Toilet bowl discharge valve assembly

Abstract

Disclosed are trap valve assemblies for controlling flow from a toilet bowl to a trap way. In one form there is a cartridge unit positionable immediately below a toilet bowl discharge outlet. It has a pivotable gate in a form of a spherical segment. The gate has an eccentric pivoting motion so that it can swing from an open position to a blocking/closing position in which it fully contacts a sealing gasket. The spherical segment has a leading edge which is approximately between +40° and −40° from vertical when the gate is in an open position, to minimize the energy required to close the gate. In another form a ball and socket connection to the gate valve facilitates sealing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a portion of a lower toilet bowl and trap assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a trap valve cartridge depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a gate valve of the FIG. 2 trap valve, the gate valve being viewed from a different perspective than as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1, albeit now showing the gate valve in the process of closing;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the gate valve now fully closed;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but of a second embodiment where the cartridge is attached to the bowl at a slightly different angle; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a valve according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown the lower portion of a toilet generally 10, where there is the usual toilet bowl 12 with discharge outlet 14. Toilet 10 can otherwise be of a conventional construction.

For example, the toilet above the discharge outlet could have a structure analogous to that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,618, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Thus, there can be electrical or mechanical flush controls, including linkages from those controls to the trap valve 18. Alternatively, one could move the trap valve manually.

In any event, in the present embodiment, there is also a trap 16 in fluid communication with discharge outlet 14, and a trap valve 18 located downstream of bowl 12 and upstream of trap 16. Toilet 10 preferably includes a flange 20 near the bottom of bowl discharge outlet 14, and other connecting elements such as fasteners for connecting to the cartridge form trap valve 18 at flange 22.

Trap 16 has a normal trap water level 24 for preventing return of sewer gas, and can be connected to trap valve 18 at collar 26 with a flexible piece of rubber and/or other connector elements such as clamps (not shown). Trap valve 18 permits the passage of waste and fluid from bowl 12 to trap 16 when in the FIG. 1 open position.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, trap valve 18 includes a first clamshell housing part 28, and a second generally mirror image clamshell housing part 30 connectible to first clamshell housing part 28. There is also a pivotable gate valve 32 mounted inside a cavity defined by the first and second clamshell housing parts 28/30.

This cavity has an inlet orifice/entry 34 (see FIG. 1) which includes at least one gasket 36, 38, 40 surrounding inlet orifice 34. Pivotable gate valve 32 is positioned in the cavity so as to be able to move between a first closed position blocking inlet orifice 34 between flushes (FIG. 6), and an essentially open position (FIG. 1), and then a return position beginning to close off flow (as shown in FIG. 5).

Pivotable gate valve 32 preferably includes an essentially spherical contact segment 42 which has a radius of curvature 44 (FIG. 5) extending from a center of curvature 46. Pivotable gate valve 32 rotates about a center of rotation 48 offset from center of curvature 46, which results in a slightly eccentric rotation of gate valve 32 relative to its closure position. This allows spherical contact segment 42 to contact the sealing surface of gasket 36 fully only when gate valve 32 is in approximately the FIG. 6 position.

This means that the gate valve will not continuously scrape across the gasket 36 throughout the full swing of the gate valve closure. Rather, it closes in on the gasket sealing surface in an eccentric manner, thereby reducing wear and maintenance issues.

Moreover, the leading edge of the gate 50 cuts across the water exiting from the bowl transversely, rather than pushing up perpendicularly to the flow. This facilitates closure by helping to minimize the needed force to fight the effects of gravity.

Most preferably, pivotable gate 32 has a leading edge 50 approximately between +40° and −40° (most preferably between +25° and −25°) from vertical when gate valve 32 is in the FIG. 4 position. Thus, leading edge 50 is approximately vertical when gate 32 begins to reduce the opening during closure.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, gate valve 32 can comprise an approximately quarter spherical segment 42. Further, pivoting of the gate valve 32 can be caused by movement of a stem 52 that extends outside of housing parts 28, 30 and into the cavity.

Pivotable gate valve 32 can be positioned so as to always be above normal trap water level 24. This helps avoid having the trap valve components soak in sullied water between flushes, thereby reducing maintenance and leakage concerns. Also, waste does not tend to collect between the gate valve 32 and its cartridge cavity pocket. This reduces the resistance to opening which would occur if that would happen.

Stem 52 is connected to sockets 54 so that during a flushing cycle one trips a flush initiator connected to stem 52, which ultimately pivots the gate valve 32 out of the closed position. This permits waste to rapidly evacuate through inlet 34 of the valve cartridge. It is preferred that the start of the flush water be delayed slightly to permit most of the evacuation to occur before clean flush water starts to rinse the bowl.

