Patent Grant
12037779
The present invention relates to a flush water tank apparatus, and particularly to a flush water tank apparatus configured to supply flush water to a flush toilet and a flush toilet apparatus provided with the same.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-257061 discloses a low tank apparatus. In the low tank apparatus, a hydraulic cylinder device having a piston and a drain portion is arranged in a low tank provided with a discharge valve, and the piston and the discharge valve are connected to each other by a connection portion. To discharge flush water in the low tank, an electromagnetic valve is opened to thereby supply the water to the hydraulic cylinder device, so that the piston is pushed up. Since the piston is connected to the discharge valve by the connection portion, the movement of the piston causes the discharge valve to be pulled up to open the discharge valve, whereby the flush water in the low tank is discharged. However, the water supplied to the hydraulic cylinder device flows out through the drain portion, and flows into the low tank.
Furthermore, to close the discharge valve, the electromagnetic valve is closed to thereby stop the supply of the water to the hydraulic cylinder device. This causes the pushed-up piston to be lowered, whereby the discharge valve is returned to a valve closed position by its own weight. In this case, since the water in the hydraulic cylinder device flows out through the drain portion little by little, the piston is slowly lowered, and the discharge valve is gradually returned to the valve closed position.
However, in the low tank apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-257061, since it takes a long time to return the piston of the hydraulic cylinder device to an original position, the time is required until a next toilet flush operation can be started after one toilet flush operation. That is, in the low tank apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-257061, when the water flows into the cylinder of the hydraulic cylinder device, the piston is pushed up, and the discharge valve is pulled up. After the discharge valve is pulled up, the water that has flowed into the cylinder flows out through a gap (a drain portion) between a rod portion attached to the piston and a through hole provided in the cylinder, and the piston moves downward to be returned to the original position. Since the gap between the rod portion and the through hole is narrow, it takes a relatively long time to discharge the water in the cylinder. In addition, when the gap is increased, the pressure in the cylinder is not sufficiently increased, which makes it difficult to push up the piston during the toilet flush operation. Therefore, the gap cannot be simply increased.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-257061 also discloses the low tank device configured to discharge the water in the cylinder by connecting a discharge pipe to the cylinder of the hydraulic cylinder device, and providing a discharge pipe electromagnetic valve to this discharge pipe. According to the low tank apparatus, after the discharge valve is pulled up, the discharge pipe electromagnetic valve is opened, whereby the water in the cylinder can be promptly discharged via the discharge pipe. However, in the low tank apparatus of this type, it is necessary to provide a dedicated electromagnetic valve for discharging the water in the cylinder, and therefore the structure of the apparatus is complicated and the hydraulic cylinder device is increased in size.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a flush water tank apparatus capable of quickly discharging water in a hydraulic cylinder device (discharge valve hydraulic drive portion) with a simple mechanism while opening a discharge valve using a water supply pressure and returning to a state where a next toilet flush operation can be started in a short time, and a flush toilet apparatus provided with the same.
To solve the above problems, the present invention is a flush water tank apparatus configured to supply flush water to a flush toilet, the flush water tank apparatus comprising a reservoir tank configured to store the flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet and having a discharge port formed to discharge the stored flush water to the flush toilet, a discharge valve configured to open and close the discharge port to supply the flush water to the flush toilet and to stop a supply of the flush water to the flush toilet, a discharge valve hydraulic drive portion configured to drive the discharge valve using a water supply pressure of supplied water, and a discharge/vacuum break valve device provided on an upstream side of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion and configured to supply the water supplied from the upstream side to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion on a downstream side, wherein the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion includes a cylinder into which the water supplied through the discharge/vacuum break valve device flows, and a piston that is slidably disposed in the cylinder, and is configured to be moved by a pressure of the water flowing into the cylinder to move the discharge valve, and the discharge/vacuum break valve device includes a valve body that operates, when the supply of the water from the upstream side is stopped, to discharge the water flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion while opening the upstream side to an atmosphere.
In the present invention configured as described above, the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion is configured to drive the discharge valve using a water supply pressure of the supplied water to open the discharge port of the reservoir tank, whereby the stored flush water is discharged to the flush toilet. The discharge/vacuum break valve device is provided on the upstream side of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion, and is configured to supply the water supplied from the upstream side to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion on the downstream side. The discharge valve hydraulic drive portion includes the cylinder and the piston, and the piston that is slidably disposed in the cylinder is moved by a pressure of the water flowing into the cylinder when the water supplied through the discharge/vacuum break valve device flows into the cylinder, whereby the discharge valve is moved. The discharge/vacuum break valve device is configured to discharge the water flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion while opening the upstream side to the atmosphere, when the supply of the water from the upstream side is stopped.
According to the present invention configured as described above, when the supply of the water from the upstream side is stopped, the discharge/vacuum break valve device discharges the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion, thereby making it possible to discharge the water flowing in the cylinder of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion with a simple mechanism. This enables the piston to be returned to an initial position quickly, which makes it possible to return to a state where a next toilet flush operation can be started in a short time. Additionally, according to the present invention configured as described above, the discharge/vacuum break valve device opens the upstream side to the atmosphere when the supply of the water from the upstream side is stopped, thereby making it possible to draw the atmosphere when a pressure on the upstream side of the discharge/vacuum break valve device is negative, to prevent the water from flowing backward to the upstream side.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge/vacuum break valve device includes an inflow port through which the supplied water flows, an outflow port through which the water flowing into the discharge/vacuum break valve device is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion, and an air intake/water discharge opening configured to be opened and closed by a valve body, the inflow port is provided above the outflow port, and the air intake/water discharge opening is formed in a vertical face or a sloping surface.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the inflow port is provided above the outflow port, thereby making it possible to reliably prevent the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion to the outflow port from flowing backward to the inflow port. Additionally, the air intake/water discharge opening configured to be opened or closed by the valve body is formed in the vertical face or the sloping surface, thereby making it possible to draw the atmosphere from the upper portion of the air intake/water discharge opening while discharging, from a lower portion of the air intake/water discharge opening, the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion to the outflow port, whereby the water discharge and the air drawing can be simultaneously performed.
In the present invention, it is preferable that an area of the air intake/water discharge opening in the discharge/vacuum break valve device is larger than the area of the outflow port in the discharge/vacuum break valve device.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the area of the air intake/water discharge opening is larger than the area of the outflow port in the discharge/vacuum break valve device, thereby making it possible to reliably draw the atmosphere while discharging the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion to the outflow port.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the air intake/water discharge opening of the discharge/vacuum break valve device is formed to be longer in a vertical direction than in a horizontal direction.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the air intake/water discharge opening is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, thereby making it possible to reliably perform the discharge of the backward-flow water and the atmosphere drawing with a small opening area.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the valve body of the discharge/vacuum break valve device is provided turnably around a predetermined central axis, and the air intake/water discharge opening is opened and closed by turning the valve body.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the air intake/water discharge opening is opened and closed by turning the valve body in the discharge/vacuum break valve device, thereby making it possible to configure an opening/closing mechanism of the air intake/water discharge opening in a compact manner, to improve the flexibility in design of the discharge/vacuum break valve device.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the predetermined central axis is disposed outside a perpendicular projection plane of the air intake/water discharge opening.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the central axis around which the valve body is turned is disposed outside the perpendicular projection plane of the air intake/water discharge opening, thereby making it possible to reliably ensure a crush amount of the packing for sealing between an edge portion of the air intake/water discharge opening and the valve body, to thereby reliably close the air intake/water discharge opening.
