Patent Application
20130167294
The present invention is related with the techniques and devices used for flushing cisterns, and more particularly, it is related to a toilet flushing device.
It is well known that there are many kinds of devices used to flush water from the cisterns of the toilets. Older devices like the flap valve or more recently the siphon flush apparatuses are described in the prior art; however, the majority of them show leakages and inefficiencies in the way of water is used. The main problem that the flushing devices have to face until now is the leakage. For example, the conventional flap valve or tank ball is very effective for fast flushing water but due to its design and materials, it has many inconveniences during its operation. It is submitted to strengths and to the chemical action of the water (chlorine, high mineral content, etc.) which causes deformations and modifications in its geometry, causing the flap valve does not align and closes properly.
In order to avoid these inconvenients, different kinds of flushing devices have been developed, where instead of the flap valve they used flexible sleeves attached to rubber cups, which had to be pushed down every time the toilet is flushed.
One example of the above is U.S. Pat. No. 815,661 which relates to an improved closet tank and valve therefor. The valve comprises a flexible sleeve made of rubber, so constructed as to be capable of changing its size, preferably designed to be collapsible longitudinally. At the top of the sleeve, there is located an opened cup, which is integrally mounted upon it. To prevent the assembly bends to one side when is falling down, a guide-rod centered inside the sleeve and cup is used. When there is not water inside the cistern, all the assembly falls to the bottom. However, when water is admitted through the inlet pipe of the tank, the cup floats thanks to the buoyancy force until the flexible sleeve is stretched completely. While it is floating, the cup prevents unwanted escape of water through the bushing. When it is necessary to flush the cistern, the user has to push down the cup until the water starts to fill it, and then the cup sinks to the bottom of the cistern flushing the leftover water inside the cistern.
Nevertheless, it has the inconvenient that when the water is filling the cup, it does not sink the way it is described and nonetheless the presence of the guide-rod, when the assembly is falling down, it bends laterally, choking all the way down because the flexible sleeve does not have the proper reinforcements. Another disadvantage is that due the guide-rod is located in the center of the flexible sleeve and supported at the access of the outlet pipe, it reduces the overall efficiency of the assembly making the flushing process more complex. Likewise, the flushing process is too weak making it useless to discharge the water with enough force.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,526 which describes a flushing apparatus comprising a vertically elongated tube positioned in the toilet cistern. It has an open lower end adapted to be secured to the fluid outlet pipe and rise vertically therefrom. It also includes a fluid container at the upper end of the tube, which has a plurality of apertures in order to provide fluid communication between the container and the tube so the fluid remaining in the container, while the tube is collapsed and after the tank has been emptied, is free to flow through the apertures into the tube and into the outlet pipe whereby the container is emptied and its buoyancy is restored and it and the tube can be raised to their vertical expanded position when the tank is once again filled with fluid.
There is described the presence of a guide-rod for avoiding lateral bending of the flexible tube, but as the device of U.S. Pat. No. 815,661, it has the inconvenient that the guide-rod reduces the efficiency of the flushing apparatus. Likewise due the upper cup is made of rubber, it is probably that the buoyancy force will not be enough to raise all the assembly. The mechanism used to apply down force to the upper cup is complex and requires periodical maintenance in order to work properly and finally, due the sinking process of the upper cup is very slow, the flush generated does not have enough force to discharge the water properly.
Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,404 describes a toilet flushing system primarily having an actuating assembly, guide housing, funnel assembly and a flexible sleeve. Designed to minimize water utilization, the water inlet is located above the water line in a natural state. With the ability to select the desired amount of water for flushing, the actuating assembly is pushed vertically downward within the guide housing to overcome the upward buoyancy force surrounding the funnel assembly. The flushing cycle may be interrupted by vertically pulling the actuating assembly with sufficient force to overcome the water pressure established over the funnel assembly.
