This invention generally relates to a flushing mechanism for flushing ordure and/or sewage, in particular, to a flushing mechanism adapted for flushing bathroom apparatus such as a toilet bowl. The flushing mechanism according to the invention can lower the needed water pressure by using the elasticity of a loading spring and water pressure, such that the water consumption for each flushing cycle can be reduced, and its structure is simple with a lower noise, meanwhile, the installation of such flushing mechanism is convenient for being adapted to be mounted inside or outside of the toilet bowl.
Since the water resource is increasing scarce in the world, it is one of the important problems concerned by the scientists and engineers engaged in the research on the environmental sanitation all over the world to utilize the water resource efficiently and to improve various water consumption apparatuses.
A toilet flushing apparatus is widely used in families, hotels or other various human activities places. Since it is used a lot, the problem that whether the flushing mechanism can save water is particularly important. The Chinese Ministry of Construction has demanded that the water consumption for each flushing cycle shall be lower than 6 liters, which would be a challenge undoubtedly for the researchers dedicated in the art of bathroom apparatus.
It is well-known that the greater the stored energy of the flushing water, the better the flushing effect would be, and therefore that a lesser amount of water is needed for achieving the same flushing effect. Therefore, it is an efficient measure to improve the stored energy of the flushing water for saving the water consumption.
Compared with the technical solution of improving the flushing effect of the toilet flushing apparatus by the method of utilizing compressed air to store the energy, the technical solution of utilizing a spring to load the stored energy has many advantages. Taking the flushing mechanism of the toilet as an example, since the stored energy element is a spring not air, when the spring is compressed by the pre-compression force, the efficiency of spring energy storage is much greater than that of air compressing energy storage, and thus the problems that exist in the process for storing energy by compressing air can be avoided by spring energy storage, such as: (1) at the beginning of drainage, high pressure, fast flow, great impact to the toilet bowl and big noise shall appear, but at the end of drainage, when a stable water supply is needed, the pressure of the water will rapidly declined with less impulsive force, and the pressure of water supply must be further increased if the user wants to achieve the expected impact; (2) if the housing is caused to be fatigued and aged by repeated compression-recovery, or is broken or damaged by accidental crush, the air and debris thereof shall be distributed around when blasting or releasing the high pressure air, and their directions can not be controlled, such that it possesses the defects like security risks. Therefore, people tend to develop and exploit the flushing apparatus with spring energy storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,311 (hereafter referred to the reference 1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses a flushing mechanism with low water consumption, which comprises a plastic housing, a cistern and hydraulic actuation system, wherein the cistern is provided with a piston, the piston is biased in the cistern by a mechanical compression piston spring. When the flushing valve is closed and the water is filled in the cistern to be stand-by, the piston is pressured by the water (equivalent to the water pressure in conduit) to overcome the downward elasticity of the spring to move upwards; when the piston is stopped moving, the upward water pressure applied on the piston is equal to the pressure of the loaded spring. A flushing valve is fixed to the bottom of the containment vessel that has a central opening. The flushing valve stretches along the central portion of the containment vessel, wherein a first end portion of the valve rod is connected to the flushing valve, and a second end of the valve rod is connected to the flushing valve plate. A flushing valve spring is fixed on the flushing valve plate that is biased to the stand-by position by the effect of the flushing valve spring. When flushing, the flushing button is actuated, and then the water in the conduit flows into the gap of the actuating room by the head, so as to pressurize the actuating room until the supply water pressure which functions to the flushing valve to generate the force applied to the spring of the flushing valve and pushes the flushing valve rod upwards to cause the flushing valve leaving from the flushing valve body to open the discharge outlet. A scroll diaphragm is further disposed in the flushing mechanism, which is for preventing the water in the containment vessel from flowing out of the first piston and preventing the water from contacting with the first piston spring.
As recited above, the flushing mechanism of this reference adapts a plastic housing, and the aging of itself and the accidental crushing and dropping during the use shall lead to the housing breaking to release the energy of the spring, but such instantaneous energy releasing is much greater, which shall generate harm to the facility around and even endanger the life security of the people around. Furthermore, although the effect of sealing by the scroll diaphragm is good, the diaphragm is liable to be broken by the pressure and the repeated turnover, such that the use life of the flushing mechanism will be influenced directly. Additionally, it is not easy for the hydraulic actuating system to be maintained because of the complicated structure.
