US20180135283A1

US20180135283A1 - Flushing device for direct-outlet type toilet bowl

Info

Publication number: US20180135283A1
Application number: US15/737,291
Authority: US
Inventors: Won Shig SHIN
Original assignee: Dong Yang Ceratech Co Ltd; Dong Yang Fron Tech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Dong Yang Ceratech Co Ltd; Dong Yang Fron Tech Co Ltd
Priority date: 2015-06-17
Filing date: 2016-05-30
Publication date: 2018-05-17
Also published as: WO2016204425A1; KR101601767B1; CN107750294A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl, including an inner housing wherein cleansing water is separately stored and installed inside a water tank of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl in order to minimize a fixed amount of the cleansing water used for cleansing urine and feces by being commonly installed in the direct-outlet type toilet bowls with various capacities.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl including an internal housing which can be installed in water tanks of direct-outlet type toilet bowls having various capacities to separately store flushing water such that the amount of flushing water for flushing excretions can be minimized to a predetermined amount.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, a toilet bowl installed in a restroom employs a siphon system in which a water tank containing a predetermined amount of water is provided at the rear of a toilet bowl, and the excretions are flushed using flushing water contained in the water tank through a lever operation after using the toilet.
The siphon system is most commonly used because it has a simple and easy-to-use structure of a flow channel for the toilet bowl.
However, the typical siphon type toilet has a disadvantage in that a considerable amount of water is wasted because all the flushing water contained in the water tank is required to be discharged to obtain a strong discharge force according to the siphon effect in flushing excretions.
In order to reduce waste of flushing water used to flush excretions, bricks or heavy and bulky objects are often placed in the water tank.
Placing bricks in the water tank may reduce the amount of water, but may decrease the discharge power of the flushing water because the discharge power of the siphon system is proportional to the amount of stored water. Thereby, the piping of the toilet may be clogged unexpectedly, or excretions may not be flushed out in a short time.
In addition, if bricks or the like are placed in the water tank of the toilet, the jetting holes of the toilet bowl may be clogged due to introduction of foreign matter, or moss may grow in the water tank due to water contamination in the water tank.
Therefore, in order to enhance user convenience and to save water used in the toilet, direct-outlet type toilet bowls, which can solve the problem of the siphon system, are increasingly installed.
A typical siphon type toilet bowl has a piping structure in which the pipe between the waste discharge port and the toilet bowl body is formed in an inverted U shape, and thus flushing is performed by the flushing water through the siphon effect.
On the other hand, the direct-outlet type toilet bowls disclosed in Korean Utility Model No. 20-0283481 (registered on Jul. 15, 2002), Korean Patent No. 10-0942040 (registered on Feb. 2, 2010), Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2009-0085474 (Pub. Date: Aug. 8, 2009) has a structure in which the piping between the toilet bowl and the waste discharge port is formed in the shape of a downward straight line, and the waste discharge port is directly opened and closed by lever operation to secure strong flushing power with only a minimum amount of water.
According to the conventional direct-outlet type toilet bowls disclosed in the aforementioned documents, water is stored in a water tank integrated with a toilet bowl and is used as flushing water, and thus flushing can be performed with a small amount of water. However, as the amount of flushing water is proportional to the capacity of the water tank, the water-saving effect cannot be maximized.
That is, in the conventional direct-outlet type toilet bowls, the size of the water tank, which is integrated with the body of the toilet bowl, or the capacity of stored water varies with the size of the toilet bowl. If the capacity of the water tank is reduced to utilize the characteristics of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl, the toilet bowl may not fit the size of the water tank, and thus user inconvenience may be caused. Accordingly, if the water tank is manufactured to have a capacity similar to that of a typical siphon type toilet bowl, the water saving effect, which is unique to the direct-outlet type toilet bowl, may be reduced.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems.
It is one object of the present invention, which has been devised to solve the problems of the conventional direct-outlet type toilet bowls, to provide a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl which stores water in a separate internal housing of a small capacity mounted inside a water tank of the toilet bowl rather than in the water tank in order to maximize the strong washing power and the water saving effect.
Particularly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl which can be easily installed regardless of the specifications (size, capacity of the water tank, etc.) of the existing direct-outlet type toilet bowls and can more hygienically manage the flushing water.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl which can be supplied at a low price by improving productivity by simplifying the parts and the coupling structure of the flushing device and may enhance reliability of the product by preventing malfunction thereof.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl which can remarkably reduce the amount of water used by automatically discharging only the wastewater through the waste discharge port, eliminating the need to discharge the flushing water every time wastewater other than excretions is discharged.

