Patent Application
20250059749
The present invention relates to a flush toilet device, and more particularly to a flush toilet device that performs flushing with flush water stored in a flush water tank.
In a typical tank-type flush toilet device in the prior art, a single drain valve is provided in a flush water tank, and flush water discharged from the flush water tank is directed to a rim spout port and a jet spout port and spouted from each spout port. That is, a water conduit formed in a flush toilet main body branches into conduits in the middle thereof, leading flush water to the rim spout port and the jet spout port.
WO 2005/085538 (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. This flush toilet is a tank-type flush toilet and is provided with a tank that stores flush water for rim spouting and a tank that stores flush water for jet spouting. The flush water tank for rim spouting is provided with a drain valve for rim spouting and the flush water tank for jet spouting is provided with a drain valve for jet spouting. Opening these drain valves results in spouting from the rim spout port and the jet spout port, respectively.
On the other hand, JP 2018-100575 A (Patent Document 2) describes a flush toilet. This flush toilet includes a toilet main body, a storage tank, a pressure pump that pressurizes and sends flush water stored in the storage tank to the toilet main body, and a water supply channel switching valve that switches the supply destination of the flush water supplied from a tap water supply line. In this flush toilet, the pressure pump and the water supply channel switching valve are controlled to execute different flushing sequences when a full flush is executed and when a light flush is executed. This makes it possible to spout flush water in an appropriate amount from each spout port of the toilet main body at appropriate times for the full flush and the light flush. As a result, effective toilet flushing is achieved with minimal flush water.
However, in the flush toilet device provided with a single drain valve in the prior art, spouting from the rim spout port and the jet spout port is started substantially simultaneously. Accordingly, the flush water is not always spouted from the appropriate spout port at the appropriate time, and thus some of the flush water is not fully utilized during flushing. That is, water waste occurs because the flush water is not fully utilized during flushing.
On the other hand, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, because separate drain valves are provided for rim spouting and jet spouting, spouting from the rim spout port and the jet spout port can be started at different times. However, since the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which each drain valve is pulled up by a bead chain connected to an operation lever, it is not possible to set the start times for spouting from each drain port as desired. Therefore, even in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, a sufficient water saving effect cannot be obtained.
Further, in the flush toilet device provided with a single drain valve in the prior art, the spouting and the stopping of the flush water from the rim spout port and the jet spout port are controlled by the single drain valve. Thus, it is not possible to correctly set end time points for the spouting from each spout port. This results in cases where the refill water after the discharge of waste from the bowl becomes excessive and the excess flush water flows out from the trap conduit and is wasted.
On the other hand, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, because drain valves are provided for rim spouting and jet spouting, it is possible to independently control the spouting and stopping from the rim spout port and the jet spout port. However, since the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1 has the structure in which each drain valve is pulled up by a bead chain connected to an operation lever, it is not possible to set the start times for stopping of spouting from each spout port as desired. Therefore, even in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, a sufficient water saving effect cannot be obtained.
Further, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 2, some of the flush water used for flushing is discharged by the supply pressure of the water supplied from the tap water supply line, resulting in malfunctions such as an insufficient amount of flush water and an inability to perform sufficient flushing in a case where, for example, the flush toilet is installed in an area where water supply pressure is low. Further, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to control the pressure pump and the switching valve to execute the flushing sequences for a full flush and a light flush, resulting in the problem that the flushing device increases in complexity and in cost.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a flush toilet device that can effectively perform flushing with small amount of flush water by accurately setting opening times for individual drain valves.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a flush toilet device that executes different flushing sequences for a full flush and a light flush to effectively flush a toilet while supplying an entire amount of flush water used for flushing from a flush water tank.
To solve the problems described above, a flush toilet device according to the present invention is a flush toilet device configured to perform flushing with flush water stored in a flush water tank. The flush toilet device includes a flush toilet main body including a bowl and a drain trap conduit extending from a lower portion of the bowl, a flush water tank disposed at a rear portion of the flush toilet main body and configured to store flush water for flushing the bowl of the flush toilet main body, a first drain valve configured to switch between spouting and stopping flush water from a rim spout port provided at an upper edge portion of the bowl by opening and closing a first drain port provided in the flush water tank, a second drain valve configured to switch between spouting and stopping flush water from a jet spout port provided in the lower portion of the bowl by opening and closing a second drain port provided in the flush water tank, and a hydraulic drive mechanism configured to open the first drain valve or the second drain valve by using water supply pressure of flush water supplied from a tap water supply line to the flush water tank.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the spouting and stopping of flush water from the rim spout port are switched by the first drain valve and the spouting and stopping of flush water from the jet spout port are switched by the second drain valve. With this configuration, it is possible to independently set the times for rim spouting and jet spouting as desired and effectively flush the bowl of the flush toilet main body with small amount of flush water. Further, since the first drain valve or the second drain valve is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism by using the supply pressure of the flush water, it is unnecessary to pull up the drain valve with electric power such as that generated by a motor, and thus the opening time of the drain valve can be set without the use of a complex mechanism for opening the drain valve.
In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet device further includes a delay mechanism, and one of the first drain valve and the second drain valve is opened later than the other by the delay mechanism during flushing of the bowl.
In flush toilet devices in the prior art that execute spouting from a rim spout port and a jet spout port using a single drain valve, spouting is started substantially simultaneously from the rim spout port and the jet spout port. Thus, spouting is performed at times not always necessary, and some of the flush water is wasted. According to the present invention configured as described above, since one of the first drain valve and the second drain valve is opened later than the other by the delay mechanism, it is possible to start the spouting from the rim spout port and the jet spout port at necessary times depending on the configuration of the flush toilet main body and effectively flush the bowl while suppressing the amount of flush water.
In the present invention, preferably, the hydraulic drive mechanism is configured to open the second drain valve.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the second drain valve is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism, making it possible to adjust the time at which flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism and thus adjust the time at which the spouting from the jet spout port is started and set the start time of jet spouting as desired.
In the present invention, preferably, the delay mechanism includes a ball tap configured to operate in association with a water level in the flush water tank, and flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism when a float of the ball tap has lowered to a predetermined position.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the float of the ball tap has lowered to the predetermined position, it is possible to start the supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism and start the spouting from the jet spout port at appropriate times on the basis of the water level in the flush water tank.
In the present invention, preferably, the delay mechanism includes a ball tap having a float, a small tank provided with a discharge hole and disposed surrounding the float in the flush water tank, and a check valve float configured to open the discharge hole of the small tank when a water level in the flush water tank drops to a predetermined water level, and flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism when a water level in the small tank has dropped to a predetermined water level.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the delay mechanism includes the small tank and the check valve float, and flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the water level in the small tank has lowered to a predetermined water level. As a result, due to the configuration of the small tank and the like, it is possible to set the time at which flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism as desired and start spouting at a time suitable for flushing.
In the present invention, preferably, the delay mechanism includes a first ball tap configured to start water supply into the flush water tank when a water level in the flush water tank has lowered to a predetermined first water level, and a second ball tap configured to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the water level in the flush water tank drops to a predetermined second water level lower than the first water level.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the delay mechanism includes the first ball tap configured to start water supply into the flush water tank at the first water level and the second ball tap configured to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism at the second water level lower than the first water level. As a result, by setting the second ball tap, it is possible to set a time at which flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism as desired and start spouting at a time suitable for flushing.
In the present invention, preferably, the flush water tank is provided with a partition wall partitioning the flush water tank into a first tank portion provided with the first drain port and a second tank portion provided with the second drain port.
In a case in which the first drain valve and the second drain valve are provided in a single flush water tank, even if the valves are each opened at predetermined times, the amount of flush water spouted from the rim spout port and the jet spout port varies for each flush toilet main body combined due to variation in flow channel resistance of the flush water conduit provided in the flush toilet main body. According to the present invention configured as described above, since the first tank portion provided with the first drain port and the second tank portion provided with the second drain port are partitioned by the partition wall, it is possible to suppress variations in the amount of flush water spouted from each spout port. As a result, it is possible to perform appropriate flushing of the bowl while suppressing the amount of flush water and appropriately set a retained water level in the bowl after completion of one flush of toilet.
In the present invention, preferably, the first drain valve is configured to close in association with a drop in water level in the first tank portion, the second drain valve is configured to close in association with a drop in water level in the second tank portion, and by setting a pressure loss in a rim conduit through which the first drain port and the rim spout port are in communication with each other greater than a pressure loss in a jet conduit through which the second drain port and the jet spout port are in communication with each other, a water level in the second tank portion is caused to drop earlier than a water level in the first tank portion, closing the second drain valve earlier than the first drain valve.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the pressure loss of the rim conduit is set greater than the pressure loss of the jet conduit, making a flow amount of flush water flowing out from the first tank portion per unit time less than a flow amount of flush water flowing out from the second tank portion per unit time. As a result, the water level in the first tank portion drops more gradually than the water level in the second tank portion, and the spouting of flush water from the rim spout port in the first tank portion continues even after the water level in the second tank portion drops and the second drain valve is closed. Thus, even after the spouting from the jet spout port is completed, the spouting from the rim spout port is continued. Accordingly, it is possible to set the level of water retained in the bowl to an appropriate water level by refilling.
In the present invention, preferably, the first drain valve is configured to close in association with a drop in water level in the first tank portion, the second drain valve is configured to close in association with a drop in water level in the second tank portion, and the first tank portion is formed with a volume larger than a volume of the second tank portion, so that the water level in the second tank portion drops earlier than the water level in the first tank portion, closing the second drain valve earlier than the first drain valve.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the first tank portion is formed with the volume larger than the volume of the second tank portion, so that the water level in the first tank portion drops more gradually than the water level in the second tank portion. As a result, the spouting of flush water from the rim spout port in the first tank portion continues even after the water level in the second tank portion drops and the second drain valve is closed. Thus, even after the spouting from the jet spout port is completed, the spouting from the rim spout port is continued. Accordingly, it is possible to set the retained water level in the bowl to an appropriate water level by refilling.
In the present invention, preferably, the partition wall of the flush water tank is provided with a small hole through which the first tank portion and the second tank portion are in communication with each other at a predetermined water level.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the partition wall of the flush water tank is provided with the small hole through which the first tank portion and the second tank portion are in communication with each other at a predetermined water level. With this configuration, when the water level in the second tank portion is higher than the water level in the first tank portion, flush water flows from the second tank portion into the first tank portion. As a result, a drop in the water level of the first tank portion is delayed, making it possible to lengthen the time period during which the first drain valve is open. Therefore, the amount of flush water spouted from the rim spout port can be increased, and spouting from the rim spout port is continued even after spouting from the jet spout port is completed. Thus, refilling is performed, and the level of water retained in the bowl can be set to an appropriate water level.
