Patent Application
20100037380
The present invention relates generally to toilet valves, and in particular to valves for adjusting the volume of refill water to a toilet bowl.
Standard siphonic toilets have a curved S-shaped siphon that drains the bowl. The same is true of “dual-flush” siphonic toilets (i.e.: where the tank is partially emptied in the case of liquid waste or fully emptied in the case of solid waste). This siphonic action results in only a very small amount of water being left in the bowl after a flush. This low volume of water remaining after a flush is not sufficient to trap sewage gasses, nor is it sufficient to drain the bowl during the next flush cycle. As a result, a siphonic toilet requires additional water to be added to fill the bowl to a desired level after a flush. If too little water is added to the bowl, the siphon will not function properly. Conversely, if the volume of water used to refill the bowl is too great, then water will simply be wasted as the water drains away through the back of the S-shaped siphon (while keeping the fluid height in the bowl constant). Therefore, the need exists for a system that adjusts the amount of refill water directed into the bowl of a siphonic toilet. It would be most desirable if this system reduces the amount of water that is simply wasted by excess filling of the toilet bowl, yet still provides sufficient refill water to keep the siphon system operating properly.
Moreover, siphonic toilets are typically designed such that their tank and bowl are refilled at the same time. Thus, after a flush, refill water enters the toilet through a single water refill line. The bulk of this water is used to refill the water tank, while a smaller amount of this water is used to refill the toilet bowl. In the case of most standard siphonic toilets, the water tank and bowl refilling starts and stops at the same time. As a result, the flow rate into the toilet bowl is typically pre-set such that the predetermined volume of water enters the bowl during the time it takes for the water tank to refill. However, as described above, the need still exists for a system that can be used to adjust this volume of bowl refill water to an optimal value.
The present invention provides a system for conveniently adjusting the volume of refill water directed into a toilet bowl. As such, the user can ensure that a proper (i.e.: adequate but not excessive) amount of water passes into their toilet bowl.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a toilet bowl refill water adjuster, comprising: a frame; a refill tube inlet and a refill tube outlet in the frame; a pair of opposing grooves in the frame, the opposing grooves having a series of positioning detents therein; and a roller moveable along in the pair of opposing grooves. The present invention is dimensioned to receive a toilet bowl refill tube passing through the refill tube inlet and outlet in the frame. Movement of the roller along its travel path in the pair of opposing grooves causes the roller to move in a direction to increasingly or decreasingly “pinch” the toilet bowl refill tube and thereby restrict flow through the toilet bowl refill tube. Thus, a user can set the device to increasingly pinch the refill tube to put less water into the bowl, or vice versa.
A unique feature of the present invention is that there is a generally linear relationship between the position of the roller in its travel path along in the pair of grooves and the flow rate through the toilet bowl refill tube. In other words, when the roller has been moved a certain percentage of the distance along in its grooves, the water flow through the refill tube is increased or decreased by the same percentage. This feature of the invention represents a significant advance in water flow control by providing a system in which precise adjustments can be easily and quickly made. A user need only move the roller a certain percentage of the distance between the “open” and “closed” positions, and the volume of water flow into the bowl is increased or decreased by that same percentage.
In certain preferred aspects, the unique linear relationship between the position of the pinch roller and the flow rate in the refill tube can be achieved by the unique shape of a refill tube bottom support surface positioned opposite to the roller (i.e.: where the refill tube is pinched between the roller and the bottom support surface). For example, the refill tube bottom support surface may optionally have a longitudinally curved and laterally flattened portion. Such longitudinally curved and laterally flattened portion may also be tapered. In other examples and embodiments, each of the pair of opposing grooves may extend in a curved path along the frame. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to either or both of these exemplary design embodiments. Instead, the present invention more generally encompasses a frame shape in which the degree to which the refill tube is pinched depends (in a linear relationship) upon to the position of the pinch roller.
Furthermore, an advantage of the positioning detents is that they hold the roller at a desired location in the grooves irrespective of pressure changes in the bowl refill tube line. Thus, a user simply “clicks” the roller into a desired position and it is locked in place between successive detents in grooves.
These and other features of the invention are described in further detail in the following description and will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the appended figures, wherein like elements are referenced with like numerals throughout. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and do not necessarily show every detail or structure of the various embodiments of the invention, but rather illustrate exemplary embodiments and mechanical features in order to provide an enabling description of such embodiments.
The present invention provides a system for adjusting the volume of refill water to a toilet bowl by adjustably restricting the amount of flow to the toilet bowl when the toilet water tank is refilling after a flush.
Referring first to
Such pinching restricts flow passing through toilet bowl refill tube 50 in a manner such that there is a linear relationship between the position of roller 40 in grooves 30 and the flow rate through toilet bowl refill tube 50. Specifically, when roller 40 has been moved a certain percentage of the distance along in its grooves 30, the water flow through refill tube 50 is increased or decreased by the same percentage. This feature of the invention represents a significant advance in water flow control by providing a system in which precise adjustments can be easily and quickly made.
It is to be understood that a user will typically choose to set roller 40 to a position mid-way between those shown in
In accordance with the present invention, there is a linear relationship between the position of roller 40 (in grooves 30) and the cross section of toilet bowl refill tube 50 adjacent to (and pinched by) roller 40. This preferred linear relationship can be achieved in a number of different ways, including shaping frame 20 as follows.
First, frame 20 may comprise a novel shaped refill tube bottom support surface 26 positioned underneath toilet bowl refill tube 50 opposite to roller 40. In one embodiment, refill tube bottom support surface 26 may have a longitudinally curved and laterally flattened portion 27. Specifically, portion 27 may be curved in the longitudinal direction along frame 20 (i.e.: the direction along frame 20 between inlet 22 and outlet 24), but be flattened in the lateral direction across frame 20 (i.e.: in the direction across frame 20 between opposing grooves 30). As can also be seen in
Secondly, as can also be seen, each of the pair of opposing grooves 30 may extend in a curved path along frame 20 (i.e.: in a path that is not straight between the opposite ends of frame 20 at which inlet 22 and outlet 24 are located). As a result, movement of roller 40 with respect to refill tube 50 may be at a varying angle along the length of grooves 30.
An advantage of either or both of these above described first and second exemplary designs is that separately or together they provide a system that pinches refill tube 50 in a manner such that the cross sectional area of the tube adjacent to roller 40 is increased or decreased in a linear relationship with respect to the positioning of roller 40 along in groove 30. In other words, when roller 40 is at the “open” position shown in
Lastly,
Another feature of the present invention is that positioning detents 32 advantageously hold roller 40 in its pre-set position regardless of water pressure changes in toilet bowl refill tube 50. This feature is particularly advantageous in that water pressures in toilet parts vary considerably during the normal flushing cycle. In addition, water pressures vary considerably between different buildings. As a result, it is desirable to have a secure roller positioning system, as is provided by the present invention.
The present application claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/089,819 filed Aug. 18, 2008, entitled “Toilet Valve Refill Water Adjuster,” which is incorporated by reference into the instant application as if set forth verbatim.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61089819 | Aug 2008 | US |
