DE102007001718B4 - Drain valve with adjustable full flush volume - Google Patents

Abstract

Drain valve with- a housing (20) comprising a float chamber (34) which has a through-opening,- a first and a second tension element,- a valve body (14) which is displaceably guided in the through-opening and which is in the housing ( 20) is adjustable in height, - a float (24) arranged at the lower end of the valve body (14) in the float chamber (34) and - an additional weight (10) which can be actuated by means of the second pull element to carry out a partial flush, in which the additional weight (10) can be raised with the valve body (14), and means for loading the additional weight (10) on the valve body (14), depending on the operation, in order to bring the valve body (14) into a closed position prematurely against a buoyant force of the float (24) after the partial flushing has been triggered CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the float chamber (34) has an upwardly extending extension section (38) at its upper end and the additional weight (10 ) is designed such that it slides past the extension section (38) of the housing (20) when lowered relative to the valve body (14) in order to extend at least partially alongside the extension section (38) of the housing (20) after lowering.

Description

The invention relates to a drain valve for realizing a dual flush.

Known drain valves include a housing with an internal partition wall that extends horizontally in the installed position and delimits a float chamber formed in the housing at the top. Sometimes a reservoir is formed above the shimmer chamber. A valve body is slidably guided in the passage opening, the height of which can be adjusted in the housing via a full-flush pull element and can therefore be moved from a closed position, in which the valve body is seated on a valve seat, to an open position, in which the flushing water flows out of a surrounding cistern through a drain emanates. At its lower end, the valve body has a float which is arranged in the float chamber and which sinks into the closed position as the amount of flushing decreases, thus preventing a regulated outflow and premature closing. Furthermore, a closable bypass opening can be formed in the lateral surface of the housing in the float chamber.

To carry out a partial rinsing of approx. 3 liters, known drain valves often provide an additional weight, which is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the valve body. With partial spooling, the additional weight is lifted by a partial spool tension element. The additional weight is loaded onto the valve body or carried along with the additional weight via a coupling element. When raised, the coupling device couples the additional weight to the valve body and, when the "small flush volume" button is released, applies the additional weight to the valve body so that it is pressed prematurely onto the valve seat of the drain valve before the cistern is completely emptied.

The pull elements preferably include pivoting levers that can be controlled via elements that can be operated from the outside, e.g. buttons.

In addition, the invention relates to a flushing device with which a valve body and a drain valve can be raised in order to selectively trigger a full and partial flush.

Flushing devices and drain valves of this type are known and make it possible to save a considerable amount of flushing water. With such drain valves, the full flush volume can be flushed by raising the valve body by actuating the first pull element via a button on a fitting, with this full flush volume usually being about 9 liters. For full flushing, the valve body is lifted off a valve seat via the full flushing pull element and the float lowers with the sinking flushing water level in the float chamber until the valve body closes the drain or the valve seat again and assumes the closed position.

A generic drain valve of the type described is for example from EP 0 722 020 A1 known. Furthermore, in EP 1 630 306 A1 discloses a drain valve in which an additional weight can be actuated for loading onto the valve body of the drain valve to implement a partial flush.

In the known systems, the valve body is slidably guided in the opening of the partition wall of the housing. Within the housing, the horizontal partition wall thus separates the float chamber for accommodating the float from a reservoir formed in the housing above the float chamber. The annular gap formed between the outer lateral surface of the valve body and the opening in the dividing wall allows the water contained in the reservoir to flow off after the water level in the dividing wall has dropped. The annular gap seals the intermediate space between the valve body and the opening to a limited extent and prevents the float from lowering prematurely within the float chamber. Only when the water has completely drained from the reservoir through the annular gap does air enter the float chamber and cause the valve to close immediately. This is due to the fact that water flowing from the reservoir through the annular gap into the float chamber prevents air from entering the float chamber and thus a negative pressure is maintained in the float chamber by further reducing the flushing volume, even if the water level outside the housing is lower than the height the partition goes down. Only when the water from the reservoir has completely drained through the annular gap into the float chamber, this negative pressure is released and the valve closes immediately.

In the open position, the bypass opening formed in the lateral surface of the float chamber of the housing also allows air to flow into the float chamber as soon as the water level has been lowered to the height of the bypass opening and the closing process (lowering the float) is initiated. By appropriately arranging the closable bypass opening, early closing can also be achieved without the reservoir being completely emptied. The closable bypass opening is therefore already a first means of regulating the full flush volume.

The geometric design of existing drain valves in the given dimensions of a cistern has so far not made it possible to combine a two-volume flush with a partial flush volume of 3 liters and a full flush volume of 4.5 liters. The additional weight must be arranged relatively deep in the cistern so that the weight can act during partial flushing. The additional weight would "collision" with the bypass opening for a full flush volume that can be set to 4 liters.