In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet device further includes an operation unit configured to selectively execute a full flush mode and a light flush mode, the light flush mode being a mode in which a smaller amount of flush water is supplied to the bowl than in the full flush mode, when the full flush mode is executed, flush water is supplied to the bowl by opening the first drain valve and then, after a predetermined time period elapses, opening the second drain valve and, when the light flush mode is executed, the first drain valve and the second drain valve are opened simultaneously or the first drain valve is opened and then the second drain valve is opened before the predetermined time period elapses.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the spouting and stopping of flush water from the rim spout port are switched by the first drain valve and the spouting and stopping of flush water from the jet spout port are switched by the second drain valve. With this configuration, it is possible to independently set the times for rim spouting and jet spouting as desired while supplying all flush water used for flushing from the flush water tank. Thus, the bowl of the flush toilet main body can be effectively flushed with flush water stored in the flush water tank. Here, rim spouting at the start of toilet flushing mainly has a function of rinsing away waste adhering to a waste receiving surface of the bowl, and jet spouting mainly has a function of pushing out waste and retained water in the bowl to a drain trap conduit. Therefore, for a light flush in which the amount of waste adhering to the bowl is small, there is little need to perform rim spouting prior to the start of toilet flushing. According to the present invention configured as described above, during execution of the full flush mode, flush water is supplied to the bowl by opening the first drain valve and then, after a predetermined time period elapses, opening the second drain valve and, during execution of the light flush mode, the first drain valve and the second drain valve are opened simultaneously or the first drain valve is opened and then the second drain valve is opened before the predetermined time period elapses. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of rim spouting before the start of jet spouting, which is less necessary in the light flush mode, and suppress the amount of flush water while ensuring sufficient flushing performance.
In the present invention, preferably, the operation unit is configured to open the first drain valve and then open the second drain valve when the full flush mode is executed, and is configured to open the first drain valve and the second drain valve substantially simultaneously when the light flush mode is executed.
According to the present invention configured as described above, when the light flush mode is executed, the first drain valve and the second drain valve are opened substantially simultaneously, making it possible to significantly reduce the amount of rim spouting water before the start of jet spouting and greatly suppress the amount of flush water while ensuring sufficient flushing performance.
In the present invention, preferably, the hydraulic drive mechanism opens the second drain valve using water supply pressure of flush water supplied from a tap water supply line to the flush water tank.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the second drain valve is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism, it is possible to start jet spouting by pulling up the drain valve after a predetermined time period elapses after rim spouting is started in the full flush mode without using electrical power such as that generated by a motor. This makes it possible to effectively flush the bowl while suppressing the amount of flush water.
In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet device further includes a ball tap having a float configured to operate in association with a water level in the flush water tank, the ball tap is configured to supply flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the float has lowered to a predetermined position, when the full flush mode is executed by the operation unit, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops, starting supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism and, when the light flush mode is executed by the operation unit, the float is forced down on the basis of operation of the operation unit, starting supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism.
According to the present invention configured as described above, when the full flush mode is executed, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism, and thus jet spouting is started after the water level in the flush water tank drops. On the other hand, when the light flush mode is executed, the float is forced down to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism, and thus jet spouting is started without waiting for the water level in the flush water tank to drop. Thus, a flushing sequence of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be set without the use of electrical control.
In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet device further includes a ball tap having a float configured to operate in association with a water level in the flush water tank, the ball tap is configured to supply flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the float has lowered to a predetermined position, when the full flush mode is executed by the operation unit, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops, starting supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism and, when the light flush mode is executed by the operation unit, the second drain valve is forced to open on the basis of operation of the operation unit before the float lowers to the predetermined position.
According to the present invention configured as described above, when the full flush mode is executed, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism, and thus jet spouting is started after the water level in the flush water tank drops. On the other hand, when the light flush mode is executed, the second drain valve is forced to open on the basis of operation of the operation unit to start jet spouting. Thus, the flushing sequence of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be set without the use of electrical control.
In the present invention, preferably, the operation unit includes a handle, the full flush mode is executed when the handle is rotated in a first direction, and the light flush mode is executed when the handle is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction. According to the present invention configured as described above, the full flush mode is executed when the handle is rotated in the first direction and the light flush mode is executed when the handle is rotated in the second direction. Thus, execution of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be controlled with a simple mechanism.
In the present invention, preferably, the operation unit includes a first button and a second button, the full flush mode is executed when the first button is pressed, and the light flush mode is executed when the second button is pressed.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the full flush mode is executed when the first button is pressed and the light flush mode is executed when the second button is pressed. Thus, execution of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be controlled with a simple mechanism.
According to the flush toilet device of the present invention, it is possible to effectively perform flushing with small amount of flush water by accurately setting opening times for individual drain valves.
Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device of the present invention, it is possible to effectively flush a toilet by executing different flushing sequences for a full flush and a light flush while supplying an entire amount of flush water used for flushing from a flush water tank.
Next, a flush toilet device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
The flush toilet main body 2 includes a bowl 2a and a drain trap conduit 2c extending from a lower portion of the bowl 2a. Further, a rim spout port 2d is provided at an upper edge portion of the bowl 2a, and a jet spout port 2e is provided at the lower portion of the bowl 2a. When the toilet is flushed, flush water is spouted from the rim spout port 2d and the jet spout port 2e at predetermined times, a waste receiving surface of the bowl 2a is flushed, and waste and the flush water in the bowl 2a are discharged to the drain trap conduit 2c. The waste and flush water discharged to the drain trap conduit 2c are discharged to a sewer pipe (not illustrated) through a drain socket (not illustrated).
The flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 4 from a water supply source 6 such as a tap water supply line through a stop cock 8, and the supplied flush water is stored up to a predetermined water level in the flush water tank 4. The stop cock 8 is provided for stopping the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 4 during maintenance or the like, and is normally in an “open” state. The flush water tank 4 includes a first drain valve 10 and a second drain valve 12, which are configured to respectively open and close a first drain port 4b and a second drain port 4c provided at a bottom portion of the flush water tank 4.
Flush water flowing out from the first drain port 4b passes through a rim conduit 2f formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is spouted from the rim spout port 2d. Accordingly, the first drain valve 10 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the rim spout port 2d by opening and closing the first drain port 4b provided in the flush water tank 4. Further, flush water flowing out from the second drain port 4c passes through a jet conduit 2g formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is spouted from the jet spout port 2e. Accordingly, the second drain valve 12 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the jet spout port 2e by opening and closing the second drain port 4c provided in the flush water tank 4.
Next, an internal structure of the flush water tank 4 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The flush water tank 4 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 2, and the first drain port 4b and the second drain port 4c for discharging the stored flush water to the flush toilet main body 2 are formed at the bottom portion of the flush water tank 4.
The first drain valve 10 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the first drain port 4b, and the first drain port 4b is opened by the first drain valve 10 being pulled up. As a result, flush water in the flush water tank 4 is discharged to the rim conduit 2f (
In the present embodiment, when a user rotates the lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank 4, a bead chain 10a (schematically illustrated in
The second drain valve 12 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the second drain port 4c, and the second drain port 4c is opened by pulling up the second drain valve 12. As a result, flush water in the flush water tank 4 is discharged to the jet conduit 2g (
In the present embodiment, the second drain valve 12 is configured to be pulled up from the second drain port 4c by the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. The second drain valve 12 is a valve body having a valve stem 12a extending upward and a floating ball 12b, and the valve stem 12a is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. Then, when pulled up to a predetermined height, the second drain valve 12 is separated from the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 and gradually falls as the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, closing the second drain port 4c.
Further, in the present embodiment, the floating ball 12b of the second drain valve 12 is attached at a position higher than that of the floating ball 10b of the first drain valve 10. Thus, the second drain valve 12 is seated on and closes the second drain port 4c in a state in which the water level in the flush water tank 4 is relatively high. That is, when the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 fall as the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, the second drain valve 12 is first seated on and closes the second drain port 4c.
The ball tap 14, which is a delay mechanism, is configured such that flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 flows in through an inflow pipe 14a and, by the action of this ball tap 14, the second drain valve 12 is opened later than the first drain valve 10 in the present embodiment.
Next, a configuration of the ball tap 14 will be described with reference to
The main portion 18 is a member provided with a connecting portion for the inflow pipe 14a at a lower portion thereof and a connecting portion for the outflow pipe 14b on one side thereof. Further, the valve seat 22 is formed inside the main portion 18. The valve seat 22 is in communication with the outflow pipe 14b connected to the connecting portion. Furthermore, the main valve body 20 is disposed inside the main portion 18 so as to open and close the valve seat 22. When the valve seat 22 is opened, tap water flowing in from the inflow pipe 14a passes through the valve seat 22 and flows out to the outflow pipe 14b. Further, the outflow pipe 14b is connected to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16.
The main valve body 20 is a diaphragm-type valve body having a substantially disk shape, and is attached in the main portion 18 so as to be seated on and unseated from the valve seat 22. Further, a bleed hole 20a is provided in a peripheral edge portion of the main valve body 20. In the main portion 18, a pressure chamber 18a is formed on a side (left side in
Furthermore, in the pressure chamber 18a provided in the main portion 18, a pressure passageway 18b extends upward with the pressure chamber 18a in communication therewith, and a pilot valve port 28a is provided at an upper end of the pressure passageway 18b. This pilot valve port 28a opens upward and is configured to be opened and closed by the pilot valve 28.
On the other hand, the float 24 is supported by the arm portion 26, and the arm portion 26 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 26a. Furthermore, the pilot valve 28 is coupled to the arm portion 26, and the pilot valve 28 is configured to be moved in a vertical direction in association with the rotation of the arm portion 26. As a result, in a state in which the water level in the flush water tank 4 has risen to or above a predetermined set water level L1, the float 24 is pushed upward, and the pilot valve 28 is accordingly moved downward and seated on the pilot valve port 28a to close the pilot valve port 28a. Meanwhile, when the flush water in the flush water tank 4 is drained and the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, the float 24 moves downward and the pilot valve 28 moves upward, opening the pilot valve port 28a. Therefore, the pilot valve port 28a of the main portion 18 is closed during toilet flush standby state where the water level in the flush water tank 4 is higher than the set water level L1.
