EP3394355B1 - Drain fitting for a flush tank - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a drain fitting for a cistern according to the preamble of claim 1.

A conventional toilet bowl has a rim-shaped circumferential, U-shaped profiled and downwardly open flushing rim, in which limescale deposits can settle. In contrast, rimless toilet bowls are also known in which the above U-shaped profiled flushing rim has been omitted. With a rimless toilet bowl, however, water splashes over the edge of the bowl during the flushing process. Such water splashes can be avoided by reducing the flow speed of the flushing water flowing into the toilet bowl.

From the DE 30 08 524 C2 a generic drain fitting for a cistern is known, by means of which the volume flow of the flushing water flowing into the toilet, that is to say the flushing water flowing out of the cistern per unit of time, can be adjusted. The drain fitting has a housing in which a pipe that is adjustable in stroke in the axial direction is arranged. The tube is designed in a vertical direction of the set with a valve disk which is part of a drain valve. A valve gap of the drain valve is opened by lifting the pipe. As a result, the flushing water located in the cistern can flow out of the cistern via a flow path through at least one flow window formed in the drain fitting and through the open valve gap.

In the above DE 30 08 524 C2 For setting the amount of flushing water, a drain fitting float vessel is extended downwards with an annular wall that is in contact with the flow windows on the inside of the housing. The annular wall has four passage openings that approximately correspond to the flow windows. By rotating the float vessel, its annular wall or the walls formed therein can be adjusted Passage openings are brought into different coverage with the housing-side flow windows in order to set the desired flushing water flow. The one from the DE 30 08 524 C2 known adjustment mechanism is complex and can only be implemented by a complex adaptation of the float vessel arranged in the drain fitting housing.

The object of the invention is to provide a drain fitting for a cistern in which the amount of flush water can be adjusted more easily than in the prior art.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention is based on the fact that in the above prior art the passage cross-section of the housing-side flow window can be varied by a complex rotary adjustment of the annular wall in order to adjust the flow speed of the flushing water flowing out of the cistern. As a departure from such a throttling, the drain fitting according to the characterizing part of claim 1 has an adjustable deflecting element. By adjusting the deflection element, the flow path of the flushing water flowing out through the flow window on the housing side can be adjusted, that is to say shortened or lengthened, in order to increase or reduce the flow rate. For this purpose, the deflecting element is spaced apart from the flow window by a radial distance, forming an annular gap.

In a technical implementation, the deflecting element can preferably be arranged radially outside the housing. In this case, the deflecting element is arranged upstream of the flow window on the housing side in a flushing water flow direction. In contrast to the above prior art, the deflection element can therefore also be retrofitted as an additional component, without the internal technology of the waste set (i.e. in the above DE 30 08 524 C2 the float vessel) to have to modify. With the invention, a manual adjustment of the drain fitting can thus be carried out from above without having to dismantle the drain fitting.

With regard to a perfect adjustment option, it is preferred if the deflecting element, viewed in the radial direction, is arranged essentially in alignment with the flow window on the housing side. The deflecting element can preferably no longer be actuated by a rotary adjustment, but rather by a linear adjustment that can be implemented more easily. For this purpose, the deflecting element can preferably be mounted on the drain fitting housing via a stroke adjustment unit and can be adjusted manually with the aid of the stroke adjustment unit. The stroke adjustment unit can be designed in such a way that, for example, a predetermined number of stroke positions can be easily controlled via detents, for example a lower, a middle and an upper stroke position, or steplessly by means of a threaded spindle, each of which defines the flow paths of the outflowing rinse water of different lengths.

In contrast to the above prior art, the deflecting element is out of contact with the flow window on the housing side, i.e. at a radial distance from the flow window on the housing side, with the formation of the above-mentioned annular gap, which is upstream of the flow window in the flow direction. In addition, a turbulent flow pattern can be generated in the annular gap, which further increases the flow path of the flushing water flowing out.