Technical Solution

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, provided is a flushing device for
a direct-outlet type toilet bowl including a drain port connected to a water tank, a rim-side pipe connecting the drain port and a toilet bowl body, a pipe connecting the toilet bowl body and the waste discharge port, and an elevation passage connecting the waste discharge port and the drain port, the flushing device including:
an internal housing mounted in the water tank, the internal housing having a storage unit for storing flushing water and a discharge part coupled to the drain port and allowing the flushing water discharged from the storage unit to be discharged to the rim-side pipe;
a lifting unit comprising an opening/closing member configured to move up or down along the elevation passage according to pulling of a flushing wire or lowering of a level of flushing water in the storage unit to open or close the waste discharge port; and
a controller comprising a support lever configured to perform a latching operation to support the lifting unit and limit lowering of the lifting unit when the lifting unit is raised, and an upper buoy connected to the support lever and configured to release the latching operation of the support lever to lower the lifting unit when the level of the flushing water in the storage unit is lowered.
The opening/closing member comprises:
an outer tubular body having a lower opening;
an inner body inserted into the lower opening so as to form a spacing portion together with an inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular body and provided with a wastewater discharge hole communicating with the spacing portion; and
a packing member coupled to a lower end of the inner body so as to contact the waste discharge port and provided, at a center thereof, with a hollow portion communicating with the wastewater discharge hole.
When the flushing water rises in the spacing portion, the flushing water closes a space between a discharge passage and the waste discharge port to prevent odor from flowing backward.
When wastewater is poured into to the toilet bowl body, the flushing water filling the discharge passage and the spacing portion of the opening/closing member is discharged through the wastewater discharge hole such that the wastewater is discharged to the waste discharge port through the spacing portion and the wastewater discharge hole without requiring a flushing operation of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl.
In the flushing device for the direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to the present invention, the lifting unit comprises:
an operation lever connected to the flushing wire and configured to rotate when the flushing operation is performed;
a lifting rod lifted by rotation of the operation lever or lowered by lowering of the upper buoy;
a shielding member provided to the lifting rod to close a first lifting hole of the controller or an inflow hole of the discharge part according to lifting and lowering of the lifting rod; and
an opening/closing member connected to a lower end of the lifting rod to open and close the waste discharge port, according to lifting and lowering of the lifting rod.
Further, in the flushing device for the direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to the present invention,
the opening/closing member comprises a ring-shaped weight member inserted into the packing member through double injection molding to increase a load.
Further, in the flushing device for the direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to the present invention,
the lifting rod comprises:
a first lifting body having an adjustment hole provided in a longitudinal direction thereof and a hook provided at a lower end thereof, the first lifting body comprising a support forced by the operation lever to raise the lifting rod, and a stopper arranged downwardly to incline in a rear side and in a protruding manner and caused by the controller to execute or release the latching operation;
a second lifting body provided with a threaded portion on outer circumferential surfaces of both sides thereof and inserted into the adjustment hole through the hook so as to be coupled to a lower end of the first lifting body, the second lifting body having a lower end connected to the opening/closing member; and
an adjusting bolt coupled between the first lifting body and the second lifting body and fitted onto the hook so as to adjust a length of the second lifting body and to press the hook to fix the second lifting body, the adjusting bolt having an inner circumferential surface provided with a threaded portion corresponding to the threaded portion to adjust the length of the second lifting body exposed to a lower portion of the first lifting body, and a step protruding from a lower end outer surface thereof to raise the shielding member.

Advantageous Effects

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl is provided with a separate internal housing having a flushing water storage unit inside the water tank, and the water stored in the internal housing is used as flushing water. Thereby, the amount of flushing water to be used may be minimized to a predetermined amount regardless of the capacity of the water tank integrated with the direct-outlet type toilet bowl.
In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl may prevent backflow of water to the internal housing or pressure drop of the flushing water during flushing. In addition, it can improve productivity through simple design of structure, be installed and used universally regardless of the specifications of the installed direct-outlet type toilet bowl, and ensure operational stability of the product. Therefore, the flushing device has excellent versatility and utility.
Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flushing device of the direct-outlet type toilet can cause the wastewater poured into the direct-outlet type toilet bowl to be discharged automatically without using the flushing water, thereby maximizing the water saving effect, which is unique to the direct-outlet type toilet bowl.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating installation of a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views illustrating a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A to 5F are cross-sectional views illustrating operation steps of a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention.


Reference Numerals

	H: Internal housing	S: Storage part
	100: Lifting unit	110: Operation lever
	120: Lifting rod	130: Shielding member

140: Opening/closing member

	200: Controller	210: Support lever
	220: Control body	230: Buoy support
	240: Upper buoy	300: Discharge part
	310: Outer tub	320: Overflow tube
	340: Inner tub	400: Case