Further, the tap water flowing into the main portion 18 from the inflow pipe 14a flows into a space having a ring configuration surrounding the valve seat 22, passes through the bleed hole 20a of the main valve body 20, and flows into the pressure chamber 18a. In a state in which the pilot valve port 28a is closed by the pilot valve 28, there is no outflow path for the tap water flowing from the bleed hole 20a into the pressure chamber 18a, which increases the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a increases, the main valve body 20 is pressed toward the valve seat 22 (to the right side in
Meanwhile, when the first drain valve 10 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops below the set water level L1, the float 24 moves downward and the pilot valve 28 moves upward, opening the pilot valve port 28a. When the pilot valve port 28a is opened, the water in the pressure chamber 18a flows out from the pilot valve port 28a, as a result the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a drops. Accordingly, the main valve body 20 is moved so as to separate from the valve seat 22 (to the left side in
Next, a configuration of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 will be described with reference to
The hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is configured to drive the second drain valve 12 by using the supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the tap water supply line to the flush water tank 4. Specifically, the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 includes a cylinder 16a into which the water supplied from the ball tap 14 flows, a piston 16b slidably disposed in the cylinder 16a, and a rod 30 that protrudes from a lower end of the cylinder 16a and drives the second drain valve 12. Furthermore, a spring 16c is disposed inside the cylinder 16a, urging the piston 16b downward, and a rubber seal is attached to the piston 16b, ensuring water tightness between an inner wall surface of the cylinder 16a and the piston 16b. Further, a clutch mechanism 32 is provided at a lower end of the rod 30. The clutch mechanism 32 couples and separates the rod 30 and the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12.
The cylinder 16a is a member having a cylindrical shape, is disposed with its axis oriented in the vertical direction, and slidably receives the piston 16b therein. The outflow pipe 14b extending from the ball tap 14 is connected to a lower end portion of the cylinder 16a such that flush water flowing out from the ball tap 14 flows into the cylinder 16a. Therefore, the piston 16b in the cylinder 16a is pushed up by overcoming the urging force of the spring 16c by the water flowing into the cylinder 16a.
On the other hand, an outflow hole is provided in an upper end portion of the cylinder 16a, and a water supply pipe 34 is in communication with the inside of the cylinder 16a via the outflow hole. Accordingly, when water flows into the cylinder 16a from the outflow pipe 14b connected to the lower portion of the cylinder 16a, the piston 16b is pushed upward from the lower position of the cylinder 16a. Accordingly, when the piston 16b is pushed up to a position higher than the outflow hole, the water flowing into the cylinder 16a flows out from the outflow hole and into the water supply pipe 34. Further, the flush water flowing into the water supply pipe 34 falls within the flush water tank 4, and the flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 4.
The rod 30 is a rod-shaped member connected to a lower surface of the piston 16b, and protrudes downwardly from the inside of the cylinder 16a through a through hole formed in a bottom surface of the cylinder 16a. The valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 is connected to the lower end of the rod 30 via the clutch mechanism 32, and the rod 30 couples the piston 16b and the second drain valve 12. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 16a and the piston 16b is pushed up, the rod 30 connected to the piston 16b lifts the second drain valve 12 upward, thereby opening the second drain valve 12.
Further, a gap is provided between the rod 30 downwardly protruding from the inside of the cylinder 16a and an inner wall of the through hole of the cylinder 16a, and some of the water flowing into the cylinder 16a flows out from the gap. The water flowing out from the gap flows into the flush water tank 4. Note that the gap is relatively narrow, resulting in large flow channel resistance. Thus, even in a state in which the water flows out from the gap, the water flowing from the outflow pipe 14b into the cylinder 16a causes the pressure in the cylinder 16a to increase and pushes the piston 16b up while overcoming the urging force of the spring 16c.
Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 32 detachably couples the second drain valve 12 with the rod 30. The clutch mechanism 32 is configured to separate the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 from the rod 30 when the second drain valve 12 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 30. In a state in which the valve stem 12a and the rod 30 are separated by the clutch mechanism 32, the second drain valve 12 is not accompanied with the movement of the piston 16b and an upper portion of the rod 30, and the second drain valve 12 falls as the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops.
Next, actions of the flush toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with new reference to
First, in the toilet flush standby state described above, as illustrated in
Next, at time t1 in
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 4b, causing the water level in the flush water tank 4 to drop. Then, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 is lower than the set water level L1 at time t2 in
When flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, the flush water flowing into the cylinder 16a (
When the second drain port 4c is opened, the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4 flows from the second drain port 4c into the jet conduit 2g (
When the second drain valve 12 is pulled up to a predetermined height together with the piston 16b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 is separated from the rod 30 by the clutch mechanism 32 (
In the state illustrated in
Here, the flow rate of flush water flowing out from the first drain port 4b is greater than the flow rate of flush water flowing into the flush water tank 4 from the water supply pipe 34. Thus, in the state illustrated in
Furthermore, the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 is maintained in an open state even after the first drain valve 10 is closed, as a result the flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water supply line) flows into the flush water tank 4 from the water supply pipe 34 via the ball tap 14 and the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. As a result, the water level in the flush water tank 4 rises. Then, at time t5 in
When the pilot valve 28 is closed in this way, flush water flowing into the pressure chamber 18a from the bleed hole 20a provided in the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 cannot flow out, causing the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a to rise. Then, at time t6 in
When the water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is stopped, the piston 16b (
As a result, there is a predetermined time lag between the time at which the water level in the flush water tank 4 rises to the set water level L1 and the pilot valve 28 is closed (time t5 in
As a result, the initial water level L2 in the flush water tank 4 in the standby state of the flush toilet device 1 is set higher than the predetermined set water level L1 at which the pilot valve 28 is closed. Therefore, at the time point when the user operates the lever handle 4a in the standby state (time t1 in
According to the flush toilet device of the first embodiment of the present invention, the spouting and stopping of flush water from the rim spout port 2d are switched by the first drain valve 10, and the spouting and stopping of flush water from the jet spout port 2e are switched by the second drain valve 12. With this configuration, it is possible to independently set the times for rim spouting and jet spouting as desired and effectively flush the bowl 2a of the flush toilet main body 2 with minimal flush water (
Further, according to the flush toilet device of the present embodiment, since the second drain valve 12 is opened later than the first drain valve 10 (
Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 1 of the present embodiment, since the second drain valve 12 is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, by adjusting the time at which flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 (time t2 in
Further, according to the flush toilet device of the present embodiment, flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 when the float 24 of the ball tap 14 has lowered to a predetermined position, making it possible to start the supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 and start spouting from the jet spout port 2e at appropriate times on the basis of the water level in the flush water tank 4.
Next, the flush toilet device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The flush toilet device of the present embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment described above in the configuration of the delay mechanism provided in the flush water tank. Thus, only components and operation of the second embodiment of the present invention that differ from those of the first embodiment will be described below, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference signs and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
The small tank 40 is a tank of a small size disposed surrounding the float 24 in the flush water tank 4, and the float 24 is moved up and down in accordance with the water level in the small tank 40. In the standby state of the flush toilet device illustrated in
Further, a discharge hole 40a is formed in a bottom surface of the small tank 40, and this discharge hole 40a is configured to be opened and closed by a check valve float 42 provided at the bottom surface of the small tank 40. The check valve float 42 includes a float portion on which buoyancy from the flush water in the flush water tank 4 acts, and a rubber seal for closing the discharge hole 40a. The check valve float 42 is attached to the bottom surface of the small tank 40 and is vertically movable so as to open and close the discharge hole 40a.
That is, the check valve float 42 is configured to be pushed up by buoyancy acting on the float portion. Therefore, in a state in which the water level of flush water in the flush water tank 4 is higher than the bottom surface of the small tank 40, the rubber seal of the check valve float 42 is pressed against the discharge hole 40a in the bottom surface of the small tank 40 by buoyancy, thereby closing the discharge hole 40a. Meanwhile, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, the check valve float 42 also lowers due to its own weight, opening the discharge hole 40a and causing the flush water in the small tank 40 to be discharged into the flush water tank 4.
With this configuration, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, the water level in the small tank 40 drops later than the water level in the flush water tank 4. With the float 24 of the ball tap 14 falling in association with the water level in the small tank 40, the main valve body of the ball tap 14 is opened later than the drop of the water level in the flush water tank 4. This action delays the supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 and the opening of the second drain valve 12.
Next, operation of the flush toilet device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with new reference to
First, at time t11 in
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 4b, causing the water level in the flush water tank 4 to drop. However, in a state in which the water level in the flush water tank 4 is higher than the bottom surface of the small tank 40, the discharge hole 40a of the small tank 40 is closed by the check valve float 42, and thus the water level in the small tank 40 does not change. Therefore, the float 24 in the small tank 40 does not lower, and the main valve body of the ball tap 14 is maintained in a closed state.
When the water level in the flush water tank 4 has further dropped and lowered than the bottom surface of the small tank 40, the check valve float 42 of the small tank 40 is opened, and flush water in the small tank 40 starts to flow out from the discharge hole 40a. Then, when the water level in the small tank 40 lowered below a predetermined set water level L3 at time t12 in
After spouting from the jet spout port 2e is started at time t12, the operation of closing the second drain valve 12 at time t13 and the operation of closing the first drain valve 10 at time t14 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, and thus description thereof will be omitted. After the first drain valve 10 is closed at time t14, the water level in the flush water tank 4 rises. Then, even in a state in which the water level in the flush water tank 4 is higher than the bottom surface of the small tank 40, since the discharge hole 40a of the small tank 40 is closed by the buoyancy acting on the check valve float 42, the water level in the small tank 40 does not rise. When the water level in the flush water tank 4 further rises and the water level in the flush water tank 4 exceeds the upper end of the small tank 40, flush water flows into the small tank 40 and the water level in the small tank 40 also rises.
Then, at time t15, when the water level in the small tank 40 exceeds the predetermined set water level L3, the pilot valve is closed. Furthermore, at time t16, the main valve body of the ball tap 14 is closed, and the water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is stopped. As a result, the rod extending from the piston 16b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 lowers, and the rod is coupled again to the valve stem of the second drain valve 12 by the clutch mechanism 32. Thus, one toilet flush is completed, and the flush toilet device returns to the toilet flush standby state illustrated in
According to the flush toilet device of the second embodiment of the present invention, the delay mechanism includes the small tank 40 and the check valve float 42 and, when the water level in the small tank 40 drops below the predetermined set water level L3, flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 (
Next, the flush toilet device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The flush toilet device of the present embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment described above in the configuration of the delay mechanism provided in the flush water tank. Thus, only the components and operations of the third embodiment of the present invention that differ from those of the first embodiment will be described below, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference signs and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
Similar to the ball tap 14 in the first embodiment described above, the first ball tap 50 is configured to operate in association with the water level in the flush water tank 4 and start water supply into the flush water tank. That is, the first ball tap 50 includes the float 24, and the float 24 moves up and down in association with the water level in the flush water tank 4, whereby the pilot valve is opened and closed and a main valve body of the first ball tap 50 is opened and closed. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as the delay mechanism, the second ball tap 52 is provided in addition to the first ball tap 50.