In the present invention, it is preferable that a bottom edge of the air intake/water discharge opening is formed to extend horizontally, and the water flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is discharged into the reservoir tank beyond the bottom edge.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the bottom edge of the air intake/water discharge opening extends horizontally and the backward-flow water is discharged into the reservoir tank beyond the bottom edge, thereby making it possible to increase an area of the flow path through which the discharge water flows beyond the bottom edge, to thereby reduce a rise of the water level in the discharge/vacuum break valve device.
In the present invention, it is preferable that a top edge of the air intake/water discharge opening is formed to extend horizontally.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the top edge of the air intake/water discharge opening extends horizontally, thereby making it possible to increase an area of the flow path through which the external air is drawn through the air intake/water discharge opening even in a state where the water is discharged from the air intake/water discharge opening, to thereby reliably draw the atmosphere.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the valve body is in a stand-by position where a position of the center of gravity of the valve body is lowest in a state where the water is not supplied to the discharge/vacuum break valve device.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the valve body is in the stand-by position where the position of the center of gravity is lowest in the state where the water is not supplied to the discharge/vacuum break valve device, thereby making it possible to return the valve body to the stand-by position by its own weight with a simple structure.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the valve body includes a weight.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the valve body includes the weight, thereby making it possible to increase the gravity applied to the valve body, to thereby reliably return the valve body to the stand-by position with a simple structure.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge/vacuum break valve device includes a biasing spring, and the biasing spring biases the valve body in a direction in which the air intake/water discharge opening is opened.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the valve body includes the biasing spring that biases the valve body in a direction in which the air intake/water discharge opening is opened, thereby making it possible to reliably open the air intake/water discharge opening when the supply of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is stopped.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the biasing spring is configured to increase an increase in biasing force with respect to an increase in deformation amount as the deformation amount is increased.
First, since a static pressure is applied to the valve body in a state where the air intake/water discharge opening is closed, a large force is required to open the valve body. However, since the static pressure is not applied to valve body in a state where the air intake/water discharge opening is opened even a little bit, the valve body can be moved with a small force. According to the present invention configured as described above, since the biasing spring is configured to increase an increase in biasing force with respect to an increase in deformation amount as the deformation amount is increased, the biasing force in the direction of opening the valve body becomes the largest in a state where the air intake/water discharge opening is closed and the biasing spring is most deformed. This makes it possible to easily open the valve body when the supply of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is stopped. On the other hand, the biasing force is reduced in a region where the deformation amount of the biasing force is small, thereby making it possible to easily move the valve body to be closed when the supply of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is started.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the biasing spring does not apply the biasing force to the valve body in a state where the air intake/water discharge opening is open by a predetermined amount or more.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the biasing force is not applied to the valve body in the state where the air intake/water discharge opening is open by a predetermined amount or more, thereby making it possible to easily move the valve body to be closed when the supply of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is started. On the other hand, the biasing force is applied to the valve body when the opening degree of the air intake/water discharge opening is less than the predetermined amount, thereby making it possible to easily open the valve body when the supply of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is stopped.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the flush water tank apparatus further comprises a flow rate reduction unit configured to reduce a flow rate of the water flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion to the discharge/vacuum break valve device.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the flow rate of the water flowing backward to the discharge/vacuum break valve device is reduced by the flow rate reduction unit, thereby making it possible to prevent the air intake/water discharge opening from being filled with a large flow rate of water from flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion, so that the external air can be drawn.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the flush water tank apparatus further comprises a power generator that includes a water turbine configured to be rotated by a flow of the supplied water and a power generating portion configured to generate electric power by the rotation of the water turbine, and a water supply controller that includes an electromagnetic valve configured to be operated by the electric power generated by the power generator and is configured to control supply and supply stop of the water to the discharge/vacuum break valve device, wherein the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion includes an outer shell portion disposed to surround at least a part of the discharge valve on a plan view, and the power generator is disposed above a stopped water level in the reservoir tank and is disposed on an opposite side across the outer shell portion from a landing position where the water discharged from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on a water surface in the reservoir tank, in a left-right direction on the plan view.
In the present invention configured as described above, the power generator is disposed above the stopped water level in the reservoir tank, and is disposed on the opposite side across the outer shell portion from the landing position where the water discharged from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the water surface in the reservoir tank, in the left-right direction on the plan view. As a result, the outer shell portion blocks scattering of the water when the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the water surface in the reservoir tank, thereby making it possible to prevent exposure of the power generator to the water.
In the present invention, it is preferable that in a case where the reservoir tank is equally divided into three regions, which are a left-side region, a center region, and a right-side region, in the left-right direction on the plan view, the power generator is disposed in a region different from a region to which the landing position belongs.
In the present invention configured as described above, among the left-side region, the center region, and the right-side region on the plan view, the power generator is disposed in a region different from the region to which the landing position belongs, thereby making it possible to secure a relatively large distance between the landing position and the power generator. This can effectively prevent the power generator from being splashed with the water scattered when the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the water surface in the reservoir tank.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the landing position is located in any one of the left-side region and the right-side region in the reservoir tank on the plan view, the power generator is disposed in the other of the left-side region and the right-side region in the reservoir tank on the plan view.
In the present invention configured as described above, the landing position of the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device is located in one of the left-side region and the right-side region in the reservoir tank, whereas the power generator is disposed in the other of the left-side region and the right-side region. This makes it possible to secure the relatively large distance between the landing position and the power generator in the reservoir tank, and effectively prevent the power generator from being splashed with the water scattered when the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the water surface in the reservoir tank.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the power generator is disposed on an opposite side across the outer shell portion of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion in a front-rear direction from the landing position.
In the present invention configured as described above, the power generator is disposed on an opposite side across the outer shell portion from the landing position of the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device, whereby the outer shell portion can block scattering of the water when the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the landing position, which makes it possible to effectively prevent exposure of the power generator to the water.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the cylinder of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion is provided above the outer shell portion.
In the present invention configured as described above, the cylinder of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion is provided above the outer shell portion, whereby the cylinder can block scattering of the water when the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device lands on the landing position, which makes it possible to more effectively prevent exposure of the power generator to the water.
The present invention is a flush toilet apparatus comprising the flush water tank apparatus of the present invention, and the flush toilet that is to be washed with flush water supplied from the flush water tank apparatus.
