GB2358413A

GB2358413A - Siphon for tank type toilet

Info

Publication number: GB2358413A
Application number: GB0112610A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wade W Smith; David A Saar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-02-25
Filing date: 1998-02-24
Publication date: 2001-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-24
Also published as: GB0112609D0; GB0112610D0; GB2358412B; GB2358413B; GB2358412A

Abstract

The invention relates to a siphon (10) for use with a flush type toilet having a tank (19) with a drain hole (24) at the bottom. The siphon comprises a vertical tubular discharge portion (12) including a vertical tube which is secured within the drain hole (24). The siphon also includes a bell shaped inlet portion (14) including a connecting portion (16) having a downwardly extending tubular portion for telescopic insertion into the vertical discharge portion (12). The vertical tubular discharge portion (12) has a height selected so that it can be cut to define an installation height within a predetermined range of heights. The connecting portion (16) includes a bracket (64) having a plurality of vertically spaced holes which can be aligned with selected holes (66) in a bracket (68) extending from the vertical discharge portion (12). A pin (70) is inserted into the selected aligned holes in the two brackets to telescopically adjust the height of the connecting portion (16) and bell shaped portion (14) relative to the vertical discharge portion (12) depending upon the cut height of the latter portion (12).

Description

2358413 SIPHON FOR TANK TYPE TOILET The present invention relates to a

tank type toilet and more particularly to a siphon system for controlling the flush volume of a tank type toilet.

A conventional siphon has a bell shaped inlet portion on one side, a vertical tubular discharge portion on the other side, and a connecting portion connecting the top of these portions. The bottom outlet of the vertical tubular discharge portion is sealingly connected to the discharge opening of the toilet tank. In the ready condition, water fills the bell shaped inlet portion up to the water line of the tank, which is about 1/211 below the overflow height.

A plunger extends through the top of the bell shaped inlet portion and is connected to an inlet grid. The inlet grid conf orms to the shape of the bell shaped inlet portion so that it can be lifted into the bell shaped inlet portion when the flush handle is operated (a "C" link connects the flush handle to the top of the plunger). A compression spring is located on the plunger between the top of the bell shaped inlet portion and the inlet grid to keep the grid at the bottom of the bell shaped inlet portion except when the flush handle is operated.

Secured centrally to the top of the grid around the plunger is a flexible plastic cover the shape of the grid. When the flush handle is operated, the plastic covered grid is elevated pushing water out of the bell shaped inlet portion into the vertical outlet portion to establish the siphon which pulls water from the tank, past the flexible plastic cover, which folds out of the way, until the water level of the tank either reaches the bottom of the bell shaped portion or reaches a hole defined in the side of the bell shaped inlet portion. Such conventional siphons 2 accordingly have a single fixed flush volume.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved i W n operated toilet.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is prov,k,d a siphon for a flush type toilet, as defined in claim 1. i According to a further aspect, the present invention provides mc h type toilet incorporating a tank provided with the claimed siphon.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in wi h.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a flush type Cilet embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a view taken at 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the elbow; Figure 4 is a front view of a two piece flush handle; Figure 5 is an elevational view of a first flush handle assembly; Figure 6 is an elevational view illustrating the interconnection 01 the flush arm and the elbow; Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a second flush handle ass; bly; and Figure 8 is a logic diagram showing the control algorithm for the s Dnd flush handle assembly.

1 In the preferred embodiment, the siphon 10 has a plastic vertical tubular discharge portion 12 which extends upwardly beyond the water level and flares slightly, downwardly,and an inlet portion including a plastic bell shaped portion 14 and an integral connecting portion 16 which extends upwardly beyond the water line and then downwardly telescopically into the vertical tubular discharge portion (a seal therebetween may be established by an 11011 ring 17 and the connecting portion can be key locked, like the inlet leg of a Hunter fill valve). As shown in Figure 1, the water line is located about 1/211 below the overflow height. The vertical discharge tubular portion may have a height of f rom about 7 1/211 to 111 1/211 and will be cut to locate the top above the water line. The bottom outlet of the vertical tubular discharge portion has a flange 20 at the top of a threaded end 22 so that it can be sealingly connected to the discharge opening 24 of the bottom 26 of the toilet tank 19 by tightening a suitable nut 30.

