Patent Application
20110000012
The toilet is one of the most vital household items. The toilet is a china bowl and tank system designed to remove wastes and prevent sewer gases from entering the home, and the toilet does its job well.
A toilet's entire system is controlled by the flush lever. When the lever is pulled, a chain rises, lifting a flush valve (flap) and causing about three gallons of water to rush from the tank through a drain hole into the bowl. As the water rushes into the bowl, the force of the water cleans the bowl and forces the waste down and out into the sewers. The bowl's water is then replaced with water flowing from the tank to the bowl through an overflow tube.
As the water level of the tank lowers, a float ball attached to the ballcock lowers, and activates a ballcock. The ballcock is a mechanism that refills the toilet tank's water level. When the ballcock activates, water flows into the tank, and as the water level rises, so does the float ball. When the float ball is raised enough, the ballcock shuts off. The process repeats the next time someone flushes.
According to the United States Geological Survey, an average toilet tank of 3 gallons is flushed. This means that According to Aquacraft, Inc. and the American Waterworks Association Research Foundation, The average person uses around 18 gallons/day flushing the toilet. In the United States alone, that translates to about 2 trillion gallons of water being flushed “down the toilet” a year. If the water usage can be reduced, water can be conserved for future generation.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
Various embodiments are described hereinbelow, including methods and techniques. It should be kept in mind that the invention might also cover articles of manufacture that includes a computer readable medium on which computer-readable instructions for carrying out embodiments of the inventive technique are stored. The computer readable medium may include, for example, semiconductor, magnetic, opto-magnetic, optical, or other forms of computer readable medium for storing computer readable code. Further, the invention may also cover apparatuses for practicing embodiments of the invention. Such apparatus may include circuits, dedicated and/or programmable, to carry out tasks pertaining to embodiments of the invention. Examples of such apparatus include a general-purpose computer and/or a dedicated computing device when appropriately programmed and may include a combination of a computer/computing device and dedicated/programmable circuits adapted for the various tasks pertaining to embodiments of the invention.
The inventor herein realized that liquid waste requires less water to flush away than solid waste. In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a split tank toilet system is provided for conserving water while providing sufficient water to remove waste from the toilet. Embodiments of the invention include a modified tank in which the tank is divided into two half-tanks. Embodiments of the invention also include modifying the lever unit to enable the half-tanks to be emptied according to usage.
In an embodiment of the invention, a split tank toilet system is provided for removing waste while conserving water. The split tank toilet system provides for a standard toilet to be divided into two half-tanks utilizing an internal wall (e.g., barrier), in an embodiment. The internal wall is a moldable component that may be inserted into the tank to split the tank into two half-tanks. To hold the internal wall in place, rubber edges may be positioned around the outside of the internal wall, thereby holding the internal wall in place when the internal wall is inserted into the tank. Since the internal wall is moldable, the internal wall may bend slightly as the two rubber edged sides of the internal wall pushes against the toilet tank wall. As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the standard toilet does not have to be divided into half-tank of equal size. Instead, the internal wall may be installed according to a user's configuration
When the lever is activated (e.g., pulled, pushed, etc.), the conventional refill system is activated. As the float ball lowers and the ballcock provides water to the tank, the first half-tank is refilled, in an embodiment. When the water reaches an overspill level, the water flows into the second half-tank. In an embodiment, the overspill level may be the top of the internal wall. In this embodiment, the internal wall is configured to be lower than the maximum water level, which is the level at which the ballcock shuts off. In an example, water will fill the first half-tank until it overflows over the top of the internal wall into the second half-tank. Once the water on both sides is above the top of the internal wall and has reached the maximum level, the float ball raises and the ballcock shuts off.
In another embodiment, the internal wall includes an overspill hole. When the internal wall is inserted into place within the tank, the overspill hole is positioned below the maximum water level, in an embodiment. As the tank is being refilled, the water flows into the first half-tank. When the water reaches the overspill hole, the water flow through the overspill hole into the second half-tank. The water will continue to spill into the second half-tank until the water level in both tanks is above the overspill hole. Once the water in at least the first half-tank has reached the maximum water level, the float ball raises and the ballcock shuts off.
When the toilet is used, water flows into the china bowl from the tank to flush away the waste. In an embodiment, a two-flap arrangement is provided. Each flap is located in each tank. In an example, the first flap is positioned in the first half-tank and is positioned over the drain hole. The second flap is positioned in the second half-tank and is positioned over a second drain hole.
Different arrangements for emptying at least part of the water from the tank to flush away the waste may be provided. In one embodiment, a three lift-arms lever arrangement may be provided. In a three lift-arms lever arrangement, a single rotating arm with three lift arms are attached to a handle, in an embodiment. The single rotating arm may extend from one side of the tank (at the handle side) to at least part of the second half-tank side. lithe tank includes an internal wall that has a height less than the maximum water level, the single rotating arm may rest on the top side of the internal wall. In an embodiment, the single rotating arm may be extended without resting on the top side of the internal wall for support if the single rotating arm is made of a more rigid material. If the tank includes an internal wall that has an overspill hole, the internal wall may also include a small gap for inserting the single rotating arm, thereby enabling the single rotating arm to extend from the handle into the second half-tank.