According to the present invention, there can be provided a flush water tank apparatus capable of quickly discharging water in a discharge valve hydraulic drive portion with a simple mechanism while opening a discharge valve using a water supply pressure and returning to a state where a next toilet flush operation can be started in a short time, and a flush toilet apparatus provided with the same.
Next, referring to the attached drawings, a flush water tank apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention and a flush toilet apparatus provided with the same will be described.
As illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
The reservoir tank 10 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main unit 2. The discharge port 10a for discharging the stored flush water to the flush toilet main unit 2 is formed at a bottom portion of the reservoir tank 10. In the reservoir tank 10, an overflow pipe 10b is connected on the downstream side of the discharge port 10a. The overflow pipe 10b rises vertically from the vicinity of the discharge port 10a and extends above a water surface of the flush water stored in the reservoir tank 10. Accordingly, the flush water that has flowed in from an upper end of the overflow pipe 10b bypasses the discharge port 10a and flows out directly to the flush toilet main unit 2.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
When the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is stopped, external air is drawn into the inflow pipe 24a by the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30, and the water remaining in the cylinder 14a of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is discharged from the inflow pipe 24a into the reservoir tank 10. However, the structure and operation of the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 will be described later.
Additionally, as illustrated in
Furthermore, an orifice 24d which is a flow rate reduction unit is provided in the middle of the inflow pipe 24a between the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 and the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14. The orifice 24d is a narrowed portion provided in the inflow pipe 24a, and is configured so that the flow path cross-sectional area gradually decreases from an upstream side to a downstream side. The orifice 24d is configured to reduce the flow rate of the water flowing in the inflow pipe 24a, and is particularly configured to reduce the flow rate of the water flowing backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30.
On the other hand, the water supplied from the tap water is supplied to the water supply controller 18 via a stop cock 32a disposed outside of the reservoir tank 10 and a fixed flow valve 32b disposed on the downstream side of the stop cock 32a and in the reservoir tank 10. The stop cock 32a is provided to stop the water supply to the flush water tank apparatus 4 at the time of maintenance or the like, and is usually used in a state where the cock is open. The fixed flow valve 32b is provided to cause the water supplied from the tap water to flow into the water supply controller 18 at a predetermined flow rate, and is configured to supply the water to the water supply controller 18 at a certain flow rate regardless of the installation environment of the flush toilet apparatus 1.
The electromagnetic valve 20 is attached to the water supply controller 18, and the water supply from the water supply controller 18 to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is controlled based on the operation of the electromagnetic valve 20. Specifically, the controller 28 receives signals from the remote controller 6 and the human sensor 8, and sends the electric signals to the electromagnetic valve 20 to operate the electromagnetic valve 20.
Furthermore, a water supply valve float 34 is also connected to the water supply controller 18, and is configured to set the water level in the reservoir tank 10 at a predetermined stopped water level L1. The water supply valve float 34 is disposed in the reservoir tank 10. The water supply valve float 34 is configured to rise with a rise of the water level of the reservoir tank 10, and stop the water supply from the water supply controller 18 to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 when the water level rises to the predetermined stopped water level L1.
The water supply controller 18 includes a main body portion 36 to which the water supply pipe 32 and the inflow pipe 24a are connected, a main valve body 38 disposed in the main body portion 36, a valve seat 40 on which the main valve body 38 is seated, an arm portion 42 to be turned by the water supply valve float 34, a float-side pilot valve 44 to be moved by the turning of the arm portion 42, and an electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50.
The main body portion 36 is a member in which a connection portion of the water supply pipe 32 is provided in the lower portion of the main body portion 36 and a connection portion of the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is provided in one side of the main body portion 36. The main body portion 36 is configured to have a side surface to which the electromagnetic valve 20 is to be attached, the side surface being opposite to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30. The valve seat 40 is formed in the interior of the main body portion 36, and is adapted to communicate with the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30. Furthermore, the main valve body 38 is disposed in the interior of the main body portion 36 to open and close the valve seat 40. The main valve body 38 is configured so that when the valve is open, the tap water that has flowed in from the water supply pipe 32 flows out to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 through the valve seat 40.
The main valve body 38 is a diaphragm valve body having a substantially circular disc shape, and is attached to the inside of the main body portion 36 to be able to be seated on and separated from the valve seat 40. Also, in the main body portion 36, a pressure chamber 36a is formed on the opposite side of the valve seat 40 with respect to the main valve body 38. That is, the pressure chamber 36a is defined by an inner wall surface of the main body portion 36 and the main valve body 38. When the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is increased, the main valve body 38 is pressed against the valve seat 40 by the pressure and is seated on the valve seat 40.
On the other hand, the electromagnetic valve 20 is attached to the main body portion 36, and is configured to be capable of advancing and retracting the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50. That is, the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 is configured to open and close a pilot valve port (not illustrated) provided in the pressure chamber 36a. Also, the float-side pilot valve 44 is configured to open and close a float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated) provided in the pressure chamber 36a.
On the other hand, the water supply valve float 34 is supported by the arm portion 42. The float-side pilot valve 44 is connected to the arm portion 42. The water supply valve float 34 is pushed up upward in a state where the water level in the reservoir tank 10 has risen to the predetermined stopped water level L1, and therefore the float-side pilot valve 44 closes the float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated) of the pressure chamber 36a. On the other hand, when the flush water in the reservoir tank 10 is discharged, and the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is lowered, the water supply valve float 34 is lowered downward, and the float-side pilot valve 44 is moved, whereby the float-side pilot valve port is opened.
With this configuration, in a toilet flush standby state where the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is the predetermined stopped water level L1 and the electromagnetic valve 20 is not energized, both of the pilot valve port (not illustrated) of the main valve body 38 and the float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated) of the main body portion 36 are in a closed state.
The tap water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 flows into the pressure chamber 36a. Here, in a state where the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 closes the pilot valve port (not illustrated) and the float-side pilot valve 44 closes the float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated), the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is increased by the tap water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 36a. When the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is thus increased, the main valve body 38 is pressed toward the valve seat 40 by the pressure, whereby the valve seat 40 is closed by the main valve body 38.
On the other hand, when the electromagnetic valve 20 is energized and the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 opens the pilot valve port (not illustrated), the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is lowered, whereby the main valve body 38 is separated from the valve seat 40 and the valve seat 40 is opened. In a state where the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is lower than the predetermined stopped water level L1, the water supply valve float 34 is lowered, and the float-side pilot valve 44 opens the float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated). Accordingly, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is lowered, and the valve seat 40 is opened. In this way, in a state where either the pilot valve port of the main valve body 38 or the float-side pilot valve port is open, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is lowered, and the valve seat 40 is opened.