The bell shaped portion 14 has a horizontal intake opening 31 and in the ready condition, water fills the inlet portion up to the water line of the tank. A plastic plunger 32 extends through a horizontal platform 33 defined on the top wall 34 of the bell shaped portion and through a suitable hole 35 in a plastic inlet grid 36. The bottom of the plunger ends with a stop 37. The inlet grid matches the shape (internal configuration) of the bell shaped portion so that it can be vertically lifted into the bell shaped portion when a flush handle is operated (a "C" link 38 connects the top of the plunger to the flush arm 84 of the flush handle assembly) A plastic washer 40 and is located about the plunger a:

its top below the "C" link and a compression sprinj! 44 is located around the plunger between the horizontal platform 33 of the bell shaped inle portion and the inlet grid to keep the grid at t)i bottom of the bell shaped inlet portion when th siphon is not being used. Secured centrally to th top of the grid around the plunger between a clampin plate 46, which has holes which forcefully receiv suitable projections on the top of the grid and th.

grid, is a flexible plastic cover 48 made from shee:

plastic and having the shape of the grid. When tl-iE flush handle is operated, the plastic covered grid i elevated pushing water out of the inlet portion an5 is into the vertical outlet portion to establish tl-iE siphon which pulls water from the tank, past th e plastic cover, which folds out of the way, until tl.-lgi siphon is broken.

A hole 50 is molded into the side wall of th- 1 connecting portion 16, approximately 2 1/211 below tlil water line and a plastic elbow 52 having =3. ii circumferential lip 54 at its end is inserted int:

this hole with the elbow facing down ward. The elboa has a length which can be cut to locate the bottom opening of the elbow at a location which will define 1 a flush height (the distance between the water ine and the bottom opening of the elbow which will define the normal flush volume (1. 6 gallons) in the specif i 1 toilet tank 19 in which it is located (or the one oif 1 1 1 a plurality of elbows having dif f eren heights whici correlate to specific toilets, can be installed to define this flush height for a specific tank).

elbow can be rotated while maintaining an effectivIle, seal between the elbow and the connecting portion.l 1 An outwardly projecting key 60 (Figure 21) extends vertically upwardly along the outside of tl-llel vertical tubular discharge portion 12 and is receiv(:- d by a vertical keyway 62 defined in the outer surface of the bell shaped portion. Extending outwardly from the connecting portion is a bracket 64 which includes a number of bores (not shown) which are aligned with corresponding bores 66 which are part of a second bracket 68 extending outwardly from the vertical tubular discharge portion. A connection pin 70 can be forcefully pushed through any two aligned bores to connect the parts together thereby enabling the top of the vertical discharge portion, wherever it has been cut to be connected to the inlet portion.

The toilet may have a two piece flush handle 80, 82, (Fig.4) with the outer handle 80 actuating a normal flush and the inner handle 82 actuating a is reduced volume flush. The outer handle 80 is connected to a spindle 83 (Fig.5) which passes through the tank wall and which is integral with an extended f lush arm 84. The upper end of the "C" shaped link 38 is connected, directly or indirectly, to the free end 85 of this flush arm 84 so that when this outer flush handle is operated, the grid will be elevated sufficiently to establish the siphon to flush the toilet. The breaking of the siphon, when the water level decreases to the opening of the elbow, will define the normal flush volume (1.6 gallon).

Rotatably supported within a suitable bore (not shown) in the spindle 83 is a shaft 86 (Fig. 5).

Secured to the shaft outside the tank is the inner f lush handle 82 and secured to the free end of the shaft, within the tank, is a bracket 88 which has a rigid but resilient element 90 and a control element 91. Rotation of the inner handle, to flush the toilet, will be stopped, at a selected angular displacement, by the engagement of the resilient element with a stop 92 which is integral with a support plate 94 (the support plate is mounted on the -5 spindle 83). The control element 91 has a f lat toll surface 92 supporting the flush arm 84 and a bottor surface 93 which has a notch 93'. A corresponding1V1 shaped projection 96 of a locking member 97 matingl.

engages this notch in the illustrated ready positionJ The locking member has a spindle 98 which i.-,t pivotally mounted on a post 99 integral with thE 1 support plate 94 and has a first outwardly extendinj arm 100 which has an extended slot 102 for receivinc the bent end of a wire 103. This wire has horizontal portion 104 and a vertical portion lo which extends downwardly through a bore in a suppor bracket 106. The other end of this wire is secured,l in an air tight manner, to a lifting cup 108 which i open at the bottom. When the water level risel beyond the bottom of the lifting cup, the ali captured within the lifting cup will force it tC rise with the water level, thereby raising the wii.,,: which causes the locking member to rotate clockwis-,- until it is stopped. At the ready position, upwar,,,movement is stopped by the insertion of the lockinc member projection 96 into the control element notct 93'. At the fully up position, the locking membei spindle 98 stops upward displacement of the wire., When the inner flush handle is operated (movement ofl the inner flush handle to its fully down location), the control element 91, and hence the flush arm 84 and the grid 36, will be displaced sufficiently tc establish the siphon so that the toilet will flush..

