Patent Application
20200291629
The present application relates to plumbing specifically to plumbing apparatus for and including residential toilets.
In most cases, the main pipeline from the street to a home is either ¾ or 1 inch in diameter, supply branches use ¾-inch-diameter pipe, and pipes for individual components are ½ inch or in some homes ⅜ inch. Homes and other noncommercial properties usually have gravity toilets connected to the ½ inch or ⅜ inch component pipes. These gravity toilets use a water closet or tank that fills with, for example, 12 inches of water before each flushing. The pressure resulting from the force of gravity acting on this column of water moves water into the toilet bowl when flushed. Standard water pressure to a residence is, for example in Los Angeles, Calif., 55 psi. A high safety level is at 80 psi.
Many commercial buildings have water supply pipes of at least 1 inch diameter. The water from such pipes flows through a flushometer valve, or high flow flush valve, directly into a toilet bowl and generated a better flushing than does a gravity toilet. When the flushometer is activated, it releases a metered amount of water into the toilet, then closes. The single flush from the flushometer theoretically wastes less water per flush than a typical tank system because it cleanses the bowl with a metered lower-volume, higher-pressure stream. An exemplary single flush will last for 3-5 seconds. There is also no need for a tank, and therefore no refilling time between flushes. The drawback to installing a flushometer is that it is not compatible with all plumbing systems. The water piping itself for a flushometer has to allow a water pressure of at least 20 to 25 psi for the flushometer to function properly, which is not usually possible with the ¾-inch piping found in most homes. This is due to the fact that the available water pressure decreases rapidly as the diameter of the water supply pipe decreases. A toilet with a flushometer receiving water directly from a ½ inch or ⅜ inch diameter water supply pipe flushes poorly often resulting in stoppages that must be cleaned out. A system has been developed to allow water to flow vigorously enough through a flushometer valve connected to a small diameter home water supply pipe to provide a good flushing. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,416,523 in which a water storage apparatus is provided by enlarged diameter pipes lying close to the flushometer valve; the pipes having an exemplary diameter of 1.5 inches. While this system provides a larger amount of water upon flushing than is normally available in a residential flush system, there are operational shortcomings. One such shortcoming is that upon activating the flush there is immediate flow of the large volume of water in the enlarged diameter pipes as a result of which there is caused a severe drop in water pressure upstream from the toilet. This causes an immediate, but temporary decrease in water flow to nearby plumbing fixtures (the terms “fixture” and “component” are used synonymously in this description). This interruption effects cold water only—which is presumed to be the supply used for flushing. Interruptions in showers, baths, dish or clothes washing are not pleasant experiences, not only due to drop in flow, but also in sudden temporary increase in water temperature if there is also hot water flowing. Providing the good flushing such as of a commercial toilet equipped with a flushometer valve without upstream water pressure loss or intermittent or cyclical pressure variations to the upstream plumbing would be of value in residential plumbing systems that have smaller pipe sizes than do the commercial plumbing systems that normally use a flushometer.
In one embodiment of the invention a pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly of the flushing system comprises both an enlarged piping portion as in the prior art (called herein flush valve adapter piping or adapter piping) and also a pressurized water storage apparatus in an exemplary form as an accumulator tank. The flush valve adapter piping and the pressurized water storage apparatus together define a pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly. This then provides sufficient water supply and pressure to accomplish the flushing process through a flushometer, so that the undesirable immediate demand upstream is mitigated. Thus, at flushing, a larger volume of water under pressure is available to be released through the flushometer. In an embodiment, one type of accumulator tank is a bladder type pressurized storage vessel designed to hold water under pressure. The accumulator tank provides additional water storage under pressure to assist toilet flushing volume in meeting total demand in volume and pressure to flush properly when a flushometer is used. It therefore reduces the impact of demand for water from the upstream plumbing and reduces the pressure drop on nearby fixtures (also called components) in residential plumbing systems.
Nevertheless, it has been determined that other pressure transients on the upstream plumbing can occur by use of a pressurized water storage apparatus, sometimes called “water hammer” or “back flow” or “back pressure”.
