetermined sett;ngs. United State~s patent
4,88l,279 issued on November 21, 1989 teaches a dual f]ush
mechani~sm which includes two handles Eor eEEectillcJ either a Eull
or partial E1ush. United States patent 4,428,084 issued on
January 31, 1984 discloses a flush control device which comprises
a hydraulic control assembly having four time settinys Eor
controlling the Elush cycle durati~n. These selective flushillg
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mechanisms, however, are complicated in construction and may be
too costly for the ordinary user.
ThereEore, it is an object of this invention to provide
a new and improved water saving device for flush toilets that
overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies.
In accordance wlth the broadest aspect of the invention,
there is provided a water saving device for a flush toilet which
includes a water tank with a bottom having an outlet opening
therein, a Elapper valve that has a closed position covering the
outlet opening, and a flush handle to be pivotally mounted on tlle
water tank, the device comprising: a lift arm directly connected
at one end to the handle to be pivoted thereby, the arm having a
free end to be positioned generally above the flapper valve; a rod
having an upper end and a lower end; first means for flexibly
connecting the lower end of the rod to the flapper valve; and
second means Eor flexibly connecting the upper end of the rod to
the free end of the arm, such that in use pivotal movement of the
flush handle in one direction, initiating a flush cycle, pivots
the liEt arm and, through the rod, raises the flapper valve to an
open position to permit discharge of water from the tank, the open
position being maintained by buoyancy means operatively associated
with the Elapper valve while the buoyancy means remains submerged
by the water within the tank, and pivotal movement of the handle
in the opposite direction acting through the lift arm to cause
downward movement of the rod thus restoring the flapper valve into
its closed position.
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The water savlng device in accordance with the present
invention is oE simple construction, thereby decreasing its cost, .
and may be Eitted to various types of f].ush toilet.s. It ofEers ~ :
ful1 control over the volume of water discharged in a Elush cycle
by providing an improvement in respect of a flushing mechanism
capable of eEEecting both manual opening and closing of the ~ ....... ;
flapper valve. The chain commonly used to link a 1iEt arm to the
flapper valve has been replaced with a rod, and the traditional ~::
straight liEt arm is modified to accommodate a larger range of
rotation about the pivot axis where the Elush handle is coupled to
the LiEt arm.
PreEerred embodiments of the water saving device in ~.
accordance with the invention will be described in greater detail
with reEerence to the accompanying d~awings, in which:
Figure l is a front elevational view in section of a .
flush toilet water tank with a conventional Elushin~ mechanism;
Figure lA is a sectional view of the flush handle
mounting taken on the line lA-lA of Figure l;
Figure lB is a sectional view o.E the flush handle
mounting taken on the line lB-lB of Figure lA;
Fiyure 2 is a parti.al Eront elevational view in section
oE a Elush toilet water tank Wit}l a water saving device flushing
mechanism installed therein;
Figure 3 is a partial plan view oE the water tank with
the water saving devicei and
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Flgure 4 i~s a partial plan view of a water tank having a
diEEerent internal organization than that oE Figure 2, with the
water saving device installed there.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a typical
water tank 10 of a flush toilet. Conventiona] components provided
within the tank lO for controlling water intake include a water
inlet pipe 14 terminating at an inlet valve l6 operated by an arm
18 and float 20 combination. Centrally located at the bottom of
the water tank lO is an outlet opening 22 and an overflow pipe 24
is disposed laterally of the outlet opening 22, to the left as
seen in Figure 1.
The conventional flush control mechanism includes the
usual flapper valve 26 pivotally mounted to the overflow pipe 24
Eor covering the outlet opening 22. The flapper valve 26 is
formed oE a disc portion 28, an integral float bowl 30 llaving an
open lower end 31 and a pair of integral mount;ng arms 32. At the
front end of the Elapper valve 26, the upper side of disc portion
28 is furnished with a lug 34 having an eye 36. Mounting arms 32
extend at the re~r end of the Elapper valve 26, outwardly from the
~n disc portion 28 in parallel Eashion and each has a mounting
aperture 38 formed adjacent its free end. ~ pair oE pins 39
extending radially outwardly Erom the overElow pipe 24 pass
through apertures 38 engag;!lg the mounting arms 32 of flapper
valve 26 and thereby effec~ g a pivotal connection. The flappe~-
valve 26 is ~ypi~31y ~anufact~re~ oE r~bbe~ or sim- ~ar rèsIlient
material. ~;
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The conventional flushing mechanism Eurther includes on :.