When the inner flush handle is operated, th '-Iprojection 96 on the locking member will clear th..P notch 931 of the control element 91 and the upwarc bias of the lifting cup 108 will rotate the lockinc member 97 underneath the lower surface 93 of thl- control element 91 thereby holding the inner flus lever at its down position.

Connected proximate the free end of the flusi arm 84 is one end of a rigid link 110 which is connected, at its other end, to the elbow 52 proximate its bottom. Rotational displacement of the control element 91 accordingly effects an upward pivotal displacement of the flush arm 84, and hence the elbow, with a concomitant upward relocation of the bottom opening of the elbow (the initial position of the elbow may be slightly inclined to lessen the torque required to raise the elbow). When the bottom opening of the elbow is at this uppermost position (a vertical distance "H") a predetermined reduced flush volume will be defined.

A support 112, pivotally suspended from the right arm 114 of the locking member 97, supports at is it free end, a timing cup 116 which is open at the top and which has an opening 118 defined in its bottom. The top of this timing cup is located below the water line so that it will be filled with water in the ready position and the size of the opening and the volume of the timing cup are defined so that once the locking member has been rotated to its fully rotated position, water in the timing cup will hold the locking member in the fully up position long enough for the siphon to be broken whereupon the locking member will rotate back to the ready position. As already described, a rigid link extends between the elbow 52 and the f lush arm 84 so that the two structures pivot together. In a normal f lush, the siphon compression spring returns the flush arm and the elbow to their initial positions before the water level drops to the bottom of the elbow. In a reduced volume f lush, however, the locking member holds the flush arm at an elevated position and this results in the bottom opening of the elbow also being held at an elevated position until the water level lowers to this opening breaking the siphon. Thereafter, following the timing out of the timing cup, the locking member rotates to its initial] location allowing the compression spring to lower th elbow and the flush arm to their initial locations.1, 1 Accordingly, operation of the inner lever will result i in the bottom of the elbow being relocated to it,.

1 uppermost position to define a reduced volume flu.sh i and following that flush the locking member and thel elbow will be returned to their initial locations.

While, in the first flush handle assembly.

mechanical linkage and a water timer are disclosedl r other structures could beutilized to verticall- relocate the bottom opening of the elbow, to maintaij[, that relocation until the siphon is broken, and thE?3 to return the elbow to its initial location!, is Referring to Figure 7, a second flush handle assembl.t is shown which includes a proximity sensor 120 whickl is connected to a suitable control (chip) 122 whick, is powered by a battery 124 to operate a sprin( loaded solenoid 126. The sensor, control, batter' and solenoid are supported by a suitable housing 12$ which hangs on the front wall of the tank 19. Th proximity sensor 120 senses the presence of a persoi at the toilet and the control determines the tiiTi that the person is at the toilet. In the event thag.

the person is at the toilet less than "X" seconds thl"-' control will define a low volume flush. otherwise it' will define a normal 1.6 gallon flush. i The pin 130 of the solenoid is normally sprin.4 biased against the flush arm 84. When the f 1US4 handle (here there would only be a single f lus handle) is operated, the flush arm will rise abov,---1 i the pin with the spring then advancing to its f U 1 1,ti extended location.' This generates a signal whic- tells the control that the toilet has been flushedJ For a normal flush the solenoid will be operated tcj, immediately fully retract the pin for a tim sufficient to allow the flush arm to return to initial location. The pin will then be released to advance the pin against the flush armthereby resetting the assembly. For a reduced volume flush, when the control receives the signal that the pin has fully advanced, it does not operate the solenoid.

Instead, as the siphon spring pulls the flush arm back down to its initial location, its downward displacement is stopped by the fully extended pin.

