EP0086176B1 - Device for emptying tanks, particularly water closet cisterns - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A device for emptying tanks, specially flushing cisterns (17) for water closets, wherein the following parts are foreseen : a) an hydraulic seal container (21), which at its upper side has a pipe closed at its upper side (7) ; b) a small air cushion (26) composed of scarcely compressed air, which forms spontaneously and innerly at the upper portion of the container (21), if, through a hole (4) existing at any place of the outside surface (3) of the last named container, some water enters ; c) an air circuit, at normal pressure, hermetically sealed with respect to the outside ambient with two ends (9, 10) formed of an elastically deformable material and a more stiff central conduit (11) which connects the two said ends, wherein one of the ends (10) forms the delivery chamber of a pump while the other end (9) is formed of a space filled with air, apted to a deformed because of an increase of the pressure of the air contained in it ; d) a pipe (2) having an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe (7), which, by forming a siphon with the container (21) is inserted, under sealing conditions, through a hole machined in the elastic base (3) of the container (21) and disposed concentrically inside the pipe having the larger internal diameter (7) ; e) a wall (3) composed of an elastic and deformable material, wherein at the surface of the wall (3) of a closed cylinder (6), which forms the upper portion of the container (21), a hole (4) is foreseen with a recoil valve (5), in order to permit the entering of the water into the container, but to prevent its exiting, if inside the aforesaid container a pressure is exerted, wherein the base, preferably in the form of a hopper (3) represents a closure of the exhaust pipe (13), if it rests upon the conical surface (14) of any exhaust opening of a container.

Description

Siphon quick emptying devices for containers, in particular for containers connected to water closet systems, are known.

These devices are essentially composed of a bell-shaped part, which is connected at the highest point to a line for draining the liquid and to another line for introducing and compressing a gas, and a pressure device, which in the rest position is a given one Keeps air volume under pressure.

United States patent US3,973,751 explains improvements to these systems, improvements according to which the emptying device must be housed at a predetermined height in the container. In fact, if the emptying device is not of sufficient height. Emptying point, the level of the liquid in this pipeline will not be able to create a sufficient negative pressure within the siphon to lift the diaphragm of the valve and keep it lifted from its seat for the entire duration of the draining of the liquid contained in the container . In addition, when the compression effect is initiated, the membrane of the valve rises from its seat, taking the inner pipe of the siphon with it. This causes considerable turbulence to cause the level of the compressed liquid column to increase between the outer wall of the first cylindrical tube, the innermost one opposite the siphon, and the inner wall of a second and larger downward facing cylinder of the siphon.

The American patent US-A-4,254,934 improves the ideas set out in the US patent US-A-3,973,751, but like the previous property right it has a complicated structure in that a complex of four coaxially arranged tubular elements is required , which form cylindrical cavities that are alternately filled with water and air when the siphon is at rest. Furthermore, two bell elements which are open at the bottom and connected to the aforementioned cylindrical cavities are required, the outer bell element being provided with an elastic membrane which is provided with perforations on its circumferential line; this membrane works as a valve.

Thus, both U.S. Patent No. 3,973,751 and U.S. Patent No. 4,254,934 have remarkable manufacturing and operational complications.

Other property rights, e.g. American patents US-A-2,612,903 and US-A-2,606,326, as well as English patent GB-A-305,331 and Italian patent IT-A-415,964 try the same problem with a plurality of chambers and with to solve a particularly complicated fluid circulation, which make the device practically unrealizable precisely because of its complicated and costly structure and the impeccable method of operation.

The device according to the invention is intended to be arranged in the interior of any water or other liquid-containing container, such as the boxes of the water closets, in order to achieve the complete and by means of a low external pressure to be exerted at one end of an air circuit. or automatic drainage of the liquid accumulated in the container.

The device according to the invention proves to be particularly simple in its construction and in its composition and, at the same time, results in a safe operation while eliminating the turbulent movements of the fluid, and this thanks to the reduction in the number of air and water chambers, which in their entirety with the listed protective rights represented a necessary excessive and tortuous siphon passage in order to accomplish an automatic drainage of the water contained in a water closet box.