To provide enhanced control of the flushing and recharging operation and to avoid upstream anomalies, in one embodiment of the invention a check valve connects the residential component supply plumbing to the flush water immediate supply assembly. When the system is at the ready to flush, the flush water immediate supply assembly is under pressure, ready for a flush and the check valve is closed. When the flushometer is activated the pressure created by the stored water in the flush water immediate supply assembly reduces during the exiting of water through the flushometer, a reduced pressure is reached that then causes the check valve to open thereby allowing re-filling the flush water immediate supply assembly to become available for another flush actuation. As the flush water immediate supply assembly is filled its pressure increases to a point that the check valve closes. Then the system is ready for a new flush action. The check valve tends to prevent and block pressure transients from passing upstream.
In a further embodiment, it has been determined that even further isolation of the upstream plumbing from the flushometer type flushing system can be accomplished by putting in a reduced diameter length of piping between the residential component supply plumbing and the entry to the check valve. A reduction of ⅛ inch from the diameter of the residential component supply plumbing has been found effective for this purpose.
It can be understood that the flush water immediate supply assembly can be accomplished in any way that the required volume of water for accomplishing the flush is stored under pressure sufficiently adjacent to the flushometer valve to have the necessary flow amount and pressure when the flushometer valve is activated to accomplish the flush action. This can be a single pressurized container of water or a plurality of containers in pressurized communication. It is also understood that the pressurization needs to be available as a recharging for subsequent flushing. The pressure for recharging is describes a coming from the residential plumbing water supply and the resulting recharged pressure is at whatever pressure is available from the residential plumbing water supply. That pressure can vary based on a number of variables. One of the variables is the pressure provided by the local water supply system. Another is the maximum pressure allowed into the residence by a pressure regulator which is typically required to be used and in any case recommended in order to protect the residential plumbing and fixtures. Other variables can be found in the particular condition of the residential plumbing system.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 9,416,523 the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. It is a goal and incorporated in both Federal and State regulations to have more exact and reduced amount of flush water for toilets. Flushometer valves provide a strong and highly metered flow of water. Flushometer valves are designed for commercial applications in which larger (than residential) supply plumbing is used. The current design of flushometer valves is enabled for use in commercial plumbing systems. Enabling use of the current flushometer valve designs for residential plumbing systems can accomplish the goals for reducing flush water in residential toilets.
The system described in the '523 patent enables the use of a flushometer (also referred to as a flushometer valve or flush valve) in a residential plumbing system that employs a small diameter water supply by providing a water storage volume comprising enlarged diameter piping lying close to the flushometer. The immediate flushing supply source in the form of enlarged piping stores more water than would the normal smaller piping so that on flushing a larger volume of water is immediately available through the flushometer valve into the fluid connector connected to a toilet inlet. Thus, the system provides a higher volume of water to be available through a flushometer valve even though a large diameter pipe is not available from the basic water supply system as is available in commercial systems. Therefore, the immediate flushing supply source provides a larger volume of water immediately available for the flushometer flushing in a residential system. However, the system in the '523 patent is deficient because upon activation of the flushometer valve, there is an instantaneous demand on the upstream small diameter residential supply system, which causes pressure drop of flow at nearby fixtures (also referred to as components). It also can be deficient in not providing the immediate continuity of flow volume at the rate required in a flushometer valve flushing cycle.
In typical present-day residential water systems, the main pipeline from the street is either ¾ or 1 inch in diameter, supply branches use ¾ inch diameter pipe and pipes for individual components are commonly ½ inch diameter. In older homes, the supply branch may be ½ inch and the pipes to individual components may be ⅜ inch diameter. The piping to the particular individual component in this description meaning the toilet, is referred to as the residential component supply source.