Next, referring to
As illustrated in
The discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is provided above the discharge valve 12, and is configured to drive the discharge valve 12 using a water supply pressure of the flush water supplied from the tap water. Specifically, the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 includes a cylinder 14a into which the water supplied from the water supply controller 18 (
Additionally, a spring 14c is disposed in the interior of the cylinder 14a, and biases the piston 14b downward. An annular packing 14e which is an elastic member is attached to an outer periphery of the piston 14b. The packing 14e is formed to have an inverted U-shaped cross section so that a lower side is open. Furthermore, the packing 14e contacts an inner wall surface of the cylinder 14a in an elastically deformed state, so that the watertightness is ensured between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 14a and the piston 14b. A clutch mechanism 22 is provided in a connection portion between a lower end of the rod 15 and the discharge valve 12. The clutch mechanism 22 enables connection between the rod 15 and the discharge valve 12. The connection between the rod 15 and the discharge valve 12 is released at a predetermined timing.
The cylinder 14a is a cylindrical member. An axis of the cylinder 14a is disposed vertically, and the piston 14b is slidably received in the interior of the cylinder 14a. An internal space of the cylinder 14a is partitioned by the piston 14b into a pressure chamber 16a below the piston 14b and a back pressure chamber 16b above the piston 14b. The piston 14b is disposed in the cylinder 14a slidably between the first position illustrated in
As illustrated in
On the other hand, an outflow port 25b is provided in an upper portion of the cylinder 14a, and the outflow pipe 24b communicates with the back pressure chamber 16b in the cylinder 14a via the outflow port 25b. Accordingly, the water that has flowed into the back pressure chamber 16b in the cylinder 14a flows out through the outflow port 25b. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
A gap 14d is provided between the rod 15 projecting from a lower portion of the cylinder 14a and an inner wall surface of the sleeve 14f in the cylinder 14a, and a part of the water that has flowed into the cylinder 14a flows out from the gap 14d. The water that has flowed out from the gap 14d flows into the reservoir tank 10. The gap has a flow path with a relatively narrow cross section and a high resistance. Therefore, even in a state where the water flows out from the gap 14d, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 16a is increased by strong flow of the water flowing into the cylinder 14a from the inflow pipe 24a, which causes the piston 14b to be pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 14c.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
An outflow guiding portion 14g is provided to hang downward from a ceiling surface of the cylinder 14a. The outflow guiding portion 14g is provided inside the spring 14c disposed in the cylinder 14a, and is formed in a cylindrical shape, a part of which is cut out. A cylindrical cutout portion in the outflow guiding portion 14g is directed in a direction of the outflow port 25b of the cylinder 14a. Therefore, the water that has flowed into the back pressure chamber 16b from the upper end opening 17a through the communicating flow path 17 is guided toward the outflow port 25b by the outflow guiding portion 14g. As illustrated in
Although in the present embodiment, the upper end opening 17a formed in the upper end of the rod 15 functions as the back pressure chamber opening opened to the back pressure chamber 16b, the back pressure chamber opening is not necessarily provided in the rod 15, and may be provided in the piston 14b. In this case, a part of the communicating flow path 17 is formed inside the piston 14b, and the communicating flow path 17 extending from the back pressure chamber opening provided on the back pressure chamber 16b side of the piston 14b is connected to the communicating flow path 17 provided in the rod 15.
On the other hand, the side opening 17b which is a rod opening is located at a lower end of the communicating flow path 17, and is open in a side surface of the intermediate part of the rod 15. In the present embodiment, two side openings 17b are provided at the same height on both sides of a central line of the rod 15. In the case where a plurality of side openings 17b are provided, it is preferable that the side openings 17b are provided at positions symmetrical about the central axis of the rod and at the same height. That is, in the present embodiment, the two side openings 17b are provided at positions spaced from each other by a central angle of 180 degrees with the central axis of the rod as a center. However, for example, in the case where three side openings 17b are provided, it is preferable that the side openings 17b are provided at positions spaced from one another by a central angle of 120 degrees, and in the case where four side openings 17b are provided, it is preferable that the side openings 17b are provided at positions spaced from one another by a central angle of 90 degrees.
As illustrated in
On the other hand, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Next, the clutch mechanism 22 is provided between the rod 15 and the valve shaft 12a of the discharge valve 12. The clutch mechanism 22 is configured to disconnect the valve shaft 12a of the discharge valve 12 from the rod 15 when the discharge valve 12 is lifted up to a predetermined position. In a state where the clutch mechanism 22 is disengaged, the discharge valve 12 ceases to move in association with the movement of the piston 14b and the rod 15, and falls by gravity while resisting buoyancy. Details of the clutch mechanism 22 will be described later.
On the other hand, as illustrated in
On the other hand, an engaging projection 12c is provided on the valve shaft 12a of the discharge valve 12. The engaging projection 12c is located above the engaging portion 26b of the discharge valve float mechanism 26 in a state where the discharge valve 12 is lifted up. When the lifted discharge valve 12 is disconnected by the clutch mechanism 22, the discharge valve 12 falls and the engaging projection 12c is engaged with the engaging portion 26b, thereby stopping the fall of the discharge valve 12 (
Next, referring now to
First, as illustrated in
A thin thickness portion 15a and a pull-up portion 15b are formed at the lower end portion of the rod 15, and function as a part of the clutch mechanism 22. On the other hand, a support portion 12d is provided at the upper end portion of the valve shaft 12a of the discharge valve 12. The support portion 12d includes a pair of bearings formed to be laterally open. Both ends of the movable member 60 are turnably attached to the support portion 12d.
The thin thickness portion 15a at the lower end of the rod 15 is a portion formed to be thinner than the upper portion of the rod 15. The pull-up portion 15b of the rod 15 is a portion formed to project horizontally toward both ends from the lower end of the thin thickness portion 15a. The pull-up portion 15b of the rod 15 and the movable member 60 are engaged with each other to pull up the discharge valve 12.
The movable member 60 includes a base plate 62 extending laterally, a pair of rotary shafts 66 extending outward from both ends of the base plate 62, a pair of arms 64 rising vertically from both side portions of the base plate 62, and an abutting portion 68 extending inward from an upper end of each arm 64. Each rotary shaft 66 of the movable member 60 is received on each support portion 12d provided at the upper end portion of the valve shaft 12a so that the movable member 60 can be turnably supported.
The base plate 62 is a plate-like portion extending laterally, and is formed to have a T-shape in top plan view. The arms 64 are formed to rise upward from both ends of the T-shaped base plate 62, respectively. The thin thickness portion 15a and the pull-up portion 15b at the lower end of the rod 15 are located between the pair of arms 64 in a state where the clutch mechanism 22 is engaged. The rotary shafts 66 are formed to project horizontally from both left and right ends of the base plate 62, respectively, and from proximal ends of the arms 64, respectively. The rotary shafts 66 are received on the respective support portions 12d of the valve shaft 12a.
The abutting portion 68 is formed to project inward from the upper end of each arm 64. The abutting portion 68 is formed to have a teardrop shaped cross section as viewed from a direction parallel to the rotary shaft 66, and is formed to have an arc-shaped curved surface at the lower side thereof. The thin thickness portion 15a at the lower end of the rod 15 is located between the abutting portions 68 and both ends of the pull-up portion 15b are located below the respective abutting portions 68 in a state where the clutch mechanism 22 is engaged.