The second ball tap 52 is provided on a downstream side of the first ball tap 50 and on an upstream side of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 and, when the main valve body of the first ball tap 50 is opened, the supply of flush water to the second ball tap 52 is started. The second ball tap 52 includes a float 56 and is configured to open and close a built-in main valve body in association with the water level in the flush water tank 4. That is, the structure of the second ball tap 52 is also the same as the structure of the ball tap 14 in the first embodiment described above. Further, a water supply port 58 is provided in a pipe line between the first ball tap 50 and the second ball tap 52. In a state in which the first ball tap 50 is opened and the second ball tap 52 is closed, the entire amount of flush water flowing out from the first ball tap 50 is spouted from the water supply port 58 and flows into the flush water tank 4.
The first ball tap 50 is configured such that the main valve body is opened when the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops to a predetermined first water level L4, and the second ball tap 52 is configured such that the main valve body is opened when the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops to a predetermined second water level L5 lower than the first water level L4. Accordingly, the second ball tap 52 is configured to be opened after the first drain valve 10 is opened and the water level in a first tank portion 54a starts to drop. Then, when the second ball tap 52 is opened, water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is started.
Next, actions of the flush toilet device according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with new reference to
First, at time t21 in
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 4b, causing the water level in the flush water tank 4 to drop. Then, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops to the predetermined first water level L4, the main valve body of the first ball tap 50 is opened. In this state, the main valve body of the second ball tap 52 is not opened, and thus the entire amount of flush water supplied from the water supply source and flowing through the first ball tap 50 flows into the flush water tank 4 from the water supply port 58. Here, because the flow rate of flush water discharged from the first drain port 4b is greater than the flow rate of flush water flowing into the flush water tank 4 from the water supply port 58, the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops even after the first ball tap 50 is opened.
When the water level in the flush water tank 4 further drops to the predetermined second water level L5, the main valve body of the second ball tap 52 is also opened. Thus, at time t22 in
After time t22, when the second drain valve 12 is pulled up to a predetermined height, the second drain valve 12 is separated from the rod of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 by the clutch mechanism 32, and the second drain valve 12 starts to fall. Then, at time t23 in
Since the first drain valve 10 is open even after the second drain valve 12 is closed, the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops even if flush water flows into the flush water tank 4. Then, at time t24 in
Then, at time t25, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 exceeds the second water level L5, the main valve body of the second ball tap 52 is closed. As a result, the entire amount of flush water supplied from the water supply source flows into the flush water tank 4 from the water supply port 58. Further, when the supply of flush water from the second ball tap 52 to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is stopped, the rod extending from the piston 16b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 lowers, and the rod is again coupled to the valve stem of the second drain valve 12 by the clutch mechanism 32.
Furthermore, at time t26, when the water level in the flush water tank 4 exceeds the first water level L4, the main valve body of the first ball tap 50 is closed and the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 4 is also stopped. Accordingly, the supply of the flush water from the water supply source into the flush water tank 4 is stopped. Thus, one toilet flush is completed, and the flush toilet device returns to the toilet flush standby state illustrated in
The flush toilet device according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes the first ball tap 50 that starts supplying flush water into the flush water tank 4 at the first water level L4 (time t21 in
Next, a flush toilet device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
The flush toilet main body 102 includes a bowl 102a and a drain trap conduit 102c extending from a lower portion of the bowl 102a. Further, a rim spout port 102d is provided at an upper edge portion of the bowl 102a, and a jet spout port 102e is provided at the lower portion of the bowl 102a. When the toilet is flushed, flush water is spouted from the rim spout port 102d and the jet spout port 102e at predetermined times, a waste receiving surface of the bowl 102a is flushed, and waste and flush water in the bowl 102a are discharged to the drain trap conduit 102c. The waste and flush water discharged to the drain trap conduit 102c are discharged to a sewer pipe (not illustrated) through a drain socket (not illustrated).
Flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 104 from a water supply source 106 such as a tap water supply line through a stop cock 108, and the supplied flush water is stored up to a predetermined water level in the flush water tank 104. The stop cock 108 is provided for stopping the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 104 during maintenance or the like, and is normally in an “open” state. The flush water tank 104 includes a first drain valve 110 and a second drain valve 112, which are configured to open and close a first drain port 104b and a second drain port 104c provided at a bottom portion of the flush water tank 104, respectively.
Flush water flowing out from the first drain port 104b passes through a rim conduit 102f formed inside the flush toilet main body 102 and is spouted from the rim spout port 102d. Accordingly, the first drain valve 110 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the rim spout port 102d by opening and closing the first drain port 104b provided in the flush water tank 104. Further, flush water flowing out from the second drain port 104c passes through a jet conduit 102g formed inside the flush toilet main body 102 and is spouted from the jet spout port 102e. Accordingly, the second drain valve 112 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the jet spout port 102e by opening and closing the second drain port 104c provided in the flush water tank 104.
Next, an internal structure of the flush water tank 104 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The flush water tank 104 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 102, and the first drain port 104b and the second drain port 104c for discharging the stored flush water to the flush toilet main body 102 are formed at the bottom portion of the flush water tank 104. Furthermore, a partition wall 105 is provided inside the flush water tank 104 and divides the flush water tank 104 into a first tank portion 105a provided with the first drain port 104b and a second tank portion 105b provided with the second drain port 104c. Further, a small hole 105c is formed at a predetermined height position of the partition wall 105. The first tank portion 105a and the second tank portion 105b are in communication with each other at a predetermined water level by this small hole 105c.
The first drain valve 110 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the first drain port 104b, and the first drain port 104b is opened by the first drain valve 110 being pulled up. As a result, flush water in the first tank portion 105a of the flush water tank 104 is discharged to the rim conduit 102f (
In the present embodiment, when the user rotates the lever handle 104a provided on the flush water tank 104, a bead chain 110a (schematically illustrated in
The second drain valve 112 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the second drain port 104c, and the second drain port 104c is opened by the second drain valve 112 being pulled up. As a result, flush water in the second tank portion 105b of the flush water tank 104 is discharged to the jet conduit 102g (
In the present embodiment, the second drain valve 112 is configured to be pulled up from the second drain port 104c by the hydraulic drive mechanism 116. The second drain valve 112 is a valve body including a valve stem 112a extending upward and a floating ball 112b, and the valve stem 112a is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 116. Then, when pulled up to a predetermined height, the second drain valve 112 is separated from the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 and gradually falls as the water level in the second tank portion 105b drops, closing the second drain port 104c.
Further, in the present embodiment, the floating ball 112b of the second drain valve 112 is attached at a position higher than that of the floating ball 110b of the first drain valve 110. Thus, the second drain valve 112 is seated on and closes the second drain port 104c in a state in which the water level in the second tank portion 105b is relatively high. That is, even if the water levels of the first tank portion 105a and the second tank portion 105b drop while maintaining the same water level, the second drain valve 112 is seated on and closes the second drain port 104c earlier than the first drain valve 110.
The ball tap 114, which is a delay mechanism, is configured such that flush water supplied from the water supply source 106 flows in through an inflow pipe 114a and, by the action of this ball tap 114, the second drain valve 112 is opened later than the first drain valve 110 in the present embodiment.
Next, a configuration of the ball tap 114 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The main portion 118 is a member provided with a connecting portion for the inflow pipe 114a at a lower portion thereof and a connecting portion for the outflow pipe 114b on one side thereof. Further, the valve seat 122 is formed inside the main portion 118. The valve seat 122 is in communication with the outflow pipe 114b connected to the connecting portion. Furthermore, the main valve body 120 is disposed inside the main portion 118 so as to open and close the valve seat 122. When the valve seat 122 is open, tap water from the inflow pipe 114a passes through the valve seat 122 and flows out to the outflow pipe 114b. Further, the outflow pipe 114b is connected to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116.
The main valve body 120 is a diaphragm-type valve body having a substantially disk shape, and is attached in the main portion 118 so as to be seated on and unseated from the valve seat 122. Further, a bleed hole 120a is provided in a peripheral edge portion of the main valve body 120. In the main portion 118, a pressure chamber 118a is formed on a side (left side in
Furthermore, in the pressure chamber 118a provided in the main portion 118, a pressure passageway 118b extends upward with the pressure chamber 118a in communication therewith, and a pilot valve port 128a is provided at an upper end of the pressure passageway 118b. This pilot valve port 128a opens upward and is configured to be opened and closed by the pilot valve 128.
On the other hand, the float 124 is supported by the arm portion 126, and the arm portion 126 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 126a. Furthermore, the pilot valve 128 is coupled to the arm portion 126, and the pilot valve 128 is configured to be moved in the vertical direction in association with the rotation of the arm portion 126. As a result, in a state in which the water level in the first tank portion 105a of the flush water tank 104 has risen to or above the predetermined set water level L1, the float 124 is pushed upward, and the pilot valve 128 is accordingly moved downward and seated on the pilot valve port 128a, closing the pilot valve port 128a. Meanwhile, when the flush water in the first tank portion 105a is discharged and the water level in the first tank portion 105a drops, the float 124 moves downward and the pilot valve 128 moves upward, opening the pilot valve port 128a. Therefore, the pilot valve port 128a of the main portion 118 is closed during toilet flush standby state where the water level in the first tank portion 105a is higher than the set water level L1.
Further, the tap water flowing into the main portion 118 from the inflow pipe 114a flows into a space having a ring configuration surrounding the valve seat 122, passes through the bleed hole 120a of the main valve body 120, and flows into the pressure chamber 118a. In a state in which the pilot valve port 128a is closed by the pilot valve 128, there is no outflow channel for the tap water flowing from the bleed hole 120a into the pressure chamber 118a, which increases the pressure in the pressure chamber 118a. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 118a increases, the main valve body 120 is pressed toward the valve seat 122 (to the right side in
Meanwhile, when the first drain valve 110 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the first tank portion 105a of the flush water tank 104 drops below the set water level L1, the float 124 moves downward, the pilot valve 128 moves upward, and the pilot valve port 128a is opened. When the pilot valve port 128a is opened, the water in the pressure chamber 118a flows out from the pilot valve port 128a, and, as a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 118a drops. Accordingly, the main valve body 120 is moved so as to separate from the valve seat 122 (to the left side in
Next, a configuration of the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 will be described with reference to
The hydraulic drive mechanism 116 is configured to drive the second drain valve 112 by using the supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the tap water supply line to the flush water tank 104. Specifically, the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 includes a cylinder 116a into which the water supplied from the ball tap 114 flows, a piston 116b slidably disposed in the cylinder 116a, and a rod 130 that protrudes from a lower end of the cylinder 116a and drives the second drain valve 112. Furthermore, a spring 116c is disposed inside the cylinder 116a, urging the piston 116b downward, and a rubber seal is attached to the piston 116b, ensuring water tightness between an inner wall surface of the cylinder 116a and the piston 116b. Further, a clutch mechanism 132 is provided at a lower end of the rod 130. The clutch mechanism 132 couples and separates the rod 130 and the valve stem 112a of the second drain valve 112.
