US3368224A

US3368224A - Toilet tank flush valve

Info

Publication number: US3368224A
Application number: US506323A
Authority: US
Inventors: Myron J Ament
Original assignee: Wallace Murray Corp
Current assignee: Wallace Murray Corp
Priority date: 1965-11-04
Filing date: 1965-11-04
Publication date: 1968-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 M. J. AMENT TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed Nov. 4, 1965 INVENTOR. MYRON J. AMENT yQ/mu A M/ I; g

FIG. i

United States Patent 3,368,224 TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Myron J. Ament, Adrian, Pa., assignor to Wallace-Murray Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 506,323 Claims. (Cl. 457) This invention relates to a flush valve assembly for a toilet flush tank. More particularly, the invention relates to such a valve assembly which can be readily snapped into position within the outlet opening in the flush tank and retained with the tank pending mounting of the tank on the conventional upper mounting flange of the toilet bowl.

Prior flush valve assemblies for toilet flush tanks include a multiplicity of parts which must be successively assembled, making it necessary to perform several steps to complete the valve installation. For example, when installing prior valve assemblies, it is usually necessary to insert the valve body downwardly through the flush outlet opening from inside the flush tank, and then hold it in proper position while a retainer, such as a threaded nut or resilient ring, is placed on the assembly from the outside of the tank.

In addition, it is often necessary to connect a complicated float valve system to the valve outlet seat and overflow tube, after the seat and tube have been secured within the flush tank, to thereby complete the outlet valve assembly. Undue labor cost in the manufacture and assembly of a toilet with a completed flush valve assembly therein is generated by the number of operations which must be performed within the confined space inside the flush tank at the time of bathroom installation of the toilet. The need for a flush tank outlet valve assembly with a minimum number of parts, which can be easily installed in the flush outlet opening, and which includes serted through the outlet opening whereby said retaining an improved floating flush valve member to simplify the installation of the assembly, is readily apparent.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an improved outlet flush valve assembly for a toilet flush tank which may be readily installed and retained within the outlet opening of the flush tank.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an outlet valve assembly for a toilet flush tank wherein the number of parts to be assembled during installation into the flush tank is minimized.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an outlet valve assembly which may be inserted into the outlet opening of a flush tank from outside the tank and which is automatically retained therein, thereby decreasing the time and expense necessary for installation.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an outlet valve assembly for a toilet flush tank which may include an improved floating flush valve member so that the assembly may be readily installed within the flush tank.

The outlet valve assembly of this invention may be generally described as comprising a valve body insertable into the outlet opening in the bottom wall of a flush tank to provide an outlet passage for the flush water with the upper end of said body including a valve seat, said body further having an overflow tube in communication with said outlet passage below said valve seat, a flush valve member engageable with said valve seat to close said outlet passage, retaining wall means on said body extending laterally outwardly therefrom to engage the underside of the bottom wall of the flush tank; and resilient retaining means secured to said body to engage the tank bottom wall, said resilient retaining means being resiliently compressed toward said body as said body is inmeans engage the bottom wall to retain said valve body within the outlet opening in the flush tank.

Similarly, the improved floating flush valve member suitable for incorporation with this assembly may be generally described as comprising an upper valve element pivotally connected to the overflow tube, a lower valve element connected to the upper element, the lower valve element including a hollow portion defining in coopration with said upper valve element a float means, and an annular seat washer retained between the upper and lower valve elements extending laterally beyond the periphery of the lower element to be engageable with the valve seat of the outlet valve assembly.

More specifically, this invention will be described hereinafter with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partial sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention installed within the outlet opening of the toilet flush tank;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the outlet valve assembly with parts in section to illustrate the assembly retaining means;

FIGURE 3 illustrates an initial stage during installation of the outlet valve assembly in the flush tank outlet opening; and

FIGURE 4 illustrates a more advanced stage of installation of the outlet valve assembly than shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, a conventional toilet flush tank having an outlet opening 1 in the flush tank bottom wall 2 is shown. The outlet valve assembly of this invention is insertable within this outlet opening 1, and the flush tank, with the valve assembly secured therein then mounted on the top wall 3 of a conventional toilet flush bowl in the relationship illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The improved outlet flush valve assembly includes a valve body 4 which is preferably cylindrical so that it may be readily inserted within the circular tank outlet opening 1. The interior of body 4 is open to provide an outlet passage 5 through which the flush water may discharge during the flushing operation. The upper end of body 4 provides a valve seat 10 which is preferably inclined at an angle as shown in FIGURE 1.