the exterior of the Eront wall 40 of the water tank 10, a flush :
handle 42 having a cylindrical shaEt 44 which extends through a :~
support member 46 and is pivotal within the support member 46. ::
Figure l~ shows the support member 46 consisting of a cam 48
integrally attached to a hollow tubular bushing 50 which is fitted
through the hole normally provided in the front wall 40 of water
tank 10. The bushing 50 has a threaded portion upon which a nut
52 is mounted and tightened into engagement with the Eront wall
40. The cam 48 of the support member 46 is adapted to fit within
a cavity 54 defined by a fl.ange 56 surrounding the periphery oE
the Elush handle 42. Fixedly connected to the cylindrical shaFt
44 inside the tank 10 is a substantially horizontal, straight liEt
arm 58. The lift arm 58 is held suspended at the vertical level
(shown in Figure 1) by the flange 5G extending along the lower
periphery 60 of the flush handle 42 abutting the bottom edge 62 of
the cam 48, thereby preventing further downward movement of the
lift arm 58.
As is illustrated in Figure 1, the Eree end 63 oE the
lift arm 58 has a chain 64 connected to the eye 36 oF the flapper
valve lug 34. The flush handle 42, cylindrical sha:Et 44, llFt arm
58, chain 64 and flapper valve 26 act in combination to cE~ect a
Elush cycle, wherein rotation oE the handle 42 and its shaft 44
pivots t11e Eree end 63 oE the lift arm 58 upwards and, through the
chain 64, lifts the flapper valve 26 to a partially opened
position 66, thereby initiating discharge of the water stored in
.
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the tank 10 through the outlet opening 22 into the toilet bowl.
The range of ro~ation of the handle 40 is restricted by the Elange
56 (Figure 1~) along the upper periphery 68 oE the flush handle 42
contacting the top edge 70 of the cam 48, thus terminatillg upwal-d
movement of the liEt arm 58. Once the flapper valve 26 is
manually raised Erom the outlet opening 22 into the partially
opened position 66, the float bowl 30 provides a buoyant eect,
whereby the flapper valve 26 rises furtller to a fully opened
position 72 which is maintained during the discharge oE water
while the Elapper valve 26 rernains submerged by water in the tank
10. When the water tank lO has substantially emptied, the flapper
valve 26, no longer being submerged, Ealls under its own weight
into the closed position. The water tank lO is then refilled
through the water intake valve 16.
It should be understood that in the conventional flush
cycle, the free end 63 of the lift arm 58 pivots within the narrow
range shown in Figure 1 Eor the sole purpose of lifting the
Elapper valve 26 Erom the closed position to the partially opened
position 66. The buoyancy of the float bowl 30 then moves the
Elapper valve 26 to and retains it in the Eully opened position 72
independently of the position oE the flush handle 42 and lift arm
58 combination because of the flexible connection, chain 6~
between liEt arm 58 and flapper valve 26. Therefore, the handle
42 can be released aEter initiating the Elush cycle, Ereeing tile
liEt arm 58 to pivot do-~nward under its own weight without having
- any effect on the duration of the flush cycle.
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In Figure 2, the water saving device flushiny mechanism
is illustrated consisting of a modified lift arm 80. tn the
preferred embodiment, lift arm 80 is generally con~igured a.s two
portions, a first portion 82 fixedly attached at one end to the :~:
shaft 44 extendiny from the flush handle 42, and at its other end
pivotally connected by a fastener 86, such as a nut and bolt or
screw, to a second portion 84. The second portion 84 has a ~ree
end 88 positioned generally above the ~lapper valve 26. The liFt
arm 80 has been modified essentially to lower the lever at which
the free end 88 oE the arm 80 is positioned above the ~lapper
valve 26, as compared to conventional :li.ft arm 58. A clip 90 is
provided on the second portion 84 of the lift arm 80. The clip 90
is slidably mounted and may be fixed at any position along the
length of the second portion 84.