• a) ein wasserdichtes Gefäss, welcher an seiner Oberseite ein oben verschlossenes Rohr trägt;
• b) ein kleines Luftpolster geringfügig verdichteter Luft, welches sich selbsttätig und innen am oberen Teil des Gefässes bildet, wenn Wasser durch ein an einer beliebigen Stelle der Aussenfläche des vorgenannten Gefässes befindliches Loch eintritt;
• c) ein von der Aussenumgebund luftdicht getrennter Normal pressluftkreislauf mit zwei aus elastisch verformbaren Material gebildeten Enden und einer steiferen Zentralleitung, welche die genannten beiden Enden verbindet, wobei eines der Enden die Druckkammer einer Pump bildet und das andere Ende aus einer mit Luft gefüllten Raum gebildet ist, welcher in der Lage ist sich durch eine Druckzunahme der in ihm enthaltenen Luft zu verformen;
• d) ein Rohr mit geringerem Durchmesser als das verschlossene Rohr, welches unter Bildung eines Syphons mit dem Gefäss selbst dicht durch ein an der elastischen Basis des Gefässes gemachtes Loch eingeführt und konzentrisch im Inneren des Rohrs grösseren Durchmessers angeordnet ist;
• e) eine aus elastischem und verformbarem Material hergestellte Wandung (3), wobei an der Oberfläche der Wanddung (3) oder geschlossenen Zylinders (6), der den oberen Teil des Gefässes (21) bildet, ein Loch (4) mit Rückschlagventil (5) vorgesehen ist, um den Eintritt des Wassers in das Gefäss zu gestatten, jedoch um den Austritt zu verhindern, wenn im Inneren des vorgenannten Gefässes ein Druck ausgeübt wird, wobei die vorzugsweise trichterartige Basis der Wandung (3) einen Verschluss des Ablassrohrs (13) darstellt, wenn sie am konischen Sitz (14) einer beliebigen Ablassöffnung eines Behälters aufgelegt ist.

Particular and essential features of the present invention are:

• a) a watertight vessel, which carries a tube closed at the top;
• b) a small air cushion of slightly compressed air, which automatically forms on the inside of the upper part of the vessel when water enters through a hole located anywhere on the outer surface of the aforementioned vessel;
• c) a normal compressed air circuit, separated from the outside environment in an airtight manner, with two ends formed from elastically deformable material and a stiffer central line which connects the two ends mentioned, one end forming the pressure chamber of a pump and the other end being formed from an air-filled space which is able to deform due to an increase in pressure in the air it contains;
• d) a tube with a smaller diameter than the closed tube, which, with the formation of a siphon with the vessel itself, is inserted tightly through a hole made in the elastic base of the vessel and is arranged concentrically in the interior of the tube of larger diameter;
• e) a wall (3) made of elastic and deformable material, a hole (4) with a check valve (5.) on the surface of the wall manure (3) or closed cylinder (6) which forms the upper part of the vessel (21) ) is provided in order to allow the water to enter the vessel, but to prevent it from exiting if pressure is exerted inside the aforementioned vessel, the preferably funnel-like base of the wall (3) closing the drain pipe (13) represents when at the conical seat (14) any drain opening of a container is placed.

The idea of the invention that preceded the present invention is based primarily on the production in the interior of the air cushion according to point b) of a slightly higher pressure than the hydrostatic pressure which is generated by the water contained in the container at which the emptying is to be carried out. This greater pressure, which, as indicated, is caused by air transfer from the pressure chamber of the pump, produces the lift of the water column contained in the space between the tube according to point d) and the interior of the tube arranged at the outermost point of the vessel according to point a), whereby this water column at the wettest point and inside the small pipe is overflowed and thus the automatic filling of the siphon is accomplished.

As a result of the emptying of the container according to point a), caused by the filling of the siphon, the outside of the container is in turn pressed down at its own base by the pressure of the water contained in the container to be emptied, and from there together with the pipe attached to it lifted up by leaving the emptying tube of the container open and thus causing the entire container to be emptied automatically.

• Fig. 1 die erfindungsgemässe schematisch dargestellte Vorrichtung in der Füllungsphase des Gefässes;
• Fig. 2 die Vorrichtung bei gefülltem Gefäss;
• Fig. 3 die angelassene Vorrichtung mit Behälter und Gefäss in der Entleerungsphase.

The device according to the invention is explained schematically in the form of a non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings themselves show:

• 1 shows the device according to the invention shown schematically in the filling phase of the vessel;
• Figure 2 shows the device with a filled vessel.
• Fig. 3 shows the tempered device with container and vessel in the emptying phase.

With reference to the drawings, the reference number 2 designates a small decisive and appropriate cross-section and length tube, which is also given in the following with the expression "filling pipe of the liquid". This tube 2 carries in the vicinity of the lower part in an airtight manner a concave body 3 formed of elastic material, which in turn represents the lower part of a container 21, which will be described in more detail below. On the outer wall of this body 3, a hole 4 is made for the entry of the water, which has a smaller cross section than the cross section of the tube 2. A check valve 5 allows the water to enter the interior of the body 3 and thus the vessel 21 through the hole 4 and does not allow the outlet when the water contained in the vessel 21 is pressed outwards, as will be explained below.

