Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Tank only
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2001-01-16
Recla, Henry J. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Tank only
C004S404000, C004S415000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173457
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to flapper-type flush valves (sometimes referred to as “flapper valves”) for toilets, particularly for tank-style, gravity flow toilets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical tank-style, gravity flow toilet comprises a tank and a bowl. The purpose of the tank is to receive and store a quantity of water for flushing the toilet. A ball cock assembly is disposed in the tank, and includes an inlet tube that allows water under pressure to flow into the tank, to a predetermined level (quantity). A water supply line is connected to the ball cock assembly. A flush valve is disposed in the tank and, when operated, allows the quantity of water stored in the tank to be delivered to the bowl for flushing the toilet. A typical flush valve is a “flapper-type” flush valve, including a disc-like “flap” which closes off an end of a discharge pipe. A flush lever controls the operation of the flush valve. The bowl sits atop a sewage pipe. A seat and lid are disposed atop the bowl.
FIG. 1
illustrates an exemplary flapper-type flush valve
100
of the prior art, the structure and operation of which is well known. The flush valve
100
comprises an upper flapper body portion
102
and a lower float member portion
104
. The flapper body portion
102
is generally in the form of a disc, having an upper surface
102
a
and a lower surface
102
b
. The float member portion
104
extends from the lower surface
102
b
of the flapper body portion
102
. A pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart arms
106
extend in a rearward direction from a rearward position (right hand side, as viewed) of the flapper body portion
102
. A hole
108
is provided in a distal end of each arm
106
for pivotally securing the flush valve
100
to a corresponding pair of pins or trunnions
110
extending from an overflow pipe
112
. The trunnions
110
are disposed at diametrically-opposed positions on an outer surface of the overflow pipe
112
. The rearward-extending arms
106
and trunnions
110
extending through the holes
108
serve to position and align the flush valve
100
, and to guide the flush valve
100
as it moves between a “closed” position and an “open” position.
In
FIG. 1
, the flush valve
100
is illustrated as being in a “closed” position. In this closed position, the lower surface
102
b
of the flapper body portion
102
sealingly engages a top end
114
a
of a discharge pipe (flush outlet)
114
, the top end of the discharge pipe
114
functioning as a valve seat. The discharge pipe
114
has a diameter sufficiently large that the float member portion
104
fits easily within the bore of the discharge pipe
114
. The float member portion
104
also helps to center the flapper body portion
102
on the top end
114
a
of the discharge pipe
114
.
A chain (e.g., ball chain or “S” chain) or strap
116
extends from a flush lever lift arm (not shown) to a mounting lug
118
which is disposed on the front (left, as viewed) of the flapper body portion
102
, generally diametrically-opposed to the rearwardly-extending arms
106
. When the flush lever lift arm is momentarily operated depressed, the chain
116
pulls upward on the flush valve
100
, causing the flapper body portion
102
to move away from the top end
114
a
of the discharge pipe
114
, thereby “opening” the flush valve
100
. In this “open” position, water (not shown) in the toilet tank (not shown) is allowed to flow into the toilet bowl (not shown) to “flush” the toilet. As the water level in the toilet tank is replenished, at the end of the flush cycle, the flush valve
100
automatically returns to its “closed” position.
The float member portion
104
is cup-shaped, defining an air chamber
120
. The air chamber
120
is typically sized to contain
2.25 to
2.50
cubic inches
of air. An opening
122
is provided at the base of the float member portion
104
. In use, when the flush valve
100
is opened, the buoyancy of the air inside the air chamber
120
assists in maintaining the flush valve
100
in the open position until the water level drops below the float member portion
104
, at which time the weight of the flapper body portion
102
causes the flush valve to drop and close.
The flapper body portion
102
, float member portion
104
, rearwardly-extending arms
106
and the mounting lug
118
are typically integrally formed of a resilient material, such as soft rubber or an elastomer. In the event of a failure of only a portion of such an integrally-formed flush valve
100
, the entire flush valve
100
would need to be replaced. The discharge pipe
114
, the top end
114
a
of which serves as a valve seat for the flush valve
100
, is a part of the toilet, not a part of the flush valve
100
.
The operation of a tank-style, gravity flow toilet, such as has been described with respect to
FIG. 1
, is generally well known. The tank typically holds (stores) anywhere from about
1.6 gallons
to about
8 gallons
of water. When the water in the tank is released by opening the flush valve, the first few gallons of water are forced into the toilet bowl by volume and weight of the remaining water in the tank. As the water flows through the toilet bowl and down into the sewer drain, it creates a suction which pulls all the waste and water from the toilet bowl, assisted by ambient air pressure. This method of eliminating liquid or solid waste from the toilet bowl is referred to as “siphon jet action”. The siphon jet action only requires a few gallons to work efficiently. The balance (remainder) of the water in the toilet tank serves to generate the force and velocity to drive the first few gallons from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl with sufficient force to sustain the siphon jet action.
Typical tank-style gravity-flow toilets (3.5 gallons or larger) use substantially all of the water that is stored in the toilet tank to flush the toilet bowl. It has been recognized that this practice is somewhat wasteful, and has contributed to a sewage waste water problem. Government regulations have been directed to reducing the quantity of water that a toilet may use to flush waste from the toilet bowl. Currently, most states have adopted regulations that require toilets used in new construction to use no more than
1.6 gallons
of water per flush. However, there are millions of older style toilets in use that use
3.5 gallons
, or more, of water per flush.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an improved flapper-type flush valve for tank-style, gravity flow toilets.
Another object of the invention to provide a flapper flush valve as an assembly of cooperating components—for example, as a four piece assembly including an adapter collar, and a three-piece body comprising an upper flapper body, a float member and a seal ring. In this manner, in the event of failure, only the faulty component of the flush valve need be replaced.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flapper flush valve that can inexpensively be fabricated and mass-produced using high volume plastic injection molding equipment.
Another object of the invention is to construct a flapper flush valve of inexpensive polymer compounds which are extremely resistant to chlorine and commercially available bleach tablets that are commonly used in conventional toilet tanks to sanitize the tank and the bowl.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved adapter collar for mounting the flapper flush valve to an existing overflow pipe in the toilet tank.
Another object of the invention is to provide a technique for controlling a rate at which a flapper-type toilet flush valve closes, thereby controlling (reducing) an amount of water used to flush a standard tank-style, gravity flow toilet.
Another object of the invention is to provide an air control valve that can be easily installed into an opening located at the base of the float member of a standard toilet flapper valve and easily adjusted to provide the means of reducing the amount of water used to flush the toilet.
Another
Cohn Howard M.
Nguyen Tuan
Recla Henry J.
LandOfFree
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