The cylinder 116a is a member having a cylindrical shape, is disposed with its axis oriented in the vertical direction, and slidably receives the piston 116b therein. The outflow pipe 114b extending from the ball tap 114 is connected to a lower end portion of the cylinder 116a such that flush water flowing out from the ball tap 114 flows into the cylinder 116a. Therefore, the piston 116b in the cylinder 116a is pushed up by the water flowing into the cylinder 116a while overcoming the urging force of the spring 116c.
On the other hand, an outflow hole is provided in an upper end portion of the cylinder 116a, and a water supply pipe 134 is in communication with the inside of the cylinder 116a via the outflow hole. Accordingly, when water flows into the cylinder 116a from the outflow pipe 114b connected to a lower portion of the cylinder 116a, the piston 116b is pushed upward from the lower portion of the cylinder 116a. Accordingly, when the piston 116b is pushed up to a position higher than the outflow hole, the water flowing into the cylinder 116a flows out from the outflow hole and into the water supply pipe 134. Further, the flush water flowing into the water supply pipe 134 falls into the second tank portion 105b of the flush water tank 104, and the flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 104.
The rod 130 is a rod-shaped member connected to a lower surface of the piston 116b, and protrudes downwardly from the inside of the cylinder 116a through a through hole formed in a bottom surface of the cylinder 116a. The valve stem 112a of the second drain valve 112 is connected to the lower end of the rod 130 via the clutch mechanism 132, and the rod 130 couples the piston 116b and the second drain valve 112. Therefore, when the water flows into the cylinder 116a and the piston 116b is pushed up, the rod 130 connected to the piston 116b lifts the second drain valve 112 upward, opening the second drain valve 112.
Further, a gap is provided between the rod 130 downwardly protruding from the inside of the cylinder 116a and an inner wall of the through hole of the cylinder 116a, and some of the water flowing into the cylinder 116a flows out from the gap. The water flowing out from the gap flows into the second tank portion 105b. Herein, since the gap is relatively narrow, the gap has large flow channel resistance. Thus, even in a state in which the water flows out from the gap, the water flowing from the outflow pipe 114b into the cylinder 116a causes the pressure in the cylinder 116a to increase and pushes the piston 116b up against the urging force of the spring 116c.
Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 132 detachably couples the rod 130 and the second drain valve 112. The clutch mechanism 132 is configured to separate the valve stem 112a of the second drain valve 112 from the rod 130 when the second drain valve 112 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 130. In a state in which the valve stem 112a and the rod 130 are separated by the clutch mechanism 132, the second drain valve 112 is not accompanied with the movement of the piston 116b and an upper portion of the rod 130, and the second drain valve 112 falls as the water level in the second tank portion 105b of the flush water tank 104 drops.
Next, actions of the flush toilet device 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with new reference to
First, in the toilet flush standby state described above, as illustrated in
Next, at time t101 in
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 104b, causing the water level in the first tank portion 105a to drop. Then, when the water level in the first tank portion 105a has lowered below the set water level L1 at time t102 in
When flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, the flush water flowing into the cylinder 116a (
When the second drain port 104c is opened, the flush water stored in the second tank portion 105b of the flush water tank 104 flows from the second drain port 104c into the jet conduit 102g (
When the second drain valve 112 is pulled up to a predetermined height together with the piston 116b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, the valve stem 112a of the second drain valve 112 is separated from the rod 130 by the clutch mechanism 132 (
In the state illustrated in
Here, the flow rate of flush water flowing from the second tank portion 105b into the first tank portion 105a through the small hole 105c of the partition wall 105 is small. Thus, even if water is supplied from the water supply pipe 134 into the second tank portion 105b, the water level in the first tank portion 105a drops and the first drain valve 110 falls accordingly. Then, when the water level in the first tank portion 105a drops to the dead water level DWL at time t104 in
Furthermore, the main valve body 120 of the ball tap 114 is maintained in an open state even after the first drain valve 110 is closed, and, as a result the flush water supplied from the water supply source 106 (tap water supply line) flows into the second tank portion 105b of the flush water tank 104 from the water supply pipe 134 via the ball tap 114 and the hydraulic drive mechanism 116. Then, when the water level in the second tank portion 105b exceeds the height of the small hole 105c in the partition wall 105, flush water flows from the second tank portion 105b into the first tank portion 105a through the small hole 105c. Furthermore, when the water level in the second tank portion 105b further rises, flush water flows over the partition wall 105, from the second tank portion 105b into the first tank portion 105a. As a result, the water level in the first tank portion 105a rises. Then, as illustrated in
When the pilot valve 128 is closed in this way, flush water flowing into the pressure chamber 118a from the bleed hole 120a provided in the main valve body 120 of the ball tap 114 cannot flow out, causing the pressure in the pressure chamber 118a to rise. Then, at time t105 in
At time t105 in
Meanwhile, when the water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 is stopped, the piston 116b (
Thus, the water level in the first tank portion 105a of the flush water tank 104 rises to the set water level L1, the pilot valve 128 is closed (time t105 in
As a result, the initial water level L2 in the first tank portion 105a in the standby state of the flush toilet device 101 is set to a higher water level than the predetermined set water level L1 at which the pilot valve 128 is closed. Therefore, at the time point when the user operates the lever handle 104a in the standby state (time t101 in
According to the flush toilet device 101 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the spouting and stopping of flush water from the rim spout port 102d are switched by the first drain valve 110 and the spouting and stopping of flush water from the jet spout port 102e are switched by the second drain valve 112. With this configuration, it is possible to independently set the times for rim spouting and jet spouting as desired and effectively flush the bowl 102a of the flush toilet main body 102. Further, since the second drain valve 112 is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 by using the supply pressure of the flush water, the drain valve can be pulled up without using electric power such as that generated by a motor, and thus the spouting time from the jet spout port 102e can be set without the use of a complex mechanism for opening the drain valve. Furthermore, since the first drain valve 110 is closed after the second drain valve 112 is closed, the spouting from the rim spout port 102d is continued even after the spouting from the jet spout port 102e is completed and waste in the bowl 102a is discharged to the drain trap conduit 102c. Accordingly, it is possible to set the water level retained in the bowl 102a to an appropriate water level by refilling.
Further, according to the flush toilet device 101 of the present embodiment, the first tank portion 105a provided with the first drain port 104b and the second tank portion 105b provided with the second drain port 104c are divided by the partition wall 105, making it possible to suppress variations in the amount of flush water spouted from each spout port. As a result, it is possible to perform appropriate flushing of the bowl 102a and appropriately set the retained water level in the bowl 102a after completion of one flush while suppressing the amount of flush water.
Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 101 of the present embodiment, the partition wall 105 of the flush water tank 104 has the small hole 105c through which the first tank portion 105a and the second tank portion 105b are in communication with each other at a predetermined water level. With this configuration, flush water flows from the second tank portion 105b into the first tank portion 105a when the water level in the second tank portion 105b is higher than the water level in the first tank portion 105a. As a result, a drop in the water level of the first tank portion 105a is delayed, making it possible to lengthen the time period during which the first drain valve 110 is open. Therefore, the amount of flush water spouted from the rim spout port 102d can be increased, and spouting from the rim spout port 102d can be continued even after spouting from the jet spout port 102e is completed. Thus, by performing refill, the water level retained in the bowl 102a can be set to an appropriate water level.
Next, the flush toilet device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The flush toilet device of the present embodiment differs from that of the fourth embodiment described above in the configuration for delaying the closing of the first drain valve relative to the closing of the second drain valve. Thus, only the components and actions of the fifth embodiment of the present invention that differ from those of the fourth embodiment will be described below, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference signs and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, a flow channel cross-sectional area of the first drain port 140a configured to be opened and closed by the first drain valve 110 and the rim conduit 102f that is in communication therewith is configured to be smaller than a flow channel cross-sectional area of the second drain port 140b configured to be opened and closed by the second drain valve 142 and the jet conduit 102g that is in communication therewith. Thus, a pressure loss of the rim conduit 102f through which the first drain port 140a and the rim spout port 102d are in communication with each other is set greater than a pressure loss of the jet conduit 102g through which the second drain port 140b and the jet spout port 102e are in communication with each other.
On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the floating ball 112b of the second drain valve 112 is attached at a position higher than that of the floating ball 110b of the first drain valve 110, and thus the second drain valve 112 is closed earlier for the same water level drop. In contrast, as illustrated in
Next, operation of the flush toilet device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, when the user rotates the lever handle 104a of the flush water tank 104, the bead chain 110a connected to the lever handle 104a pulls up the first drain valve 110. As a result, the first drain port 140a is opened, and flush water in the first tank portion 105a of the flush water tank 104 is spouted from the rim spout port.
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 140a, and the water level in the first tank portion 105a drops. However, as in the fourth embodiment, since the initial water level L2 in the first tank portion 105a is higher than the predetermined set water level L1 at which the pilot valve 128 is closed, the main valve body of the ball tap 114 is maintained in the closed state.
When the water level in the first tank portion 105a further drops below the set water level L1, the float 124 of the ball tap 114 lowers, opening the pilot valve. As a result, the main valve body 120 of the ball tap 114 is opened, starting water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116. When water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, the second drain valve 142 is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, discharging the flush water from the second tank portion 105b and starting spouting from the jet spout port 102e. After the second drain valve 142 is pulled up, a valve stem 142a of the second drain valve 142 is separated from the rod 130 of the hydraulic drive mechanism 116 by the clutch mechanism 132.
The first drain valve 110 is pulled up and subsequently falls in association with the drop of the water level in the first tank portion 105a, and the second drain valve 142 is pulled up and subsequently falls in association with the drop of the water level in the second tank portion 105b. In the present embodiment, the pressure loss of the rim conduit 102f through which the first drain port 140a and the rim spout port 102d are in communication with each other is greater than the pressure loss of the jet conduit 102g through which the second drain port 140b and the jet spout port 102e are in communication with each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the water level in the second tank portion 105b which discharges flush water through the second drain port 140b drops earlier than the water level in the first tank portion 105a.