The main disadvantage of the above mentioned device is its impossibility of being adapted in older toilets which has the handle aperture in the front wall of the toilet cistern. Moreover, to successfully accomplish the discharge process, the user has to remain pushing down the handle until near all water from the cistern has been flushed otherwise the process is interrupted and not completed. An inherent problem of this kind of system is that the toilet cistern cap never has the exactly same position, so if the cap for any reason is moved and replaced, the guide housing became crooked causing the malfunction of the entire system.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,912 from the same inventor as the present invention, it is described a siphon flush apparatus which by means of a sliding conduct coupled to a discharge conduct allows the formation of a siphon during the flush operation of a toilet cistern without the need of a jet stream of water, valve means or a piston to initiate said siphon. In addition, the mentioned apparatus can remain without any leakage into the flushing tube when it is in rest position and does not need an additional overflowing discharging pipe to drain an excess of water when the supply valve of the cistern fails.
However, as we can see from the prior art, the siphon flush effect is less efficient than the traditional method because it has more wastes so the siphon flush apparatus of above requires a higher amount of water in every discharge.
The present invention is related to a toilet flushing device which comprises a sliding conduct extending upwardly and rising above the maximum water level into the cistern; a flexible sleeve interconnected to the sliding conduct and to a base support; a base support extending upwardly from beyond the bottom surface of the cistern; floating means for moving the sliding conduct upwards along the inner wall of an external guide cylinder; first fixing means for fixing the flexible sleeve to the sliding conduct; second fixing means for fixing the flexible sleeve to the base support; an external guide cylinder having a length enough to rise above maximum water level in the cistern, said external guide cylinder being supported in the base support; first stopping means for preventing the sliding conduct to move upwardly beyond the external guide cylinder; second stopping means for preventing the sliding conduct to descend beyond the base support and, an obstructive system for maintaining the sliding conduct at the bottom of the cistern once the flushing process has initiated until the water level reaches a predefined level for the discharge.
The sliding conduct is conformed by an inner section and an outer section joined together. The inner section permits to direct the water flow from inside the cistern to the outlet pipe of it when the toilet flushing device is at its collapsed position. The external section allows the continuous displacement of the sliding conduct along the external guide cylinder. One of the two elements that forms the second stopping means is located at the lower end of the inner section being a ring in which its upper section has a bigger diameter than its lower section.
To connect in a hermetic way the sliding conduct and the base support, it is used the flexible sleeve, whose design gives the possibility to contract and expand longitudinally having a zigzag pattern along its lateral walls. The upper end of the flexible sleeve is fastened with first fixing means to the external wall of the inner section of the sliding conduct while its lower end is fastened to the base support by second fixing means. Both, the first and second fixing means are peripheral clamps.
The base support is formed by three cylindrical sections with different diameters: lower, medium and upper section. The lower section has a diameter such that it can be introduce inside the outlet pipe of the cistern. The medium section is formed by an horizontal ring in which outer diameter are located a plurality of female holding means in order to receive a male holding means located on the external guide cylinder. The upper section has a vertical cylinder shape extending upwardly from beyond the medium section. The inner wall of the upper section has the same shape in negative that the ring located in the sliding conduct being the second element that comprises the second stopping means.
The floating means are located in the space formed between the inner section and the outer section of the sliding conduct providing enough buoyancy force to keep floating the sliding conduct above the water level. It has the function of raise the sliding conduct and keep it up once the flushing process has finished. Said floating means are at least one float element of any shape and material, such as a single ring, that allow the return of the sliding conduct to its rest position.
The external guide cylinder extends upwardly from beyond the medium section of the base support and is taller than the sliding conduct in its rest position. Said external cylinder has a plurality of apertures in order to allow the inlet of water to the interior of the inner section of the sliding conduct to reach the outlet pipe of the cistern. Preferably, the external cylinder includes four rectangular apertures located symmetrical and equidistant manner along the external cylinder wall.
At the upper end of the external guide cylinder at its inner wall, there are located projections, which are part of the first stopping means for preventing the sliding conduct moves upwardly beyond the external guide cylinder. The external guide cylinder also includes in its outer wall at the lower end, male holding means to keep it joined to the base support.
In the outer wall of the external guide cylinder it is located an appendix, where the detention system is attached. The appendix is formed by three interconnected walls having a rectangular shape. At the same height where the detention system is located, the external guide cylinder has an aperture where a piston passes to the interior of said external guide cylinder.