Next, referring to
First, the movable member 60 is in an “engagement position” illustrated in
When the discharge valve 12 is pulled up together with the rod 15 in the state where the clutch mechanism 22 is engaged, the movable member 60 approaches the bottom surface of the cylinder 14a of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14. When the discharge valve 12 is pulled up to a predetermined position, a distal end of a restricting portion 70 projecting downward from the bottom surface of the cylinder 14a contacts the base plate 62 of the movable member 60 as illustrated in
When the engagement of the clutch mechanism 22 is released, the discharge valve 12 is disconnected from the rod 15, and the discharge valve 12 falls and is seated on the discharge port 10a. This makes it possible to stop the flush water from being discharged from the reservoir tank 10 into the flush toilet main unit 2.
Next, when the supply of the flush water to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is stopped, the piston 14b and the rod 15 are lowered by the biasing force of the spring 14c disposed in the interior of the cylinder 14a. When the rod 15 is lowered as illustrated in
When the rod 15 is further lowered, an abutted portion 15d of the rod 15 contacts the base plate 62 of the movable member 60 as illustrated in
Next, referring now to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The main body portion 74 of the valve body case 72 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape in which one of lower side corners is cut out. The main body portion 74 has an opening portion in the upper surface thereof, and the inflow pipe connection member 76 is attached thereto to close the opening portion 74a. An attaching portion 74b for the outflow pipe connection member 78 is provided on the side on which the corner is not cut out, in the lower side surface of the main body portion 74, and the outflow pipe connection member 78 is attached to the attaching portion 74b. Additionally, an air intake/water discharge opening 74c is provided in a side surface of the main body portion 74 and on an upper side of the attaching portion 74b.
The air intake/water discharge opening 74c is an opening having a longitudinal rectangular shape and directed toward a substantially vertical direction. In a state where the flap valve body 80 is open, external air is drawn via the air intake/water discharge opening 74c, and the water that has flowed backward from the inflow pipe 24a flows out from the air intake/water discharge opening 74c, and is discharged into the reservoir tank 10. That is, the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is formed into a vertical face directed toward a substantially vertical direction of the main body portion 74, and is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Each of a top edge 74d and a bottom edge 74e of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is formed linearly to extend in the horizontal direction, and the water that has flowed backward to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is discharged into the reservoir tank 10 beyond the bottom edge 74e. The air intake/water discharge opening 74c may be provided in a sloping surface inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.
In the inflow pipe connection member 76, a water flow pipe attaching portion 76a is provided to project upward. A water flow pipe extending from the water supply controller 18 (
In the outflow pipe connection member 78, a water flow pipe attaching portion 78a is provided to project horizontally. The inflow pipe 24a is connected to the water flow pipe attaching portion 78a. Therefore, the water that has been supplied from the water supply controller 18 and has flowed into the valve body case 72 flows out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 through an outflow port 78b at an upstream end of the water flow pipe attaching portion 78a, and is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 via the inflow pipe 24a. That is, the water that has flowed into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 through the outflow port 78b. The air intake/water discharge opening 74c is formed so that an area thereof is larger than that of the outflow port 78b, and the inflow port 76c is provided above the outflow port 78b.
The flap valve body 80 is a substantially L-shaped member that is turnably attached in the valve body case 72, and is configured to open and close the air intake/water discharge opening 74c. A support shaft 80a, which is a central axis, extending horizontally is formed in the vicinity of a corner portion of the L-shape of the flap valve body 80. The support shaft 80a is turnably supported on a bearing portion 76b provided in the inflow pipe connection member 76, and the flap valve body 80 is turned between the state illustrated in
Additionally, the flap valve body 80 is provided with an arm portion extending laterally, and a supply water receiving portion 80b is provided at a distal end of the arm portion. The supply water receiving portion 80b is disposed below the water flow pipe attaching portion 76a to cover the inflow port 76c. Therefore, when the water flows in via the inflow port 76c, the supply water receiving portion 80b of the flap valve body 80 is pushed downward, and the flap valve body 80 is turned from the state illustrated in
Furthermore, the flap valve body 80 includes a valve plate portion 80c extending downward from the support shaft 80a, and a discharge water receiving portion 80d provided below the valve plate portion 80c. The valve plate portion 80c is disposed to face the air intake/water discharge opening 74c provided in the side surface of the main body portion 74, and is configured to cover the air intake/water discharge opening 74c when the flap valve body 80 is turned to the state illustrated in
The discharge water receiving portion 80d is formed below the valve plate portion 80c, and is disposed to face the outflow port 78b of the outflow pipe connection member 78. Therefore, when the water flows backward from the inflow pipe 24a to the water flow pipe attaching portion 78a, the discharge water receiving portion 80d is pushed, and is turned from the state illustrated in
Additionally, in the valve plate portion 80c, a weight attaching portion 80e is provided to project from the air intake/water discharge opening 74c, and a weight 82a is attached to a distal end portion of the weight attaching portion 80e. When the weight 82a is attached, the center of gravity of the entire flap valve body 80 is located on a side (the right side in
A coil spring 84, which is a biasing spring, is attached to a bottom surface of a cutout portion of the main body portion 74 to be directed vertically upward. An upper end of the coil spring 84 is located below the supply water receiving portion 80b of the flap valve body 80. As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, a cylindrical biasing spring is used as the coil spring 84. In the biasing spring, an increase in biasing force with respect to an increase in deformation amount becomes almost constant. In contrast, as a modification example, a conical coil spring can be also used as the biasing spring. The conical coil spring has the property of increasing an increase in biasing force with respect to an increase in deformation amount as the deformation amount is increased. Therefore, even when the conical coil spring is disposed to constantly bias the flap valve body 80, the biasing force having a similar tendency to the present embodiment can be applied. That is, when the conical coil spring is used, it makes it possible to relatively reduce the biasing force in a state where the flap valve body 80 is open, and to apply the biasing force so that the biasing force can increase rapidly as the flap valve body 80 approaches a closing position.
Next, the operation of the flush water tank apparatus 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the flush toilet apparatus 1 provided with the same will be described.