BEST MODE

Various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention, and embodiments (or aspects) are disclosed in detail in the following description. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
In the drawings, the same reference numerals, in particular, reference numerals having the same digits of tens and ones, or the same letters, represent the same members having the same or similar function, unless specified otherwise.
In the drawings, the components are drawn to be larger (or thicker) or smaller (or thinner), or are shown in simplified forms in consideration of ease of understanding. However, the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by such representation.
It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments (aspects) only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” encompass plural forms unless context clearly dictates otherwise.
In the present application, the term “comprising”, “including”, or the like is intended to specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, but should not be construed as precluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.
Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
It is to be understood that ordinals such as first, second, third, etc. described in the present specification are merely referred to in order to distinguish between different components, and are not limited to the order in which they are manufactured. The names may not be consistent in the description and claims of the invention.
In describing a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to the present invention, for the sake of convenience, the approximate direction reference is defined as shown in FIG. 2. The view of FIG. 2 is a front view. In this view, the downward direction is defined as the direction in which gravity acts, and the front, back, left and right sides are defined as seen in the figure. Unless otherwise specified in the description and claims of the invention relating to the different drawings, directions are specified in accordance with this standard.
Hereinafter, a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The structure of a direct-outlet type toilet bowl will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 1. The direct-outlet type toilet bowl includes a toilet bowl body 30 provided at the front, which a user uses to discharge excretions, a water tank 33 provided on the back of the toilet bowl body 30, wherein the drain port 32 of the water tank 33 and the flushing water drain holes (not shown) of the toilet bowl body 30 are connected by a rim-side pipe 34, and a waste discharge port 31 provided at the lower side. A discharge passage 35 inclined downward toward the rear side is connected to the toilet bowl body 30 and the waste discharge port 31, an elevation passage 36 vertically communicating with the waste discharge port 31 and the drain port 32 is arranged between the waste discharge port 31 and the drain port 32. As a lifting unit 100 disposed on the elevation passage 36 is raised and lowered by an operation switch 37 provided in the water tank 33, the waste discharge port 31 is opened and closed, and discharge of waste and introduction of flushing water into the toilet bowl body 30 occur.
The present invention relates to a flushing device 10 installed in a direct-outlet type toilet bowl having the above-described structure. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the flushing device 10 includes an internal housing H, a lifting unit 100, and a controller 200.
The internal housing H is installed in the water tank 33 and includes a flushing water storage unit S having an opened upper top and a discharge part 300 couple to the drain port 32 and configured to drain flushing water discharged from the storage unit S into the rim-side pipe 34.
The storage unit S of the internal housing H is provided with a known water supply means (not shown) that is installed in a typical toilet bowl. Water is supplied to the storage unit S through the water supply means connected to a water supply, and is used as flushing water for flushing excretions.
The lifting unit 100 moves up or down along the elevation passage 36 according to pulling of a flushing wire 20 or lowering of the flushing water level in the storage unit S to open or close the waste discharge port 31.
The flushing wire 20 is connected to the operation switch 37, which is exposed to the outside of the toilet water tank 33. When the user operates (pulls down or presses) the operation switch 37 after using the toilet, the flushing wire 20 is pulled.
At this time, the lifting unit 100 discharges the excretions from the toilet bowl 30 along with the flushing water by opening the waste discharge port 31.
Thereafter, the flushing water level in the storage unit S is lowered and flushing water is replenished to the storage unit S through the water supply means. In the process, the lifting unit 100 is lowered to close the waste discharge port 31.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lifting unit 100 may include an operation lever 110, a lifting rod 120, a shielding member 130, and an opening/closing member 140.
The operation lever 110 is connected to the flushing wire 20 and is hinged to a hinge hole 221 of a control body 220, and thus rotates when the flushing wire 20 is pulled.
As described above, when the user pulls down the operation switch 37, the operation lever 110 is rotated as the flushing wire 20 is pulled, and the rotating operation lever 110 pushes up the lifting rod 120. Then, the opening/closing member 140 rises and the waste discharge port 31 is opened.
The lifting rod 120 is lifted up by the operation lever 110 or descends due to gravity.
The lifting rod 120 includes a first lifting body 120A having a lever through hole 122, a support 123 and a stopper 124, a second lifting body 120B having an upper end connected to the lower end of the first lifting body 120A and a lower end connected to the opening/closing member 140, and an adjusting bolt 120C fastened between the first lifting body 120A and the second lifting body 120B to adjust the length of the second lifting body 120B and provided with a step 121 on an outer side surface thereof.
The first lifting body 120A has an adjustment hole 120 a provided in a longitudinal direction and a hook 120 b provided at a lower end thereof.
The second lifting body 120B has a threaded portion 120 c provided on the outer circumferential surfaces of both sides thereof and inserted into the adjustment hole 120 a through the hook 120 b.
The adjusting bolt 120C is fitted onto the hook 120 b to press the hook 120 b to fix the second lifting body 120B, and is provided with a threaded portion (not shown) corresponding to the threaded portion 120 c on the inner circumferential surface thereof. Thus, the length of the second lifting body 120B exposed to the lower portion of the first lifting body 120A is adjusted as the adjusting bolt 120C is rotated in both directions.
The lever through hole 122 of the first lifting body 120A is formed in the longitudinal direction of the first lifting body 120A to allow the operation lever 110 to pass therethrough when the operation lever 110 rotates. The lever through hole may be formed to be wider than the operation lever 140 so as not to interfere with rotation of the operation lever 140 and have a rectangular shape having a height greater than the width thereof.