In a simple embodiment variant, the deflecting element can form a deflecting wall which at least partially or continuously surrounds the housing on the circumference. The deflection wall, viewed in the upright direction of the clothing, can have a deflection edge at its lower edge, around which the flow path of the flushing water flowing in the direction of the flow window on the housing side extends. As an alternative or in addition to this, the deflection wall can at least have a passage opening, at the opening edge of which a flow flap protrudes obliquely downward. The flow flap covers the passage opening with a predefined distance, namely with the formation of a passage gap.

When the drain valve of the drain fitting is open, the flushing water flow path can branch out into a first partial flow path running through the deflecting wall passage opening and into a second partial flow path running around the deflecting edge of the deflecting wall. The two partial flow paths can preferably be brought together again in the annular gap between the deflecting element and the flow window on the housing side. In the further course of the flow, the flushing water flows through the flow window on the housing side in the direction of the toilet bowl.

In the above embodiment, the deflecting wall can have passage openings through which the flushing water flows in the direction of the flow window on the housing side. As an alternative to this, in a further embodiment, the deflecting wall can be designed with a completely closed surface, that is, the housing with its at least one flow window can be completely closed over.

The, for example, hollow cylindrical housing of the drain fitting can merge at the bottom at an annular shoulder (or a support flange) into a drain connection with a smaller diameter, which is in flow connection with a toilet bowl. The support flange (that is, the annular shoulder) projects beyond the deflection wall in the radial direction with a radial protrusion. The support flange of the housing thus acts in a double function at the same time as a lower axial stop on the housing side. In its lower closed position, the deflecting wall can be in contact with the support flange on the housing side with its lower deflecting edge. In this case, the stroke of the deflecting wall can be limited between the lower axial stop on the housing side and an upper axial stop which defines the upper open position of the deflecting wall. In the closed position, the baffle can do that Cover at least one flow window on the housing side over the entire area, but be spaced apart from the radially inner housing via the slight annular gap arranged between them.

As mentioned above, the deflection element can be manually adjustable via a stroke adjustment unit. In a specific implementation, the stroke adjustment unit can have a drive spindle which can be rotated by the user and which is in drive connection, in particular in threaded engagement, with the deflecting element. The drive connection is designed in such a way that a rotary actuation of the drive spindle is converted into a stroke adjustment of the deflection element. In a preferred embodiment, the housing of the drain fitting can have a holding bracket in which the drive spindle is rotatable but is mounted in a stationary manner in the axial direction. The drive spindle can also have an external thread which is in thread engagement with an internal thread formed on the stroke-adjustable deflecting element.

The invention and its advantageous designs and developments as well as their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

Fig. 1

in einer Seitenansicht eine in einen Spülkasten montierbare, nicht erfindungsgemäße Ablaufgarnitur

Fig. 2

eine teilweise Schnittdarstellung der im Spülkasten eingesetzten Ablaufgarnitur gemäß Figur 1 bei geschlossenem Ablaufventil;

Fig. 3 bis 5

jeweils Teilansichten der Ablaufgarnitur gemäß Figur 1, in denen die sich bei unterschiedlichen Hubpositionen des Umlenkelements einstellenden Spülwasser-Strömungswege zu den gehäuseseitigen Durchflussfenstern gezeigt sind;

Fig. 6

in einer perspektivischen Darstellung eine in einen Spülkasten montierbare erfindungsgemäße Ablaufgarnitur

Fig. 7

die Ablaufgarnitur gemäß Figur 6 mit demontiertem Ablaufventil; sowie

Fig. 8 und 9

jeweils Ansichten der Ablaufgarnitur gemäß Figur 6, die das Umlenkelement in unterschiedlichen Hubpositionen zeigt.