The object of the invention is to provide a drain valve with which a two-volume flush with an adjustable full flush volume of 4.5 to 9 liters and more and a partial flush volume of 3 liters can be implemented.

The object according to the invention is already achieved in that the additional weight is designed to extend at least partially laterally next to the housing when it is lowered on the valve body. According to the invention, when the additional weight is seated on the upper end of the housing, at least regions of the additional weight extend laterally next to the housing. The additional weight overlaps the housing, so to speak, at least in sections. This design ensures that the 3 liter additional weight can hang lower than the bypass opening for the 4.5 liter full flush volume. As soon as the falling water level clears the bypass opening, air flows into the float chamber and the closing process is initiated. According to the invention, the float chamber has an upwardly extending extension section at its upper end. The additional weight is designed in such a way that when it is lowered relative to the valve body it slides past the extension section of the housing in order to extend at least partially alongside the extension section of the housing after lowering. The structure according to the invention makes it possible, with a drain valve with dual flushing using an additional weight to regulate the partial flushing volume of 3 liters, to arrange the bypass opening for regulating the full flushing volume of 4.5 liters correspondingly "high" in the cistern so that the additional weight is Effect can develop and no collision between the additional weight and the bypass opening occurs. A particularly compact and low overall height of the drain valve can thus be implemented.

In a preferred further development, the extension section has a number of controllable bypass openings at different flushing volume levels; these heights can be e.g. full flush volumes of 4.5; 6; 7.5 and 9 liters correspond. The bypass openings can be closed either individually or dependent on one another. The latter can be done, for example, by a slide that is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner in the extension section.

The valve body of the drain valve can be designed to be bendable or separable in order to simplify installation in cramped cisterns.

• 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Ablaufventils bei der Teilspülung mit auf dem Ventilkörper aufgelastetem Zusatzgewicht;
• 2 einen Längsschnitt des Ablaufventils gemäß 1 bei der Vollspülung, und
• 3 einen Querschnitt des in einen Spülkasten eingebauten Ablaufventils

Further details, advantages and features of the invention can be found in the following part of the description, in which a preferred exemplary embodiment of the outflow valve according to the invention is explained in more detail with reference to 3 drawings. The figures show:

• 1 a perspective view of the discharge valve according to the invention during partial flushing with an additional weight loaded on the valve body;
• 2 according to a longitudinal section of the drain valve 1 at full flush, and
• 3 a cross-section of the drain valve installed in a cistern

Identical or identically functioning parts are provided with the same reference symbols.

The figures show a drain valve 4 that can be inserted into a cistern 2 . An actuating device 6 is arranged in the upper region of the cistern 2 to actuate the drain valve. This has, for example, two separate tension elements, which are preferably pivoted independently of one another on a web of the cistern 2 . These pulling elements each have a button at one end, which is accessible from the outside and can usually be actuated by hand to trigger a flush.

Each pulling element is inserted into an additional weight eyelet 8 of an additional weight 10 at the end opposite the key. When the button is pressed, the additional weight 10 is lifted.

The other pulling element engages with the end opposite a button in a valve body eyelet 12 of a valve body 14, which is designed here as an overflow pipe. When a full flush button is pressed on the actuating device 6, the valve body 14 is raised.

To raise the additional weight 10 and the valve body 14, the tension elements can also be actuated, for example, by means of a push button, as is customary in ceramic cisterns. Other actuating devices are also conceivable, with which either the additional weight 10 or the valve body 14 can be raised.

When the valve body 14 is lifted, a valve disk 16 arranged at the lower end of the valve body 14 is lifted from a valve seat 18 of the outflow valve 4 . Water contained in the cistern 2 can then flow through the side window of the valve seat 18 through the drain pipe 22 into a toilet bowl, not shown. The raised valve body 14 is kept floating in a known manner by a float 24 until the cistern 2 is essentially completely emptied. A so-called full flush is thus triggered by pressing the full flush button. The additional weight 10 is not involved here.

To trigger a partial flush, the button is pressed and the additional weight 10 is thus lifted.

In the present embodiment, the additional weight 10 has a container 30 which is open at the top and is designed in the manner of a cup. Filled with water, this container 30 forms an additional weight when the cistern 2 is partially empty. However, the additional weight can also be designed as an independent weight body that acts without being filled with water.

In the case of a full flush, the valve disk 16 is lifted off the valve seat 18 and flushing is triggered. A buoyant force is in turn exerted on the valve body 14 by the float 24 . The additional weight 10 becomes increasingly heavier as the flushing water level drops.

The housing 20 includes a horizontally extending partition wall 32 on the inside, which divides the housing 20 into a lower float chamber 34 for receiving the float 24 and an upper reservoir 36 . The reservoir 36 is open towards the cistern 2 at the top. The partition wall 32 has a central passage opening in which the valve body 14 is guided in a displaceable manner.