The support 123 of the first lifting body 120A protrudes forward from the upper end of the lifting rod 120 and is forced by the operation lever 110 rotated through the lever through hole 122 to raise the lifting rod 120.
The support 123 can have any shape as long as it can easily receive force from the operation lever 110. However, even if the user does not press the operation switch 37 deeply, the lifting rod 120 should be raised.
The stopper 124 of the first lifting body 120A is inclined downward on the lower rear side of the lever through hole 122 in a protruding manner and is controlled by the controller 200 to exert or release the latching operation.
When the lifting rod 120 is lifted up and contacts the support lever 210 of the controller 200, the stopper 124 pushes up the support 210 a of the support lever 210 (see FIG. 4) to rotate the support lever 210 downward. Thus, the lifting rod 120 is not interfered with when lifted up. After the lifting rod 120 is completely lifted, the support 210 a of the support lever 210 is rotated upward to the original position, and thus the lower end of the stopper 124 is supported.
The shielding member 130 is fitted onto the lifting rod 120 (more specifically, the first lifting body 120A). When the lifting rod 120 is lifted or lowered, the shielding member 130 closes a first lifting hole 223 of the controller 200 or an inflow hole 311 of the discharge part 300.
The range of lift and lowering of the shielding member 130 is between a first packing 120 e of the lifting rod 120, which is provided below the stopper 124, and the step 121 of the adjusting bolt 120C. However, the range of lift and lowering of the shielding member 130 is substantially between the first packing 120 e and the upper end of the outer tub 310 of the discharge part 300 since the lifting unit 100 passes through the discharge part 300 of the internal housing H.
The shielding member 130 has a cylindrical shape having an open bottom. The sidewall portion of the shielding member is inserted into the inflow hole 311 between the outer tub 310 and the inner tub 340 of the discharge part 300, and a second packing 130 a is provided on the outer side surface of the upper end of the shielding member to close the first lifting hole 223 and the second lifting hole 331 as it ascends and descends.
That is, when the lifting rod 120 is lowered, the shielding member 130 is lowered by the first packing 120 e, the second packing 120 b is brought into close contact with the inflow hole 311 formed between the outer tub 310 and the inner tub 340, and the first packing 120 a is brought into close contact with the second lifting hole 331 of the shielding member 130. Thereby, the discharge part 300 is closed.
When the lifting rod 120 is lifted, the shielding member 130 is lifted by the step 121 and the first packing 120 e is pressed by the shielding member 130 to closely contact and close the first lifting hole 223 of the control body 220.
Therefore, when the lifting rod 120 is in the lowered position, the shielding member 130 closes the discharge part 300, and flushing water is replenished and stored in the storage unit S.
When the lifting rod 120 is in the raised position, the first packing 120 e is caused to close the first lifting hole 223 by the shielding member 130 such that the flushing water discharged to the discharge part 300 is prevented from reversely flowing to the controller 200 rather than flowing to the rim side pipe 34, and the shielding member 130 and the lifting rod 120 can be completely sealed. Thereby, the amount of flushing water used to flush out excretions may be reduced.
The opening/closing member 140 is connected to the lower end of the second lifting body 120B of the lifting rod 120 to open and close the waste discharge port 31 according to lifting and lowering of the lifting rod 120.
When the user pulls down the operation switch 37 to raise the lifting rod 120, the opening/closing member 140 rises to open the waste discharge port 31. When the lifting rod 120 descends due to gravity, the opening/closing 140 is also lowered to close the waste discharge port 31.
The opening/closing member 140 and the second lifting body 120B are provided with hooks 140 a and 120 f so as to be engaged with each other to secure mobility of the opening/closing member 140, such that the opening/closing member 140 closes the waste discharge port 31 according to the inclined structure and the shape of the waste discharge port 31.
Preferably, the hooks 140 a and 120 f are formed to have a clearance in the vertical direction, respectively, to improve mobility of the opening/closing member 140 when the opening/closing member 140 is lifted and lowered.
The opening/closing member 140 includes an outer tubular body 141 connected to the second lifting body 120B of the lifting rod 120 and having a lower opening;
an inner body 142 inserted into the lower opening so as to form a spacing portion 140 a together with the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular body 141 and provided with a wastewater discharge hole 140 b communicating with the spacing portion 140 a; and
a packing member 143 coupled to the lower end of the inner body 142 so as to contact the waste discharge port 31.
The center of the packing member 143 is provided with a hollow portion (not shown) communicating with the wastewater discharge hole 140 b.
When the inner body 142 is coupled to the outer tubular body 141 having the lower opening so as to have the spacing portion 140 a, the flushing water of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl rises in the spacing portion 140 a, closing the space between the discharge passage 35 and the waste discharge port 31 to prevent the odor from flowing backward. Particularly, the structure of the spacing portion 140 a and the wastewater discharge hole 140 b allows the wastewater poured into the toilet bowl body 30 to be discharged to the waste discharge port 31 even if the flushing operation of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl is not performed.
In other words, in a large restroom of a restaurant or a rest area, wastewater produced in cleaning or the like can be discharged into the toilet bowl body 30.
If the flushing water in the water tank 33 is discharged downward every time wastewater is discharged into the toilet bowl body 30, the flushing water may be wasted.
In contrast, the present invention provides a structure that causes wastewater to be naturally discharged, and thus may eliminate the need for the flushing operation for opening the waste discharge port 31 when a large amount of wastewater is poured into the toilet bowl and the level of wastewater rises in the toilet bowl body 30, thereby reducing use of flushing water.
More specifically, in the opening/closing member 140, the lower opening of the outer tubular body 141, the spacing portion 140 a, the wastewater discharge hole 140 b, and the hollow portion are connected in an inverted U-shaped trap structure, thereby allowing the flushing water to be easily replenished in the bowl body.