First, in the toilet flush standby state, the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is the predetermined water level L1, and the energization of the electromagnetic valve 20 is not performed. In this state, both of the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 and the float-side pilot valve 44 of the water supply controller 18 (
When receiving the command signal for flushing the toilet, the controller 28 energizes the electromagnetic valve 20 to open the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50. This reduces the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a, the main valve body 38 is separated from the valve seat 40, and the valve seat 40 is opened. As a result, the tap water supplied from the water supply pipe 32 to the water supply controller 18 (
When the water flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30, the supply water receiving portion 80b of the flap valve body 80 is pushed downward, and the flap valve body 80 is turned to the position illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
When the discharge valve 12 is opened, the flush water (tap water) stored in the reservoir tank 10 is discharged to the bowl 2a of the flush toilet main unit 2 through the discharge port 10a, whereby the bowl 2a is washed. When the flush water in the reservoir tank 10 is discharged, the water level in the reservoir tank 10 becomes lower than the predetermined stopped water level L1, and therefore the water supply valve float 34 is lowered. Hereby, the arm portion 42 (
In a state where the float-side pilot valve port (not illustrated) is open, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 36a is not increased even when the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 is closed, and therefore the open state of the main valve body 38 can be maintained. Therefore, when the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is lowered after an elapse of the predetermined time period after the controller 28 energizes the electromagnetic valve 20 to open the main valve body 38, the energization of the electromagnetic valve 20 is stopped. Hereby, the electromagnetic valve-side pilot valve 50 is closed. However, since the float-side pilot valve port is open, the main valve body 38 remains separated from the valve seat 40. That is, the controller 28 can open the main valve body 38 for a long time only by energizing the electromagnetic valve 20 for a short time.
On the other hand, the water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 16a in the cylinder 14a of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 from the inflow pipe 24a pushes up the piston 14b from the position illustrated in
That is, as illustrated in
On the other hand, when the piston 14b is pushed up from the first position illustrated in
At this time, when the edge portion 17c above the side openings 17b directed horizontally moves above the upper end of the sleeve 14f, an opening area of each side opening 17b into the pressure chamber 16a increases suddenly, and the water in the pressure chamber 16a flows into the back pressure chamber 16b rapidly. The water that has flowed into the back pressure chamber 16b flows out from the cylinder 14a through the outflow pipe 24b. At this time, the outflow guiding portion 14g provided on the ceiling surface of the cylinder 14a guides, toward the outflow pipe 24b, the water that has flowed out from the upper end opening 17a. The water that has flowed out through the outflow pipe 24b branches at the outflow pipe branching portion 24c (
Next, when the water level in the reservoir tank 10 is lowered to a second predetermined water level that is lower than the stopped water level L1, the float portion 26a (
When the water level in the reservoir tank 10 rises to the predetermined water level L1, the water supply valve float 34 (
When the rod 15 is pushed down (
Next, the operation of the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 after the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is stopped will be described.
When the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is stopped, the dynamic pressure by the water supply is not applied to the supply water receiving portion 80b (
The water that has flowed backward from inflow pipe 24a to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 flows into the valve body case 72 through the outflow port 78b of the water flow pipe attaching portion 78a as indicated by solid arrows in
The outflow port 78b is provided below the inflow port 76c, which can prevent the water that has flowed backward into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 through the outflow port 78b from flowing backward to the inflow port 76c. Furthermore, since the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is formed so that an area thereof is larger than that of the outflow port 78b, the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is not filled with the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 78b, and the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 78b is discharged promptly. In addition, since the orifice 24d (
On the other hand, when the air intake/water discharge opening 74c in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is opened, external air is drawn into the valve body case 72 through an upper portion of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c as indicated by dotted arrows in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
Next, referring to
First, in a state before the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is started as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
When the flap valve body 80 is further turned and the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is close to the closed state, the flap valve body 80 is pressed in the closing direction also by a moment Ts of a force based on the static pressure of the water in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
As described above, the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 provided in the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment functions as a negative pressure break valve (vacuum breaker) to discharge the backward-flow water and introduce the atmosphere into the conduit, but such a negative pressure break valve is different from a normal negative pressure break valve provided in the conventional flush water tank apparatus or the like. This will be described below referring to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
However, in the normal negative pressure break valve 90 having a structure illustrated in
According to the above-described flush water tank apparatus 4 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 discharges the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the inflow port 76c is provided above the outflow port 78b (
Furthermore according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the area of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is larger than the area of the outflow port 78b in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30, thereby making it possible to reliably draw the atmosphere while discharging the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 to the outflow port 78b.
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the air intake/water discharge opening 74c is opened and closed by turning the flap valve body 80 in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30, thereby making it possible to configure an opening/closing mechanism of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c in a compact manner, to thereby improve the flexibility in design of the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30.
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the support shaft 80a around which the flap valve body 80 is turned is disposed outside the perpendicular projection plane of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the bottom edge 74e of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c extends horizontally (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the top edge 74d of the air intake/water discharge opening 74c extends horizontally (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the flap valve body 80 is in the stand-by position where the position of the center of gravity is lowest (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the flap valve body 80 includes the weight 82a, thereby making it possible to increase the gravity applied to the flap valve body 80, to thereby reliably return the flap valve body 80 to the stand-by position with a simple structure.
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the flap valve body 80 includes the coil spring 84 that biases the air intake/water discharge opening 74c in the opening direction (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the biasing force is not applied to the flap valve body 80 (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the present embodiment, the flow rate of the water flowing backward to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is reduced by the orifice 24d (
Next, referring to
The flush water tank apparatus of the present embodiment is different from the flush water tank apparatus in the first embodiment in the structure of the discharge/vacuum break valve device, and the other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the following describes only the points that are different between the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention. Similar components, operations and effects are not described.
As illustrated in
The valve body case 172 includes a box-shaped main body portion 174, a lid member 176 attached to an upper surface of the main body portion 174, an inflow pipe connection member 177 (
The main body portion 174 of the valve body case 172 is formed into a substantially trapezoidal box shape expanding downward, in which one of side surfaces is directed vertically, and the other side surface is inclined. The main body portion 174 has an opening portion in the upper surface thereof, and the lid member 176 is attached thereto to close the opening portion. An upper attaching portion 174a is provided on an upper portion of the side surface directed vertically of the main body portion 174, and the inflow pipe connection member 177 is attached to the upper attaching portion 174a. A lower attaching portion 174b is provided on a lower portion of the sloping side surface of the main body portion 174, and the outflow pipe connection member 178 is attached to the lower attaching portion 174b. Additionally, in the sloping side surface of the main body portion 174, an air intake/water discharge opening 174c is provided in an upper side of the lower attaching portion 174b.
The air intake/water discharge opening 174c is an opening having a longitudinal rectangular shape. In a state where the flap valve body 180 is open, external air is drawn via the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, and the water that has flowed backward from the inflow pipe 24a flows out from the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, and is discharged into the reservoir tank 10. That is, the air intake/water discharge opening 174c is an opening formed in the sloping side surface of the main body portion 174, and is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Additionally, a top edge 174d of the air intake/water discharge opening 174c is formed linearly to extend horizontally, and a bottom edge 174e extends in an arc shape. The water that has flowed backward to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 is discharged into the reservoir tank 10 beyond the bottom edge 174e.
In the inflow pipe connection member 177, a water flow pipe attaching portion 177a extending horizontally is provided to pass through the main body portion 174. One end of the water flow pipe attaching portion 177a projects outward of the main body portion 174 in a direction opposite to the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, and is connected to a water flow pipe extending from the water supply controller 18 (
In the outflow pipe connection member 178, a water flow pipe attaching portion 178a is provided to project horizontally. The inflow pipe 24a is connected to the water flow pipe attaching portion 178a. Therefore, the water that has been supplied from the water supply controller 18 and has flowed into the valve body case 172 flows out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 through an outflow port 178b at an upstream end of the water flow pipe attaching portion 178a, and is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 via the inflow pipe 24a. That is, the water that has flowed into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 through the outflow port 178b. The air intake/water discharge opening 174c is formed so that an area thereof is larger than that of the outflow port 178b, and the inflow port 177b is provided above the outflow port 178b.