The detention system is formed by at least one piston and at least one floating placed perpendicularly between them inside the appendix of the external guide cylinder. The piston is placed horizontally while the floating is located vertically. In the rest position of the toilet flushing device, the horizontal piston protrudes inside the external guide cylinder through the aperture. When the sliding conduct is pushed down, it pushes backwards the piston for a briefly moment while it is passing in downward direction. Once the sliding conduct is at the bottom, the piston moves forward again just above the upper part of the inner section jamming the sliding conduct in its collapsed position. When the water level descends below a predetermined level, the floating descends too, moving backward the piston and releasing the sliding conduct.
In order to initiate the flushing process, a down force over the sliding conduct has to be applied. For this action, pushing means are required which can be a vertical shaft, a lever formed by two rods (one horizontally oriented and one inclined) or a knife-form shaft. After continually applying such force, the sliding conduct reaches the bottom of the cistern. Then, the water begins to flow through the inner section of the sliding conduct to the outlet pipe of the cistern. At this moment, the detention system acts upon the sliding conduct to hold it at its collapsed position. When a predefined volume of water is flushed out through the outlet pipe, the floating descends and the horizontal piston is moved backward releasing the sliding conduct. The water begins to refill the cistern and the sliding conduct becomes to raise thanks to the floating means until the first stopping means stops it. The cistern can be refilled using a water supply valve operated by a conventional floating well known in the prior art.
Having in mind the drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet flushing device, which can remain without leakage into the outlet pipe (flushing tube).
One other object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flushing device, which operation permits efficient flushing water from the cistern to the outlet pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flushing device, which does not need a jet stream of water to initiate the discharge.
Also another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flushing device, which does not need any valve means to initiate the discharge.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a toilet flushing device, which components are easily replaceable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a toilet flushing device having a simple construction, such that the maintenance thereof is cheap and easy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flushing device, which can be adapted into any kind of toilet cistern available in the market.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a toilet flushing device in which the user does not have to remain pushing down the pushing means once the flushing process has began.
The novel features that are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with other objects and advantages thereof will be best understood in the following detailed description of certain embodiments, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Having now more particular reference to the drawings and more specifically
The sliding conduct 110 is conformed by an inner section 111 having an inverted “J” shape in its cross-sectional view and an outer section 112 in the form of a straight vertical wall; preferably, the longest side of the inner section 111 extends downwardly from the top of this section until approximately half the total height of the flexible sleeve 120 in its rest position. The inner section 111 is joined to the outer section 112 in its upper end side. The inner section 111 permits to direct the water flow from inside the cistern 300 to the outlet pipe of it when the toilet flushing device 100 is at its collapsed position as shown in
To connect the sliding conduct 110 and the base support 130 it is used the flexible sleeve 120, which is preferably made of a flexible material like rubber or latex. The flexible sleeve 120 allows to achieve a hermetical sealing between the sliding conduct 110 and the base support 130. Also the flexible sleeve 120 has a design that gives the possibility to contract and expand longitudinally; said design has a zigzag pattern along the lateral walls of the flexible sleeve 120, which allows it to be compressed or decompressed by the sliding conduct 110 when it moves downward or upward respectively. The upper end of the flexible sleeve 120 is fastened with first fixing means 160 to the external wall of the inner section 111 of the sliding conduct 110 while the lower end of said flexible sleeve 120 is fastened to the base support 130 by second fixing means 170; both, first and second fixing means are selected from clamps, flanges and belts. In a preferred embodiment, said first and second fixing means 160 and 170 respectively, are peripheral clamps.