A rod 92 is connected at an upper end by a short section
of chain 94, such as a bead chain, to the clip 90 and at its lower
end by another short section of bead chain 96 to the eye 36 of lug
34 on the flapper valve 26. The bead chains 94, 96 represent
flexible connecting means which provid.e a small amount oE play
between the ends of the rod 92 and the li~t arm 80 and Elapper
valve 26 respectively. A chain length of approximately .75 inches
is usually sufficient.
For the particular configurat.ion of the water tank lO
shown in Figures 2 and 3, an adapter member lO0 is provided :
mounted around overflow pipe 24. The adapter member lO0 consists
of an annular body 102 (Figure 3) de~ining a collar and a pair o~
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trunnions 104 extending rad;ally outwardly from the collar body
102. The trunnions 104 pass through the apertures 3~ thereby
pivotally engaging mounting arms 32 oE Elapper valve 26. The use
of the adapter member 100 Eacilitates retrofitting the water
saving device including the flapper valve 26 in various types o~
water tanks of flush toilets. However, there are other known
rneans for pivotally mounting the flapper valve 26 within water
tank lO. For example, as is the case in Figure 1, pins may be
provided directly on the overflow pipe or upstandiny arms at the
bottom of the water tank may be used.
The float bowl 30 of the Elapper val~e 26 has a diameter
slightly less than that of the outlet opening 22 and acts as a
guide facilitating proper restoration of the flapper valve 26 from
an open position to seal the outlet opening 22.
The flush handle 42 may include a weighted piece 106 -
embedded at its tip, for assisting pivoting of the handle 42 when
initiating a flush cycle, as well as helping to maintain the ;
~lapper valve 26 in an open position during the flush cycle. The
cam 48 (Figure lB) of the support member 46 is modified by
relieving an amount from its top edge 70, thereby permitting the
Elush handle 42 to be rotated through a larger range.
A flush cycle is initiated in the usual manner by
applying downward pressure on the handle 42 so as to pivot the
lift aem 80 upwards. The rod 92 being connected to the clip 90 is
thereby raised and lifts the flapper valve 26 into a fully opened
position above the outlet opening 22 after which the buoyancy of
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the float bowl 30 maintains the valve 26 in that ~ully opened
position when the handle 42 is released. To accommodate this
range of movement, as noted above, the Eree end 88 oE the lift arm
80 is at a lower location so that it may be swung upwards through
a range suEficient to Eully open the valve 26. The top edge 70 of
the cam 48 may be relieved to allow the flush handle 42 to be
rotated through the range needed to achieve sufEicient upward
swing of the lift arm 80.
Once the flapper valve 26 is in the fully opened
position, the flush handle 42 when released will remain in its
downward pivoted orientation. Water flows to evacuate the tollet
bowl until the water tank 10 has substantially emptied, at which
time the Elapper 26 is no longer submerged and buoyant and pivots
into the closed positioned sealing the outlet opening 22, at the
same time returning the flush handle 42 to its initial
orientation. The water tank 10 is then refilled in the known
manner.
Moreover, the water saving device Elushing mechanism
provides the option to the user of terminating the flushing cycle
upon deciding that a su~ficient amount oE water has been
discharged to evacuate the toilet bowl. By manually counter
rotating the Elush handle 42, the lift arm 80 acting through the
rod 92 Eorces the flapper valve 26 into the closed position,
covering the outlet opening 22 with water still present in the
tank 10. Thus the user has full control over the amount of water
utilized in the flush cycle.
f
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The rod 92 actiny from above the flapper valve 26
transEers the force applied to ~otate the Elush handle 42 to the
Elapper valve 26, to either :Lift or lower it, depending on the
direction of rotation of the handle 42. Figures 2 and 3 show the
optimal orientatlon of the rod 92 in relation to its respective
connection points w~th the lift arm 80 and flapper valve 26. To
facilitate the transEer of force and reliable operation of this
flushing device, it is preferred that the rod 92 be angled between
EiEteen and thirty degrees to the vertical so that its upper end,
connected to the clip 90, lies with respect to the ~lapper valve
26 rearwardly in relation to where il:s lower end ;.s connected to
lug 34 of the flapper valve 26. Ideall.y, the rod 92 should be
suspended such that its upper end is located at a position between
boundaries defined by respective vertical planes containing the ~ -~
mounting arms 32 of the flapper valve 26. The second portion 84 . ` .
of liEt arm 80 can be pivoted at the Eastener 86, and the clip 90
can be slid along the length o:E the second portion 84 in order to
achieve the desired tilt and direction oE the rod 92.