In the present embodiment, although the floating ball 142b of the second drain valve 142 and the floating ball 110b of the first drain valve 110 are provided at substantially the same height, because the water level in the second tank portion 105b drops quickly, the second drain valve 142 is closed earlier than the first drain valve 110. In this way, after the second drain valve 142 is closed and the jet spouting is stopped, the first drain valve 110 is closed and the rim spouting is stopped after a delay. Further, the operations after the rim spouting is stopped, and then the flush water tank 104 returns to the standby state are the same as the operations in the fourth embodiment described above, and thus description thereof will be omitted.
According to the flush toilet device of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, since the pressure loss of the rim conduit 102f is set greater than the pressure loss of the jet conduit 102g, the flow amount of flush water flowing out from the first tank portion 105a per unit time is less than the flow amount of flush water flowing out from the second tank portion 105b per unit time. As a result, the water level in the first tank portion 105a drops more gradually than the water level in the second tank portion 105b, and flush water in the first tank portion 105a continues to be spouted from the rim spout port 102d even after the water level in the second tank portion 105b drops and the second drain valve 142 is closed. Thus, even after spouting from the jet spout port 102e is completed, spouting from the rim spout port 102d is continued. Accordingly, it is possible to set the water level retained in the bowl 102a to an appropriate water level by refilling.
Next, the flush toilet device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The flush toilet device of the present embodiment differs from that of the fourth embodiment described above in the configuration for delaying the closing of the first drain valve relative to the closing of the second drain valve. Thus, only the components and operations of the sixth embodiment of the present invention that differ from those of the fourth embodiment will be described below, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference signs and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the volume of the first tank portion 150a in which the first drain valve 110 is disposed is larger than the volume of the second tank portion 150b in which the second drain valve 152 is disposed. In the present embodiment, a flow channel cross-sectional area of the first drain port 104b configured to be opened and closed by the first drain valve 110 and a flow channel cross-section area of the second drain port 104c configured to be opened and closed by the second drain valve 152 are configured to be substantially the same.
On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the floating ball 112b of the second drain valve 112 is attached at a position higher than that of the floating ball 110b of the first drain valve 110, and thus the second drain valve 112 is closed earlier for the same water level drop. In contrast, as illustrated in
Next, operation of the flush toilet device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, when the user rotates the lever handle 104a of the flush water tank 104, the bead chain 110a connected to the lever handle 104a pulls up the first drain valve 110. As a result, the first drain port 104b is opened, and flush water in the first tank portion 150a of the flush water tank 104 is spouted from the rim spout port.
The flush water is discharged from the first drain port 104b, and the water level in the first tank portion 150a drops. However, as in the first embodiment, since the initial water level L2 in the first tank portion 150a is higher than the predetermined set water level L1 at which the pilot valve 128 is closed, the main valve body of the ball tap 114 is maintained in the closed state.
When the water level in the first tank portion 150a further drops below the set water level L1, the float 124 of the ball tap 114 lowers, opening the pilot valve. As a result, the main valve body 120 of the ball tap 114 is opened, starting water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116. When water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, the second drain valve 152 is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 116, discharging the flush water from the second tank portion 150b and starting spouting from the jet spout port 102e. After the second drain valve 152 is pulled up, the clutch mechanism 132 separates a valve stem 152a of the second drain valve 152 from the rod 130 of the hydraulic drive mechanism 116.
The first drain valve 110 is pulled up and subsequently lowers in association with the drop of the water level in the first tank portion 150a, and the second drain valve 152 is pulled up and subsequently lowers in association with the drop of the water level in the second tank portion 150b. In the present embodiment, the first tank portion 150a has a volume larger than the volume of a second tank portion 150b. Therefore, in the present embodiment, although the flow amount per unit time of the flush water discharged from the first drain port 104b is substantially the same as that from the second drain port 104c, the water level in the second tank portion 150b drops earlier than the water level in the first tank portion 150a.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, although the floating ball 152b of the second drain valve 152 and the floating ball 110b of the first drain valve 110 are provided at substantially the same height, because the water level in the second tank portion 150b drops quickly, the second drain valve 152 is closed earlier than the first drain valve 110. In this way, after the second drain valve 152 is closed and the jet spouting is stopped, the first drain valve 110 is closed later and the rim spouting is stopped. Further, after the rim spouting is stopped, the operations until the flush water tank 104 returns to the standby state are the same as in the fourth embodiment described above, and thus description thereof will be omitted.
According to the flush toilet device of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, since the first tank portion 150a is formed with the volume larger than the volume of the second tank portion 150b, the water level in the first tank portion 150a drops more gradually than the water level in the second tank portion 150b. As a result, flush water in the first tank portion 150a continues to be spouted from the rim spout port even after the water level in the second tank portion 150b drops and the second drain valve 152 is closed. Thus, even after spouting from the jet spout port is completed, spouting from the rim spout port 102d is continued. Accordingly, it is possible to set the water level retained in the bowl 102a to an appropriate water level by refilling.
Next, a flush toilet device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
The flush toilet main body 202 includes a bowl 202a and a drain trap conduit 202c extending from a lower portion of the bowl 202a. Further, a rim spout port 202d is provided at an upper edge portion of the bowl 202a, and a jet spout port 202e is provided at the lower portion of the bowl 202a. When the toilet is flushed, flush water is spouted from the rim spout port 202d and the jet spout port 202e at predetermined times, a waste receiving surface of the bowl 202a is flushed, and waste and flush water in the bowl 202a are discharged to the drain trap conduit 202c. The waste and flush water discharged to the drain trap conduit 202c are discharged to a sewer pipe (not illustrated) through a drain socket (not illustrated).
Flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 204 from a water supply source 207 such as a tap water supply line through a stop cock 208, and the supplied flush water is stored up to a predetermined water level in the flush water tank 204. The stop cock 208 is provided for stopping the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 204 during maintenance or the like, and is normally in an “open” state. The flush water tank 204 includes a first drain valve 210 and a second drain valve 212, which are configured to open and close a first drain port 204b and a second drain port 204c provided at a bottom portion of the flush water tank 204, respectively.
Flush water flowing out from the first drain port 204b passes through a rim conduit 202f formed inside the flush toilet main body 202 and is spouted from the rim spout port 202d. Accordingly, the first drain valve 210 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the rim spout port 202d by opening and closing the first drain port 204b provided in the flush water tank 204. Further, flush water flowing out from the second drain port 204c passes through a jet conduit 202g formed inside the flush toilet main body 202 and is spouted from the jet spout port 202e. Accordingly, the second drain valve 212 switches between spouting and stopping the flush water from the jet spout port 202e by opening and closing the second drain port 204c provided in the flush water tank 204.
Next, an internal structure of the flush water tank 204 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The flush water tank 204 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 202, and the first drain port 204b and the second drain port 204c for discharging the stored flush water to the flush toilet main body 202 are formed at the bottom portion of the flush water tank 204. Furthermore, a partition wall 206 is provided inside the flush water tank 204 to divide the flush water tank 204 into a first tank portion 206a provided with the first drain port 204b and a second tank portion 206b provided with the second drain port 204c.
The first drain valve 210 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the first drain port 204b, and the first drain port 204b is opened by the first drain valve 210 being pulled up. As a result, flush water in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 is discharged to the rim conduit 202f (
In the present embodiment, when the user rotates the lever handle 205a provided on the flush water tank 204, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up and the first drain valve 210 is opened. Further, in the present embodiment, a full flush mode and a light flush mode can be selectively executed on the basis of the rotational direction of the lever handle 205a. Note that the lever handle 205a constitutes part of an operation unit 205. The operation unit 205 selectively executes the full flush mode and the light flush mode. The light flush mode is a mode in which the amount of flush water supplied to the bowl 202a is less than that in the full flush mode and a flushing sequence differs from that in the full flush mode. A configuration of the operation unit 205 will be described below.
The second drain valve 212 is a valve body disposed so as to open and close the second drain port 204c, and the second drain port 204c is opened by the second drain valve 212 being pulled up. As a result, flush water in the second tank portion 206b of the flush water tank 204 is discharged to the jet conduit 202g (
In the present embodiment, the second drain valve 212 is configured to be pulled up from the second drain port 204c by the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. The second drain valve 212 is a valve body including a valve stem 212a extending upward and a floating ball 212b, and the valve stem 212a is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. Then, when pulled up to a predetermined height, the valve stem 212a is separated from the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 and gradually falls as the water level in the second tank portion 206b drops, closing the second drain port 204c.
The ball tap 214, which is a delay mechanism, is configured such that flush water supplied from the water supply source 207 flows in through the inflow pipe 214a and, by the action of this ball tap 214, the second drain valve 212 opens later than the first drain valve 210 during a full flush.
Next, a configuration of the operation unit 205 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The lever handle 205a is a lever provided on the side surface of the flush water tank 204 and is configured to be rotatable to a front side and a rear side of the flush toilet device 201. Thus, the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be selectively executed on the basis of the direction of rotation.
The shaft 205b is a rod-like member fixed to the lever handle 205a and extending horizontally in a width direction of the flush toilet device 201 in an upper portion of the flush water tank 204. The shaft 205b is rotatably supported with respect to the flush water tank 204, and is rotated together with the lever handle 205a when the lever handle 205a is rotated.
The first arm 205c is an elongated member fixed in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 205b and extends horizontally frontward of the flush toilet device 201. One end of the full flush bead chain 205e is attached to an endmost portion of the first arm 205c, and the other end of the full flush bead chain 205e is fixed to the first drain valve 210. With this configuration, when the lever handle 205a is rotated in the direction of the arrow D1, which is a first direction, the endmost portion of the first arm 205c moves upward. As a result, the full flush bead chain 205e is pulled upward, pulling up the first drain valve 210 and opening the first drain valve 210.
