GB2343685A

GB2343685A - Convertor apparatus for a flushing cistern

Info

Publication number: GB2343685A
Application number: GB9921567A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fran Cronin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-09-11
Filing date: 1999-09-13
Publication date: 2000-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2019-09-13
Also published as: GB9819871D0; GB9921567D0; GB2343685B

Abstract

Convertor apparatus for a flushing cistern for converting a single volume flushing cistern into a dual-volume flushing cistern. The apparatus comprising a hollow container body 12 for location in a cistern, the body having a floor and side walls 15. A hinged door or flap 16 is provided on one of the side walls 15a, and is movable between a first position in which it closes an opening 17 on the side wall of the body 12 and the body may retain fluid therein, and a second position in which the door is open and fluid in the body may discharge therefrom through the opening. The door 16 is movable between the first and second positions by a cord attached to the door 16, which when the convertor is installed passes though a conduit 28 trapped between the cistern lid and the cistern body to the outside. The door is latchable in either of the first or second positions by a latching device 26 on the outside of the cistern in co-operative engagement with a ball member 24 on the end of the cord. When the flap is open the cistern gives a large flush. When the flap is closed the cistern gives a small flush.

Description

Cistern Convertor The present invention relates to a convertor for a cistern and is concerned particularly with a convertor for converting a single-volume flushing cistern into a dualvolume flushing cistern.

WCs having cisterns which can deliver a long flush or a short flush, depending upon the actuation of a flush handle, have been widely available for many years. Such cisterns usually employ an internal partition to divide the volume of the cistern, the internal divisions of the cistern being linked by a closable port. The flushing handle is used to control the opening and closing of the port and so can determine whether water from both sides of the partition (i. e. a large flush) or else water from only one side (i. e. a short flush) is discharged from the cistern.

Cisterns of the above type are manufactured in that form, typically either in ceramic or plastics material.

However, a great number of cisterns have been made, and are still being used, which have only one flush typei. e. the entire volume of water held in the cistern may be discharged, or else none at all.

For most flushing applications the full flush delivers a greater volume of water than is necessary, and a great deal of water is wasted as a result.

Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a simple low-cost convertor apparatus for the conversion of an existing single-volume flushing cistern to a dualvolume flushing cistern. In accordance with the present invention there is provided convertor apparatus for a flushing cistern, the apparatus comprising a body for location in a cistern, the body having side walls and a hinged door on one of the side walls, wherein the door is movable between a first position in which it closes an opening on the side wall of the body and the body may retain fluid therein, and a second position in which the door is open and fluid in the body may discharge therefrom through the opening, the door being movable between the first and second positions by actuator means attached to the door, and the door being latchable in either of the first or second positions by latching means in co-operative engagement with the actuator means.

Preferably the actuator means is an elongate member, preferably a flexible line or cable, for example a cord.

The latching means may comprise fixed and movable co- operating members, the movable member being attached to the cord and the fixed member having first and second engagement portions for engagement with the movable member in first and second configurations, corresponding to the first and second positions of the door.

Preferably the body is of plastics material. It may have folded or pleated corners for expansion of the volume enclose by the body.

The door is preferably formed integrally with the body, and may be attached to the body by means of an integral hinge. Preferably the door is arranged to open inwardly of the body. Preferably the door is attached along its upper edge to the side wall of the body.

The door may sealably close the body by means of a sealing member, for example of rubber or silicone, extending around the door on the inside of the body.

The body may be generally box-like, having at least a floor and side walls. Alternatively, the body may have an open bottom. The top of the body may be open.

The cord may be arranged in use to pass through a conduit located between a lid and main body of a cistern in use.

The conduit serves as a guide and the cord should run freely in the guide. The may be of low-friction material.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cistern convertor apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 shows schematically the apparatus of Figure 1 in a first configuration in a cistern before flushing, Figure 3 shows the apparatus of Figure 2 in a cistern after flushing, and Figure 4 shows the apparatus of Figure 2 in a second configuration after flushing.

Referring to Figure 1, this shows generally at 10 a cistern convertor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The convertor 10 comprises a hollow box-like container body 12 of plastics material. The body comprises a floor 13 and four side walls 15. The body is open at the top, and has pleated bellow-like expanding corners 14 between the edges of adjacent pairs of upright side walls 15 and between the lower edges of upright side walls and the adjacent edges of the floor 13.

An openable flap 16 is formed centrally on one side wall 15a. The flap is joined at its upper edge to the side wall 15a by an integral plastic hinge 16a. The flap 16 is located at the botttom of the side wall and is arranged to open inwardly of the container body 12. An opening 17 is formed ir. the side wall 15a by the flap 16. The opening extends down to the floor of the container body. The flap is moveable between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position the flap lies against the inside of the container body side wall 15. A rubber or silicone sealing strip 18 which extends around three sides of the flap 16 engages the inside surface of theside wall 15a around the opening to close vhe oper. ing in a sealed manner so that fluid may not escape from the container body.

An actuating cord 20 made of wire or strong, durable plastics material such as nylon twine, is attached at one end to the lower part of the flap 16 and at its other end to a latching g means 22. The latching means 22 comprises a ball 24 which may engage a seat member 26 in either first or second positions 26a, 26b respectively.

