GB2385066A

GB2385066A - Toilet flush lever mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2385066A
Application number: GB0202727A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph U Han
Original assignee: Fluidmaster Inc
Current assignee: Fluidmaster Inc
Priority date: 2002-02-06
Filing date: 2002-02-06
Publication date: 2003-08-13
Also published as: GB0202727D0

Abstract

A toilet cistern 30 mounting assembly 56 for a flush lever mechanism 45 includes a bracket device 58 and a power spring assembly 61. The bracket device 58 comprises a base 63 mounted on the front wall 34 of a toilet cistern 30 and a vertically adjustable carrier 65. A rotary spring assembly 61 is coupled to the carrier 65 and is horizontally adjustable. The spring assembly 61 includes a shaft housing 89 adapted to receive a shaft 52 of the flush lever mechanism 49, and a power spring 94 that biases the shaft 52 to a normal position. A non-rigid link 54 couples the flush lever 49 to a flapper flush valve 32 mounted to the bottom of the cistern 30. A method of installation is also provided.

Description

TOILET FLUSHING APPARATUS WITH TANK LEVER ADAPTOR This invention relates generally to toilets and. more specifically, to toilet tank flush assemblies.

Particularly in Europe, conventional toilet tanks have ftush assemblies which employ a siphonic flush valve. As the name implies, such valves employ siphoning action to direct water in the toilet tank to the toilet bowl. A disadvantage with siphonic flush valves is the lack of speed and force by which the flushing water travels toward the toilet bowl. Siphonic flush valves also tend to be uncommonly noisy.

A typical siphonic flush valve is illustrated in Figure 1 and designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The siphonic flush valve 10 includes a body 12 that defines a flushing channel through which water in the tank 14 is directed out to the toilet bowl. A piston 16 within the body 12 is biased downwardly to a closed position by a compression spring 18. The piston 16 is attached to a rod 21 that is coupled to a flush lever mechanism 23 by a link 25.

This structure illustrates a major disadvantage with a typical siphonic flush valve in that it lacks an automatic shut-off since the closure of the valve is directly dependent on the release of the flush handle. A user must manually control the amount of flushing by holding the handle down or in some other operative position. Siphonic flush valves are incapable of providing flushes at a consistent volume without need for manual control by the user.

The present invention provides structures and methods which overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

A toilet flushing apparatus is provided for use in connection with a toilet tank.

The apparatus comprises a flush lever mechanism including a flush handle disposed exteriorly of the toilet tank and coupled to a flush lever disposed within the toilet tank. A mounting assembly is secured to a sidewall of the toilet tank. The mounting assembly supports the flush lever mechanism and includes a spring mechanism to bias the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position. A flapper flush valve is coupled to the flush lever mechanism.

The spring mechanism comprises a shaft housing and a power spring coupled to the shaft housing. The flush lever mechanism comprises a rod extending between the flush handle and the flush lever. The shaft housing receives the rod while the power spring biases the shaft housing and rod to a particular angular position. In a preferred embodiment, the power spring encircles the shaft housing in a spiral configuration.

The mounting assembly further comprises a base, and a carrier coupled to the base. The carrier is vertically adjustable with respect to the base. The spring mechanism is coupled to the carrier and is adjustable between a proximate position adjacent to the base and a remote position spaced apart from the base. The apparatus further comprises a link coupling the flush lever mechanism to the flapper flush valve.

The link has properties for pulling but not for pushing.

In a further aspect, a mounting assembly is provided for retaining a flush lever mechanism in a toilet tank with a flapper flush valve. The flush lever mechanism includes a shaft coupled to a handle and a flush lever. The assembly comprises a bracket device adapted for being mounted to a wall of a toilet tank and for supporting the flush lever mechanism. A spring mechanism is carried by the bracket device and configured to bias the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position.

The bracket device comprises a base mounted to the sidewall of the toilet tank and a slidable member coupled to the base. The base defines a base slot. The slidable member comprises a fitting slidably disposed in the base slot. The base slot comprises a first slot. The slidable member defines a second slot extending generally perpendicular to the first slot. The spring mechanism comprises a spring base slidably disposed in the second slot, a shaft housing and a power spring encircling the shaft

housing. An axis is defined by the shaft housing. The spring mechanism is adjustable with respect to the base such that the shaft housing can be made coaxial with the shaft.