Show it:

Fig. 1

in a side view of a drain fitting not according to the invention which can be mounted in a cistern

Fig. 2

a partial sectional view of the waste set used in the cistern according to Figure 1 with the drain valve closed;

Figures 3 to 5

partial views of the waste set according to Figure 1 , in which the flushing water flow paths to the flow windows on the housing side, which are established at different stroke positions of the deflecting element, are shown;

Fig. 6

a perspective view of a drain fitting according to the invention that can be mounted in a cistern

Fig. 7

the drain fitting according to Figure 6 with dismantled drain valve; as

Figures 8 and 9

each view of the drain fitting according to Figure 6 showing the deflection element in different stroke positions.

In the Fig. 1 a drain fitting is shown in isolation, which has a hollow cylindrical housing 1 which merges at the bottom at an annular shoulder 2 into a smaller diameter drain connector 3 which is in flow connection with a toilet bowl in a manner not shown. The housing 1 is in the Fig. 2 with its annular shoulder 2 with the interposition of a seal 5 on an opening edge area of an outlet opening 7 ( Fig. 2 ) supported in the bottom 9 of a cistern 11. In the vertical direction of the set z upward, flow openings 13 on the housing side adjoin the annular shoulder 2, which are provided in the circumferential direction by evenly distributed separating webs 15 ( Fig. 1 ) are separated from each other. Radially inside and coaxially to the housing axis, a valve disk 19 is positioned, which at a lower end of a in the Fig. 1 and 2 shown tube 17 is formed and is stroke adjustable together with the tube 17 in the axial direction. The pipe 17 is part of an upper drain valve unit 18 ( Fig. 6 , 8 and 9 ). According to the Fig. 1 the valve disk 19 together with a valve seat 21 formed on the housing-side annular shoulder 2 is part of a drain valve 23. The valve disk 19 is shown in FIG In a manner not shown in more detail, it is connected, for example, to a manually operable operating handle with which the valve plate 19 can be pulled up to open the drain valve 23.

Radially outside of the housing 1 is an approximately cage-like, hollow-cylindrical deflection element 33. With the drain valve 23 open, the deflecting element 33 sets a flushing water flow path to the flow windows 13 on the housing side, that is to say lengthen or shorten it, as will be described later.

The hollow cylindrical deflecting element 33 has in the Fig. 1 a lower ring wall 35 and an upper ring wall 37 at an axial distance, which are connected to one another via axial webs 39. When the drain valve 23 is open, the lower annular wall 35 acts as a deflecting wall, with the aid of which the flow path of the flushing water flowing out can be lengthened / shortened. For this purpose, the baffle 35 has passage openings 41 ( Figures 2 to 5 ), at the upper edges of which each flow tabs 43 protrude obliquely outward, each of which covers the passage openings 41 at a distance to form a passage gap. In addition, when the drain valve 23 is open, the lower edge of the deflection wall 35 acts as a deflection edge 45 around which the flushing water flow path runs in the direction of the flow window 13 on the housing side.

As from the Fig. 3 or 4 It can also be seen that the deflection wall 35 of the deflection element 33 is not in abutment connection with the outer peripheral wall of the housing 1, but rather spaced radially outward from its passage window 13, with the formation of an annular gap 47 between the flow window 13 on the housing side and the deflection wall 35.

In the figures, the deflecting element 33, which is designed in the manner of a cage, is only roughly in the Fig. 1 indicated stroke adjustment unit 49 in the axial direction stroke adjustable. The stroke adjustment unit 49 is in the Fig. 1 for example formed between the upper ring wall 37 of the deflection element 33 and the housing 1 and designed so that the deflection element 33 in predefined Stroke positions h ₁ , h ₂ and h _{3 can be} positioned. In the Fig. 2 and 3rd the deflecting element 33 is shown in a central stroke position h ₂ , in which a medium-long flow path II is established up to the throughflow windows 13 on the housing side. In the Fig. 5 the deflecting element 33 is shown in an upper stroke position h ₃ , in which a short flow path III is established up to the throughflow windows 13 on the housing side. In the upper stroke position h ₃ ( Fig. 5 ) the lower deflecting wall 35 and the respective housing-side flow window 13 are arranged without overlapping one another in the radial direction y, so that the deflecting element 33 is switched to be functionless _{in its stroke position h 3.} In the lower stroke position h ₁ ( Fig. 4 ) of the deflecting element 33, on the other hand, a maximum flow path I is established up to the housing-side flow windows 13, as will be described later.

