Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-23
2001-03-27
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Tank only
C004S353000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205595
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years toilets manufactured primarily for home use have been of the “low flow volume” type, with the water tank of such toilets being designed to contain only a limited amount of water, such as 1.6 gallons. It is the intent of such a design to effect a saving of water.
However, it is often the case, particularly when dealing with solid waste, that the user will need to flush the toilet a second time, or even a third time, with the net result that more water has been expended than would have been the case had the integral toilet tank been designed to hold a greater quantity of water.
In addition to often requiring multiple flushing of the toilet, the low flow volume toilet design often brings about a clogged condition, needing at a minimum for the user to utilize from time to time, a plunger type device known as a plumber's friend in an effort to unclog the sewer line leading away from the toilet as well as between the house and the main sewer line.
It is the purpose of the present design to overcome these disadvantages accompanying the use of low flow volume toilets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have provided in accordance with this invention a supplemental tank configured to rest atop the upper edge of the integral tank of a conventional toilet, typically a low flow volume toilet, with the supplemental tank serving to supply an additional quantity of water to the integral tank of the toilet at the time of a flush. The supplemental tank is provided with top and bottom members as well as sidewalls extending in a vacuum-tight manner between the top and bottom members.
Of particular consequence to this invention is the provision of suitable interconnection means between the two tanks, with this preferably taking the form of a pair of elongate tubes mounted in a sealed manner in the bottom member of the supplemental tank, with a first of the tubes being of a greater length than that of the second tube. Both of these tubes are of a length to extend down into the water contained in the integral tank of the toilet when the supplemental tank has been placed atop the integral tank.
This novel supplemental tank is utilized in combination with a vacuum pump connected to an upper interior portion of the supplemental tank, with it being the purpose of the vacuum pump to selectively bring about a low pressure in such upper interior portion of the supplemental tank. Upon the toilet being flushed, this causes the flow of water out of the integral tank, and as a result of the provision of the pair of elongate tubes, water contained in the supplemental tank is caused to flow into the integral tank, to aid in the flushing of the low flow toilet.
It is obvious that means must be provided for activating the vacuum pump on proper occasions, to cause a reduction of the pressure in the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank, with the vacuum pump in such instance serving the necessary function of causing water to be drawn upwardly through the elongate tubes from the integral tank, thus bringing about the refilling of the supplemental tank. Then, when the proper water level has been restored in the supplemental tank, the cessation of the operation of the vacuum pump is reliably brought about.
In accordance with a first embodiment of my invention, I may utilize a float switch involving a positionally sensitive component, with such switch being mounted in either an interior or an exterior portion of the supplemental tank. The float portion of the float switch is positioned so as to be able to float on the surface of the water in the supplemental tank, and to move downwardly at such time as the toilet has been flushed. Such downward movement of the float causes the closing of electrical contacts so as to bring about operation of the vacuum pump. It is to be understood that after the refilling of the integral tank has begun, and after the vacuum pump has brought a sufficient amount of water upwardly into the supplemental tank through the vertically disposed tubes, a desired water level will be reached such that the float will move upwardly in the supplemental tank to a location such that the circuit to the vacuum pump will be broken.
In accordance with another embodiment of my invention, I may dispense with the use of a float arrangement disposed in the supplemental tank and instead utilize a vacuum switch placed so as to be sensitive to the amount of negative pressure extant at any moment in the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank.
Although the vacuum pump will not be operating after a sufficiently low pressure has been caused to exist in the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank, when the water level in the supplemental tank drops as a result of the flushing of the toilet and the outward flowing of water through the tubes, a lesser condition of negative pressure will be caused to exist in the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank. This lesser amount of negative pressure in the supplemental tank causes a diaphragm used in the vacuum switch to move and bring about the circuit to the vacuum pump being completed, thus to cause the vacuum pump to operate to accomplish the refilling of the supplemental tank.
It is thus to be seen that in accordance with this invention I have provided an easily affordable arrangement for enhancing the functioning of a low flow volume toilet.
A primary object of this invention is to provide an easily affordable, sealed supplemental tank of a size to be readily accommodated on top of the integral tank of a toilet, with water contained in the supplemental tank being automatically dispensed under certain conditions, to aid in the flushing of a low flow volume toilet.
It is another object of this invention to provide a sealed supplemental tank intended to be placed atop the tank of a conventional low flow volume toilet, with the supplemental tank providing extra water needed for the proper flushing of the toilet, and with either of two different switching arrangements being utilized to automatically bring about a refilling of the supplemental tank after each flush.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a sealed supplemental tank for use with a toilet, with the supplemental tank utilized in conjunction with an automatically functioning vacuum pump, with one embodiment of my invention involving the water level normally maintained in the supplemental tank being established by the positioning of a float switch placed inside the supplemental tank.
It is yet still another object of this invention to provide a sealed supplemental tank for use with a low flow volume toilet utilized in conjunction with an automatically functioning vacuum pump, with a second embodiment of my invention involving an arrangement in which a vacuum switch is utilized to sense a certain vacuum condition existing in the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank, with this switch causing the refilling of the supplemental tank after each flush, and then causing the vacuum pump to be shut off when the supplemental tank has been refilled and a certain vacuum condition returns to the upper interior portion of the supplemental tank.
These and other objects, features and advantages will be made more apparent from a study of the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 665887 (1901-01-01), Emery
patent: 2190773 (1940-02-01), Dunn
patent: 3995327 (1976-12-01), Hendrick
patent: 4183108 (1980-01-01), Hamilton
patent: 4371992 (1983-02-01), Rivera
patent: 5495624 (1996-03-01), Lisook et al.
patent: 5754987 (1998-05-01), Johansson et al.
Huson Gregory L.
Le Huyen
Renfro, Esq Julian C.
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