In regard to the base support 130,
The medium section 132 has a bigger outer diameter than the lower section 131, enough for receiving the external guide cylinder 150 and it is formed by a plane horizontal ring having the same inner diameter than the lower section 131. At its outer diameter, there are located a plurality of female holding means 133, each one of them has an inverted “L” shape in its cross-sectional view for receiving a male holding means 153 located on the external guide cylinder 150 as shown in
The upper section 134 has a cylindrical shape extending upwardly from beyond the medium section 132 as a continuation of the lower section 131. The inner wall 135 of the upper section 134 has the same shape in negative of the ring 113 located in the sliding conduct 110 being the second element that comprises the second stopping means 190. The upper section 134 carries out two different functions: the outer wall provides a surface where the second fixing means 170 are held and the inner wall 135 with the ring 113 prevents the sliding conduct 110 to descend beyond the base support 130 and get jammed inside the outlet pipe of the cistern 300 as shown in
To avoid water leakages, between the base support 130 and the bottom of the cistern 300, more particularly between the medium section 132 and the bottom of the cistern 300, it is placed a ring seal 136 built in a flexible material, which in a preferred embodiment has the same diameter as the medium section 132. The ring seal 136 is preferably made of rubber; but it can be also made of plastic, silicone or neoprene.
In a preferred embodiment, floating means 140 are located in the space formed between the inner section 111 and the outer section 112 of the sliding conduct 110 providing enough buoyancy force to keep floating the sliding conduct 110 above the water level 400 and allowing the displacement of said conduct 110 along the inner wall of the external guide cylinder 150. The floating means 140 also has the function of raising the sliding conduct 110 during the operation of the toilet flushing device 100. Said floating means 140 are at least one float element of any shape and material, such as a single ring, that allow the return of the sliding conduct 110 to its rest position.
In a first additional embodiment, the floating means 140 instead of being located at the inner part of the outer section 112 of the sliding conduct 110, they are located at the exterior part of it (not shown in the figures). In a second additional embodiment, the floating means 140 are located both, inside and outside of the outer section 112. These configurations depend of how buoyancy force is required to raise the sliding conduct 110 once it is at the bottom of the cistern 300.
In a third additional embodiment, instead of using floating means 140, the flexible sleeve 120 is provided in its structure with a compression spring along its length in order to raise the sliding conduct 110 to its rest position. Also in a fourth additional embodiment, the sliding conduct 110 in conjunction with the flexible sleeve 120, uses a simple weight-counterweight system interconnected by springs (not shown in figures) making possible to elevate them from the collapsed position to their rest position.
In order to fix in a hermetical manner the flexible sleeve 120 to the sliding conduct 110, the first fixing means 160 are used; likewise, the second fixing means 170 are used for fixing the flexible sleeve 120 to the base support 130. Both, the first and second fixing means 160 and 170 respectively, are selected from peripheral clamps and plastic belts. In a preferred embodiment, the first fixing means 160 and second fixing means 170 are peripheral clamps. With this configuration is easier for a home user to replace the flexible sleeve 120 if it is broken, worn out or damaged.
In
Preferably, the apertures 151 have a rectangular or quadrangular shape, but it is possible that other shapes can be adopted like oval or cylindrical shapes. As mentioned above, in a preferred embodiment, the external guide cylinder 150 includes four rectangular apertures 151 located symmetrical and equidistant manner along the external cylindrical wall.
At the upper end of the external guide cylinder 150 at its inner wall, there are located a plurality of projections 152, which are part of the first stopping means 180 for preventing the sliding conduct 110 moves upwardly beyond the external guide cylinder 150; said first stopping means 180 also allows the sliding conduct 110 to remain above the water level 400. In a preferred embodiment, said projections 152 are four projections being part of the external guide cylinder inner wall built with the same material, having a rectangular shape and distributed symmetrically in an equidistant manner. In a further embodiment, said projections 152 are made of rubber or silicone having a quadrangular shape in its cross-sectional view forming a ring at the upper end of the inner wall of the external guide cylinder 150.
The external guide cylinder 150 also includes in its outer wall at the lower end, male holding means 153 to keep the external guide cylinder 150 joined to the base support 130. The male holding means 153 have an “L” shape cross-sectional view, in order to be placed inside the female holding means 133. The male holding means 153 can be selected between flanges, clamps and projections or similar. In a preferred embodiment, there are four “L” shape flanges located each one inside a female holding means 133.