The presently described embodiments provide improved functioning of the use of a flushometer equipped toilet flushing system that is connected to residential component supply source. In addition to improved interaction with the flushometer valve operation by a well regulated flow immediately available to the flushometer undesirable effects to the residential water supply source are mitigated. There are a plurality of such undesirable effects, and as will be appreciated from the following descriptions, there are corresponding different embodiments for compensating for those undesirable effects
The present invention is in the realization of the problems incurred by the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,416,523 wherein the solution to the problem is recognized in this description to enlarge the immediate supply of pressurized flush water volume maintained at the necessary pressure for access by the flushometer by an additional and pressurized water supply source to result in an enlarged pressurized immediate supply source with sufficient volume of water under pressure to fully operate a flushometer valve. This then provides an efficient flush operation while thereby mitigating the demand on the supply source during the course of the flushing.
However, the solution to the immediate problem of sharp demand on source water results in other complications which themselves are mitigated by the embodiments as described herein. It is further appreciated that the flush water immediate supply assembly is in its general concept a combination of a volume of water under such pressure and sufficiently closely adjacent to the flushometer valve as to serve as sufficient water volume and at sufficient pressure to the flushometer valve for correct operation of the flushometer valve, referred to herein as the pressurized immediately available water supply, made available by a pressurized flush water immediate water supply assembly (sometimes referred to as an immediate supply assembly). The pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly combined with the flushometer is called the high flow flush assembly. In this embodiment, as flushing is started by actuation of the flushometer valve, and a large demand is made, the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly meets that demand during the most demanding flushing time through the flushometer. The effect is to provide a regulated flow to the flushometer valve and also to greatly reduce the sharp flow demand upstream on the supply source system. It is the added volume from the pressurized water storage apparatus that implements the reduced demand on the supply system.
In one embodiment of the present invention the pressurized immediate flush water supply is enlarged by providing additional water storage in a pressurized water storage apparatus, exemplary form being an accumulator tank. In one embodiment it is located in combination with the enlarged piping near the flushometer as exemplified in the '523 patent, herein called the flush valve adapter piping (also called the adapter piping) although the flush valve adapter piping can take on embodiments different from that shown in the '523 patent. The combination of flush valve adapter piping and the pressurized water storage apparatus is an embodiment of the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly.
Nevertheless, as the flow from the pressurized water storage apparatus initially occurs some undesirable upstream effect occurs referred to as “back flow” or “back pressure” or “water hammer”. That gives rise to a further embodiment in which a check valve is in place at the supply system source point. The check valve is closed when the high flow flush assembly is charged ready for flushing. and, at the instantaneous onset of flushing the check valve remains closed thereby avoiding undesirable upstream effect caused by the immediate release. As the flushing proceeds, and the pressure ahead of the check valve drops to its open specified pressure difference it opens and begins the refill process.
In a yet further embodiment, immediately upstream of the check valve a reduced diameter length of pipe is installed. That is, between the check valve and the residential component supply source, a reduced diameter length of piping is installed. That reduced length of piping cuts the rate of flow when the check valve opens thereby more fully enhancing avoidance of a demand that would cause an instantaneous pressure drop at nearby components and other undesirable effects on the residential component supply source.
While each of the foregoing embodiments has its own contribution to implementing flushometer application in residential toilet operation, it is further appreciated that the embodiments employed together collectively enhance effective operation of flushometer flushing of residential toilets so that the use of a pressurized flush water supply assembly along with a check valve is advantageous, and the additional use of a reduced diameter length of piping incoming to the check valve is further advantageous.
In the following descriptions it should be recognized that plumbing dimensions and quantities are designated but in practice those designations are inexact. For that reason some designations are considered “nominal” and are used as such although persons skilled in the art understand that in applications the amount can vary. Exemplary of nominal amounts are the flush volumes designated in regulations and in supplied equipment as the flush volume in gallons (US liquid gallons) per flush (gpf) also showing a conversion to liters:
1.6 gpf converted to 6.057 liters;
1.28 gpf, converted to 4.845 liters;
1.06 gpf, converted to 4.012 liters
1 gpf, converted to 3.785;
The liter conversion quantities being arithmetic and not intended to designate an accuracy in the liter measurement used in plumbing practice.
Similarly, the term “about” for amounts such a water volume, pipe size and other dimensions/measurements used herein, is used to refer to a level of variation understood by persons skilled in the art of plumbing systems and equipment.