A method is provided for retrofitting a toilet tank having a flush lever mechanism and a siphonic flush valve. The method comprises the steps of removing the siphonic flush valve from the toilet tank, mounting a flapper flush valve to a bottom of the toilet tank, coupling the flush lever mechanism to a sidewall of the toilet tank with an adaptor configured to retain the flush lever mechanism, and coupling the flush lever mechanism to the flapper flush valve. The method further comprises the steps of biasing the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position with a spring mechanism included in the adaptor, and adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism.

The step of adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism further comprises the step of adjusting the spring mechanism horizontally between a front sidewall and a rear sidewall of the toilet tank. The step of adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism further comprises the step of adjusting the spring mechanism vertically between a top and the bottom of the toilet tank.

The method further comprises the step of providing the adaptor with a base and a carrier that is vertically adjustable with respect to the base such that the step of adjusting the spring mechanism vertically between a top and the bottom of the toilet tank comprises the step of vertically adjusting the carrier.

In summary, a toilet tank mounting assembly for a flush lever mechanism includes a bracket device and a power spring assembly. The bracket device comprises a base mounted on a front wall of a toilet tank and a vertically adjustable carrier. A rotary spring assembly is coupled to the carrier and is horizontally adjustable. The spring assembly includes a shaft housing adapted to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism, and a power spring that biases the shaft to a normal position. A non-rigid link couples a flush lever to a flapper flush valve mounted to the bottom of the tank.

Methods for retrofit assembly are also provided.

It will be appreciated that a superior flush valve is provided that can deliver water at a faster rate, reduce the noise level, and close on its own, thereby delivering a consistent amount of flush and relieving the user from having to manually control the duration. To the extent existing toilet tanks have flush systems that may be used in

connection with such a superior valve, it would also be advantageous to retrofit these siphonic systems to accommodate these valves.

The invention, now having been briefly summarized, may be better understood and appreciated with a description of preferred embodiments of the concept and reference to the associated drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cutaway view of a toilet tank of the prior art including a siphonic flush valve ; FIG. 2 is a cutaway, perspective view of toilet tank incorporating a flapper flush valve and mounting assembly according to the present invention ; FIG. 3 is a top, left-side perspective view of the preferred mounting assembly of the present invention ; and FIG. 4 is a top, right-side perspective view of the preferred mounting assembly of the present invention.

The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

Prior to turning to the preferred embodiments, it would be helpful to refer to a prior art toilet tank 14, as shown in Figure1, that may be beneficially retrofitted according to the invention. In operation, a flush handle 27 is rotated and held down, causing a flush lever to rotate and pull a link 25 coupled to a rod 21 disposed in the body 12 of the siphonic flush valve 10. The rod 21 and associated piston 16 is lifted, thereby opening the flushing channel within the body 12 and directing the water in the tank to the bowl by way of siphoning. A compression spring 18 coupled to the piston 16 biases the piston 16 downwards and causes the valve 10 when the flush handle 27 is ultimately released by the user.

A first preferred embodiment of a toilet tank 30 is illustrated in Figure 2. The tank may comprise a newly built tank installed with a flapper flush valve 32 or an existing tank, such as that shown in Figure 1, retrofitted with the valve 32. The tank 30 includes a front wall 34, a rear wall 36, and sidewalls 38 and 41. The flush valve 32 is mounted to a bottom 43 of the tank 30. The tank 30 further includes a top which is not

shown for clarity.

A flush mechanism 45 includes a flush handle 47 disposed exteriorly of the toilet tank 30, a flush lever 49, and a shaft 52 extending therebetween. The flush lever 49 is coupled to the flapper flush valve 32, and more particularly to a flapper 53, by a nonrigid, collapsible link 54. The link 54, shown in the illustrated embodiment as a chain, has properties for pulling, but not pushing such that rotation of the flush handle in one direction opens the flapper flush valve 32 while rotation of the flush handle in a second, opposite direction does not force the valve 32 to close.

