GB2032487A - Regulating Discharge from Closet Cistern - Google Patents

Abstract

A float ball 5 having an arm 6 controlling a water inlet valve 8 of a closet cistern includes an outside control 13 connected to said arm capable of locking the same in a position of said float ball in which its arm keeps said inlet valve closed, said control when unlocked allowing said float ball to sink so as to open said inlet valve until the maximum water level is established whereby said inlet valve is closed. The angular position of arm 6 relative to the arm carrying the closure for valve 8 may be varied by a ratchet and pawl arrangement. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Flushing Cistern Valve Control The present invention relates to a flushing cistern having an inlet valve control, and has the primary object of saving the amount of water required for flushing a lavatory bowl.

In the conventional flushing cisterns an inlet valve for refilling the cistern is controlled by a float ball hinged to a fixed point and floating on the water contained in the cistern. When the level of the water in the cistern is high, the float ball, through mechanical linkage, keeps the inlet valve closed. When the cistern is flushed and the water level drops, accordingly the float ball also sinks and through its linkage opens the inlet valve.

When a high water level is thus restored, the float ball closes again the inlet valve, and keeps it closed.

The flushing of the cistern is effected by a flushing handle hinged on the cistern and operating a flushing means arranged at the entrance of a syphon whose apex is above the maximum water level and whose outlet leads downward to a lavatory bowl. When said handle is operated directly or through a chain pull, a resilient diaphragm of said flushing means seated in a chamber at the entrance to said syphon is quickly raised while communication of said chamber with the cistern is temporarily blocked so that the content of said chamber is rushed into the syphon, flushing out the air from its apex.

When the resilient diaphragm then returns to its original position and communication between its chamber and the cistern is re-established the water contained in the latter is flushed out under its static pressure until the water level has fallen so low that air enters again the syphon. The water inlet valve had been opened in the meantime by the linkage of the float ball and the maximum water level is restored, whereupon said inlet valve is closed again. The cistern is then ready for renewed flushing.

The disadvantage of known flushing cisterns is that always the full content of the cistern is used, regardless of whether flushing out faces and toilet paper or urin only. This involves a considerable wastage of water, inasmuch as the occasions when a smaller amount of water would suffice are more frequent in practice than those where the full amount of water is required.

According to the invention, in a flushing cistern comprising a cistern basin, a syphon arranged in said basin with its apex above a maximum water level in said basin, means for flushing the air out of said apex operated by a handle or chain pull, the inlet of said syphon communicating with said flushing means and the outlet thereof leading to a lavatory bowl, a float ball having an arm hinged to said basin and controlling a water inlet valve depending on its position relative the water level in said basin, an outside control is connected to said arm capable of locking in a position of said float above a medium water level in said basin in which position its arm keeps said inlet valve closed, said control when unlocked allowing said float ball to sink to said medium water level so as to open said inlet valve until said maximum water level is established whereby said inlet valve is closed.

This outside control means visibly indicates the position of the float ball. When, after flushing the cistern the water level in the basin has risen to a desired medium level, say 1/3 of the maximum water content in the basin, the control is made to raise the float ball to its maximum height and thus to close the water inlet valve. The control is then locked, and the cistern is ready for flushing out, say, urin only. When the flushing out of face and toilet paper is intended, the control is unlocked before use of the cistern so that the float ball sinks to the medium water level, opens the inlet valve and restores the water level to its maximum where the inlet valve is closed. After such use the procedure described is repeated.

The said outside control is conveniently placed on the lid of cistern arranged immediately above the lavatory bowl, or connected to a wire or chain pull by a cable running over rollers journalled on an overhead cistern without reach of the chain pull for the flushing means.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings showning by way of example some embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a second embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows in elevation a modified detail of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows in elevation another modified detail of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows in elevation yet another modified detail of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 shows in elevation in detail a modified embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 8 is a plan view in section to Fig. 7.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, in the cistern basin 1 a syphon 2 is arranged with its apex above the maximum water level H in the basin, which is covered by a lid 3. A flushing lever 4 is journalled outside on the basin 2 and inside the latter connected by a linkage 14 to a flushing means comprising a chamber 9 which is normally in communication with the cistern through an opening 10 which is below a medium water level M but above a low water level L. When the flushing lever 4 is operated, a flexible diaphragm 11 is abruptly raised and at the same time the opening 10 is blocked so that the water contained in the chamber 9 is ejected into the syphon 2, flushing out the air contained in its apex.When the flushing lever is released, the resilient diaphragm 11 returns to its original position, the opening 10 is cleared and water from the basin flushes under its static pressure through the chamber 9 and the syphon 2 into a lavatory bowl (not shown).

A float ball 5 mounted on a lever 6 journalled at 7 to the cistern controls a water inlet valve 8, keeping the same closed in a position corresponding to the maximum water level H, and opening the same when the float ball sinks into positions corresponding to a medium level M or low water level L. So far the arrangement corresponds to that of a conventional flushing cistern, arranged immediately above a lavatory bowl.

