Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-30
2004-05-04
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Tank only
C004S390000, C004S391000, C004S324000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728975
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flush valve assembly for use in a water tank of a water closet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flush valve assembly which has a coaxial design which provides for greater energy throughput thereby causing more energy to be available to remove wastes from the toilet bowl. The greater throughput is achieved by using a greater orifice diameter and including a radius on the inlet side of the valve opening. In addition, the present invention relates in particular to a flush valve assembly having a “trip release” or “lost motion” mechanism to effectively disengage the valve opening/closing member from the flush activation member or flush lever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Toilets for removing waste products are well known. Typically, toilets incorporate three systems that work together to perform the flushing action. Those systems are (
1
) the bowl siphon, (
2
) the flush mechanism, and (
3
) the refill mechanism. Working in concert, these three systems allow the flushing function of the toilet.
Usually, the tank, positioned over the back of the bowl, contains water that is used to initiate the siphoning from the bowl to the sewage line, as well as refilling the bowl with fresh water. When a user desires to flush the toilet, the user pushes down on the flush lever on the outside of the tank, which is connected on the inside of the tank to a movable chain or lever. When the flush lever is depressed on the outside of the tank, it moves a chain or lever on the inside of the tank which acts to lift and open the flush valve, causing water to flow from the tank and into the bowl, thus initiating the toilet flush.
In many toilet designs, water flows both directly into the bowl and is dispersed into the rim of the toilet bowl. The water releases into the bowl rather quickly, with flow from the tank into the bowl typically lasting approximately two to four seconds. The water flows from the rim, down a channel within the sides of the bowl, into the large hole at the bottom of the toilet, commonly known as a siphon jet. The siphon jet releases most of the water into the siphon tube, initiating the siphon action. The siphoning action draws all the water and waste out the bowl, and into the siphon tube. The waste and water continues through the other end of the U-shaped siphon tube through an area know as the trapway, and is then released into the wastewater line connected at the base of the toilet.
Once the tank is emptied or its contents (fresh water) during the flush, the flush valve closes, and a floating mechanism, which has now dropped in the tank to some residual amount, initiates the opening of the filler valve. The filler valve provides fresh water to both the tank and the bowl through separate flows. Eventually, the tank fills with water to a high enough level to cause the float to rise, thus shutting off the filler valve. At this point, the flushing cycle is complete.
However, government agencies have continually demanded that municipal water users reduce the amount of water they use. Much of the focus in recent years has been to reduce the water demand required by toilet flushing operations. In order to illustrate this point, the amount of water used in a toilet for each flush has gradually been reduced by governmental agencies from 7 gallons/flush (prior to the 1950's), to 5.5 gallons/flush (by the end of the 1960's), to 3.5 gallons/flush (in the 1980's). The National Energy Policy Act of 1995 now mandates that toilets sold in the United States can use water in an amount of only 1.6 gallons/flush (6 liters/flush).
In the past, toilet designs have attempted by various methods to comply with this reduced water requirement, but achieving superior flush performance has been difficult. Therefore, it has been found desirable to provide a flush valve assembly which assists the flush operation in meeting the mandated water requirements while at the same time providing for an enhanced and superior flushing operation.
In the crowded art of producing a more reliable, more efficient and more powerful 1.6 gallon (6 liter) gravity toilet, one method to more effectively remove waste from the toilet bowl is to increase the hydraulic energy available during the flushing operation. However, the hydraulic energy available is not enhanced by the typical flush valve design for a coaxial flush valve assembly wherein the effective flow diameter through the flush valve opening is less than the orifice diameter of the flush valve inlet under dynamic conditions. It has therefore been found desirable to provide a flush valve assembly wherein the effective flow diameter of the flush valve opening is close to the inlet orifice diameter under dynamic conditions so as to increase the available hydraulic energy of the flush water.
Current agency requirements further mandate that the activation means or flush lever for the flush valve assembly have a minimum “hold down” time of 1 second without exceeding the aforementioned total water usage or discharge per flush of 1.6 gallons (6 liters) of water. It has been found that the hydraulic performance characteristics of the flush valve can be significantly enhanced if water can be evacuated from the tank in a dumping time of less than 1 second, preferably 0.5-0.6 seconds. Therefore, it has been further found desirable to provide a flush valve assembly which releases the effect of the activation member or flush lever so that the valve opening can close before the expiration of the mandated minimum “hold down” time of the flush lever (1 second) without exceeding the total water per flush mandate of 1.6 gallons (6 liters).
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general advantage of the present invention to provide a flush valve assembly which overcomes the deficiencies of the flush valve assemblies of the known prior art.
It is also an advantage of the present invention to provide a flush valve assembly which has a greater energy throughput of the flush water in comparison to existing flush valve assemblies to thereby provide more available energy to remove waste from the toilet bowl.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a flush valve assembly which permits a water closet to meet governmental agency requirements which mandate a minimum “hold-down” duration of the flush activation member or flush lever of 1 second and a maximum water usage of 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush.
It is yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide a flush valve assembly which includes a “trip-release” mechanism which releases the effect of the flush activation member or flush lever on closure of the valve opening so that a predetermined quantity of flush water can be delivered into the toilet bowl very quickly without exceeding mandated agency requirements.
It is still a further advantage of the present invention to provide a flush valve assembly which improves the flow characteristics of the flush water or flow capacity of the flush valve assembly.
This invention relates to a flush valve assembly for use in a water tank of a toilet bowl. This new flush valve assembly is similar to existing coaxial design flush valves used in gravity type water closet toilets which have a flush valve body usually made of plastic and constructed to form a conduit with an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet and outlet ends allow flush water to pass from the tank or water closet area to the bowl portion of the toilet.
The flush valve assembly of the present invention allows the water tank to which it is installed to hold a predetermined volume of water and to also serve as a conduit to deliver water to the trapway via the passages within the toilet. A first valve member of the flush valve assembly of the present invention includes a base sleeve portion which is secured to the water tank or water closet and an inner cylindrical member extending generally vertically from the base sleeve portion.
A second valve member (flush valve cover or closure component) is coaxially and
American Standard Inc.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Huson Gregory L.
Huynh Khoa
Ryan Matthew K.
LandOfFree
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