In the Fig. 1 or 2 the drain fitting is shown in a position that it assumes when the cistern 11 is empty. If flushing water runs into the cistern 11, the same fills the housing 1. If the valve disk 19 is raised by means of the actuating handle, the flushing water flows through the flow window 13 on the housing side into the drain connection 3.

In the middle stroke position h ₂ ( Fig. 3 ) the deflection wall 35 partially covers the flow window 13 viewed in the axial direction z. When the drain valve 23 is open, the flushing water flow path II results, which is forked up at the level of the deflecting wall 35, namely into a first partial flow _{path II a} running through the passage openings 41 with a second partial flow path II _b running around the deflecting edge 45. The two partial flow paths II _a , II _b are brought together again in the downstream annular gap 47. An additional turbulent flow pattern results in the annular gap 47, as a result of which the flushing water flow path II increases further up to the flow windows 13 on the housing side.

In the lower stroke position h ₁ ( Fig. 4 ) the deflection wall 35 completely covers the flow window 13 viewed in the axial direction z. This results in the compared to Fig. 3 stronger deflected flushing water flow path I. This is also forked at the level of the deflecting wall 35 into a partial flow path I _a and a partial flow _{path I b} . In contrast, in the lifting position h ₃ ( Fig. 5 ) the deflection wall 35 and the housing-side passage windows 13, viewed in the radial direction y, are arranged without overlapping one another, so that the deflection element 33 is switched to be functional and has no influence on the flow path III up to the housing-side flow-through window 13.

In the Fig. 6 an embodiment of a drain fitting according to the invention is shown, which is functionally essentially the same as that in the Figs. 1 to 5 drain fitting shown is. For this reason, structurally identical elements or elements with the same function are provided with identical reference numbers.

The housing 1 is arranged radially outside of the hollow-cylindrical deflecting element 33. The deflecting element 33 is in the Figure 6 not (as in the Figures 1 and 2 ) realized axially elongated. Rather, the deflecting element 33 has a space-saving, axially flat design, with a completely closed-surface deflecting wall 35 - in contrast to the previous exemplary embodiment - and a threaded sleeve 63 formed laterally thereon, the mode of operation of which will be explained later.

The housing 1 is designed on the bottom side with an annular shoulder or a support flange 2, which can be supported in an installation position (not shown) with the interposition of a seal on the bottom 9 of the cistern 11 (cf. Fig. 2 ). In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, the support flange 2 projects beyond the deflection wall 35 in the radial direction y with a radial projection Δy ( Fig. 9 ). In this way, the support flange 2 forms a lower axial stop on the housing side, which _{defines a closed position h to} the deflecting wall 35, while an upper axial stop 53 ( Figures 8 and 9 ) is formed from the underside of the drain valve unit 18, which _{defines an upper open position h on} , as shown in the Fig. 8 is shown. In the upper Open position h _to the flow window 13 are almost completely exposed. In contrast, the housing-side flow window 13 in the lower closed position are h (not shown) _{to be} covered completely by the baffle 35th In the Fig. 9 is the baffle 35 near its lower closed position _to h shown, but still spaced by a small axial distance from a housing-side support flange. 2

The deflecting element 33 is thus according to FIGS Figures 6 to 9 arranged between the lower support flange 2 on the housing side and the underside of the drain valve unit 18 in a stroke-adjustable manner. The drain valve unit 18 is in the Figures 6 , 8 and 9 supported on the upper side of the hollow cylindrical housing 1 and connected to the housing 1 via a snap connection, not shown, which can be released without tools. With regard to simple assembly / disassembly of the drain valve unit 18, it is of particular importance that the deflecting element 33 is arranged below the drain valve unit 18 and that the deflecting element is designed as a separate component that is decoupled from the drain valve unit 18. During dismantling, the drain valve unit 18 - with the releasable locking connection (not shown) being released - is only raised upward in the vertical direction z of the clothing, without the deflecting element 33 arranged underneath forming an interfering contour.

