Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-14
2003-10-28
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637044
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to trip lever assemblies. It is especially well suited to provide toilet trip lever assemblies that control flush valves that are located at or near the bottom of toilet tanks.
A variety of toilet trip lever assemblies are well known. These assemblies are typically mounted on a side wall of a toilet tank with a handle positioned outside the tank and linked to a stem. The stem is rotatably mounted through the tank wall. A trip arm (which typically extends along the tank wall from the stem) is connected to the stem inside the toilet tank.
One end of the trip arm is connected to a chain, which in turn is linked to the usual toilet tank outlet valve. When a user rotates the handle, the trip arm is caused to pivot, thereby moving up its outer end, which in turn yanks the chain up, and thus the tank outlet valve.
Depending upon space limitations in the tank, and the exterior configuration of the tank desired, it is sometimes desirable that rotation of the handle produce a pivoting of the trip arm in a plane which is perpendicular (not parallel) to the wall through which the lever is mounted. There have been some assemblies which have achieved this result.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,555,620 provided a toilet trip lever in which both the outer handle and the inner lever arm pivoted perpendicular to the tank wall. Unfortunately, this required the handle to jut out a significant distance from the tank wall, and provided poor leverage characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,912 disclosed an improved perpendicular type toilet trip lever (where the outer handle rotated in a conventional manner). A very short arm pivoted with the stem that passed through the wall. That arm in turn pushed up a perpendicular lever arm that was supported on a bracket. Because of the construction of the mechanism, a relatively large angle of rotation of the handle was required to activate the valve. Furthermore, the device was relatively costly to manufacture and assemble.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,881 provided another perpendicular type toilet trip lever. However, the parts of that assembly were somewhat difficult to adjust to account for certain variations in the toilet wall thickness. Also, certain of the plastic parts could break if not carefully handled.
Therefore, a need still exists for an improved “perpendicular” type toilet trip lever assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the present invention provides a trip lever assembly mountable through a hole of a tank wall. There is a rotatable stem extendable through the hole, a handle mountable to an outer end of the stem, and an arm mountable to an inner end of the stem so as to rotate with the stem, the arm then being extendable along the wall.
There is also a support mountable inside the tank, and a lever mountable for pivoting on the support, with the lever then extending from a position adjacent the wall towards a position farther away from the wall. When the trip lever assembly is mounted through said tank wall hole, rotation of the handle can cause the arm to drive an end of the lever which is adjacent the wall down, and an opposite end of the lever up.
In preferred forms there is a chain linked to the opposite end of the lever and a flush valve link to the chain. Also, the stem can be surrounded by a bushing, and the bushing can cooperate with the handle to limit rotational movement of the handle. The bushing can be outwardly threaded, and a nut can be provided with internal threads to thread onto the bushing threads.
There can also be an escutcheon positionable adjacent the handle outside the tank wall, the escutcheon having a locating member for locating the escutcheon in the hole of the tank wall. The bushing can include ribs or ridges sized and dimensioned to deform as they are inserted into the escutcheon to provide a tight fit.
In especially preferred forms a contact surface of each of the arm and lever (which contact each other) are a rolled surface, the support is an L-bracket with a mounting hole for mounting the L-bracket over the hole in the wall, the mounting hole includes a rolled tab, and the support has another hole into which the arm projects.
In another aspect the invention provides a combined toilet tank and trip lever assembly. There is a tank having a bottom wall and surrounding side walls. There is a hole through a side wall. There is also a flush valve mounted in a lower portion of the tank.
A rotatable stem extends through the hole in the tank side wall, a handle is mounted to an outer end of the stem, and an arm is mounted to an inner end of the stem so as to rotate with the stem, the arm then extending essentially parallel to the side wall through which the stem extends.
There is also a support mounted inside the tank. A lever is mounted for pivoting on the support, with the lever then extending essentially perpendicular to the side wall through which the stem extends between a position adjacent that wall towards a position farther away from that wall. Rotation of the handle causes the arm to drive a part of the lever down, and an opposite part of the lever up.
The location of the pivot point along the support is such that a relatively small angle of rotation of the stem causes the lever to lift the chain sufficiently to flush the toilet. Rotation of the stem beyond the desired point is limited by interaction of the handle and bushing, thereby preventing the arm from “clinking” or “tapping” on the bottom side of the tank lid.
The advantage of the present invention therefore include, without limitation, providing a perpendicular type toilet trip lever which is easy to produce, easy to assemble, inexpensive, and reliable. Relatively small movement of the handle creates the necessary movement of the chain. Still other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description below.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1334173 (1920-03-01), Saal
patent: 1454428 (1923-05-01), Curtin
patent: 1519796 (1924-12-01), Pasman
patent: 1548759 (1925-08-01), Sherwood
patent: 1555620 (1925-09-01), Ayers et al.
patent: 1620647 (1927-03-01), Griffiths
patent: 1902758 (1933-03-01), Campbell
patent: 3406408 (1968-10-01), Hudson
patent: 3419912 (1969-01-01), Kertell
patent: 3922731 (1975-12-01), Korol
patent: 4575881 (1986-03-01), Rozek
patent: 4750220 (1988-06-01), Baumann
Eickhoff Virgil S.
Hokel Kyle L.
Rische David K.
Charles & Brady LLP
Kohler Co.
Phillips Charles E.
LandOfFree
Statement regarding federally sponsored research/development does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Statement regarding federally sponsored research/development, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Statement regarding federally sponsored research/development will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3143345