At its upper end, the float chamber 34 comprises an extension section 38 which extends upwards past the reservoir 36 . This extension section 38 extends approximately up to the level of 3 liters of flushing volume.

A slide 40 is inserted in a guide formed on the extension section 38 at the side at a corner of the extension section 38 . This slider 40, which is movably mounted in the guide, selectively covers bypass openings at flushing volume levels of, for example, 4.5; 6; 7.5 and 9 liters in the extension section 38 from. Thus, this slider 40 can be used to set the full flush volume to different flush volumes. This sets the flushing volume from which the drain valve 4 closes. The guide is preferably designed as a dovetail guide.

The drain valve 4 is designed to be foldable for installation in narrow cisterns and confined spaces. For this purpose, the valve body 14 can be separated or folded and consists of a lower valve part 26 and an upper valve part 28 connected thereto length can be replaced. The upper valve part 28 can be snapped onto the lower valve part 26 in a rotatable and detachable manner, e.g. with two molded catches. However, the overflow valve 4 does not have to be designed so that it can be bent.

An arcuate mounting bracket 42 extends upwards at the rear of the extension section 36. In the installed position, this mounting bracket 42 20 engages under a holder 44 which is rotatably fastened to the cistern 2. This holder 44 is for fixing the outflow valve 4 in the cistern 2 in the 3 shown mounting position rotated so that the mounting bracket 42 engages behind the holder 44.

The container 30 of the additional weight 10 is designed in two parts and consists of two container parts 46,48. Each container part 46, 48 is open at the top and bent forwardly extending downward. The container parts 46, 48 are connected to one another via an annular connection section 50, which can be separated for assembly and which slidably surrounds the valve body 14 in the installed position. Approximately in the middle of the height of each container part 46, 48, these each have an arcuate section 52 projecting away from the valve body. These arcuate sections 52 of the container 30 slide according to FIG 2 when the additional weight 10 is lowered in relation to the valve body 14 past the extension section 38 of the housing 20, so that the container parts 46,48 can slide past the extension section 38 and the reservoir 36 of the housing 20 in the lowered position. In the fully lowered position, the additional weight sits just above widenings 54 projecting on both sides in the lower third of the housing 20. This enables a particularly compact design of the drain valve 4, so that it can also be used in cisterns with a low overall height using a dual-volume flush.

The subject matter of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another. All information and features disclosed in the documents - including the summary - in particular the space shown in the drawings Liche training are claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are new individually or in combination compared to the prior art.

Reference List

2

cistern

4

drain valve

6

operating device

8th

extra weight eyelet

10

extra weight

12

valve body eyelet

14

valve body

16

valve plate

18

valve seat

20

Housing

22

drain socket

24

swimmer

26

lower valve part

28

upper valve part

30

container

32

partition wall

34

float chamber

36

reservoir

38

extension section

40

slider

42

mounting tab

44

holder

46

container part

48

container part

50

connection section

52

arc section

54

widening

Claims (8)

Drainage valve with - a housing (20) comprising a float chamber (34) which has a through-opening, - a first and a second tension element, - a valve body (14) which is displaceably guided in the through-opening and which, via the first tension element, is in the housing ( 20) is adjustable in height, - a float (24) arranged at the lower end of the valve body (14) in the float chamber (34) and - an additional weight (10) which can be actuated by means of the second pulling element to carry out a partial flush, in which the additional weight (10) can be raised with the valve body (14), - and means for loading the additional weight (10) on the valve body (14), depending on the operation, in order to bring the valve body (14) into a closed position prematurely against a buoyant force of the float (24) after the partial flushing has been triggered , CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the float chamber (34) has an upwardly extending extension portion (38) at its upper end and the auxiliary gear weight (10) is designed in such a way that when it is lowered in relation to the valve body (14) it slides past the extension section (38) of the housing (20) in order to be at least partially next to the extension section (38) of the housing (20) after lowering. to extend. drain valve after claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the additional weight (10) at least partially encompasses the housing (20) when it is lowered. Drainage valve according to one of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED IN that the additional weight comprises a container with at least one arcuate section (52). Drain valve according to one of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED IN that the extension section (38) has a plurality of closable bypass openings at different heights. drain valve after claim 4 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the bypass openings can be closed either separately or together by a closure device. drain valve after claim 5 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the closure device comprises a slider (40). Drain valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve body (14) can be separated and/or bent. Flushing device in a toilet cistern with an actuating device (6) with which a valve body (14) of a discharge valve (4) can be raised in order to selectively trigger a full and partial flush, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT this is a discharge valve (4) according to one of Claims 1 until 7 having.

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