As from the Figures 6 to 9 As can be seen, the stroke adjustment unit 49 is implemented with a drive spindle 55 which can be rotated by the user and which is positioned essentially axially parallel to the drain connector 3 and to the pipe 17 of the drain valve 23. The drive spindle 55 is in threaded engagement with the deflecting element 33, specifically in such a way that the deflecting element 33 can be stroke-adjustable in the axial direction when the drive spindle 55 is actuated in a rotary manner. For this purpose, the housing 1 has a laterally radially outwardly projecting holding bracket 57 with a feed-through opening through which a lower end piece 59 of the drive spindle 55 is guided. On the lower end piece 59 of the drive spindle 55, an annular groove, not shown in detail, is formed in which an opening edge of the feed-through opening of the holding bracket 57 protrudes with a slight amount of play. In this way, the drive spindle 55 is rotatable on the one hand, but on the other hand stationary in the axial direction. In addition, an external thread 61 is formed on the drive spindle end piece 59, which is in threaded engagement with the internal thread of the above-mentioned threaded sleeve 63 which, together with the deflection wall 35, is part of the deflection element 33.

As from the Figures 6 to 9 As can be seen, the threaded sleeve 63 of the deflecting element 33 is arranged in the axial direction directly below the holding bracket 57 on the housing side. The threaded sleeve 63, viewed in the radial direction y, is positioned in the same horizontal plane as the deflecting wall 35, that is, positioned in the radial direction y in alignment with the deflecting wall 35. This results in the already mentioned, space-saving, flat design of the deflecting element 33.

In the Figure 9 the baffle _is shown close to its closed position h 35th In the closed position h _zu , an indicated flushing water flow path IV is established, in which the flushing water flows from above into the annular gap 47 between the radially inner housing 1 and the radially outer deflecting wall 35 and then flows on through the flow window 13 on the housing side into the drain connection 3 .

List of reference symbols

1 casing 47 Annular gap 2 Ring shoulder 49 Stroke adjustment unit 3 Drain connection 51 Space 5 poetry I, II, III, IV Flush water flow paths 7th Outlet opening 53 upper axial stop 9 ground 55 Drive spindle 11 cistern 57 Holding bracket 13th Flow window 59 lower tail 15th Dividers 61 External thread 17th pipe 63 Threaded sleeve 19th Valve disc Δy radial protrusion 21 Valve seat h _on upper open position 23 Drain valve h _to lower closed position 33 Deflection element a Axial distance 35 Baffle 37 upper ring wall 39 Axial webs 41 Passage openings 43 Flow tabs 45 Deflection edge

Claims (12)

