AU6556599A - Discharge device for a flush tank - Google Patents

Abstract

A discharge device (1) for a flush tank, designed to selectively permit full or partial discharge of the water in the flush tank, and having a main valve (5) for selectively opening and closing at least one drain hole (4) in the flush tank; a float (25) housed movably inside a vessel (8) fittable integrally to the flush tank; stop means (26) for arresting the float (25) and connected integrally to the main valve (5); auxiliary valve means (19) for selectively opening and closing the vessel (8) to vary the amount of water in the vessel and so reduce the thrust exerted on the main valve (5) by the buoyancy of the float (25); and reversible connecting means (31, 32, 35, 36) for reversibly connecting the auxiliary valve means (19) and the main valve (5) when partial discharge is activated. <IMAGE>

Description

-1- P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT *c

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: OLIVEIRA IRMAO, S.A.

Antonio Manuel MOURA DE OLIVEIRA CARTER SMITH BEADLE 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR A FLUSH TANK The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us

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DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR A FLUSH TANK The present invention relates to a discharge device for a flush tank, of the type permitting full or partial discharge of the water in the tank.

Numerous flush tank discharge devices are known which, to reduce water consumption, permit full or partial discharge as required. Such devices normally comprise a discharge valve fitted to the bottom end of a movable pull member (normally the overflow pipe of the tank itself) and which, to discharge water from the tank, is lifted out of its seat using either of two control levers; and the two discharge modes (full or partial) are 20 achieved by varying the speed with which the valve, once raised, closes by force of gravity.

Devices are known, for example, in which, when raised using the full-discharge lever, the discharge valve is kept open by a float until all the water is 25 drained out of the tank; conversely, for partial discharge, the valve is raised together with an additional weight which, as the valve closes, acts on the valve, in opposition to the thrust exerted by the float, to close the valve faster.

Two floats are also known to be used, one acting on the closing valve in both modes, and the other only for partial discharge.

Generally speaking, therefore, discharge devices of the type briefly described above call for a float; an auxiliary member (additional weight or float) for altering the thrust exerted by the float as the valve closes; and appropriate reversible connecting means between the auxiliary member and the valve. Such devices therefore involve a relatively large number of components and are relatively bulky and unreliable.

According to the present invention, there is provided a discharge device for a flush tank, designed to I S selectively permit full or partial discharge of the water in said flush tank; the device comprising a main valve for selectively opening and closing at least one drain hole in said flush tank; a float; and stop means for arresting said float and connected integrally to said main valve; characterized by also comprising a vessel fittable integrally to said flush tank at said at least one drain hole in said flush tank, and having, internally, a flood chamber housing said float in movable manner; and auxiliary valve means for selectively opening and closing said vessel to vary the amount of water in said flood chamber.

The device according to the invention also comprises reversible connecting means between said main valve and said auxiliary valve means, for reversibly connecting said auxiliary valve means and said main valve when partial discharge of the water in said flush tank is activated.

The discharge device according to the invention therefore provides, simply and effectively, for selectively discharging different amounts of water from the flush tank to which it is fitted. The device also comprises a relatively small number of component parts (in particular, only one float), is extremely compact, can be fitted quickly and easily to flush tanks of O different sizes, and is cheap to produce, easy to operate and reliable.

The amount of water discharged in partial-discharge mode can also be regulated easily and effectively by varying the section of the drain openings in the flood 2 chamber in which the float moves, and by appropriately sizing the float itself in relation to the weight of the other component parts of the device.

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a flush tank discharge device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a section along line II-II of the Figure 1 device in the rest position; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of the Figure 1 device in full discharge mode; Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of the Figure 1 device in partial-discharge mode.

Number 1 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates as a whole a discharge device for a known flush tank not shown for the sake of simplicity.

Device 1 comprises a supporting structure 2 fittable to the flush tank, e.g. by inserting a tubular end .portion 3 of supporting structure 2 in fluidtight manner inside a drain hole in the flush tank; in which case, a oO** bottom opening in tubular portion 3 of supporting 20 structure 2 defines the drain hole of the flush tank, and is therefore indicated hereinafter as drain hole 4 for the sake of simplicity.

Device 1 also comprises a main valve 5 for closing drain hole 4, and which is fitted to the bottom end of a pipe 6 housed in sliding manner inside supporting structure 2 and possibly formed in a number of pieces connected to one another. As in a known solution, pipe 6 also acts as an overflow pipe of the flush tank.

Supporting structure 2 has openings 7 at the bottom, through which water flows from the flush tank to drain hole 4, and is fitted inside with a substantially toroidal vessel 8 having an inner flood chamber 9 defined by an inner lateral wall 13 and an outer lateral wall 14 I of vessel 8, which are substantially cylindrical and coaxial with each other. Inner lateral wall 13 defines, internally, a seat 15 in which pipe 6 slides; and vessel 8 is open at the top and closed at the bottom by an annular bottom wall 16 in which is formed a through, e.g.

annular, outflow opening 17 defined by an annular sealing edge 18. In one variation, a number of through outflow openings, e.g. arranged side by side circumferentially, are formed in bottom wall 16 of vessel 8.

15 Whichever the case, device 1 according to the *eeo invention comprises auxiliary valve means 19 for :.*".selectively opening and closing outflow opening 17 in vessel 8. In the example shown, auxiliary valve means 19 comprise a substantially annular shutter member 20, which 20 cooperates with sealing edge 18 to close outflow opening 17, and is connected integrally to a pull member 21 slidable with respect to vessel 8. More specifically, oo pull member 21 comprises a cylindrical body 22 and a control rod 23; cylindrical body 22 is coaxial with, located radially outwards of, and slides axially with respect to, inner lateral wall 13 of vessel 8, and is fitted at the bottom end with shutter member 20; and control rod 23 is fitted to cylindrical body 22 and extends vertically and parallel to pipe 6 at the opposite end to shutter member A float 25, e.g. a known substantially toroidal type, is housed freely inside flood chamber 9.