WO 02/46540 (hereafter referred to the reference 2, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses a device for discharging liquid volume, which comprises a housing with inlet and outlet, a spring loading piston, an inlet valve and an outlet valve. The outlet valve is in a form of spring loading double-head sealing piston, and the spring loading double-head sealing piston comprises a sealing surface disposed at one end for closing the outlet and an actuating surface disposed the other end oppositely. The actuating surface is defined to be actuated by the water with a certain pressure in the actuating room of the housing. The inlet valve is in a form of electromagnetic switches.
The electromagnetic switch is adapted in the device, and thus, a power supply is needed in the place where the device is mounted in a complex structure. Although the reference 2 fails to disclose the material of the housing, if the metal housing is adapted, the cost and weight of the device shall be increased, and if the plastic housing is adapted, the housing shall possess the same problems of breaking of the housing caused by the aging or the accidental crushing and dropping during the use and mounting, which shall generate harm to the facility around and even endanger the life of the people around.
The above applications are taken as the reference documents for the present application, the entire disclosures thereof shall be incorporated in the present application.
In the other aspect, as standard of living is improved, the people pays more and more attention to the personalized decoration of the bedroom or hotel, such that it is one of direction for the researchers to make great effects to endow the designation of the bathroom apparatus with a greater flexibility.
Based on the above shortcomings in the prior art mentioned above, this invention provides a flushing mechanism for flushing ordure and/or sewage, in particular, a flushing mechanism adapted to flush a toilet bowl. Said flushing mechanism not only achieve less water consumption for each flushing cycle by utilizing the elasticity and force of a loading spring and water pressure to lower the water pressure, but also makes sure the security and convenience for mounting it in various toilet bowls.
According to the invention, the flushing mechanism comprises: a housing including an open upper portion, a lower portion having an opening at the center, and having an inner side that defines a chamber for storing water and receiving other members, and a plurality of conduits disposed at the lower portion of the housing for forming a plurality of water flow passages with the chamber defined by the housing respectively; an upper cover having a top portion and a lower portion for engaging the housing; a sleeve having a center line coincident with a center line of the housing going through the chamber; a first piston, comprising a first piston bottom having a central hole and a first piston cylindrical portion extending upwardly from the periphery of the central hole of the first piston bottom, wherein a side face of the first piston bottom is disposed with a groove in the radial direction, the first piston cylindrical portion is hollow, and the sleeve goes through the first piston cylindrical portion and the central hole in the first piston bottom; a first piston sealed module, disposed in the groove of the side face of the first piston bottom, that causes the first piston to reciprocate upward and downward hermetically along the inner wall of the housing; a first piston loading spring, with one end thereof being fixed inside of the top portion of the upper cover and the other end being fixed to the upper surface of the first piston bottom, which applies force to the first piston; a second piston, comprising a second piston bottom having a central hole and a second piston cylindrical portion extending upwardly from the periphery of the central hole of the second piston bottom, wherein the second piston cylindrical portion is hollow, and the sleeve goes through the second piston cylindrical portion and the central hole in the second piston bottom; a second piston loading spring, disposed around the sleeve inside the hollow portion of the second piston cylindrical portion with one end thereof being fixed inside of an upper end of the second piston cylindrical portion and the other end being fixed at a fixed end of the sleeve; at least one of a pressure-relief or an ejection-proof part provided in the housing; and a second piston sealed module, which surrounds the periphery of the second piston bottom and the periphery of the central hole of the second piston bottom. The second piston bottom, the second piston sealed module and the lower portion of the housing together define an exterior lower cavity and an interior lower cavity for cooperating with the second piston loading spring during the course of the drainage so as to cause the second piston to move upward and an outlet thus to be opened.
Preferably, the pressure-relief or ejection-proof part is a spring limit unit. The unit comprises a top lid, at least one screw rod, the first piston loading spring and an outlet flange, wherein the screw rod goes longitudinally through the chamber of the housing coincidently or in parallel with the center line of the housing, and one end of the screw rod is fixed inside the top lid, and the other end is fixed to the outlet flange.
Optionally, the spring limit unit may comprise one screw rod disposed inside of the sleeve coincident with the center line of the housing. Of course, it may include a plurality of screw rods disposed in parallel around the first and second piston loading springs by the similar way.
Preferably, the pressure-relief or ejection-proof part is at least one pressure-relief opening disposed at the place slightly higher than an upper stopping point of the first piston along the periphery of the upper portion of the housing.