The upper part of the vessel 21 is formed by a cylinder 6 closed at the top, from which a second tube 7 projects. This piece is hereinafter referred to as "bell of the siphon". A hole is made on the cylinder 6 with a rubber holder connection 8. The inner cross section of the tube 7 is larger than the outer cross section of the tube 2, etc. by a value which is analytically predetermined in its entirety on the basis of the dimensions of the emptying device.

The normal compressed air, i.e. Normal compressed air circuit consists of two end elements, one of which 9 represents an expandable chamber and the other 10 the pressure chamber of a pump. Both parts, ie the chamber 9 and the pump 10, of this air circuit are made of a material which has the possibility of being temporarily deformed under the action of a simple air pressure, in order to then assume the original shape. The tube 11, which connects the chamber or membrane 9 to the pump 10, will be anelastic and of appropriate cross-section, length and material.

The air circuit in question can of course also be realized with a membrane of different shape or from a sole plate, which remains separate from the rest of the air circuit, but is completely airtightly attached to the cylinder 6, so that an air chamber 22 is also formed.

The drain pipe 13 of the water from the box of the water closet 17 has its one end part inside the box 17, which is designed as a conical seat 14 for receiving the body 3, which serves as a seal of the box 17. For the attachment of the drain pipe 13 to the bottom of the box and the siphon bell on the same drain pipe 13, the device is completed by the accessories 15, 16 apart from the pipe 13.

• - man befestigt am Boden des Kastens 17 das Ablassroht 13 mittels der Zubehörteile 15;
• - man positioniert im Inneren der Siphonglocke 6 das Endstück des Luftkreislaufes;
• - man verschliesst die Basis des Zylinders 6 unter Einführung der Dichtung 3;
• -die so montierte Vorrichtung wird nun senkrecht mit den Lagerlöchern auf die Schraubenbolzen 19 aufgesetzt, wobei zu vergegenwärtigen ist, dass dieser Zusammenbau auch mit unterschiedlichen Methoden, z.B. mittels Schnappverschlüssen erzielt werden kann.

The automatic emptying device is installed as follows:

• - The drain pipe 13 is fastened to the bottom of the box 17 by means of the accessories 15;
• - The end of the air circuit is positioned inside the siphon bell 6;
• - You close the base of the cylinder 6 with the introduction of the seal 3;
• The device assembled in this way is now placed vertically with the bearing holes on the screw bolts 19, it being clear that this assembly can also be achieved using different methods, for example by means of snap locks.

After the device has been attached to the box 17 of the water toilet and the connecting pipe (11) with the pump 10 has been appropriately positioned, the box 17 is filled using the float tap 20.

It can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that when the water gradually flows through the hole 4 and the check valve 5 is lifted off at the bottom of the box 17 accumulates, the container 21 fills, which was obtained by the connection of the elastic body 3 with the cylinder 6. When the level rises during the loading or filling of the box 17, the water creates an air cushion 26 between the free level of the water and the membrane 10.

Due to the principle of the communicating tubes, the water gradually entering the container 21 simultaneously increases the level in the box 17 and the space 23, which is determined by the outer wall of the liquid filling tube 2 and the inner wall of the tube 7 of the siphon bell, etc. until the highest point of the liquid filling pipe is reached. A space with ambient compressed air will form in this intermediate space 23 above the water level.

If one presses the pump 10 at this point in time, this causes a displacement of the air through the pipe 11, which will inflate the membrane 9 (FIG. 2), and this then creates an overpressure in the air tank 26, which in the absence of another escape possibility due to the Pascal principle with the same force in all directions of the water-containing box 17. This force creates a pressure on the entire surface of the water contained in the box 17, and this causes the check valve 5 and thus the hole 4 to close, the water column contained in the intermediate space 23 to rise, and thus, with the siphon being filled, an overflow of the water itself Tube 2. The water forced into the tube 2 creates with its waste a vacuum inside the closed chamber 25 formed at the highest point of the tube 7, and thus a filling of all the water contained in the box 17. Since the bottom of the latter is made of elastic material, it also lifts the tube 2 upwards, which, as already mentioned, is tightly connected to the elastic body 3.

