MXPA97002751A - Water saving device for an inod - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an adjustable valve for controlling the amount of water flowing through the fill water hose into the drain pipe and into the toilet bowl. The valve is a double component device that includes a housing structure and a lever component. Both the housing structure and the lever component have a duct section of similar shape, although different size. The conduit section of the lever component fits snugly within the conduit section of the housing structure. The lever component is capable of rotating within the housing structure. The conduit sections in both the housing structure and the lever component include openings that provide a passage for water to flow therethrough. The openings in the housing structure are spherically formed and the openings in the lever component are pear-shaped. The housing structure includes a pair of tabs positioned 90 ° to each other to limit the rotation of the lever component so that the openings in both the housing structure and the lever component are always aligned. Since the lever component is rotated within the housing structure, the water flow is varied. The flow of water becomes more restricted as the lever component is rotated from one tab to the other, although it is never completely obstructed.

Description

WATER SAVING DEVICE FOR A TOILET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a water-saving device for use in a toilet and more particularly to a flow control valve device for use with the reseal tube in a toilet tank. The current toilets are designed and manufactured to properly clean using approximately 6,048 liters of water per wash (GPF). When fulfilling the requirement of 6,048 liters (GPF), it is important that little or no water is wasted during the washing. Toilets are provided with a holding tank in which a predetermined amount of water accumulates after each use. In the course of this accumulation, part of the filling stream is diverted into the cup itself, providing a liquid seal against gases and the like. This deviation from the filling stream is under the control of a ball-key mechanism or similar means. More precisely, the ball valve mechanism divides into two flows, one directed into the holding tank and the other guided through a refill hose to a drain tube and into the cup. Since the toilets are made of vitreous china and the dimensions can vary from one piece to another, the water of filling directed towards the cup through the filling hose can be more than enough to reseal the siphon of a toilet and not enough to reseal the siphon of another toilet. Additionally, the installation of each toilet is unique, differences in water supply pressures, drain line pipe and ventilation of the sanitary installation system will together affect toilet performance and fill water level. As many as 1200 ml of water can be spilled on the siphon dump after the completion of the washing cycle. In many cases where toilets do not meet the requirement of 6,048 liters of GPF, the cup would have fulfilled the requirement if it were not for the excess fill water that overflows the landfill after the completion of the wash cycle. This water does not improve the washing performance and is really wasted. Therefore, to reduce water waste, it is necessary to adjust each toilet after installation to compensate for shrinkage of the vitreous porcelain, water supply pressures and drain line piping since such adjustments can not be made in the manofacturadora plant. Attempts have been made to compensate for the variations in washing through the incorporation of valve devices in the filling line of the toilet tank. In U.S. Patent No. 4,764,996 to Pine, a compression clamp is provided on a toilet fill hose to adjust the amount of water flowing through the fill hose to the drain pipe. US Pat. No. 4,145,775 to Butler discloses the use of a rotary flow control valve that can be provided between the two cut ends of the filling hose. Butler describes that by rotating the opposing members of the valve to control the flow through the the same U.S. Patent No. 4,980,932 to Stemples provides what the patentee considers to be an improved flow separator valve over the Butler and Pine valves that includes lever handles to control the flow to the toilet tank as well. as to the filling hose In each of those devices the control of the water flow have been affected by the reduction the volume of the water flow that is directed into the drain pipe and continues to the toilet bowl The filling hose carries water to the drain pipe while the valve on the filling hose remains open ThereforeAs the water flows into the toilet tank, the fill water enters the drain pipe and fills the toilet bowl By reducing the flow of water flowing from the filling hose to the drain pipe during the cycle flushing of the toilet, less water is distributed into the drain tube and therefore into the toilet bowl. Therefore, all prior art valve devices used to control the flow of water through the filling hose are directed to valves that may be completely closed Although the prior art devices allow adjustment of the valve means, no means are provided to prevent the valve from completely intercepting the water. If the water flow is cut off by the valve, the water It is not directed towards the filling hose. The toilet bowl is not filled with water and a complete seal can not be provided. noxious gases enter the environment from the sewer system due to the absence of an adequate water seal. Although, it may be possible to adjust the valves of the prior art to avoid a complete obstruction of the water flow, there is no safety device to avoid Such a thing should occur. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a valve device that controls the amount of water flowing through the refill hose that does not allow the water to be completely blocked. It is important that a minimum water flow is maintained towards the cup and the siphon to make the required seal in order to prevent harmful gases from infiltrating through the toilet towards the toilet BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to control the amount of water flowing into the toilet bowl. It is a related object of the invention to ensure that a minimum flow of water reaches the bowl and the siphon to effect the required seal These and other objects and advantages were obtained by the present invention which provides an adjustable valve to control the amount of water flowing through the refill hose into the drain tube and into the toilet bowl. The valve is a double component device including a housing structure and a lever component Both the housing structure and the lever component have a conduit section, similarly, but of different size The conduit section of the lever component fits snugly Inside the conduit section of the housing structure The lever component is able to rotate r within the housing structure The conduit sections in both the housing structure and the lever component include the openings that provide a passage for water to flow therethrough. The openings in the housing structure are circular and the openings in the lever component are pear-shaped The housing structure includes a pair of tabs positioned at 90 ° to one another to limit the rotation of the lever component so that the openings in the housing structure and the component The leverage is always aligned As the lever component is rotated inside the housing structure, the water flow is varied. The water flow is further restricted as the lever component is rotated from one tab to the other, although never It is completely obstructed. Therefore, a minimum water flow is always guaranteed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when it is considered in relation to the attached drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a toilet tank showing the internal components therein including a valve constructed in accordance with the claimed invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the valve shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the valve shown in Fig 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the valve housing structure in accordance with the claimed invention; Fig. 5 is a front view of the lever component of the valve according to the claimed invention; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the conduit section of the lever component along line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference is now made to Fig. 1 which shows a conventional toilet tank 10 with the washing components placed therein. The tank 10 is provided with an inlet 12 extending through the bottom of the tank and adjacent to it. on one side thereof, and with an outlet 14 extending across the bottom in a central position in the tank. A conduit 16 is connected to the inlet 12 inside the tank and is adapted to be connected to a pressurized water source. The conduit 16 is connected to a water control assembly 18 The water control assembly 18 is provided in the tank to refill the toilet tank 10 with fresh water after the washing has occurred Water enters the tank through a toilet fill tube 20 extending downwardly from the water control assembly 18 with its end open apart a short distance from the bottom of the tank Some of the fresh water is also supplied to a reseller hose 22 during refilling of the tank. Resello 22 hose directs the water within a drain tube 24 of a flow valve 26. The flow valve 26 includes a valve seat 28 and a pivotable flow valve flap 30 which opens and closes the valve. The valve seat 28 is positioned in the discharge outlet 14. The flap 30 opens and closes during the flow cycle by means of a lifting bar and chain (not shown) or other suitable means. The flow valve 26 serves to prevent the water escapes downward through the discharge outlet 14 A ball float 34 is connected to the water control valve 18 by means of a flotation rod 32 When the ball float 34 is in the highest position supported for all the contents of the tank at the highest level of water as established by means of the control valve 18, the water control 18 is in the deactivated position The water control is changed to the activated position when the ball float 34 starts to descend as a reaction to decrease in the water level of the tank The operation of the toilet involves the actuation of the water. a shift lever (not shown) or similar actuation means that are linked to the flow valve 26 When the displacement lever is actuated, the flap 30 is raised out of the valve seat 28 and the water is allowed to pass through. of the outlet 14 inside the toilet bowl As the water level starts to decrease, the ball float 34 starts to descend which in turn changes the water control valve 18 to the activated position The water control valve 18 directs the fresh water to the toilet flushing tube 20 and a reseal tube 22 In this way, water is supplied to the tank 10 and the toilet bowl to seal the siphon and ev To prevent harmful gases from entering the toilet bowl The standard toilet design typically allows too much filler water to pass into the toilet bowl during each filling operation so that unnecessary waste of water occurs In accordance with the present invention , a control valve or seal 36 is interposed in the reseal hose 22. The valve 36 easily fits within the hose 22 only by cutting the tube and inserting the valve 36 into the resulting ends of the hose 22. As particularly shown in FIGS. Figs 2-5, the flow control valve 36 comprises a housing structure 38 and a lever component 40 The body or conduit 42 of the housing structure 38 is preferably in the form of a barrel, although the specific form is not limited to present and other suitable shapes and contours may be used. Placed on the left and right sides of the conduit section 4 2 are the openings 43 and 45 Extending from the left and right sides in the openings 43 and 45 of the barrel section 42 are tubular rods 44 and 46 Reference is made to Figure 4 showing the barrel section 42 having a bottom closed and an open top and a passage 54 extending from the tubular rod 44 through the barrel section 42 into the opening 43 of the housing structure and continuing through the opening 45 towards the tubular rod 46 shown in FIG. 3, the barrel section 42 includes a pair of tongues 48 and 50 projecting longitudinally from the upper edge thereof and a flange 52 projecting laterally from the upper edge thereof and the intermediate tabs 48 and 50 The tab 52 may include a series of characters, such as numbers, recorded therein and placed in chronological order. Reference is made to Fig 3 which shows the numbers 1 to 6 inscribed in the flange 52 Preferably, the tongue 48 is positioned parallel to the axis of the tubular rods 44 and 46 and the tongue 50 is positioned 90 ° from the tongue 48. Fig 5 shows the lever component 40 having a closed upper part and a open bottom The shape of the duct or body section 43 of the