A mounting assembly 56 carries the flush mechanism 45 and secures it to the front wall 34 as the mechanism 45 extends therethrough. In Figures 3 and 4, the mounting assembly 56 comprises a bracket device 58 and a spring assembly or spring mechanism 61. The bracket device 58 includes a hanger or bracket base 63 adapted to be removably mounted to the front wall 34, and a slidable carrier 65 that is adjustable

with respect to the base 63. A slot 67 defined in the base 63 is configured for receiving a sliding fitting 69 of the carrier 65. More specifically, the base 63 includes tabs 72 that define tracks 74. The base 63 defines a vertically elongate hole 76 adapted to overlap the hole in the front wall 34 through which the flush mechanism 45 extends, as shown in Figure 2.

The fitting 69 of the carrier 65 also includes an aperture 78 adapted to overlap the hole 76 of the base 63. An axial portion 81 of the carrier 65 extends perpendicularly from the fitting 69 toward the rear wall 36 of the tank 30. The axial portion 81 also includes tabs 83 that define axial tracks 85 which collectively define an axial slot 87.

The spring mechanism 61 is slidably coupled to the axial portion 81 and is thus horizontally movable between the front wall 34 and the rear wall 36. It will be appreciated that vertical adjustment to accommodate the flush lever mechanism 45 is provided by the fitting 72 that is vertically movable with respect to the bracket base 63, while axial horizontal adjustment is provided by the spring mechanism 61 being axially movable with respect to the carrier 65.

An advantage of the flapper flush valve 32 is that it closes automatically depending upon the volume of water exiting the tank 30. Accordingly, the user need not hold down the flush handle 49 for an extended time. Since flush handles 49 tend to be heavy, the spring mechanism 61 serves to return the handle 49 back to a normal, or steady state, position, thus enabling the user to simply release the handle 49 after pressing.

As shown in Figures 2-4, the spring mechanism 61 includes a shaft housing 89 that defines a through hole 92 configured to receive the shaft 52 of the flush mechanism 45. A power spring 94 is coupled to the shaft housing 89 at an inner portion 96 and is spiraled around the shaft housing 89 to an outer portion 98. The power spring 94 thus encircles the shaft housing 89 and ultimately the shaft 52 held therein. The outer portion 98 comprises a sliding member configured to fit the axial slot 87 defined in the axial carrier portion 81. As an example and not by way of limitation, the spring mechanism 61 may comprise a plastic, bendable material having properties for returning to its original position after being stressed. Thus, where the flush handle 47 is movable between a normal position and a flushing position, the spring mechanism 61 biases the flush handle 47 to the normal position. In the preferred embodiment, this is accomplished by the power spring 94 biasing the shaft 52, to which the flush handle 47 and flush lever 49 are coupled, to a particular angular position.

The through hole 92 defines an axis 103. With the vertical and horizontal adjustments provided by the mounting assembly 56, it will be appreciated that the axis 103 may be moved in order to be coaxial with the shaft 52 which extends through the shaft housing 89. In particular, horizontal adjustment is provided by the sliding member 98 that is disposed in the axial slot 87 and movable in a horizontal direction between the front wall 34 and the rear wall 36 of the tank 30. Vertical adjustment is provided by the sliding member 98 that is disposed in the base slot 67 and movable in a vertical direction between the bottom 43 and a top (not shown) of the tank 30.

In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for retrofitting an existing toilet tank having a siphonic flush valve. The method comprises disconnecting the siphonic flush valve from the flush lever and removing it from the toilet tank. The existing flush lever mechanism may be unscrewed from the front wall of the tank.

Alternativley, a new flush lever mechanism may be installed. Referring now to Figure 2, a flapper flush valve 32 is mounted to the bottom of the tank 30.

In Figure 2, the bracket device 58 is mounted on the front wall 34 of toilet tank 30. The spring mechanism 61 is adjusted to align with and receive the shaft 52 of the flush lever mechanism 45 which is inserted therethrough. In particular, the carrier 65 is vertically adjusted while the spring mechanism 61 is horizontally adjusted. A mounting nut 105 may be threaded on the shaft 52 and screwed to secure the carrier 65 to the bracket base 63. A mounting screw 107 is screwed into a transverse bore 109 to secure the shaft housing 89 to the shaft 52. thereby preventing axial displacement of the shaft 52.