In a normal flush, the siphon compression spring returns the flush arm and the elbow to their initial positions before the water level drops to the bottom of the elbow. In a reduced volume flush, however, the pin holds the flush arm at an elevated position and this results in the bottom opening of the elbow.

also being held at an elevated position until the water level lowers to this opening breaking the siphon. Thereafter the control will operate the solenoid to fully retract the pin thereby allowing the compression spring to lower the elbow and the flush arm to their initial locations. After a period of time sufficient for this to happen, the solenoid is operated to reset the assembly.

A logic diagram showing the control algorithm for the flush handle assembly of Figure 7 is shown in Figure 8.

Claims

1 A siphon for a flush type toilet having a tank with a drain hole tl-e bottom, comprising: a vertical tubular discharge portion including a vertical tube mea for securing the bottom of said vertical tubular discharge portion within th raM hole in the bottom of the tank, said vertical tube having a height selected so that it can be cut to J fire an installation height within a predetermined range of heights, a bell shaped inlet portion including a connecting portion hai a downwardly extending tubular portion for telescopic insertion into said N/a ical tube, means for releasably connecting said vertical tubular discharge potion i, to said bell shaped portion including a bracket on said vertical tube hay ig a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal pin receiving holes, a bracket oil;a connecting portion having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal p n receiving holes and a connecting pin for insertion into aligned vertical tube ard connecting portion pin receiving holes.

2. A siphon according to claim 1, wherein said releasably conn3 ting means further includes a vertical key outwardly projecting from said vBitical I tubular discharge portion and a vertical keyway on said bell shaped porti:)i for receiving said vertical key.

3. A siphon according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a hole in said bell shaped inlet portion, an elbow secured within said bell shaped inlet portion hole, said elbow extending downwardly a selected distance to a bmfoin opening so that the elbow can be cut to define a flush height withip sai d selected vertical range.

4. A siphon according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

an inlet portion including said bell shaped portion and said connecting portion, a hole in said inlet portion, a tubular structure secured within said inlet portion hole, said tubular structure having an opening selectively located at a first position to break the siphon thereby defining the normal flush volume for the toilet, means for flushing the toilet with said opening at said first position; means for flushing the toilet with a reduced volume including means for vertically upwardly relocating said opening to a second position; means for maintaining said opening at said second position until the siphon is broken, and means for returning said opening to said first position following the breaking of the siphon.

is

5. A siphon according to claim 4, wherein said tubular structure is an elbow pivotally secured within said inlet portion hole and terminating at an open end.

6. A siphon according to claim 5, wherein said means for vertically upwardly relocating said opening to a second position comprises a flush handle assembly including a flush handle pivotally displaceable about a selected axis, a flushing arm displaceable by said flush handle from a ready position to a flush position, and a rigid linkage interconnecting said elbow and said flushing arm.

7. A siphon according to claim 6, wherein said means for maintaining said opening at said second position until the siphon is broken comprises means for preventing the downward displacement of said flushing arm below a position selected to locate said elbow opening at said second position.

12

8. A siphon according to claim 7, wherein said preventing mea s comprises a solenoid having a pin selectively advanceable into the dO\Arivard path of said flushing arm.

9. A siphon according to claim 8, wherein said means for returni 1 9 s id opening to said first position following the breaking of the siphon conhir Is as means for retracting said pin.

10. A siphon according to claim 6, wherein said pin is spring biased 4 ainst 10 said flushing arm when said flushing arm is at the ready position.

11. A siphon according to claim 6, wherein said flush handle a,,;.Etntly further comprises j i a second flush handle assembly including a second flush handle pivotal about said selected axis, a control member pivotal about said selected axis from a, i ca y position, said cohtrol member supporting said flushing arm, and means for stopping the pivotal displacement of said ('Cl,itrc)i member at an elevated position when said flushing arm has been elevated to a location whereat said opening has been relocated to said second positio arid wherein said means for maintaining said opening at said second positioh, intil the siphon is broken comprises a locking element displaceable from a first position to a e ord position whereat the pivotal displacement of said control element fro, tl e elevated position towards said ready position will be prevented, and means for holding said locking element at said second tic n for a selected period of time.

12. A siphon according to claim 1, 2 or 3, comprising:

first means for flushing the toilet with a normal flush volume, second means for flushing the toilet with a reduced volume, and 13 means for selectively operating either said first flushing means or said second flushing means including sensor means for sensing the presence of a person at the toilet.

13. A siphon according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A flush type toilet incorporating a tank provided with a siphon according to any preceding claim. 10