The pressure-relief or ejection-proof part can also be an ejection proof-pressure relief safety valve.
Of course, the pressure-relief or ejection-proof part can be any combination of one or more from among the spring limit unit, the at least one pressure-relief opening, and the ejection proof-pressure relief safety valve.
Preferably, the flushing mechanism further comprises a guiding rod for mounting the flushing mechanism, and the guiding rod functions to guide the first piston and servers as an ejection-proof member.
The sealed assemblies of the first piston and the second piston comprise an exterior sealed member and an interior sealed member, wherein the interior sealed member includes an elastic member formed by bending a metal sheet, and the exterior sealed member includes an O-shaped ring. Obviously, the structure of the first piston sealed module can be the same as that of the second piston sealed module, or different.
Preferably, the present flushing mechanism further includes a water level switch. The switch pushed by the first piston controls the connection and closing between a water supplying passage and a water compensating passage by moving a certain distance.
Preferably, the present flushing mechanism further includes a pressure stabilizing unit.
The housing according to the present invention can be in the shape of cylinder, oval or other shapes.
The flushing mechanism in the present invention can save the water consumption for each flushing cycle as well as achieve a good flushing result by utilizing the elasticity of the loading spring and the head pressure of water supply. The test has proved that the flushing mechanism according to the present invention can reduces the water consumption to 4L for each cycle under the circumstance of satisfying the required flushing effect.
Since the present invention is provided with the pressure-relief and/or ejection-proof part such as the spring limit unit or the pressure-relief opening, the first piston keeps moving upwardly to the pressure-relief opening and then the water can flow out from the pressure-relief opening so as to protect the housing from breakage caused by the pressure of water supply when the water level switch functions improperly; and when detaching the flushing mechanism, the long screw rod looses off until the energy of the spring is completely released, therefore accidents can be avoided.
Moreover, since the present invention simply utilizes the second piston sealed module to form the exterior lower chamber and the interior lower chamber hermetically with the end surface of the lower end portion of the housing, and moves the second piston upwardly by virtue of the elasticity of the second piston loading spring, it has a simple, compact structure with a convenient mounting and installation and can be adapted to various toilet bowls. The present invention has great flexibility in mounting inside or outside of the toilet bowl even inside the wall and thus provides the designation of the bathroom apparatus with a considerable degree of flexibility and satisfies various requirements for decoration.
The followings are the detailed depictions to the present invention by taking the toilet bowl as an example combined with the embodiments shown in figures. The same members in the entire figures are indicated by the same reference signs.
From the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings and subject claims, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Moreover, the present flushing mechanism further comprises a second piston 8 comprising a second piston bottom 8-1 with a central hole and a second piston cylindrical portion 8-2 extending upward from the periphery of the central hole of the second piston bottom 8-1, wherein the second piston cylindrical portion 8-2 is hollow, and the screw rod 2 and the sleeve 3 go through the second piston cylindrical portion 8-2 and the central hole of the second piston bottom 8-1. A second piston sealed module 8-3 is disposed at the outer periphery of the second piston bottom 8-1, and a second piston sealed module 8-4 is disposed at the periphery of the central hole of the second piston bottom 8-1. The second piston bottom 8-1, the second piston sealed module 8-3 and 8-4 and the lower end portion of housing 1 together define an exterior lower cavity 8-5 and an interior lower cavity 8-6.
Similar to the first piston 4, the second piston 8 is provided with a second piston loading spring 9, the loading spring 9 can be disposed around the sleeve 3 inside the hollow portion of the second piston cylindrical portion 8-2, wherein one end of the second piston loading spring 9 is fixed to the interior of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 8-1 of the second piston 8, and the other end is fixed to a fixed end 10 of the sleeve 3.
Moreover, the present flushing mechanism further comprises a guiding rod 17 for guiding the piston 4 reciprocating upwardly and downwardly and serving as an ejection-proof member. In order to achieve a compact and simple structure, the guiding rod 17 may in the shape of pipe. Further, the present flushing mechanism is provided with a water supplying passage 11 and a water compensating passage 12 disposed concentrically so as to reduce the occupied space. And in order to make a compact structure, it is preferable to dispose concentrically a commuting valve rod 14 of a commuting valve 15 with the water supplying passage 11 and the water compensating passage 12.
In addition, preferably, the present flushing mechanism 100 comprises a water level switch 13. As mentioned above, the commuting valve rod 14, the passages 11 and 12 and the water level switch 13 may go through the upper cover 6 of the housing and then reach the interior of the housing 1.