The flap valve body 180 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member that is turnably attached in the valve body case 172, and is configured to open and close the air intake/water discharge opening 174c. A support shaft 180a, which is a central axis, extending horizontally is formed in an upper end of the flap valve body 180. The support shaft 180a is turnably supported on a bearing portion 176a provided in the lid member 176, and the flap valve body 180 is turned between the state illustrated in
As described above, the water flow pipe attaching portion 177a is disposed on the upper rear surface side of the flap valve body 180, and the water supplied from the water supply controller 18 is discharged toward the rear surface of the flap valve body 180 from the inflow port 177b. Therefore, when the water flows in via the inflow port 177b, the rear surface of the flap valve body 180 is pushed toward the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, and the flap valve body 180 is turned from the state illustrated in
Furthermore, the flap valve body 180 includes a valve plate portion 180b extending downward from the support shaft 180a, and a discharge water receiving portion 180c provided below the valve plate portion 180b. The valve plate portion 180b is disposed to face the air intake/water discharge opening 174c provided in the sloped side surface of the main body portion 174, and is configured to cover the air intake/water discharge opening 174c when the flap valve body 180 is turned to the state illustrated in
The discharge water receiving portion 180c is formed below the valve plate portion 180b, and is disposed to face the outflow port 178b of the outflow pipe connection member 178. Therefore, when the water flows backward from the inflow pipe 24a to the water flow pipe attaching portion 178a, the discharge water receiving portion 180c is pushed, and is turned from the state illustrated in
Additionally, in the valve plate portion 180b, a weight attaching portion 180d is provided to project from the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, and a weight 182a is attached to a distal end portion of the weight attaching portion 180d. When the weight 182a is attached, the center of gravity of the entire flap valve body 180 is located on a side (the right side in
As a modification example, a cover can be attached to an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 174 to cover the air intake/water discharge opening 174c. The cover can prevent the water discharged into the reservoir tank 10 through the air intake/water discharge opening 174c from scattering. The water temporarily stays near the flap valve body 180 by causing the discharge water to collide with a surface of the cover facing the air intake/water discharge opening 174c, whereby the flap valve body 180 can more easily be turned in the opening direction.
As another modification example, an additional space can be formed below the outflow port 178b in the main body portion 174, so that the flap valve body 180 can extend into the space. That is, a distal end portion may be formed extending downward from a lower end of the discharge water receiving portion 180c. According to another modification example, in the case where the water flows backward to the water flow pipe attaching portion 178a through the inflow pipe 24a, the backward-flow water can be introduced to the discharge water receiving portion 180c by a portion forming the bottom edge 174e. In the case where the water flows in via the inflow port 177b, the portion forming the bottom edge 174e prevents the water from being discharged from the air intake/water discharge opening 174c to increase the internal pressure, and there is no portion projecting into the main body portion 174 at a lower position facing the portion forming the bottom edge 174e, whereby the water can flow out from the outflow port 178b smoothly. Furthermore, a biasing spring and a cover covering the biasing spring may be provided between the distal end portion and the inner wall of the main body portion 174.
Next, the operations of the flush water tank apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the flush toilet apparatus will be described.
First, when a command signal for flushing the toilet is received, the water is supplied from the water supply controller 18, and flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130. When the water flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130, the rear surface of the flap valve body 180 is pushed toward the air intake/water discharge opening 174c as illustrated in
Hereby, the flush water is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14. A toilet flush operation by the flush water tank apparatus after the flush water is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is similar to that in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof is omitted.
Next, when the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is stopped after the toilet flush operation is completed, the dynamic pressure by the water supply is not applied to the rear surface of the valve plate portion 180b (
The water that has flowed backward from the inflow pipe 24a to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 flows into the valve body case 172 through the outflow port 178b of the water flow pipe attaching portion 178a as indicated by solid arrows in
Furthermore, since the air intake/water discharge opening 174c is formed so that an area thereof is larger than that of the outflow port 178b, the air intake/water discharge opening 174c is not filled with the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 178b, and the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 178b is discharged promptly. With this configuration, the water that has flowed backward into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 through the outflow port 178b can be reliably prevented from flowing backward to the water supply controller 18 on the upstream side. Thus, the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 can be discharged promptly, and therefore the remaining water in the cylinder 14a can be discharged quickly, and the flush water tank apparatus can be returned to an initial state rapidly.
On the other hand, when the air intake/water discharge opening 174c in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 130 is opened, external air is drawn into the valve body case 172 through an upper portion of the air intake/water discharge opening 174c as indicated by dotted arrows in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
According to the flush water tank apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention, the air intake/water discharge opening 174c is provided in the sloping surface (
Next, referring to
The flush water tank apparatus of the present embodiment is different from the flush water tank apparatus in the first embodiment in the structure of the discharge/vacuum break valve device, and the other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the following describes only the points that are different between the first embodiment and the third embodiment of the present invention. Similar components, operations and effects are not described.
As illustrated in
The valve body case 272 includes a cylindrical main body portion 274, and a lid member 276 attached to an upper surface of the main body portion 274.
The main body portion 274 of the valve body case 272 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape in which a central axis thereof is directed vertically. The main body portion 274 has an opening portion in the upper surface thereof, and the lid member 276 is attached thereto to close the opening portion. An inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a is provided on an upper portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 274, and an outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b is provided on a lower portion of the outer peripheral surface. Additionally, an air intake/water discharge opening 274c is also provided in the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 274.
A cover 278 (
The inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a is a circular pipe formed to project from the upper side surface of the main body portion 274 horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the main body portion 274. The outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b is a circular pipe formed to project from the lower side surface of the main body portion 274 horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the main body portion 274. Additionally, a proximal end of the inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a is open inside the main body portion 274 as an inflow port 274d (
The inflow port 274d at the proximal end of the inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a is provided above the outflow port 274e at the proximal end of the outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b. The outflow port 274e is provided below the lower end of the air intake/water discharge opening 274c formed in the side surface of the main body portion 274. A water flow pipe extending from the water supply controller 18 (
The outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b is provided on the opposite side of the inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a, and the inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a and the outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b are directed parallel to each other in a top view (
The air intake/water discharge opening 274c is an opening formed into a vertically elongated oval shape (
As illustrated in
A shaft 281 extending axially is provided in the cylindrical valve body case 272. The shaft 281 turnably supports the connection portion of the first flat plate portion 280a and the second flat plate portion 280b of the flap valve body 280, so that the flap valve body 280 is turned around the shaft 281. In a state where the flap valve body 280 is turned to a position illustrated in
As illustrated in
As described above, the second flat plate portion 280b of the flap valve body 280 faces the inflow port 274d at the proximal end of the inflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274a, and a disk-shaped small packing 283 (
As described above, the first flat plate portion 280a of the flap valve body 280 faces the air intake/water discharge opening 274c, and is configured to cover the air intake/water discharge opening 274c when the flap valve body 280 is turned to the state illustrated in
On the other hand, in the case where the water flows backward from the inflow pipe 24a to the outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b, the backward-flow water contacts the rear surface of the second flat plate portion 280b through the gap between the first flat plate portion 280a of the flap valve body 280 and the bottom surface of the valve body case 272. Hereby, the flap valve body 280 is turned from the state illustrated in
Next, the operations of the flush water tank apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention and the flush toilet apparatus will be described.