However, in some water tanks, depending on the
orientation of the flapper valve 26, it may not be possible to
position the rod 92 at a fifteen to thirty degree tilt or suspend
the rod 92 such that its upper end is ~ocated at a position
between boundaries defined by respective vertical planes
containing the mounting arms 32, so that force applied through the
rod 92 to lower the flapper valve 26 may tend to cause latcral
movement or twisting of the flapper valve 26 about its mounting
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arms 32. Lateral movement or shifting may ~sufEiciently displace
the Elapper valve 26 from its alignment with the outlet opening 22
and the valve 26 can not be properly returned to seal the outlet
opening 22, resulting in non reliable operation. Therefore, in
order to inhibit latera] movement, reinforcing sleeves 108 are
provided on the mounting arms 32 of the Elapper valve 26, making
the arms more rigid and thereby decreasing the tendency for the
flapper valve 26 to shift laterally or twist. Each sleeve 108,
being generally U-shaped in cross section and made oE a thin
resilient metal, is slipped over a respective mounting arm 32 and
its side walls are squeezed together so as to snugly hold the arm
32.
Illustrated in Figure 4 is another configuration of a -
water tank for a different type of flush toilet. This is a
representation of a typical American Standard (Trademark) flushing
system, wherein the overflow pipe is ofEset from the outlet
opening 22 towards the rear wall llO of the water tank lO and the
lift arm 80 is shown extending towards the rear wall llO of the
tank. By pivoting the second portion 84 of liEt arm 80 at
fastener ~6, the free end 88 of the liEt arm 80 can be placed in
the desired position above the Elapper valve 26. The clip 60 can
be slid to an optimal point along ~hc scconc~ portion 84 oE the
liEt arm 80, so that the upper end oE the rod 92 is rearward of
its connection to lug 34 at the ~ nt oE the flapper valve 2-
to the extent p~ le~ ir~ e wi~h the outward ex~ension of the
mounting arms 32. Thus the adjustability of the water saving
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device allows it to be readily retrofitted to many types of flush
toilet~s.
In variant embodiments, the lift arm can be a
sub.stantially straight arm rather than con~isting of two portions,
but it must be directed somewhat downward from the pivotal
connection to the flush handle, so as to have its free end
sus~ended at a suitably low level to provide a swin~ range capable
oE lifting the flapper valve from a closed position to a fully
opened position.
The rod 92 may be telescopically extendible for -
retroEi.tting the water saving device in diEferent types oE flush ~.
toilets whose water tanks may have heights which vary between 8
and lO inches. The extendability of the rod 92 in conjunction
I with the slldable clip 90 and means for setti.ng the angle at which
! the lift arm 80 horizontally extends readily adapts the water
saving device to accommodate many water tank confi~urations.
Alternatively, the first portion 82 of the liEt arm 80 may inc].ude
means Eor adjusting it.s vertical length, such as by formlng the
first portion 82 with two sections (not shown) which are
telescopically extendible, in order to Eit dif:Eerent si7es oE
water tanks. Also, a number oE throuyh holes along the length of
the second portion 84 of the l;Et arm 80 can be utili7ed instead
oE the slidable clip 90.
In a further variant embodiment oE the water saving
device, a weighted float may be secured to the rod at a selected
position along its length. In operation, a flush cycle is
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initiated by pivoting the handle downward which raises the f]apper
valve, and water Elows Erom the tank into the toilet bowl through
the outlet openlng. The buoyancy oE the float maintains the -~
Elapper valve in the opened position and therefore it is not
necessary Eor the flapper valve to have any buoyancy
characteristic oE its own.
As water flows Erom the tank, the water level drops and
the Eloat lowers. Eventually the water level will reach a point
where the float is no longer Eully submerged and moves downward
with the level of water, restoring the Elapper valve to the closed
position. The level of water at which the float begins its
descent is varied by adjusting the position of the float along the
length oE the rod.