Unlike the prior art, the first flap (which may be the existing flap in a standard toilet tank) is connected to two chains, which are connected to two opposing lift arms (first lift arm and second lift arm). The two lift arms are attached to the single rotating arm. The second flap, in an embodiment, is connected to a chain, which is connected to a third lift arm. In an embodiment, the third lift arm is parallel to the first lift arm. Both the first and the third lift arm are facing in the direction toward the china bowl, in an embodiment. The second lift arm is positioned in the direction facing away from the china bowl.
Consider the situation wherein, for example, a user of a toilet needs to remove liquid waste from the china bowl. The user may move the handle in a first direction. The single rotating arm rotates causing the second lift arm to move in an upward position, thereby causing the first flap to open up and the water to flow from the first half-tank into the china bowl to flush away the liquid waste. Since only the water from the first half-tank has been emptied in this example, less water is utilized.
If the user needs to remove solid waste from the china bowl, the user may move the handle in a second direction. The single rotating arm rotates causing the first and third lift arms to move in an upward direction. The water from the second half-tank rushes into the first half-tank, thereby allowing water from both half-tanks to flow into the china bowl to flush away the solid waste.
In another embodiment, instead of having a single rotating arm, two rotating arms are' provided. Each rotating arm is attached to a handle. In an example, the first rotating arm is attached to a first handle and the second rotating arm is attached to a second handle. The first rotating arm is attached to the first flap and is employed to rotate the first flap upward to flush away liquid waste, in an embodiment. The second rotating arm is attached to both the first and second flaps and is employed to rotate both flaps to flush away solid waste, in an embodiment.
The features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the figures and discussions that follow.
While the conventional toilet operates using one tank, the design of the new toilet uses a split-tank system operating upon the same principles as the conventional toilet.
The tank (A), however, is separated in half by a wall or barrier (B). More importantly, the new toilet can provide two different flush amounts of water: a smaller amount for liquid waste and a larger amount for solid waste.
When the lever (C) is pulled, the conventional refill system activates. However, when the float ball (conventional and not shown) lowers and the ballcock (conventional and not shown) provides water to one of the tanks (for example D), the water pours into the first tank (D), overflows, and fills the second tank (E), thereby leveling out the water levels above the barrier (B). When the water level in both tanks raises sufficiently, the float ball raises, and the ballcock shuts off.
Besides the changes mentioned above, the new toilet design has a two-flap system. One flap is located in each tank. A single rotating arm (F) is provided and is attached to the lever (C). This single rotating arm (F) has, on one side of rotating arm (F), two lift arms (G and H). On the other side of rotating arm (F) is another lift arm (I). One flap (J) is attached to lift arms (H) and (I) using chains (K) and (L) respectively. Another flap (M) is attached to lift arm (G) using a chain (N). If the lever (C) is turned one way, both flaps (J) and (M) will opened by lift arms (G) and (H), and if the lever (C) is turned the other way, only one flap (J) opens.
The split-tank system is very flexible. If there is no solid waste, then turn the lever one way to lift only one valve (J) and provide the half tank (D) flush. If the lever is turned the other way, both valves (J) and (M) lift, forcing both half tanks (D) and (E) out, providing enough force to flush solid waste. Then both half tanks (D) and (E) refill, and the toilet is ready for use again.
Best of all, the split tank does not require a new toilet or new tank. Only internal parts of the tank need to be changed, and these changes involve adding an internal wall (B) with a built-in flap seal seat (P), a flap (M), and a new rotating lever arm (F) with attached lift arms (G, H, and I), and chains (K, L, N) to connect to the flap valves (M and J).
According to the United States Geological Survey, the average person uses 80-100 gallons a day. Of that, flushing the toilet is the number one usage of water. As mentioned above, an average person uses around 18 gallons/day flushing the toilet with the conventional toilet. That is 6 flushes per day.
If a person only releases liquid waste for one day using a conventional toilet, based upon the facts above, he would have flushed 18 gallons of water that day, having used the toilet six times. Surely 18 gallons of fresh water is not needed to flush liquid waste!
Now, if that person uses a split-tank toilet, and only releases liquid waste, and the split tank contains two halves of a full tank, then he would use only half of a tank each time he flushes. Thus, he saves 9 gallons of water, even though he went the same six times. if everyone in San Diego (population est. 1.3 million), for example, uses a split-tank toilet, they would save over 10 million of water a day.
While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. Although various examples are provided herein, it is intended that these examples be illustrative and not limiting with respect to the invention.
This application is related to and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to a commonly assigned provisional patent application entitled “The Split Tank Toilet System” by Nicholas Nguyen, Attorney Docket Number NICK-P001P1, application Ser. No. 61/182,714, filed on May 30, 2009, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61182714 | May 2009 | US |