That is, when the opening/closing member 140 is lowered to close the waste discharge port 31, the level of flushing water stored in the bowl body becomes equal to the level of flushing water stored in the spacing portion 140 a through the special curved communication structure of the opening/closing member 140. Then, discharge of the flushing water may stop and the flushing water may be supplied up to a certain level in the bowl body, thereby preventing the odor from flowing backward.
Further, according to the present invention, since the curved trap structure of a typical toilet bowl is adopted through the opening/closing member 140 having the special structure described above, wastewater introduced into the bowl body is naturally discharged as much as the raised water level in the bowl body together with flushing water along the lower opening of the outer tubular body 141, the spacing portion 140 a, and the wastewater discharge hole 140 b, and the hollow portion according to the siphon effect even if the opening/closing member 140 is not lifted. Accordingly, one-time practice of flushing after pouring of wastewater is completed may finish discharge of the wastewater, preventing waste of the flushing water.
The conventional direct-outlet type toilet bowl is provided with the downwardly straight type piping different from the curved trap structure of the typical toilet and completely closes the waste discharge port through the opening/closing member. Accordingly, the flushing water is required to be discharged when wastewater is poured into the bowl body and thus the water level rises in the bowl body. Therefore, flushing water is wasted.
On the other hand, the present invention implements a curved trap structure similar to that of a typical toilet bowl through the opening/closing member 140, and thus allows wastewater to be naturally discharged without using the flushing water. Therefore, waste of flushing water may be prevented.
Preferably, the outer tubular body 141 and the inner body 142 are made of a plastic material, and the packing member 143 is made of a rubber material having elasticity.
Preferably, the opening/closing member 140 is provided with a weight member 144 for increasing the load such that the packing member 143 can closely contact and close the waste discharge port 31 when the opening/closing member 140 is lowered from the raised position due to gravity, and thus the opening/closing member 140 closes the waste discharge port 31.
The weight member 144 may be made of lead or iron, in view of density. Preferably, in order to prevent problems such as rusting due to contact with flushing water, a ring-shaped weight member may be inserted into the packing member 143 using a technique such as double injection molding.
Next, when the lifting rod 120 is lifted by the flushing wire 20, the controller 200 supports the lifting rod 120 to ensure that the flushing water is appropriately discharged. Further, after the flushing water is discharged, the controller 200 lowers the lifting rod 120 such that water is replenished and stored in the storage unit S.
The controller 200 includes a support lever 210, a control body 220, a buoy support 230, and an upper buoy 240.
The support lever 210 is configured such that when the lifting rod 120 rises, the contact portion 210 a is pushed rearward by the inclined surface of the stopper 124 and rotated around the hinge hole 222 in order not to interfere with the rise of the lifting rod 120.
When the lifting rod 120 is continuously raised and is released from interference with the stopper 124, the contact portion 210 a rotates upward about the hinge hole 222 to return to the front side, performing the latching operation to support the lower end of the stopper 124 and thereby preventing the lifting rod 120 from descending.
Since the lifting rod 120 is not affected by the buoyant force, it is lowered by gravity irrespective of the level of the flushing water. Accordingly, the lifting rod 120 may be maintained in the lifted position by the support lever 210, and accordingly the flushing water may be sufficiently discharged as necessary.
That is, when the user pulls down the operation switch 37 and thus the lifting rod 120 is raised, the support lever 210 comes into contact with the stopper 124 of the lifting rod 120 and rotates downward to the rear side. Then, when the stopper 124 reaches a higher position beyond the support lever 210, the support lever 210 is released from the contact, and is rotated upward back to the original position on the front side to support the lower end of the stopper 124 and execute the latching operation.
To this end, the support lever 210 has a hollow internal portion through which the lifting rod 120 can pass, and both side ends of the contact portion 210 a are hingedly fixed to the hinge hole 222 of the control body 220. The front end of the contact portion 210 a is fitted into the slit groove 230 a of the buoy support 230 so as to be movable back and forth. The contact portion 210 a may protrude from the inside of a portion fixed to the control body 220 toward the first lifting hole 223 the control body 220 to support the stopper 124 of the lifting rod 120.
When the buoy support 230 is lowered as the level of the flushing water in the storage unit S (more specifically, the case 400) is lowered, the support lever 210 is rotated downward, and the stopper 124 is released from the latching operation. Then, the lifting rod 120 is lowered due to gravity, the shielding member 130 closes the inflow hole 311, and the opening/closing member 140 closes the waste discharge port 31 such discharge of the flushing water is interrupted and the flushing water is stored in the storage unit S.
That is, when the support lever 210 continues to support the stopper 124, the lifting rod 120 is kept in the raised position, and thus the inflow hole 311 and the waste discharge port 31 are opened. Accordingly, the flushing water in the storage unit S may be prevented from being continuously discharged due to the configuration described above.
The control body 220 is provided with the first lifting hole 223 at the center thereof, and the hinge hole 221 to which the operation lever 110 is hinged is formed at the upper end of the rear support of the first lifting hole 223. The hinge hole 222 to which the support lever 210 is hinged is formed behind the first lifting hole 223 and guides the lift rod 120 moving up and down in the first lifting hole 223.
Therefore, the operation lever 110 can be rotated at a position higher than that of the support lever 210 so as not to interfere with the support lever 210, and the lift rod 120 can be raised or lowered in the central portion of the control body 220.
Here, a guide groove 224 may be formed in the first lifting hole 223 of the control body 220 to smoothly guide the lifting and lowering of the lifting rod 120. The lifting rod 120 may be provided with a guide protrusion 125 corresponding to the guide groove 224.
The upper end of the buoy support 230 is fitted into the case through a coupling groove 241 of the upper buoy 240 and the lower end of the buoy support 230 is fitted into a fitting hole 225 provided in front of the first lifting hole 223 of the control body 220. In addition, a slit groove 230 a to which the support lever 210 is connected is formed in the rear surface of the buoy support 230. Thus, the buoy support 230 moves up and down according to rotation of the support lever 210 or the lifting and lowering of the upper buoy 240.