1. A drain fitting for a flush tank (11) having a housing (1), in which a movable valve plate (19) of a drain valve (23) is arranged such that by lifting the valve plate (19), a valve aperture of the drain valve (23) is opened and flush water in the flush tank (11) can flow out of the flush tank (11), via a flow path (I, II, II), through at least one passage window (13) formed in the housing (1) and through the open valve aperture, wherein the housing (1) has a support flange (2) on the bottom, to which an outlet (3) connects downward in a fitting vertical direction (z), and wherein the drain fitting has an adjustable deflector element (33) for setting the volume of flush water flowing out of the flush tank (11) per unit of time, characterized in that the deflector element (33) is separated from the passage window (13) at a radial distance, forming an annular gap (47), and that by moving the deflector element (33), the flow path (I, II, II) to the housing-side passage window (13) can be lengthened or shortened, that the support flange (2) projects, in a radial direction (y), with an overhang (Δy) beyond a deflector wall (35) of the deflector element (33), that the deflector wall (35) is stroke-displaceable between an upper open position (h_auf), which is delimited by an upper axial stop (53), and a lower closed position (h_zu), which is delimited by a lower, housing-side axial stop, and that the lower, housing-side axial stop is the housing-side support flange (2).
2. The drain fitting according to Claim 1, characterized in that the deflector element (33) is arranged radially outside the housing (1) such that the deflector element (33) is arranged in a flush water flow direction upstream of the housing-side passage window (13), and/or that the deflector element (33) is essentially arranged in alignment with the housing-side passage window (13) in the radial direction (y).
3. The drain fitting according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deflector element (33) is mounted on the housing (1) by means of a stroke adjustment unit (49) and is manually adjustable by means of the stroke adjustment unit (49).
4. The drain fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector element (33) has a deflector wall (35), which has a deflecting edge (45) on its lower edge in a fitting vertical direction (z), around which the flow path (I, II) of the flush water flowing towards the housing-side passage window (13) runs, and that the deflector wall (35) has at least one passage opening (41), at the opening edge of which a flow tab (43) juts obliquely, overlapping the passage opening (41) with a spacing and forming a passage gap.
5. The drain fitting according to Claim 4, characterized in that the flush water flow path (I, II) is split when the drain valve (23) is open, namely into a flow path (I_a, II_a) running through the passage opening (41) and into a flow path (I_b, II_b) running around the deflecting edge (45) of the deflector wall (35).
6. The drain fitting according to Claim 5, characterized in that the two partial flow paths are merged again in the annular gap (47) formed between the deflector element (33) and the housing-side passage window (13).
7. The drain fitting according to Claim 3, characterized in that the deflector element (33) can be positioned, by means of the stroke adjustment unit (49), in predefined stroke positions (h₁, h₂, h₃), and that in particular in a lower stroke position (h₁), a maximum flow path (1) to the housing-side passage window (13) is set, in a middle stroke position (h₂), a medium-length flow path (II) to the housing-side passage window (13) is set and in an upper stroke position (h₃), a short flow path (III) to the housing-side passage window (13) is set and that in particular in the upper stroke position (h₃), the deflector element (33) and the housing-side passage window (13) are overlap-free when viewed in a radial direction (y).
8. The drain fitting according to Claim 7, characterized in that the deflector element (33) has a deflector wall (35), which is configured as tubular, and/or that the deflector element (33) has a deflector wall (35), which is configured as completely closed and completely encloses the area of the housing (1).
9. The drain fitting according to any one of Claims 3, 7 or 8, characterized in that the stroke adjustment unit (49) has a drive spindle (55) capable of being rotationally actuated by the user, which is operatively connected to, in particular in threaded engagement with, the deflector element (33) such that the deflector element (33) is stroke adjustable upon rotational actuation of the drive spindle (55).
10. The drain fitting according to Claim 9, characterized in that the housing (1) has a retaining bracket (57), in which the drive spindle (55) is mounted rotatably but stationarily in an axial direction of the housing (1), and that the drive spindle (55) has a first thread, in particular a male thread (61), which is in threaded engagement with a second thread, in particular a female thread (63), formed on the stroke-adjustable deflector element (33).
11. The drain fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a drain valve unit (18) is supported on an upperside of the housing (1), and that in particular an upper axial stop (53) for a deflector wall (35) of the deflector element (33) is formed by an underside of the drain valve unit (18), and that the deflector element (33) is arranged in a stroke-adjustable manner between a lower housing-side support flange (2) of the housing (1) and the underside of the drain valve unit (18).
12. The drain fitting according to Claim 11, characterized in that, with a view toward simple installation/dismantling of the drain valve unit (18), the deflector element (33) is arranged underneath the drain valve unit (18), and that the deflector element (33) is configured as a separate component decoupled from the drain valve unit (18) such that during dismantling, the drain valve unit (18) is lifted upwards in the fitting vertical direction (z) without the deflector element (33) arranged underneath forming an interference contour.

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