In a further exemplary embodiment the high flow flush assembly 14 is connected to residential component supply plumbing 28 through a check valve 30 exemplary of which is a spring check valve. The encircled 4-4 of
In an embodiment as shown in
An exemplary flushometer is a TOTO TMT1NNC Series Non-Hold Open Toilet Flushometer Valve—1.6 gpf, Model TMT1NNC—32 (1½″ Vacuum breaker) which is constructed to connect to a 1 inch water supply and specifies a supply water pressure at 15 psi-100 psi (noting that water pressures over 80 psi are not recommended for most plumbing fixtures).
Another exemplary flushometer which is specified for a toilet bowl operative with 1.28 gpf, is a TOTO TMT1LN Series Non-Hold Open High Efficiency Toilet Flushometer Valve—1.28 gpf; Model TMT1LN32#CP (1½″ Vacuum breaker) which is connected to a 1 inch water supply and specifies a supply water pressure of 35 psi-100 psi and with a minimum flow rate of 23 gpm (noting that water pressures over 80 psi are not recommended for most plumbing fixtures)
An exemplary check valve is a WATTS Series LF600, size (DN).
An exemplary pressurized water storage tank is an accumulator tank sold by Challis Booster, viewable at challisboost.com.
A person skilled in the art will know what specifications for flushometer valves, pressurized tank products, check valves and other parts will be suitable for particular installations.
A flushometer valve opens for flow into the toilet at a rate and predetermined volume determined by its particular design, to properly operate the toilet. Exemplary of this operation is a brief flushing action of from about 3-5 seconds that will operate the flushing action of the toilet. For its operation, the flushometer valve provides a specified volume of water sufficient to accomplish the flushing of the toilet, in a very short time requiring a maintained pressure available from the residential plumbing system. That pressure is typically considered to be in a range of a minimum of about 25 psi to about a safety limit of 80 psi, about 50 to 75 psi being considered a generally satisfactory requirement for a high efficiency toilet. Water conservation is tending to limit flow per flush requirements. Flushometer valves are now available and more so in future are to be available for a volume per flush of 1.6 gpf and 1.28 gpf and 1.06 gpf as regulated by Federal law and some States (California for example). The Federal law of 1.6 gpf for flushometer toilets is the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The California law of 1.28 gpf for new installations came into effect in 2016. Proposals have been made to go as low as 1.06 gpf, or nominally 1 gpf.
In this description, therefore, reference to pressurized water supply available for flushing refers to the pressure available from the residential component supply plumbing that serves as the source of the water.
As noted above, the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly 18 has two parts. One part is the flush valve adapter piping 24 (also called the adapter piping) which is an enlarged piping relative to the residential supply pipe size and in one embodiment can be attached to the flushometer 16 at its inlet 16a by any normally understood means of attachment, the present example being an adapter of the type double slip tail piece. As would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art other adaptors could be used or the flush valve adapter piping 24 could be connected directly to flushometer 16 depending on the needs of the particular installation.
Exemplary size of the adapter piping 24 being ¾ inch and preferably 1 inch. The adapter piping 24 is closely adjacent to entry of the flushometer 16 and may contain about 1 liter of water. The other part is the pressurized water storage apparatus 26, exemplary of which is accumulator tank 26. Accumulator tanks are well known and are available in a wide range of specifications as well as being of technologies as bladder type, diaphragm type and piston type. It is considered that for the present embodiments, a bladder type accumulator tank, is suitable, the diagram of which is in
Upon use water flow is initiated through the system by actuating the flushometer 16. High pressure water from the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly 18 flows through the flush valve inlet 16a, through the flushometer 16, the toilet inlet 22, into the toilet bowl 12 effectuating the toilet flush. Thus, water flowing out of the adapter piping 24 is replaced by water flowing from the pressurized water storage apparatus 26. Despite the pressure provided by the pressurized water storage apparatus 26, at the flushing there is a pressure drop that causes the check valve 30 to open which commences refilling the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly 18, in effect recharging the pressurized water storage apparatus 26. Normally the adapter piping 24 will remain full through to and at the end of the flushing cycle, while the pressurized water storage apparatus 26 will have a decrease in water volume and pressure which is subject to the refill process. That decrease in pressure will cause opening of the check valve 30 which will then re-charge the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly 18 which means to the most effect refilling the pressurized water storage apparatus 26. An exemplary system and operation will re-charge itself in less than 15 seconds to return the ready to flush condition. In the embodiment absent a check valve, the pressure in the pressurized flush water immediate supply assembly will become equal to the residential incoming pressure at which point the re-charging will be complete and flow will cease.