The water contained in the box now flows completely through the drain pipe 3 left free by the elastic body 3. After emptying, the tube 2 sinks again together with the elastic body 3 thanks to its own weight, lies on the conical seat 14 and thus closes the drain tube 13 for the next filling of the vessel 17 with water.

Thanks to its characteristics, this emptying device can be used on boxes of any type and size, outside; Of course, in particular on emptying boxes for water closets, which are arranged both near or above the water closet itself and at variable heights from a zero quota based on the level of the water closet to the desired height.

In the event that a defective closure of the float valve 27 should occur, the liquid rises over the free end of the tube 2 and, if it is a small amount, does not actually start, i.e. To effect filling, flows off while maintaining the liquid at the level of the upper end of the tube 2. If the water enters the box 17 in a larger amount than can be taken up by the hole 4, the liquid in the box 17 will rise and the pressure in the box 17 will increase and the pressure in the latter relative to the interior of the vessel 21 and that will be emptied Increase the existing pressure in the space 23, since the pressure increase accelerates the flow rate in the hole 4 and exerts an upward thrust on the bottom of the seal 3, whereby the action of this push causes the seal 3 to lift off from the conical seat 14 against the interior of the vessel 21 deformed and filled the tube 2 while raising the liquid contained therein. You thus have an automatic filling with simultaneous emptying of the box 17, which in any case excludes an overflow of water from the box 17.

It should be noted that, alternating with the above, the function of the elastic seal 3 can be divided into two, i.e. by connecting a closure member of the seat 14, i.e. any suitable organ, e.g. a spherical body firmly connected to a water collection chamber, which as such with the hole 4 and the valve. 5 is arranged, but with its elastic bottom over the mouth 14 of the tube 14 does not cause an immediate seal. In other words, part 3 only works as a deformable container of water and another part, which is firmly connected to part 3, closes off drain pipe 13.

It should be noted that the device according to the present invention enables extremely low-noise emptying, an extremely light weight of the actuating and filling pump and at the same time an extremely reliable device.

Claims (5)

1. A device for emptying tanks, specially flushing cisterns (17) for water closets, wherein the following parts are foreseen:

a) an hydraulic seal container (21), which at its upper side has a pipe closed at its upper side (7);

b) a small air cushion (26) composed of scarcely compressed air, which forms spontaneously and innerly at the upper portion of the container (21), if, through a hole (4) existing at any place of the outside surface (3) of the last named container, some water enters;

c) an air circuit, at normal pressure, hermetically sealed with respect to the outside ambient with two ends (9, 10) formed of an elastically deformable material and a more stiff central conduit (11) (11) which connects the two said ends, wherein one of the ends (10) forms the delivery chamber of a pump while the other end (9) is formed of a space filled with air, apted to a deformed because of an increase of the pressure of the air contained in it;

d) a pipe (2) having an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe (7), which, by forming a siphon with the container (21) is inserted, under sealing conditions, through a hole machined in the elastic base (3) of the container (21) and disposed concentrically inside the pipe having the larger internal diameter (7);

e) a wall (3) composed of an elastic and deformable material, wherein at the surface of the wall (3) of a closed cylinder (6), which forms the upper portion of the container (21), a hole (4) is foreseen with a recoil valve (5), in order to permit the entering of the water into the container, but to prevent its exiting, if inside the aforesaid container a pressure is exerted, wherein the base, preferably in the form of a hopper (3) represents a closure of the exhaust pipe (13), if it rests upon the conical surface (14) of any exhaust opening of a container.

2. A device for the emptying of tanks, specially flushing cisterns for water-closets, according to Claim 1, wherein the gauged hole (4) has an area which is lesser than the area of the inner pipe (2), wherein a recoil valve (5) closes said hole (4) following an increase of the pressure of the air contained within the container (21) following the compression run of the pump (10).

3. A device, according to Claim 1, characterised by that the end portion of the air circuit, housed within the container (21) is formed of a membrane (9) which seals the open end of the container, thus creating a chamber (22) communicating with the air conduit (11) through the rubber-holding coupling (8) and which forms the upper wall of the container (21), whose side- and lower-wall is formed by the elastic base (3).

4. A device, according to Claim 1, characterised by that the end portion of the air circuit housed within the container (21) is formed of an elastically deformable body, immersed into the water contained in the container (21) and communicating with the air pipe (11) and the pump (10) through the rubber-holding coupling (8).

5. A device, according to Claim 1, characterised by that the bottom of the container (21) is formed of an elastic base (3), which is rigidly connected with the cylinder (6, 7), through which the pipe (2) passes, and said bottom acts as a valve or sealing member of the mouth of the exhaust pipe (13).

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