lever component 40 preferably resembles the shape of the body section 42 of the housing structure 38 except on a slightly smaller scale, so that the body section 43 adjusts tightly within the body section 42 A channel is indicated by dotted lines at 56 on the lever component 40 A pair of tapered slots 58 and 59 are positioned on the right and left sides, respectively, of the conduit 43 of the lever component 40 Fig 6 clearly depicts the location of the slots 58 and 59 in relation to one another The diameter of the slot 58 is larger on the right side 58L of the conduit cto 43 and smaller on the front side 58S of the duct 43 The diameter of the groove 59 is larger on the left side 59L of the duct 43 and smaller on the rear side 59S of the duct 43 A handle 41 is placed along the diameter of the upper part closed and aligned preferably parallel to the axes of the sections 58L and 59L of the grooves 58 and 59. After the valve 36 is in place in the reseal hose 22 as shown in Fig. 1, the lever component can be rotated within the housing structure 38 between the tabs 48 and 50 along the flange 52 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The water is capable of flowing through the first end of the housing. reseller hose 22 inside the tubular rod 44 within the conduit 42, through the slots 58 and 59 of the lever component 40, through the tubular rod 46 and through the second end of the reseal hose 22 The water flow is at its maximum speed when the lever handle 41 is in the position 6 In the position 6, the longer sections 58L and 59L of the grooves 58 and 59, as shown in FIG. 6, are aligned coaxially with the openings 43 and As the lever component 40 is rotated within the housing structure 38 from the tab 48 towards the tongue 50, the flow of water through it is progressively decreased. In the position 1, the sections 58S and 59S of the grooves s 58 and 59 are aligned coaxially with the openings 43 and 45 and the water flow is at its minimum speed Accordingly, the lever component 40 can be rotated to the point whereby the proper flow to fill and seal the cup odorless The valve means are adjusted as follows The flap 30 is raised to allow the water to flow slowly into the cup The water level in the cup will rise until it has reached the total siphon seal depth The flap 30 is released then the water level in the cup is marked. This line denotes the total siphon sealing depth. The water level in the tank is also checked to determine if it is at the correct water level. This is determined either by a marked water line in the tank or instructions in the tank that describe the appropriate distance below the drain pipe to which the water level is fixed. The reseal valve 36 is then adjusted. Normally, the reseal valve 36 is set at the factory for a total unrestricted flow. It can be set at 6 or more additional positions depending on the number of positions available therein that correspond to the increase in the amount of restriction of the flow of water directed inside the fill hose 22. To determine at what level the flow should be restricted, the valve 36 is first fixed in a third or intermediate position. The movement lever is activated and the level of water in the cup is checked to determine the time it reaches the line marked on the cup. The goal is to have the water in the cup that reaches the full siphon seal depth line at about the same time the water control 18 in the tank is turned off. If the water in the cup reaches the total siphon sealing depth line more than 5 seconds before the water control goes off, the resilient valve 36 should be adjusted to apply increased restriction. The displacement lever is then actuated and the water level in the cup is measured to determine if the total siphon seal depth line has been reached. In case of not having reached the water level, the valve device of resello must be restored to reduce the restriction.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that one skilled in the art can make various other changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. scope of the invention.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1 In a toilet that includes a toilet bowl and a toilet tank to supply fresh water to the bowl, where the tank has a lavatory assembly that includes a flexible tubular filling conduit to supply water to the bowl after each wash , the improvement comprising an adjustable valve interposed on the filling conduit to control the amount of water of said bowl, the valve means including a housing structure and a lever component, said housing structure having a pair of openings in the housing. The housing structure also includes a pair of tabs thereon, the lever component housed in the housing structure, the rotating lever component within the structure housing, the lever component having a pair of tapered slots in the housing. same and a lever handle on it, the rotation of the lever component controlled by the lever handle, the handle of the lever lanca limited in rotation by said tabs and the flow of water through the valve depending on the position of the lever component within the housing structure 2 The adjustable valve of claim 1, wherein the housing structure includes a pair of tubular rods extending from the openings 3 The adjustable valve of claim 2, wherein a first tongue is placed parallel to the diameter of one of the openings and a second tongue is placed 90 ° to the first tongue 4 claim 4, wherein the housing structure includes a flange intermediate the first tongue and the second tongue, the flange having a plurality of characters aligned along a length of said flange. The adjustable valve of claim 4, in where the characters are numbers placed from the largest to the smallest in chronological order 6 The valve adjusts table of claim 5, wherein the lever handle can be placed in any of said numbers 7 The adjustable valve of claim 6, wherein the larger number is located on the first tab and the lower number is located on the second tab The adjustable valve of claim 7, wherein the flow of water is less restricted when the lever handle is placed in the greater number 9 The adjustable valve of claim 8, wherein the flow of water is more restricted when the handle of lever is placed in the lower number 10. The adjustable valve of claim 9, wherein the numbers vary from 1 to 6. The adjustable valve of claim 11, which is made of plastic material. 12. The adjustable valve of claim 11, wherein the plastic material is polypropylene.