Device 1 also comprises a stop member 26 for arresting float 25 and connected integrally to main valve In the example shown, stop member 26 is defined by a collar 28 fitted integrally about pipe 6 at a predetermined distance from main valve 5, and from a peripheral edge of which a substantially truncated-coneshaped lateral wall 29 extends downwards inside flood chamber 9 of vessel 8. Collar 28 also has a through opening 30 in which control rod 23 of pull member 21 is inserted in sliding manner; and control rod 23 comprises, beneath collar 28, a stop portion 31 of a transverse (radial or circumferential) extension greater than opening 30, so as to interfere axially with collar 28 and so push a corresponding first stop portion 32 of pipe 6 fee. defined, in the example shown, by a bottom surface of 20 collar 28 when pull member 21 is raised with respect to ""*'.vessel 8, as explained later on.

Device 1 also comprises a connecting member

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carried by pull member 21 and which pushes a corresponding second stop portion 36 of pipe 6 when pull :oo 25 member 21 is lowered with respect to vessel 8, as explained later on. In the example shown, second stop portion 36 of pipe 6 is defined by a top surface of collar 28 opposite the bottom surface 32.

More specifically, connecting member 35 is an oscillating body connected in articulated manner, at a pivot 37, to a support 38 supporting pull member 21 and located above stop member 26. Connecting member 35 is substantially L-shaped, and comprises a portion 39 eccentric with respect to piv't 37, and a catch extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to eccentric portion 39.

Operation of device 1 according to the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 2 shows device 1 in the rest position main valve 5 is positioned closing drain hole 4; shutter member 20 closes outflow opening 17 of vessel 8; opentopped vessel 8 is immersed in the water inside the flush tank to which device 1 is fitted, so that flood chamber 9 of vessel 8 is full of water; float 25 is retained inside flood chamber 9 by stop member 26; the total weight of main valve 5 and pipe 6 is greater than the buoyancy of float 25; connecting member 35 is in a rest position (Figure 2) in which eccentric portion 39 rests on a peripheral edge 42 of supporting structure 2, e.g.

defined by a top edge of vessel 8, which defines a retaining member for retaining connecting member 35 in rest position 35a; and main valve 5 and auxiliary valve means 19 are therefore disconnected.

Figure 3 shows operation of device 1 when full discharge of the water in the flush tank is activated by means of appropriate known actuating means, not shown *u Veto, 0 a.

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for the sake of simplicity, pipe 6 and valve 5 fitted to it are raised to open drain hole 4 and allow the water in the flush tank to flow out; shutter member 20, on the other hand, remains closing outflow opening 17 in vessel 8 (fixed); and connecting member 35 remains in rest poSition When the action of actuating means ceases, pipe 6 and main valve 5, the combined weight of which overcomes the buoyancy of float 25, move down to close drain hole 4. The downward movement of pipe 6, however, is slowed down by float 25, which is immersed inside flood chamber 9 full of water, and which exerts sufficient thrust to delay closure of main valve 5 until all the water in the flush tank has been discharged.

Figure 4 shows operation of device 1 when partial discharge of the water in the flush tank is activated in this case, the actuating means (not shown) act directly on pull member 21, which is raised together with ooooo3 shutter member 20 to detach shutter member 20 from 20 sealing edge 18 of outflow opening 17 in vessel 8 S"(fixed). As it moves up, pull member 21 also raises pipe 6, as stop portion 31 of pull member 21 contacts and pushes stop portion 32 of pipe 6, so that the same movement of pull member 21 provides for opening both outflow opening 17 in vessel 8 and drain hole 4 in the flush tank.

The upward movement of pull member 21 also releases connecting member 35 from retaining member 42. That is, when connecting member 35 is raised together with pull member 21, eccentric portion 39 is detached from peripheral edge 42 of vessel 8; and the weight of eccentric portion 39 is such as to automatically rotate connecting member 35 about pivot 37 until catch 40 comes to rest against pipe 6, thus setting connecting member to the work position 35b shown in Figure 4.

When the action of actuating means ceases, both pipe 6 with main valve 5 and pull member 21 with shutter member 20 move down to respectively close drain hole 4 in the flush tank and outflow opening 17 in vessel 8. In work position 35b, connecting member 35 reversibly e •connects main valve 5 and auxiliary valve means 19, by catch 40 of connecting member 35 pushing on second stop portion 36 of pipe 6, i.e. the top surface of collar 28.

.o.As such, pull member 21 and shutter member 20 are also sustained, together with pipe 6, by the buoyancy of float 25. In this case, however, since vessel 8 is open emeo• at the bottom, the water inside flood chamber 9 flows out 20 to reduce the thrust exerted by float 25, so that drain Shole 4 is closed sooner by main valve 5, when only a predetermined portion of the water in the flush tank has been discharged.

The amount of water discharged in partial-discharge mode depends on the section of outflow opening or openings 17 (if more than one is provided) and hence on the speed with which pipe 6 and main valve 5 close drain hole 4 in opposition to the thrust exerted by float as well as, obviously, on the sizing of float 25 and the other component parts of device 1.

Clearly, changes may be made to the device as described herein without, however, departing from the scope of the accompanying Claims.

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