Valve body 4 also includes an inlet 11 for tank overflow water positioned to communicate with outlet passage 5 below valve seat 10 so as not to interfere with the operation of the float valve member as described hereinafter. An overflow tube 12, which as illustrated may comprise two telescoping sections, is connected to body 4 above inlet 11 so that the interior of tube 12 com- 'municates with outlet passage 5 through inlet 11.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the top of tube 12 is preferably partially closed by a wall 6 with a lateral opening 7 provided in the side of the tube near the top to receive any overflow water from the tank. An aperture 8 is formed in wall 6 for the reception of the usual refill water tube 9, such tube being readily installed in aperture 8 by pressing the tube 9, preferably made of flexible plastic or rubber material, upwardly through the aperture. Protuberances 17 are provided in the wall of tube 9 near the end thereof as are shown on FIGURE 1. These assist in retaining the tube in its proper position connected to the overflow tube 12 and prevent the tube 9 from working out of aperture 8. It will be understood that aperture 8 and tube 9 will be so related in size that the tube has a snug frictional fit with aperture 8 to hold it as shown on FIGURE 1.

The function of the refill tube 9 is conventional and need not be described in detail. Generally, the tube supplies water from the float controlled water inlet valve to the toilet bowl durin the tank filling operation. This refill water .is discharged from tube 9 into overflow tube 12 While the flushing float valve member is closed, the refill water being led to outlet passage and then to the toilet bowl to insure adequate water in the bowl and trap once the tank has been completely filled following a flushing operation.

A retaining wall means 13, comprising a flange and gasket 16 enclosing such flange is provided at the lower end of body 4. The flange and gasket extend outwardly from the bottom of outlet passage 5 to engage beneath the bottom wall 2 of the flush tank. Gasket 16 is preferably permanently attached to the flange 15 to minimize the number of parts in the assembly, and is of any suitable resilient material such as rubber. Thus constructed, this retaining wall means 13 in engaging the bottom wall 2 of the flush tank assists in retaining the valve body 4 in the desired position within the outlet opening 1. The gasket 16 in the final installation, compressed between the tank bottom wall and top wall 3 of the toilet bowl also insures that the completed installation will be fluid tight.

As clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1, flange 15 and gasket 16 are preferably positioned on the lower end of body 4 so that this retaining wall means 13 engages the under surface 20 of bottom wall 2 as the valve body 4 is inserted upwardly into the tank outlet opening 1.

A resilient retaining means 24 is also provided as a part of the outlet valve assembly to engage with the upper surface of bottom wall 2. In this embodiment, this resilient retaining means 24 comprises a resilient rib 25 connected to body 4 and extending laterally outwardly therefrom. The valve body 4 may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, in which case the rib 25 may be integrally molded as a part of body 4.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, resilient rib 25 is preferably connected to the body 4 near its upper end, and inclined downwardly and outwardly from the vertical axis of body 4 toward the flange 15 and gasket 16. Resilient rib 25 is positioned on body 4 a suflicient distance above the retaining wall means 13 so that retaining wall means 13 engages with the under surface of bottom wall 2 of the flush tank while the second retaining means 24 engages the upper surface of bottom wall 2, or at least presses against the bore of outlet opening 1 to retain the assembly in the opening. The valve body 4 is insertable upwardly through outlet opening 1, the opening resilient- 1y compressing rib 25 as the assembly is inserted upwardly through the tank bottom 2 and until rib 25 snaps out to engage with the upper surface of the flush tank bottom wall 2, or at least frictionally engage the bore of outlet opening 1 to retain the assembly in place. The two retaining means then cooperate with bottom wall 2 to retain the valve assembly within outlet opening 1.

To help retain rib 25 in engagement with the bottom wall 2 and to compensate for minor variations in diameter of outlet opening 1 generally resulting from the casting operation involved in manufacturing standard flush tanks, preferably an abutment wall 31, is provided on the opposite side of body 4 from resilient rib 25. Abutment Wall 31 is shown generally wedge-shaped and provides an abutting surface 32 which is downwardly inclined from the axis of body 4. This surface 32 is engageable with the periphery of tank outlet opening 1 when the valve assembly is inserted therein as shown in FIGURE 1. The abutment wall 31 thus keeps body 4 laterally within the opening 1 to retain rib 25 in engagement with bottom Wall 2. As shown more clearly on FIGURES 3 and 4 depicting various stages of installation of the flush valve assembly with a flush tank, the abutment wall 31 also facilitates insertion of the assembly through the outlet opening 1.