The lower portion of the housing 1 is provided with an outlet flange 19 (see
Preferably, the first piston sealed module 4-3 and the second piston sealed module 8-3 and 8-4 include an exterior sealed member and an interior sealed member respectively.
Preferably, the exterior sealed member is an elastic sealed member formed by bending a metal sheet, and the bending shape is adapted to enclasp the interior sealed member. And preferably, the interior sealed member includes an O-shaped ring.
The present flushing mechanism further comprises a pressure stabilizing unit 16 which can stabilize the water pressure.
The operation of the flushing mechanism 100 will be explained hereinafter with reference to the figures.
As shown in
After the step of draining continues for a while and the second piston 8 moves upward at a certain distance, the downward water pressure of the second piston 8 counteracts to the upward water pressure of the corresponding portion, and the second piston 8 speeds up to move upwardly by the force of the second piston loading spring 9. In order to avoid noise generated by the collision between the second piston 8 and the first piston 4 because of the over fast relative moving speed and avoid the damages of the first and second pistons, the second piston cylindrical portion 8-2 of the second piston 8 is upwardly formed in a shape with a reduced outer diameter at a certain distance from the upper surface of the second piston bottom 8-1 and is formed with a slope step portion 18 in this transition section with the reduced outer diameter, such that the speed of the second piston 8 is reduced when moving upward approaching to the first piston 4 so as to make the slope step portion 18 serving as a buffer against the collision.
When the draining step is finished, the water level switch 13 is reset, and the water supplying passage 11 and the water compensating passage 12 are closed, the first piston 4 moves downward to the lower stopping point under the downward push-force of the first piston loading spring 5. The second piston 8 returns to the lowest position under the force M, one cycle of water supplying-water draining is completed.
As depicted in the above, in order to solve the safety problem of breaking of the housing that would damage the facility around caused by the aging of the plastic housing or accidental collision and dropping made by the carelessness of people during the mounting and operation, the present invention adopts a series of safety measures.
As shown in
The spring limit unit 800 further comprises a plurality of screw rods disposed in parallel with the center line of the housing 1 in the longitudinal direction around the first piston loading spring 5 and the second piston loading spring 9.
As depicted in
Of source, the pressure-relief and/or ejection-proof part can further be an ejection-proof and/or pressure-relief safety valve, or can be any combination among the spring limit unit and/or the at least one pressure-relief opening and/or the ejection proof-pressure relief safety valve.
It is worth mentioning that the above examples are merely for explanation, which shall not be understood as the limit to the present invention. In the precondition of not going beyond the scope and concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make multiple modifications to the present invention. For example, the housing 1 can be cylinder, olive or other shapes; the commuting valve rod 14 and the commuting valve 15 can be operated manually, and the commuting operation can be automatically performed by the common-known assembly such as optical control units and acoustic control units. Moreover, the water supplying passage 11, the water compensating passage 12 and the commuting valve rod 14 can be disposed separately to each other instead of a coaxial telescopiform configuration. Such modifications shall be included in the protection scope claimed by the present invention.
Since the flushing mechanism in the present invention possesses a simple and compact structure, it can either be mounted at the exterior of the toilet bowl, or be mounted inside of the rear side or lower portion of the toilet bowl, or even be mounted at the wall corresponding to the toilet bowl, such that the invention provides wide flexibility for the design of toilet bowl. That is to say, the flushing mechanism of the present invention is adapted to any configurations of the toilet bowl, which definitely can satisfy various needs for decorating the places like washroom.
Since the present invention utilizes the elasticity of the loading spring and the pressure of the water supplying, the flushing efficiency is improved increasingly, which either can realize the water supplying by low pressure or can save the water consumption for each flushing cycle. Tests prove that the flushing of the present invention can reduce the water consumption for each flushing cycle to 4L each time under the precondition of satisfying the flushing effect.
As depicted in the above, the present invention can be adapted to other places for flushing feculence and/or sewage besides to the bathroom for flushing the bathroom apparatus such as a toilet bowl.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20081091185 | Apr 2008 | CN | national |
PCT/CN2009/070363 | Feb 2009 | CN | national |
This application claims the benefit of International Application PCT/CN2009/070363, with an international filing date of Feb. 5, 2009, which claimed the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. CN 20081091185, filed Apr. 9, 2008.