The second arm 205d is an elongated member fixed in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 205b and extends horizontally frontward and rearward of the flush toilet device 201. One end of the light flush bead chain 205f is attached to a rear-side end portion of the second arm 205d, and the other end of the light flush bead chain 205f is fixed to the first drain valve 210. On the other hand, a protruding portion 205g protruding downward is provided at a front-side end portion of the second arm 205d, and the protruding portion 205g is positioned above and in the vicinity of a float 224 (
With this configuration, when the lever handle 205a is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2, which is a second direction, the rear end of the second arm 205d moves upward. As a result, the light flush bead chain 205f is pulled upward, pulling up the first drain valve 210 and opening the first drain valve 210. At the same time, the protruding portion 205g at the front end of the second arm 205d is moved downward, pushing the float 224 of the ball tap 214 downward. As a result, a main valve body 220 (
When the lever handle 205a is rotated in the direction of the arrow D1 as described above, the full flush bead chain 205e is pulled upward, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up, and the full flush mode is executed. When the lever handle 205a is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2 opposite to the arrow D1, the light flush bead chain 205f is pulled upward, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up, and the light flush mode is executed. In the present embodiment, the full flush bead chain 205e is shorter (have less slack) than the light flush bead chain 205f. Therefore, when the first drain valve 210 is pulled up by the full flush bead chain 205e, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up to a higher position than when pulled up by the light flush bead chain 205f. As a result, when the full flush mode is executed, the time period during which the first drain valve 210 is open is longer and the amount of flush water spouted from the rim spout port 202d is greater than when the light flush mode is executed.
Next, the configuration of the ball tap 214 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The main portion 218 is a member provided with a connecting portion for the inflow pipe 214a at a lower portion thereof and a connecting portion for the outflow pipe 214b on one side thereof. Further, the valve seat 222 is formed inside the main portion 218. The valve seat 222 is in communication with the outflow pipe 214b connected to the connecting portion. Furthermore, the main valve body 220 is disposed inside the main portion 218 so as to open and close the valve seat 222. When the valve seat 222 is open, tap water from the inflow pipe 214a passes through the valve seat 222 and flows out to the outflow pipe 214b. Further, the outflow pipe 214b is connected to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216.
The main valve body 220 is a diaphragm-type valve body having a substantially disk shape, and is attached in the main portion 218 so as to be seated on and unseated from the valve seat 222. Further, a bleed hole 220a is provided in a peripheral edge portion of the main valve body 220. In the main portion 218, a pressure chamber 218a is formed on a side (left side in
Furthermore, in the pressure chamber 218a provided in the main portion 218, a pressure passageway 218b extends upward with the pressure chamber 218a in communication therewith, and a pilot valve port 228a is provided at an upper end of the pressure passageway 218b. This pilot valve port 228a opens upward and is configured to be opened and closed by the pilot valve 228.
On the other hand, the float 224 is supported by the arm portion 226, and the arm portion 226 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 226a. Furthermore, the pilot valve 228 is coupled to the arm portion 226, and the pilot valve 228 is configured to be moved in a vertical direction in association with the rotation of the arm portion 226. As a result, in a state in which the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 has risen to or above the predetermined set water level L1, the float 224 is pushed upward, and the pilot valve 228 is accordingly moved downward and seated on the pilot valve port 228a, closing the pilot valve port 228a. Meanwhile, when the flush water in the first tank portion 206a is discharged and the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops, the float 224 moves downward and the pilot valve 228 moves upward, opening the pilot valve port 228a. Therefore, the pilot valve port 228a of the main portion 218 is closed during toilet flush standby state where the water level in the first tank portion 206a is higher than the set water level L1.
Further, the tap water flowing into the main portion 218 from the inflow pipe 214a flows into a space having a ring configuration surrounding the valve seat 222, passes through the bleed hole 220a of the main valve body 220, and flows into the pressure chamber 218a. In a state in which the pilot valve port 228a is closed by the pilot valve 228, there is no outflow path for the tap water flowing from the bleed hole 220a into the pressure chamber 218a, which increases the pressure in the pressure chamber 218a. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 218a increases, the main valve body 220 is pressed toward the valve seat 222 (to the right side in
Meanwhile, when the first drain valve 210 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 drops below the set water level L1, the float 224 moves downward, the pilot valve 228 moves upward, and the pilot valve port 228a is opened. When the pilot valve port 228a is opened, the water in the pressure chamber 218a flows out from the pilot valve port 228a, and, as a result the pressure in the pressure chamber 218a drops. Accordingly, the main valve body 220 is moved so as to separate from the valve seat 222 (to the left side in
As described above, the ball tap 214 is configured such that the float 224 moves up and down in association with the water level in the flush water tank 204 and, when the float 224 lowers to a predetermined position, the main valve body 220 is opened and flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. However, as described above, the protruding portion 205g (
Next, the configuration of the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 will be described with reference to
The hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is configured to drive the second drain valve 212 by using the supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the tap water supply line to the flush water tank 204. Specifically, the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 includes a cylinder 216a into which the water supplied from the ball tap 214 flows, a piston 216b slidably disposed in the cylinder 216a, and a rod 230 that protrudes from a lower end of the cylinder 216a and drives the second drain valve 212. Furthermore, a spring 216c is disposed inside the cylinder 216a, urging the piston 216b downward, and a rubber seal is attached to the piston 216b, ensuring water tightness between an inner wall surface of the cylinder 216a and the piston 216b. Further, a clutch mechanism 232 is provided at a lower end of the rod 230. The clutch mechanism 232 couples and separates the rod 230 and the valve stem 212a of the second drain valve 212.
The cylinder 216a is a member having a cylindrical shape, is disposed with its axis oriented in the vertical direction, and slidably receives the piston 216b therein. The outflow pipe 214b extending from the ball tap 214 is connected to a lower end portion of the cylinder 216a such that flush water flowing out of the ball tap 214 flows into the cylinder 216a. Therefore, the piston 216b in the cylinder 216a is pushed up by the water flowing into the cylinder 216a by overcoming the urging force of the spring 216c.
On the other hand, an outflow hole is provided in an upper end portion of the cylinder 216a, and a water supply pipe 234 is in communication with the inside of the cylinder 216a via the outflow hole. Accordingly, when water flows into the cylinder 216a from the outflow pipe 214b connected to a lower portion of the cylinder 216a, the piston 216b is pushed upward from the lower portion of the cylinder 216a. Accordingly, when the piston 216b is pushed up to a position higher than the outflow hole, the water flowing into the cylinder 216a flows out from the outflow hole and into the water supply pipe 234. Further, the flush water flowing into the water supply pipe 234 falls into the second tank portion 206b of the flush water tank 204, and the flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 204.
The rod 230 is a rod-shaped member connected to a lower surface of the piston 216b, and protrudes downwardly from the inside the cylinder 216a through a through hole formed in a bottom surface of the cylinder 216a. The valve stem 212a of the second drain valve 212 is connected to the lower end of the rod 230 via the clutch mechanism 232, and the rod 230 couples the piston 216b and the second drain valve 212. Therefore, when the water flows into the cylinder 216a and the piston 216b is pushed up, the rod 230 connected to the piston 216b lifts the second drain valve 212 upward, opening the second drain valve 212.
Further, a gap is provided between the rod 230 downwardly protruding from the inside of the cylinder 216a and an inner wall of the through hole of the cylinder 216a, and some of the water flowing into the cylinder 216a flows out from the gap. The water flowing out from the gap flows into the second tank portion 206b. Herein, since the gap is relatively narrow, the gap has large flow channel resistance. Thus, even in a state in which the water flows out from the gap, the water flowing from the outflow pipe 214b into the cylinder 216a causes the pressure in the cylinder 216a to increase and pushes the piston 216b up against the urging force of the spring 216c.
Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 232 detachably couples the rod 230 and the second drain valve 212. The clutch mechanism 232 is configured to separate the valve stem 212a of the second drain valve 212 from the rod 230, when the second drain valve 212 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 230. In a state in which the valve stem 212a and the rod 230 are separated by the clutch mechanism 232, the second drain valve 212 is not accompanied with the movement of the piston 216b and an upper portion of the rod 230, and the second drain valve 212 falls as the water level in the second tank portion 206b of the flush water tank 204 drops.
Next, actions of the flush toilet device 201 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with new reference to
First, in the toilet flush standby state described above, as illustrated in
Next, at time t201 in
The rim spouting from the rim spout port 202d generates a circulating flow on the waste receiving surface of the bowl 202a, thereby flushing the waste receiving surface. Note that, by the discharge of the flush water, the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops.
As the flush water is discharged from the first drain port 204b, the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops. Then, when the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops lower than the set water level L1 at time t202 in
When flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, the flush water flowing into the cylinder 216a (
When the second drain port 204c is opened, the flush water stored in the second tank portion 206b of the flush water tank 204 flows from the second drain port 204c into the jet conduit 202g (
When the second drain valve 212 is pulled up to a predetermined height together with the piston 216b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, the clutch mechanism 232 (
In the state illustrated in
Next, when the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 drops to the dead water level DWL at time t204 in
Furthermore, since the main valve body 220 of the ball tap 214 is maintained in an open state even after the first drain valve 210 is closed, the flush water supplied from the water supply source 207 (tap water supply line) flows into the second tank portion 206b of the flush water tank 204 from the water supply pipe 234 through the ball tap 214 and the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. Then, when the water level in the second tank portion 206b exceeds the height of the partition wall 206, flush water flows over the partition wall 206, from the second tank portion 206b into the first tank portion 206a. As a result, the water level in the first tank portion 206a rises. Then, when the water level in the first tank portion 206a rises to the set water level L1 at time t205 in
When the pilot valve 228 is closed in this way, flush water flowing into the pressure chamber 218a from the bleed hole 220a provided in the main valve body 220 of the ball tap 214 cannot flow out, causing the pressure in the pressure chamber 218a to rise. Then, at time t206 in
When the water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is stopped, the piston 216b (
Consequently, there is a predetermined time lag from the time at which the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 rises to the set water level L1 and the pilot valve 228 is closed (time t205 in
As a result, the initial water level L2 in the first tank portion 206a in the standby state of the flush toilet device 201 is set higher than the predetermined set water level L1 at which the pilot valve 228 is closed. Therefore, at the time point when the user operates the lever handle 205a in the standby state (time t201 in
Next, the toilet flush in the light flush mode will be described with reference to
First, at time t211 in
When the float 224 lowers, the pilot valve 228 (
In this way, when the light flush mode is executed, the float 224 is forced to be pushed down and water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is started without waiting for the water level in the first tank portion 206a to drop to the set water level L1. Thus, in the light flush mode, the first drain valve 210 and the second drain valve 212 are opened substantially at the same time, that is, the second drain valve 212 is opened before a predetermined time period (between times t201 and t202 in
Furthermore, when the second drain valve 212 is pulled up to a predetermined height by the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, the clutch mechanism 232 (
In the state illustrated in
Next, when the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 drops to the dead water level DWL at time t213 in
Here, when the light flush mode is executed, a height of the first drain valve 210 pulled up by the light flush bead chain 205f of the operation unit 205 at time t211 in
Furthermore, after the rim spouting is stopped at time t213 in
Note that, in the present embodiment, the first drain valve 210 and the second drain valve 212 are opened substantially simultaneously in the light flush mode. However, as an exemplary modification, the present invention can be configured such that the second drain valve 212 is opened before a predetermined time period (between time t201 and time t202 in
According to the flush toilet device 201 of the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the spouting and stopping of flush water from the rim spout port 202d are switched by the first drain valve 210 and the spouting and stopping of flush water from the jet spout port 202e are switched by the second drain valve 212 (
Further, according to the flush toilet device 201 of the present embodiment, since the second drain valve 212 is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, it is possible to start jet spouting by pulling up the drain valve after a predetermined time period elapses from rim spouting is started in full flush mode without using electrical power such as that generated by a motor. This makes it possible to effectively flush the bowl 202a while suppressing the amount of flush water.