The depth of the fitting hole 225 is formed such that the buoy support 230 lifted to the maximum height is not separated to prevent the flushing water from being discharged and wasted by malfunctioning due to separation the buoy support 230.
When the flushing water is discharged from the storage unit S and thus the water level is lowered, the upper buoy 240 coupled with the buoy support 230 is lowered together with the buoy support 230 to rotate the support lever 210 downward, such that the latching operation of the stopper 124 is released, and the lifting unit 100 is lowered to close the waste discharge port 31.
That is, when the stopper 124 is supported through the latching operation of the support lever 210 and the flushing water in the storage part S is discharged with the lifting unit 100 maintained in a raised position, the water level of the flushing water is lowered, resulting in lowering of the upper buoy 240 and the buoy support 230 and downward rotation of the support lever 210. As a result, the lifting rod 120 of the lifting unit 100 may be lowered to close the waste discharge port 31.
The upper buoy 240 is raised and lowered by the buoyancy generated in the flushing water in the storage unit S and is preferably fabricated to have a hollow interior such that the upward and downward movements thereof is not disturbed by the control body 220 or the lifting rod 120. Preferably, the upper buoy 240 is formed of a plastic material capable of receiving sufficient buoyancy from the flushing water in the storage unit S.
The buoy support 230 has a concavo-convex shape on one side surface or both side surfaces thereof, and the upper buoy 240 is provided with a hook (not shown) protruding from the inner surface of the coupling groove 241, through which the buoy support 230 passes, to engage with the concavo-convex shape of the buoy support 230.
Since the height of the upper buoy 240 can be adjusted with respect to the buoy support 230 through the engagement of the concavo-convex shape and the hook, the amount of the discharged flushing water can be adjusted as desired.
That is, if the upper buoy 240 is engaged with the upper end of the buoy support 230 at a high position, the buoy support 230 engaged with the upper buoy 240 can be lowered immediately even when the level of the flushing water in the storage unit S is slightly lowered. Then, the support lever 210 is rotated to close the inflow hole 311 and the waste discharge port 31 according to the descent of the lifting unit 100. Thereby, the amount of discharged flushing water may be reduced.
Conversely, if the upper buoy 240 is engaged with the lower end of the buoy support 230 at a low position, the upper buoy 240 can be kept raised by buoyancy until the flushing water level is sufficiently lowered. Thereby, the amount of discharged flushing water may be increased.
In this way, the user can easily adjust the amount of discharged flushing water as needed.
In other words, since the amount of flushing water discharged through the flushing device of the present invention is determined by the opening time of the inflow hole 311, namely, the time for which the lifting unit 100 is kept raised, the height of the upper buoy 240 can be adjusted as desired to adjust the opening time of the inflow hole 311 such that the amount of discharged flushing water can be adjusted.
To this end, gradations are preferably marked on the front surface of the buoy support 230.
Although not shown in the drawings, bolt coupling or the like may be further added to securely fix the upper buoy 240 and the buoy support 230 to each other.
Next, the discharge part 300 is formed under the storage part S, and the control body 220 of the control part 200 is coupled to and supported by the upper portion of the discharge part 300. The discharge part 300 allows the flushing water to be discharged into the rim-side pipe 34 when the lifting unit 100 ascends.
The discharge part 300 includes an outer tub 310, an overflow tube 320, and an inner tub 340.
The outer tub 310 and the inner tub 340 are formed in the shape of a pipe having the top and the bottom opened.
The outer tub 310 is mounted in the drain port 32 of the water tank 33, and has a plurality of inflow holes 310 a radially formed at an upper end portion thereof protruding from the bottom of the storage unit S, and a plurality of rim-side drain holes 312 radially formed at a lower end portion thereof exposed to the lower side of the bottom of the internal housing H (In the drawings, the drain holes 312 are indicated by a broken line since the drain holes 312 are not actually visible in the sectional structure due to the inner tub 340).
The inner tub 340 is arranged in and coupled to the outer tub 310 so as to be spaced apart from each other and the upper end portion of the space between the outer tub 310 and the inner tub 340 is provided with an inflow hole 311 communicating with the rim-side drain holes 312.
The inflow hole 311 formed by spacing between the outer tub 310 and the inner tub 340 is formed by vanes 310 b provided at the lower end of the inner circumference of the outer tub 310 such that the inflow holes 310 a, the inflow hole 311, and the drain holes 312 communicate with each other.
When the shielding member 130 is raised according to ascent of the lifting unit 100, the inflow hole 311 is opened and the flushing water in the storage unit S flows into the inflow hole 311 through the inflow holes 310 a, and then discharged into the rim-side drain holes 312. Then, the flushing water is discharged to the toilet bowl body 30 via the rim-side pipe 34 to flush out excretions.
When the lifting unit 100 is lowered by the latching release operation of the support lever 210 and thus the waste discharge port 31 is closed, the discharged flushing water is replenished and stored in the toilet bowl body 30.
At this time, when the shielding member 130 descends as the level of the flushing water in the storage unit S is lowered, the inflow hole 311 is closed to interrupt discharge of the flushing water to the toilet bowl body 30, and thus flushing water is stored in the storage unit S.
The outer tub 310 may be fixed to the bottom of the water tank 33 by appropriately adopting bolt coupling, rivet coupling, or the like.
At this time, a packing 313 made of rubber or the like may be provided at the lower end of the outer tub 310 to prevent leakage of the flushing water.
The inner tub 340 connected to the inside of the outer tub 310 defines the inflow hole 311 together with the outer tub 310, and guides the upward and downward movements of the opening/closing member 140 passing through the inner space.
The overflow pipe 320 is formed at the bottom of the internal housing H and at one side of the outer tub 310.
The overflow pipe 320 is used to adjust the amount of flushing water stored in the storage unit S and may have a typical pipe shape and be formed to have a different height depending on the volume of the storage unit S of the internal housing H.
The present invention may further include a case 400, which is configured to cover and protect the controller 200 and the lifting unit 100 and is fixed to the storage unit S of the internal housing H.
The case 400 may have a shape of a cylinder having an open bottom, and include a wire hole 410 and a flushing water guide hole 420.
The wire hole 410 is formed at the upper end of the case 400, and the flushing wire 20 passes therethrough