The latching means may instead be a T-bar member.

The apparatus is arranged for installing in an existing operational cistern having only a single-volume flush. As will be described below in relation to Figures 2-4, the box like container body 12 is placed inside a cistern so as to rest upright against a floor thereof in a location spaced from the cistern outlet valve. The pleated corners 14 enable the body 12 to expand somewhat where space permits. The body 12 is actually tapered so that it is effectively the shape of a truncated pyramid for easy location in most types of cistern. Once in place, the actuating cord 20 is extended out of the body 12. A low friction plastic collar 28 (Figure 1) sits between the cistern lid and main body (neither shown) to act as a guide conduit for the cord 20 and to prevent excessive wear thereof. The seat member is mounted on an exterior wall of the cistern, slightly lower than the conventional flushing handle, and the length of the cord 20 may be adjusted so that when the ball 24 rests in the first seat position 26a, the flap 16 is closed and when the ball 24 rests in the second, lower seat position 26b, the flap 16 is held open.

Turning now to Figures 2 to 4, these show schematically the cistern convertor 10 in a cistern 30 having a conventional ball-cock valve 30a and a flushing handle and outlet (neither of which is shown).

In Figure 2 the latching means 22 is set to the first configuration-i. e. the ball 24 is in the first seat position 26a. In this position the flap 16 of the body 12 is closed, sealing the opening 17, and the cistern has a full volume of water 32. It should be noted at this point that the body 12 is of a height somewhat lower than the normal filling level of the cistern so that, wherever the water inlet valve is located, the water replenishing the cistern will fill the cistern both inside and outside the body 12. The height of the body 12 may be trimmed using scissors, by folding it flat, in order to ensure that it can fulfil this criterion for different types of cistern.

In this position, when the flushing handle (not shown) is depressed, the water in the cistern external to the container body 12 will be discharged through an outlet valve (not shown), spaced from the bottom of the body, in the normal way.

Figure 3 shows the cistern 30 after flushing, with the water in the body 12 being retained therein by the closed flap 16 which itself is held in the closed position by the pressure of water in the body 12. A short flush has taken place. The cistern 30 will begin to refill in the conventional way under the control of the ball-cock valve 30a, the floating ball of which has fallen somewhat to the ievel of water retained in the body 12, thus opening the ba l-cock valve 30a and with it the water inlet to replenish the cistern.

Figure 4 shows the convertor 10 in the second d configuration-i. e. the ball 24 is located in the second, lower seat position 26a in which the cord 20 holds the flap 16 in the open position. In this configuration, when the flush handle (not shown) is depressed, both the water inside and outside the body 12, i. e. the entire volume of water in the cistern 30 is discharged as a"long flush".

From the above it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple convertor for an existing single-volume flush cistern. With a minimum of work the apparatus can be installed to provide a dual-volume flush in which the flushing volume of water may be pre-selected using the latching means 22 and delivered in the conventional way by depression of the flushing handle. It is envisaged that the ball 24 will be located in the first seat position 26a for most of the time, giving a short flush, and thus helping to contribute to the conservation of water.

Being of simple construction and of adjustable size, the apparatus is inexpensive and easy to install. A small hole (not shown) in the lower part of the body 12, opposite the flap 16 allows for slight movement of water in and out of the body 12, whilst not be ng sufficiently large to allow flushing of water retained in the body 12, so that stagnation of the water therein does not take place.

Claims

Claims.

1 Convertor apparatus for a flushing cistern, the apparatus comprising a body for location in a cistern, the body having side walls and a hinged door on one of the side walls, wherein the door is movable between a first position in which it closes an opening on the side wall of the body and the body may retain fluid therein, and a second position in which the door is open and fluid in the body may discharge therefrom through the opening, the door being movable between the first and second positions by actuator means attached to the door, and the door being latchable in either of the first or second positions by latching means in co-operative engagement with the actuator means.

2. Convertor apparatus according to claim 1 in which the actuator means is an elongate member.

3. Convertor apparatus according to claim 2 in which the actuator means is a flexible line or cable.

4. Convertor apparatus according to claim 3 in which the actuator means is a cord.

5. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the latching means comprises fixed and movable co-operating members, the movable member being attached to theelongate member and the fixed member having first and second engagement portions for engagement with the movable member in first and second configurations, corresponding to the first and second positions of the door.

6. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which the body is of plastics material.

7. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which the body has folded or pleated corners for expansion of the volume enclosed by the body.

8. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7 in which the door is formed ir. tegrally with the body.

9. Convertor apparatus according to claims 8 in which the door is attached to the body by means of an integral hinge.

10. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9 in which the door is arranged tc open inwardly of the bodv.

11. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10 in which the door is attached along its upper edge to the side wall of the body.

12. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 11 in which the door has a sealing member which forms a seal against the side wall of the body when the door is closed.

13. Converter apparatus according to claim 12 in which the sealing member is o rubber or silicone and extends around the door on the inside of the body.

14. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 13 in which the body is generally box-like, having at least a floor and side walls.

15. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 14 in which the top of the body is open.

16. Convertor apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 15 in which the latching means passes through a conduit which, in use, may be located between a lid and main body of a cistern.

17. Convertor apparatus substantially as herinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.