In the outer wall of the external guide cylinder 150 it is located an appendix 154, where the detention system 200 is attached inside it. The appendix 154 is preferably formed by three interconnected walls of which two are lateral 155 and 156 and one is frontal 157. The walls 155, 156 and 157 have a rectangular shape. Approximately two thirds of the total height of the appendix 154 from the top, at the same height where the detention system 200 is located, the external guide cylinder 150 has an aperture 158 (shown in
In an additional embodiment, in order to provide enough force to raise the sliding conduct 110 from the bottom of the cistern 300 once the flushing process has finished, the flexible sleeve 120 and the floating means 140 are assisted by at least two elastic means 145; each elastic means 145 is located vertically on the exterior wall of the external guide cylinder 150 which are projected to the interior of said external guide cylinder 150 until reach the top of the inner section 111 of the sliding conduct 110. One end of each elastic means 145 is positioned at the top of the inner section 111 of the sliding conduct 110 and the other end is positioned at the medium section 132 of the base support 130. The elastic means 145 are located in a radial and symmetrical position along the circumference of the external guide cylinder 150.
In order to avoid lateral displacements of the elastic means 145, the external guide cylinder 150 has in its top part two grooves 159 located in an opposite position. The elastic means 145 are selected from springs, rubber bands and nylon threads. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic means 145 are built with springs in its lower half and nylon thread in its upper half as it is shown in
The detention system 200 is formed by at least one piston 201; at least one floating device 202; and, at least one mechanism 203 that interconnects them and allows the relative movement between the piston 201 and the floating device 202. Said piston 201 and the floating device 202 are placed perpendicularly between them inside the appendix 154 of the external guide cylinder 150. The piston 201 is placed horizontally while the floating 202 is located vertically. In a preferred embodiment, the piston 201 is a rigid body with a rectangular prism form in where the nearest face to the external guide cylinder 150 presents an inclination as shown in
The main object of this detention system 200 is to retain the sliding conduct 110 at the bottom of the cistern 300 once the flushing process has initiated avoiding the necessity to remain pushing down the pushing means. In the rest position of the toilet flushing device 100, the horizontal piston 201 protrudes inside the external guide cylinder 150 through the aperture 158. When the sliding conduct 110 is pushed down by the pushing means, the sliding conduct 110 pushes backwards the piston 201 for a briefly moment aided by the inclination of one of their walls while it is passing in downward direction. Once the sliding conduct 110 is at the bottom, the piston 201 moves forward again just above the upper part of the inner section 111 jamming the sliding conduct 110 in its collapsed position. When the water level descends below approximately two thirds of the total height of the cistern 300, the floating 202 descends too, moving backward the piston 201 and releasing the sliding conduct 110. Preferably, the aperture 158 (shown in
In another embodiment, directly located in the outer wall of the outer section 112 of the sliding conduct 110, there is located a tilted protrusion (not shown in the figures) that pushes backwards the piston 201 while the sliding conduct 110 is passing downward. Once the sliding conduct 110 is at the bottom, the piston 201 moves forward again jamming the sliding conduct 110 in its collapsed position.
In order to initiate the flushing process, a down force over the sliding conduct 110 has to be applied. For this action, pushing means are required, so in
As it is shown in
It should be mentioned that when the water supply valve fails, there is not needed of an additional discharge tube like the ones used in the prior art. If a failure occurs, the sliding conduct 110 operates as a discharge tube until the water supply valve is closed and the water level is again just below the sliding conduct 110 in its rest position.
In an additional embodiment, the detention system 200 works directly on the vertical shaft 700 or the lever 800 shown in
In accordance to what is described above, it may be observed that the toilet flushing device of the present invention has been designed so as to prevent water leakage while the device is at its rest position but achieving an efficient flushing process when is at its collapsed position. Furthermore, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the toilet flushing device mentioned herein above and illustrated in the attached drawings are only illustrative and not limitative of the present invention, as there are many possible changes in its details without stepping apart from the scope of the invention.
Although certain specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and disclosed above, it is to be understood that many modifications thereof are possible, such as different shapes of the sliding conduct, different base support configuration, different materials, different configuration of the appendix and detention system, different shapes and configuration of the floating means, different sizes and shapes of the apertures and the piston, different stopping means shape, etc. The present invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the enclosed claims.