According to this embodiment of the invention, an outside control 13 is arranged on top of the lid 3 and linked inside the basin by a link 12 to the lever 6 of the float ball 5. This control 1 3 can be fixed by a spring catch 15, e.g. similar to that used in umbrellas, in an upper position in which it locks the float ball 5 in a position which would correspond to the maximum water level H in which the water inlet valve is closed. When this catch 1 5 is released the control 13 through its linkage 12 allows the float ball 5 to sink, and accordingly to open the water inlet valve 8. The position of the control 13 is visible.

When after flushing the cistern, the water level is thus restored to the medium level M, say corresponding to 1/3 of the maximum water content in the basin 2, the control 13 is raised, and with it the float ball arm 6, and the inlet valve 8 is kept closed. If the use of the full water content of the basin 2 is desired, the control 1 3 is released allowing the water level to rise to the maximum H before operating the flushing lever 4.

Referring now to Fig. 2, for an overhead flushing cistern, the float ball arm 6 is connected to a cable 20 passed over rollers 21,22 to a control 23 near the end of the chain pull, and capable to be fixed there in a manner similar to the spring catch 1 5 of Fig. 1 or by any other suitable releasable means. The operation of this embodiment is identical with that of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

For example, a ball grip 24 could be arranged at the lower end of the cable 20 which could be placed under a horse-shoe shaped bracket 24 fixed somewhere near the grip 4"' of the chain pull 4" of the flushing lever 4' of the overhead cistern of Fig. 2 (see also Fig. 3). In the position shown the float ball arm 6 is locked in the upper position in which the water inlet valve 8 is ciosed.

When the ball grip 23 is moved outward so that the end of the cable 20 clears the bracket 24, the float ball 5 can sink under its own weight.

If desired, a scale 25 or a strip having different colour sections over its iength may indicate the position of the float ball allowing the user to know when to secure the arm 6 in a position in which the inlet valve is closed, say after the cistern is 1/3 filled.

Referring now to Fig. 4 the stem 1 3' of the outside control 13 of Fig. 1 may be linked to two links 12' and 1 2n one of which is rotatable about a fixed point on the arm 6 and the other about a sleeve 12"' slidable along the arm 6. This arrangement facilitates the stem 13' keeping always in a vertical position as compared with the single link 12 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a detail which may be incorporated in the embodiment of Fig. 1. A sleeve 1 58 fixed to the stem 13' has a lateral slot into which the spring catch 15 may be pushed in order to release the control, similarly to the spring catch on an umbrella. A scale 13" or strip showing different colours over its length may be arranged adjacent the stem 13' to indicate the position when, say, 1/3 of the cistern is filled with water.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of arrangement similar to that of Fig. 4, when, however, the upper ends of the links 12' and 12" have each a longitudinal slot 26', 26" respectively, and an outside lever with grip 27 is provided for adjusting the position where the stem 13' is linked to the two links 12', 12".

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8 the arm 6' controlling the water inlet valve 8 is not, as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 or 2, integral with the arm 6 of the float ball 5, but angularly adjustable relative thereto, being coupled to it by a coupling operable from outside by a control 37. For example, the arm 6' is fixed to a shaft 35 journalled at one end in a bracket 34 of the casing 1, and passing through the front wall of said casing inside a sleeve 36 on which the arm 6 is attached. At the outer end of the shaft 35 a ratchet wheel segment 38 is fixed which can be engaged at various position by a pawl 39 linked to the control 39 in a conventional way Thus the arm 6 can be locked to the rachet wheel 38 in the upper position shown in full lines, or in any lower position indicated in dotted lines.

In this manner, the water inlet valve 8 can be kept closed in any position of the float ball 5, whether corresponding to the maximum level H, a medium level M (say corresponding to 1/3 of the maximum water content of the basin 1) or to the low level L. The control 37 has to be locked relative to the basin 1 in the position selected by any suitable means, say by a second ratchet-andpawl coupling (not shown).

Claims (3)

Claims

1. A flushing cistern comprising a cistern basin, a syphon arranged in said-basin with its apex above a maximum water level in said basin, means for flushing the air out of said apex operated by a flushing handle or chain pull, the inlet of said syphon communicating with said flushing means and the outlet of said syphon leading to a lavatory bowl, a float ball having an arm hinged to said basin and controlling a water inlet valve depending on its position relative to the water level in said basin, wherein an outside control is connected to said ball capable of locking the same in a position in which said inlet valve is kept closed, said control when released allowing said float ball to sink to position in which said inlet valve is opened and a desired water level is restored in said basin.

2. A flushing cistern according to claim 1, wherein said inlet valve is coupled to said arm of the float ball angularly adjustably by said outside control through a coupling allowing to adjust the closing of said inlet valve either in the uppermost position of said arm or in any position of the latter corresponding to said float ball being on an intermediate level.

3. A flushing cistern according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to any Figure of the accompanying drawings.