The flushing water guide hole 420 is formed in the lateral surface of the case 400 to allow inflow of flushing water therethrough.
At least one flushing water guide hole 420 may be radially arranged to allow sufficient inflow of the flushing water. At least one of the flushing water guide holes is preferably formed to face the buoy support 230 to allow the user to visually check the gradation on the buoy support 230 and adjust the height of the upper buoy 240.
Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl having the above-described configuration will be described.
FIGS. 5A to 5F are cross-sectional views illustrating operation steps of a flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5A, when the user does not pull down the toilet switch 37, the lifting unit 100 is lowered due to gravity, such that the opening/closing member 140 closes the waste discharge port 31, and the shielding member 130 is pressed toward the discharge part 300 on the lower side thereof by the first packing 120 e. Thus, the second lifting hole 331 of the shielding member 130 is closed due to close contact with the first packing 120 e, and the inflow hole 311 of the discharge part 300 is closed due to close contact with the second packing 130 a.
When the user pours wastewater into the toilet bowl body 30 in this state, the flushing water occupying the discharge passage 35 and the spacing portion 140 a of the opening/closing member 140 is discharged through the wastewater discharge hole 140 b. Accordingly, the wastewater can be drained without performing the flushing operation even if a large amount of wastewater exceeding the capacity of the bowl body is introduced. Therefore, the toilet bowl body 30 can be cleaned by one-time flushing after the wastewater is poured, and thus waste of flushing water can be reduced.
As shown in FIG. 5B, when the user starts to pull down the operation switch 37 after using the toilet, the operation lever 110 is rotated as the flushing wire 20 is pulled. Then, the operation lever 110 pushes up the support 123 to raise the lifting rod 120.
As the lifting rod 120 is raised, the opening/closing member 140 is also raised, and the waste discharge port 31 is opened. Thus, waste in the toilet bowl body 30 is discharged together with the flushing water in the toilet bowl body 30,
At the same time, the first packing 120 e is lifted to open the second lifting hole 331 of the shielding member 130. Thereby, the flushing water of the storage unit S flowing into the case 400 is discharged to the drained port 32 through the first lifting hole 223 of the control body 220 and the second lifting hole 331 of the shielding member 130 via the inner space of the inner tub 340.
Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the user continues to pull down the operation switch 37, the step 121 raises the shielding member 130 as the lifting rod 120 is raised above the height thereof shown in FIG. 5B. Thus, the inflow hole 311 of the discharge part 300 is opened, and the second lifting hole 331 of the shielding member 130 is closed by close contact between the raised first packing 120 e and the shielding member 130.
Thereby, discharge of the flushing water to the drain port 32 is stopped, and the flushing water in the storage unit S is discharged to the rim-side drain hole 312 through the inflow hole 311 via the inflow holes 310 a formed in the outer circumferential surface of the outer tub 310, and thus flushes out the excretions through the rim-side pipe 34. Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, when the user pulls down the operation switch 37 to the end, the lifting rod 120 continues to rise and the support lever 210 is rotated due to the inclined stopper 124. The rotated support lever 210 lowers the buoy support 230 and the upper buoy 240 connected to the buoy support 230.
Thereby, as the lifting rod 120 rises, the stopper 124 of the lifting rod 120 is positioned higher than the support lever 210.
Then, as the upper buoy 240 is pushed by buoyancy, the buoy support 230 rises, and the support lever 210, which is connected to the buoy support 230, is rotated upward,
The upwardly-rotated support lever 210 supports the stopper 124 of the lifting rod 120 to perform the latching operation such that the lifting rod 120 is not lowered. Thereby, discharge of the flushing water is persistently maintained.
At this time, the first packing 120 e is brought into close contact with the first lifting hole 223 of the control body 220 to close the first lifting hole 223.
As shown in FIG. 5E, when the user releases the operation switch 37, the force applied to the flushing wire 20 is removed, and thus the operation lever 110 is rotated downward.
At this time, since a certain amount of the flushing water has been discharged, the upper buoy 240 is lowered as the water level is lowered. The buoy support 230 is also lowered, and thus the support lever 210 is rotated again to release the latching operation of the stopper 124.
Therefore, the lifting rod 120, which cannot be maintained at a raised position by the support lever 210 and the operation lever 110 any longer, starts to descend due to gravity, and thus the opening/closing member 140 connected to the lower end of the lifting rod 120 is lowered.
Then, the shielding member 130 continues to be maintained at a raised position by buoyancy of the flushing water discharged to the rim-side pipe 34 through the inflow hole 311, separately from lowering of the lifting rod 120, such that the flushing water is sufficiently discharged to the rim-side pipe 34.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 5F, when the lifting rod 120 is lowered and the flushing water is sufficiently discharged, the first packing 120 e pushes the shielding member 130 downward as it is lowered. Thus, the shielding member 130 descends. Thereby, the inflow hole 311 of the discharge part 300 is closed, and thus discharge of the flushing water from the water tank 33 of the toilet bowl 30 is stopped.
At this time, the opening/closing member 140 is also lowered to close the waste introduction port.
Thus, when the flushing water is replenished to the storage unit S, the upper buoy 240 is raised by buoyancy, and the buoy support 230 connected to the upper buoy 240 is also raised.
Then, the support lever 210 connected to the buoy support 230 rotates upward to return to the original position. Thereafter, when the user pulls down the operation switch 37 to flush out the excretions, the present invention can repeat the operations illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5F, thereby efficiently performing the flushing operation.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, mainly focusing on a forcing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications, alterations, and substitutions can be made to the present invention. Such modifications, alterations, and substitutions are to be construed as falling within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flushing device for a direct-outlet type toilet bowl including a drain port connected to a water tank, a rim-side pipe connecting the drain port and a toilet bowl body, a pipe connecting the toilet bowl body and the waste discharge port, and an elevation passage connecting the waste discharge port and the drain port, the flushing device comprising:

an internal housing mounted in the water tank, the internal housing having a storage unit for storing flushing water and a discharge part coupled to the drain port and allowing the flushing water discharged from the storage unit to be discharged to the rim-side pipe;

a lifting unit comprising an opening/closing member configured to move up or down along the elevation passage according to pulling of a flushing wire or lowering of a level of flushing water in the storage unit to open or close the waste discharge port; and

a controller comprising a support lever configured to perform a latching operation to support the lifting unit and limit lowering of the lifting unit when the lifting unit is raised, and an upper buoy connected to the support lever and configured to release the latching operation of the support lever to lower the lifting unit when the level of the flushing water in the storage unit is lowered,

wherein the opening/closing member comprises:

an outer tubular body having a lower opening;

an inner body inserted into the lower opening so as to form a spacing portion together with an inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular body and provided with a wastewater discharge hole communicating with the spacing portion; and

a packing member coupled to a lower end of the inner body so as to contact the waste discharge port and provided, at a center thereof, with a hollow portion communicating with the wastewater discharge hole,

wherein, when the flushing water rises in the spacing portion, the flushing water closes a space between a discharge passage and the waste discharge port to prevent odor from flowing backward,

wherein, when wastewater is poured into to the toilet bowl body, the flushing water filling the discharge passage and the spacing portion of the opening/closing member is discharged through the wastewater discharge hole such that the wastewater is discharged to the waste discharge port through the spacing portion and the wastewater discharge hole without requiring a flushing operation of the direct-outlet type toilet bowl.

2. The flushing device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting unit comprises:

an operation lever connected to the flushing wire and configured to rotate when the flushing operation is performed;

a lifting rod lifted by rotation of the operation lever or lowered by lowering of the upper buoy;

a shielding member provided to the lifting rod to close a first lifting hole of the controller or an inflow hole of the discharge part according to lifting and lowering of the lifting rod; and

an opening/closing member connected to a lower end of the lifting rod to open and close the waste discharge port, according to lifting and lowering of the lifting rod.

3. The flushing device according to claim 2, wherein the opening/closing member comprises a ring-shaped weight member inserted into the packing member by double injection molding to increase a load.

4. The flushing device according to claim 2, wherein the lifting rod comprises:

a first lifting body having an adjustment hole provided in a longitudinal direction thereof and a hook provided at a lower end thereof, the first lifting body comprising a support forced by the operation lever to raise the lifting rod, and a stopper arranged downwardly to incline in a rear side and in a protruding manner and caused by the controller to execute or release the latching operation;

a second lifting body provided with a threaded portion on outer circumferential surfaces of both sides thereof and inserted into the adjustment hole through the hook so as to be coupled to a lower end of the first lifting body, the second lifting body having a lower end connected to the opening/closing member; and

an adjusting bolt coupled between the first lifting body and the second lifting body and fitted onto the hook so as to adjust a length of the second lifting body and to press the hook to fix the second lifting body, the adjusting bolt having an inner circumferential surface provided with a threaded portion corresponding to the threaded portion to adjust the length of the second lifting body exposed to a lower portion of the first lifting body, and a step protruding from a lower end outer surface thereof to raise the shielding member.