Furthermore, according to the flush toilet device 201 of the present embodiment, during execution of the full flush mode, the float 224 lowers as the water level in the flush water tank 204 drops to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, and thus jet spouting is started after the water level in the flush water tank 204 drops. On the other hand, during execution of the light flush mode, the float 224 is forced to lower to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, and thus jet spouting is started without waiting for the water level in the flush water tank 204 to drop. Thus, the flushing sequence of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be set without the use of electrical control.
Further, according to the flush toilet device 201 of the present embodiment, the full flush mode is executed when the lever handle 205a is rotated in the first direction and the light flush mode is executed when the lever handle 205a is rotated in the second direction. Thus, execution of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be controlled with a simple mechanism.
Next, the flush toilet device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The flush toilet device of the present embodiment differs from that of the seventh embodiment described above in the configuration of the operation unit for executing the full flush mode and the light flush mode. Thus, only the points of the eighth embodiment of the present invention that differ from those of the seventh embodiment will be described below, and the components that are the same as those in the seventh embodiment will be denoted by the same reference signs and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the first drain valve 210 is connected to a full flush bead chain 240a and a light flush bead chain 240b provided in the operation unit (not illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
The first button 242a and the second button 242b are push buttons provided on an upper surface of the flush water tank 204, and the user can execute the full flush mode or the light flush mode by pressing these buttons. The first button 242a and the second button 242b are supported by the flush water tank 204 so as to be movable in the vertical direction when pressed by the user. Furthermore, the first button 242a and the second button 242b are each configured to return to an original position by a spring (not illustrated) after being pressed by the user. Note that only upper end portions of the first button 242a and the second button 242b are exposed from the upper surface of the flush water tank 204, and lower portions of the buttons are covered by a cover (not illustrated) on the upper surface of the flush water tank 204.
The lever 244 is a rod-shaped member oriented substantially horizontally so as to extend in a front-rear direction of the flush toilet device, and is disposed under the first button 242a and the second button 242b.
The shaft 246 is a rod-like member extending horizontally in the width direction of the flush toilet device 201 at the upper portion of the flush water tank 204. The shaft 246 is rotatably supported with respect to the flush water tank 204, and the lever 244 is fixed to an intermediate portion of the shaft 246 in a manner orthogonal to the shaft 246. When the first button 242a or the second button 242b is pressed, the shaft 246 is rotated together with the lever 244. That is, the first button 242a is disposed above a rear-side end portion of the lever 244 and, when the first button 242a is pressed, the shaft 246 fixed to the lever 244 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D1. On the other hand, the second button 242b is disposed above a front-side end portion of the lever 244 and, when the second button 242b is pressed, the shaft 246 fixed to the lever 244 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2.
The first arm 248a is an elongated member fixed in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 246 and extends horizontally frontward and rearward of the flush toilet device 201. One end of the full flush bead chain 240a is attached to a front-side endmost portion of the first arm 248a, and the other end of the full flush bead chain 240a is fixed to the first drain valve 210. On the other hand, one end of the light flush bead chain 240b is attached to a rear-side endmost portion of the first arm 248a, and the other end of the light flush bead chain 240b is also fixed to the first drain valve 210.
The second arm 248b is an elongated member fixed in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 246 and extends horizontally rearward of the flush toilet device 201. One end of the light flush bead chain 240c is attached to a rear-side end portion of the second arm 248b, and the other end of the light flush bead chain 240c is fixed to the second drain valve 212.
With this configuration, when the first button 242a for a full flush is pressed and the shaft 246 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D1, which is the first direction, the endmost portion of the first arm 248a moves upward. As a result, the full flush bead chain 240a is pulled upward, pulling up the first drain valve 210 and opening the first drain valve 210.
Meanwhile, when the second button 242b for a light flush is pressed and the shaft 246 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2, which is the second direction, the rear ends of the first arm 248a and the second arm 248b move upward. As a result, the light flush bead chain 240b is pulled upward, pulling up the first drain valve 210 and opening the first drain valve 210. At the same time, the light flush bead chain 240c attached to the rear end of the second arm 248b is also pulled upward, pulling up the second drain valve 212 and opening the second drain valve 212.
In this way, when the first button 242a is pressed and the shaft 246 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D1, the full flush bead chain 240a is pulled upward, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up, and the full flush mode is executed. Further, when the second button 242b is pressed and the shaft 246 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2 opposite to the arrow D1, the light flush bead chains 240b and 240c are pulled upward, the first drain valve 210 and the second drain valve 212 are pulled up, and the light flush mode is executed. In the present embodiment, the full flush bead chain 240a is configured to be shorter (have less slack) than the light flush bead chain 240b. Therefore, when pulled up by the full flush bead chain 240a, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up to a higher position than when pulled up by the light flush bead chain 240b. As a result, when the full flush mode is executed, the time period during which the first drain valve 210 is open is longer and the amount of flush water spouted from the rim spout port 202d is greater than when the light flush mode is executed.
Next, actions of the flush toilet device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, when the user presses the first button 242a for a full flush, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up by the full flush bead chain 240a, and rim spouting from the rim spout port 202d starts. When the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops from the initial water level L2 to the set water level L1 by the first drain valve 210 being pulled up and the flush water being discharged, the float 224 of the ball tap 214 lowers, opening the pilot valve 228.
As a result, the main valve body 220 of the ball tap 214 is opened, starting water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. When the water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is started, the second drain valve 212 is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, and jet spouting from the jet spout port 202e starts. That is, in the full flush mode started by pressing the first button 242a, jet spouting is started after a predetermined time period (corresponding to times t201 to t202 in
Next, when the user presses the second button 242b for a light flush, the light flush bead chain 240b and the light flush bead chain 240c are pulled substantially simultaneously, and the first drain valve 210 and the second drain valve 212 are pulled up. As a result, the rim spouting from the rim spout port 202d and the jet spouting from the jet spout port 202e are started substantially simultaneously. That is, during execution of the light flush mode, the second drain valve 212 is forced to open on the basis of operation of the operation unit 240 to start jet spouting. Next, when the water level in the first tank portion 206a drops from the initial water level L2 to the set water level L1, the float 224 of the ball tap 214 lowers, opening the pilot valve 228.
As a result, the main valve body 220 of the ball tap 214 is opened, starting water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216. That is, in the light flush mode, water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is started after the second drain valve 212 is pulled up by the light flush bead chain 240c. The flush water supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 flows into the second tank portion 206b through the water supply pipe 234. Note that the operations performed after water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216 is started in the light flush mode are the same as those of the seventh embodiment described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.
Note that, in the present embodiment, the first drain valve 210 and the second drain valve 212 are opened substantially simultaneously in the light flush mode. However, as an exemplary modification, the present invention can be configured such that the second drain valve 212 is opened before a predetermined time period elapses from opening the first drain valve 210. In this case, for example, the light flush bead chain 240c can be formed slightly longer (with more slack) than the light flush bead chain 240b. As a result, when the shaft 246 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D2, the first drain valve 210 is pulled up by the light flush bead chain 240b and subsequently, after a slight delay (before the predetermined time period elapses), the second drain valve 212 is pulled up by the light flush bead chain 240c.
According to the flush toilet device of the eighth embodiment of the present invention, when the full flush mode is executed, the float 224 lowers as the water level in the first tank portion 206a of the flush water tank 204 drops to start supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 216, and thus jet spouting starts after the water level in the flush water tank 204 drops. On the other hand, when the light flush mode is executed, the second drain valve 212 is forced to open on the basis of operation of the operation unit 240 to start jet spouting. Thus, the flushing sequence of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be set without the use of electrical control.
Further, according to the flush toilet device of the present embodiment, the full flush mode is executed when the first button 242a is pressed and the light flush mode is executed when the second button 242b is pressed. Thus, execution of the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be controlled with a simple mechanism.
Embodiments of the present invention have been described, but various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above. In particular, in the embodiments described above, the jet spouting is started after a delay following the start of rim spouting, but the present invention can also be configured such that the rim spouting is started after the jet spouting is started. In this case, the present invention may be configured such that the first drain valve for switching between spouting and stopping the flush water from the rim spout port is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism.
Further, although the first drain port and the second drain port of the flush water tank are provided separately in the embodiments described above, these drain ports may be configured to overlap each other in a top view. In this case, for example, the present invention can be configured such that the first drain port and the second drain port are provided concentrically, the inward drain port is opened and closed by a drain valve having a circular shape, and the outward drain port is opened and closed by a drain valve having a donut shape.
Further, the first drain valve is configured to be closed after the second drain valve is closed by making the floating balls of each drain valve have different height in the fourth embodiment, by making the flow channels extending from each drain ports have different flow channel resistance in the fifth embodiment, and by making the first tank portion and the second tank portion have different volume in the sixth embodiment. In contrast, the present invention can be configured by appropriately combining the configurations of each of the embodiments described above so that the first drain valve is closed after the second drain valve is closed.
Furthermore, although the lever handle is provided as the operation unit in the seventh embodiment, and the first and second buttons are provided as the operation unit in the eighth embodiment, the present invention can be configured by utilizing any operation unit so that the full flush mode and the light flush mode can be selectively executed. Further, the first and second buttons may be applied to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, and the lever handle may be applied to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.
Furthermore, in the seventh and eighth embodiments described above, the partition wall is provided in the flush water tank, and the first drain port and the second drain port are provided in the first tank portion and the second tank portion, respectively, but the partition wall of the flush water tank can be omitted. In this case, the first drain port and the second drain port may be configured to overlap each other in a top view. In this case, for example, the present invention can be configured such that the first drain port and the second drain port are provided concentrically, the inward drain port is opened and closed by a drain valve having a circular shape, and the outward drain port is opened and closed by a drain valve having a donut shape.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-132411 | Aug 2023 | JP | national |
| 2023-132527 | Aug 2023 | JP | national |
| 2023-132528 | Aug 2023 | JP | national |