In operation, pressing the flush handle 47 rotates the flush lever 49 which lifts the flapper 53. Water is then directed out of the tank 30, through the flapper flush valve 32 and into the toilet bowl (not shown). The flapper 53 will gradually descend and close without requiring any control from the flush lever mechanism 45. Thus, a user may promptly release the flush lever 49 after pressing it. The spring mechanism 61 stores energy to return the flush handle 47 and flush lever 49 to its normal, angular position, or steady state position.

It will be appreciated that the mounting assembly 56 may be sold separately as a kit to retrofit existing toilets using siphonic flush valves. The mounting assembly 56 may also be sold in combination with a flapper flush valve 32 as a retrofit system. In a further aspect, toilet tanks may be installed with the mounting assembly 56, especially when ornate, heavy flush handles are employed.

Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations.

The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure. material or acts of which they represent a single species.

The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore. defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.

Claims

1. A toilet flushing apparatus for use in connection with a toilet tank, comprising: a flush lever mechanism including a flush handle disposed exteriorly of the toilet tank and coupled to a flush lever disposed within the toilet tank; a mounting assembly secured to a sidewall of the toilet tank, the mounting assembly supporting the flush lever mechanism and including a spring mechanism to bias the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position; and a flapper flush valve coupled to the flush lever mechanism.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism comprises a shaft housing and a power spring coupled to the shaft housing.

3. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein: the flush lever mechanism comprises a rod extending between the flush handle and the flush lever ; the shaft housing receives the rod; and the power spring biases the shaft housing and rod to a particular angular position.

4. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the power spring encircles the shaft housing.

5. The apparatus of Claim 1. wherein the mounting assembly further comprises: a base; and a carrier coupled to the base, the carrier being vertically adjustable with respect to the base.

6. The apparatus of Claim 5, wherein the spring mechanism is coupled to the carrier, the spring mechanism being adjustable between a proximate position adjacent to the base and a remote position spaced apart from the base.

7. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a link coupling the flush lever mechanism to the flapper flush valve, the link having properties for pulling but not for pushing.

8. A mounting assembly for retaining a flush lever mechanism in a toilet tank with a flapper flush valve, the flush lever mechanism including a shaft coupled to a handle and a flush lever, the assembly comprising : a bracket device adapted for being mounted to a wall of a toilet tank and for supporting the flush lever mechanism ; and a spring mechanism carried by the bracket device and configured to bias the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position.

9. The assembly of Claim 8, wherein the bracket device comprises: a base mounted to the sidewall of the toilet tank ; and a slidable member coupled to the base.

10. The assembly of Claim 9. wherein: the base defines a base slot ; and the slidable member comprises a fitting slidably disposed in the base slot.

11. The assembly of Claim 10, wherein: the base slot comprises a first slot ; the slidable member defines a second slot extending generally perpendicular to the first slot ; and the spring mechanism comprises a spring base slidably disposed in the second slot.

12. The assembly of Claim 9, wherein the spring mechanism comprises a shaft housing and a power spring encircling the shaft housing.

13. The assembly of Claim 12. wherein: the shaft housing defines an axis; and the spring mechanism is adjustable with respect to the base such that the shaft housing can be made coaxial with the shaft.

14. A method for retrofitting a toilet tank having a flush lever mechanism and a siphonic flush valve, comprising the steps of : removing the siphonic flush valve from the toilet tank ; mounting a flapper flush valve to a bottom of the toilet tank; coupling the flush lever mechanism to a sidewall of the toilet tank with an adaptor configured to retain the flush lever mechanism ; and coupling the flush lever mechanism to the flapper flush valve.

15. The method of Claim 14, further comprising the step of : biasing the flush lever mechanism to a steady state position with a spring mechanism included in the adaptor.

16. The method of Claim 15, further comprising the step of : adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism.

17. The method of Claim 16, wherein the step of adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism further comprises the step of : adjusting the spring mechanism horizontally between a front sidewall and a rear sidewall of the toilet tank.

18. The method of Claim 16, wherein the step of adjusting the spring mechanism to receive a shaft of the flush lever mechanism further comprises the step of: adjusting the spring mechanism vertically between a top and the bottom of the toilet tank.

19. The method of Claim 14, further comprising the step of providing the adaptor with a base and a carrier that is vertically adjustable with respect to the base ; and wherein: the step of adjusting the spring mechanism vertically between a top and the bottom of the toilet tank comprises the step of vertically adjusting the carrier.