In the embodiment that employs a check valve, the opening and closing of the check valve controls the flow from the residential component supply 28 into the immediate supply assembly 18. Thus, water flowing through the flushometer 16 is replaced when the check valve 30 opens, by water flowing from the residential component supply plumbing 28. Exemplary spring check valve 30 when closed prevents back flow of water from the immediate supply assembly 18 which would be caused by the pressure in the pressurized water storage apparatus 26 exceeding the allowed pressure differential between the input and output of the check valve 30. Check valves have a tolerance range of operation called the cracking pressure or opening pressure, which is a differential of pressure between the inlet and outlet of the check valve. Subject to the operation as controlled by the cracking pressure, it can be understood that the check valve 30 will be closed when the pressure of the immediate supply assembly 18 reaches a pressure that will actuate closing the check valve 30. Then when the flushometer 16 activates, the pressure will drop so as to cause the check valve 30 to open and recharge the immediate supply assembly 18 which is kept under pressure because of the pressurized water storage apparatus 26.
In one embodiment the residential component supply plumbing 28 has a diameter of ½ inch and carries water at a pressure as available from the residential source, a range of about 50 psi to about 75 psi being common. For purposes of this description, this pressure is defined as the residential supply pressure. The flush valve adapter piping 24 has a diameter of at least ¾ inch preferably about 1 inch, and both the flush valve adapter piping 24 and the pressurized water storage apparatus 26 store water at a pressure at the ready to flush status. As would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art higher water storage pressures would be possible with little to no change in the system up to the pressure available from the residential supply plumbing.
In one embodiment the pressurized water storage apparatus 26 is an at least 5 liter accumulator tank connected to the flush valve adapter piping 24 by a short section of connector piping 24a similar in diameter to the flush valve adapter piping 24 so as to contribute to the flush water volume collected for use. In the embodiment shown pressurized water storage apparatus 26 is connected to flush valve adapter piping 24 near its connection to the residential water supply source 28 and check valve 30.
As would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art other pressurized water storage apparatuses of varying sizes could be used and the pressurized water storage apparatus could be connected at any location along the flush valve adapter piping, although where it is most distant from the flushometer valve is best so as to have it push the water in the adapter piping through the flushometer. As would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art it would also be possible to add extra pressurized water storage apparatuses along flush valve adapter piping.
In one embodiment the flushing action of the flushometer 16 is controlled by a handle 38 which operates to initiate the flushing action. As would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art other flush initiating mechanisms, such as a motion sensor, and associated fluid connecters are possible.
Furthermore, toilet connector pipe 20 can comprise a vacuum breaker tail piece connected to a spud coupling 20a at the toilet inlet 22.
The following descriptions relate to embodiments in which a pressurized flush water immediate supply system, in its embodiment as two components, an adapter piping and a pressurized water storage apparatus are in one embodiment hung on a wall and in another embodiment installed inside a wall. The part numbering is a system that uses the same two digits for common previously identified parts but using a three digit 100 series (
The immediate supply assembly is described above in an embodiment having two parts, the pressurized water storage apparatus and flush valve adapter piping. However, it can be understood that the immediate supply assembly can be constructed in other embodiments providing the functional elements, which are that a supply of water is available under pressure and that the amount of water available is sufficient to pass through the flushometer and flush the toilet. Therefore, it is understood that a single structure or multiple structures can be configured to accomplish these functions.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.