First, when a command signal for flushing the toilet is received, the water is supplied from the water supply controller 18, and flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230. When the water flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230, the second flat plate portion 280b of the flap valve body 280 is pushed, and is turned to the position illustrated in
Hereby, the flush water is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14. A toilet flush operation by the flush water tank apparatus after the flush water is supplied to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is similar to that in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof is omitted.
Next, when the water supply from the water supply controller 18 is stopped after the toilet flush operation is completed, the dynamic pressure by the water supply is not applied to the second flat plate portion 280b of the flap valve body 280 provided in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230. As a result, the flap valve body 280 is turned from the state illustrated in
The water that has flowed backward from inflow pipe 24a to the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230 flows into the valve body case 272 through the outflow port 274e of the outflow-side water flow pipe attaching portion 274b as indicated by solid arrows in
Furthermore, since the air intake/water discharge opening 274c is formed so that an area thereof is larger than that of the outflow port 274e, the air intake/water discharge opening 274c is not filled with the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 274e, and the water that has flowed backward through the outflow port 274e is discharged promptly. With this configuration, the water that has flowed backward into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230 through the outflow port 274e can be reliably prevented from flowing backward to the water supply controller 18 on the upstream side. Thus, the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 can be discharged promptly, and therefore the remaining water in the cylinder 14a can be discharged quickly, and the flush water tank apparatus can be returned to an initial state rapidly.
On the other hand, when the air intake/water discharge opening 274c in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230 is opened, external air is drawn into the valve body case 272 through an upper portion of the air intake/water discharge opening 274c as indicated by dotted arrows in
Thus, when the water supply from the upstream side is stopped, the flap valve body 280 in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 230 is operated to discharge the water that has flowed backward from the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 while opening the upstream side to the atmosphere. The discharge/vacuum break valve device 230 has both of a function of discharging the water that has flowed backward from the downstream side and a function of drawing the external air into a conduit, and the air intake/water discharge opening 274c functions as an inlet port of the external air and a discharge port of the water in the conduit.
According to the flush water tank apparatus of the third embodiment of the present invention, the flap valve body 280 is supported by the shaft 281 directed vertically, thereby making it possible to turn the flap valve body 280 without being substantially affected by the gravity.
Next, referring to
The flush water tank apparatus of the present embodiment includes a power generator, and is different from the flush water tank apparatus in the first embodiment in that an electromagnetic valve of a power supply controller is operated with electric power generated by the power generator. Accordingly, the following describes only the components, operations and effects that are different between the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.
As illustrated in
The electric power generated by the power generator 310 is transmitted to the controller 28, and is accumulated in a battery (not illustrated) built in the controller 28. Hereby, the water is supplied to the power generator 310 to generate the electric power every time when the flush toilet main unit 2 is washed by the flush water tank apparatus 304, and the electric power is accumulated in the battery (not illustrated). In the flush water tank apparatus 304 of the present embodiment, the controller 28 and an electromagnetic valve 20 of the water supply controller 18 are operated by the electric power generated by the power generator 310 and accumulated in the battery (not illustrated). Therefore, the flush water tank apparatus 304 can be installed also in a toilet room in which an external power supply cannot be acquired. The control of the electromagnetic valve 20 of the water supply controller 18 by the controller 28, and the operation of the water supply controller 18 are similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof is omitted.
As illustrated in
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the water supply controller 18 and the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 are disposed in the left-side region L, and the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is disposed in the center region C. As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 includes an outer shell portion 314. The outer shell portion 314 is a frame-shaped member that supports the cylinder 14a and the like of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 with respect to the reservoir tank 10. The cylinder 14a is provided above the outer shell portion 314. Furthermore, as illustrated in
Here, as illustrated in
With such a configuration, the water supplied from the water supply controller 18 flows into the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 through the water flow pipe 320, and the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 flows into the cylinder 14a through the water flow pipe 322. Furthermore, the water that has flowed out from the cylinder 14a flows into the power generator 310 through the water flow pipe 324, and the water that has flowed out from the power generator 310 flows into the reservoir tank 10 through the water flow pipe 326. That is, the water that has flowed from the power generator 310 into the water flow pipe 326 flows out from an outlet 326a at the end of the water flow pipe 326, and lands on a landing position Q1 on the water surface in the reservoir tank 10.
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, since the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is also disposed in the left-side region L, a landing position Q2 of the water W2 discharged from the air intake/water discharge opening 74c in the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is also located in the left-side region L. Therefore, the power generator 310 disposed on an opposite side across the outer shell portion 314 of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 from the landing position Q2 located in the left-side region L. In other words, in the case where the reservoir tank 10 is equally divided into three regions, which are the left-side region L, the center region C, and the right-side region R, in the left-right direction X1 on the plan view, the power generator 310 is disposed in a region different from the region to which the landing position Q2 belongs. As a modification example, the present invention can be configured so that the power generator 310 is disposed in the left-side region L, and the landing position Q2 is disposed in the right-side region R.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
According to the flush water tank apparatus 304 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the power generator 310 is located above the stopped water level L1 in the reservoir tank 10 (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 302 of the present embodiment, among the left-side region L, the center region C, and the right-side region R on the plan view, the power generator 310 is disposed in a region different from the region to which the landing position Q2 belongs (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 304 of the present embodiment, the landing position Q2 of the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 is located in the left-side region L in the reservoir tank 10, whereas the power generator 310 is disposed in the right-side region R (
Additionally, according to the flush water tank apparatus 304 of the present embodiment, the power generator 310 is disposed on an opposite side across the outer shell portion 314 in the front-rear direction from the landing position Q2 of the water that has flowed out from the discharge/vacuum break valve device 30 (
Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 304 of the present embodiment, the cylinder 14a of the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion 14 is provided above the outer shell portion 314 (
Although the flush water tank apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention and the flush toilet apparatus provided with the same have been described, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the above-described embodiments. In particular, in the above-described embodiments, the discharge/vacuum break valve device includes a flap type valve body, but a direct-acting valve body or any type of valve body can be applied thereto.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-149223 | Sep 2020 | JP | national |
| 2021-040151 | Mar 2021 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20220074181 A1 | Mar 2022 | US |