After a defined period, trap valve 18 can have its gate valve 32 be caused to return to the FIG. 6 closed position, and preferably be latched in that position so that some water will remain in the bowl above gate valve 32 between flushes. The inlet water will then be shut off, ending the flush cycle.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, toilet 60 depicts trap valve cartridge 18A being at a slightly different angle of installation when compared to FIG. 1. Other elements are substantially the same as in FIG. 1, and hence are numbered in similar fashion.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a trap valve 80 is positioned to control outflow from the discharge outlet of a toilet to the trap of the toilet. Trap valve 80 includes a housing 81 having an entry, an exit, and a cavity connecting the entry and exit. A sealing gasket 82 is positioned adjacent the valve housing entry. A gate valve 83 is positioned in the cavity and is pivotable using a linkage 85 that extends from outside the housing 81 to the cavity. Gate valve 83 is pivotable from a first position essentially closing off outflow from the discharge outlet to a second position permitting flow from the discharge outlet to the trap. There is an arm 84 connected to linkage 85, the arm being pivotably connected to gate valve 83.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the connection between arm 84 and gate valve 83 is a ball 86 and socket 88 arrangement. This allows the position of gate valve 83 to adjust as it is pressed against sealing gasket 82 in the closed position, and therefore increases the chances that the gate valve 83 seals (by making it less susceptible to assembly tolerances and minor debris on the seal).

Regardless of the embodiment, the present invention facilitates use of a trap valve to control toilet bowl evacuation. Maintenance concerns relating to wear on a sealing gasket are reduced by the eccentric closure. The positioning of the gate valve near vertical as the closure gate starts in some embodiments facilitates closure in the face of the weight of the bowl material. Positioning of the gate valve above the trap water level further reduces maintenance issues and helps with reliability.

The cartridge valve can be made of metal or plastic components.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it should be appreciated that still other modifications and variations to the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the cartridge valve is preferably used with a ceramic bowl and trap, it can also be used with toilet components made of other materials (e.g. metallics; plastics). Further, the angle of installation of the trap valves 18/18A and gate 32 can vary somewhat.

Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to just the described most preferred embodiments. To ascertain the full scope of the invention, the claims which follow are referenced.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention provides toilets which have improved trap discharge valves.

Claims

1. A toilet, comprising: a bowl having a lower discharge outlet;a trap in fluid communication with the discharge outlet; anda trap valve positioned to control outflow from the discharge outlet to the trap, the trap valve comprising: a valve housing having an entry, an exit, and a cavity connecting the entry and exit;a gate valve positioned in the cavity and pivotable using linkage that extends from outside the valve housing to the gate valve;a sealing gasket;wherein the gate valve is pivotable from a first position essentially closing off outflow from the discharge outlet to a second position permitting flow from the discharge outlet to the trap;wherein the gate valve is positioned relative to the sealing gasket so as to begin closing off the entry when a lead edge of the gate valve is within 40° of vertical.

2. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the sealing gasket is positioned adjacent the valve housing entry.

3. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the gate valve is positioned relative to the gasket so as to begin closing off the entry when a lead edge of the gate valve is within 25° of vertical.

4. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the valve housing is in a form of a cartridge having two clamshell parts defining the cavity.

5. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the gate valve is in a form of a spherical segment having a radius of curvature extending from a center of curvature.

6. The toilet of claim 5, wherein the gate valve is pivotable about a center of rotation offset from said center of curvature.

7. The toilet of claim 1, wherein pivoting of the gate valve can be initiated as part of a flush cycle of the toilet.

8. The toilet of claim 1, wherein said trap has a normal trap water level to restrict back flow of sewer gases to the bowl, and the gate valve is positioned so as to be above that water level.

9. A trap valve constructed in accordance with the trap valve of claim 1, wherein the trap valve is also in a form of a cartridge suitable to be connected at one end to a toilet bowl discharge outlet and at another end to a toilet trap.

10. A toilet, comprising: a bowl having a lower discharge outlet;a trap in fluid communication with the discharge outlet; anda trap valve positioned to control outflow from the discharge outlet to the trap, the trap valve comprising: a valve housing having an entry, an exit, and a cavity connecting the entry and exit;a gate valve positioned in the cavity and pivotable using a linkage that extends from outside the valve housing to the cavity;a sealing gasket positioned adjacent the valve housing entry;wherein the gate valve is linked to the linkage via a ball and socket arrangement.