The assembly further includes a flush valve member,

generally indicated by the numeral 40, to control the flushing operation. Flush valve member 40 is preferably of the flapper valve type, as seen in FIGURE 1, and is pivotally connected to the overflow tube 12.

Valve member 40 generally comprises an upper valve element 41 which includes a substantially flat lower face 42. The central portion 43 of element 41 is raised to define a recess 44 therebelow which is internally threaded at 45. The lower face 42 also includes a generally annular rib 46 which encircles recess 44. Further, the outer end of upper valve element 41 includes a slot 47 to which actuating means, such as a chain 48, is secured to operate the flush valve member.

Flush valve member 40 further includes a lower valve element 50. Member 50 has a hollow central portion 51 as shown in FIGURE 1, to define with recess 44 in upper valve element 41, a float chamber 52. The central portion 51 includes an upwardly extending cylindrical wall 53 having external threads 54 engageable with internal threads 45 on the upper valve element 41. In addition, a flange 55 extends outwardly below wall 53 generally parallel to lower face 42 of the upper valve element 41. This flange 55 extends outwardly to terminate beneath the annular rib 46 of the upper valve element 41, but is smaller in diameter than the valve seat 10 provided on the upper end of valve body 4. In this manner, the lower valve element 50 including float chamber 52, is housed within the flush outlet passage 5, when the flush valve is closed to provide a compact outlet valve assembly.

An annular washer 60 is removably secured between the flange 55 of lower valve element 50 and the rib 46 of upper element 41 when

threads

45 and 54 of the two valve elements are interengaged. This washer 60 extends laterally outwardly beyond the flange 55 and is engageable with the valve seat 10 to close the outlet passage 5 when the flush tank is emptied. The lower face 42 of valve element 41 may have circumferentially spaced radial ribs extending radially outwardly from annular rib 46 to support the outer peripheral portion of washer element 60 away from the flat face 42 when the valve member 40 is pressed against valve seat 10 by the water within the flush tank. Washer 60 also seals the junction between the upper valve element 41 and the lower valve element 50 to insure that the air float chamber 52 is sealed against possible water leakage thereinto. Washer 60 therefore performs the dual functions of closing the valve seat 10 and sealing the float chamber 52. In addition, washer 60 is the only element of valve member 40 subject to wear by contact with valve seat 10 and by being removably secured between the threadably connected valve elements 41 and 50, it can be readily replaced.

To pivotally mount the valve 40 on the overflow tube 12, the upper valve element 41 includes a pair of outwardly extending arms 70. Each of these arms 70 is connected to upper element 41 and has an aperture 71 at its outer end. The arms 70 are sufliciently resilient so that they may be separated laterally for mounting the valve member 40 on the overflow tube 12. In the preferred embodiment, the arms 70 are molded integrally with the upper valve element 41, and are substantially parallel to each other.

The lower end of overflow tube 12 is provided with a pair of aligned studs 75, as best illustrated in FIGURE 2, extending from opposite sides of the tube. Studs 75 are preferably molded integral with the tube 12 which may be made of plastic as a part of valve 4. Each stud is cylindrical in shape to present a smooth peripheral bearing surface. The arms 70 on upper valve element 40 are spread apart and the apertures 71 in the arms engaged over studs 75 whereupon the arms are released to spring together and thereby be pivotally retained on studs 75. The arms 70 are sufliciently rigid as to retain studs 75 within the arm apertures 71 and hence, no further retaining means for this valve connection is necessary.

The installation of the outlet flush valve assembly within the flush tank will now be described. The overflow tube 12 and the valve body 4 with the flush valve member 40 detached, are inserted upwardly into the flush tank through the outlet opening 1 to the dotted line position illustrated on FIGURE 3. If the valve member 40 is sufliciently small in overall diameter to pass through the outlet opening 1, such valve member may be attached as a part of the assembly when it is installed. As this upward movement is continued, the assembly is tilted to the full line position on FIGURE 3. The assembly is then shifted laterally for the surface 32 of abutment 31 to come into contact with the periphery of opening 1, as shown in solid lines on FIGURE 4. Thereafter, upward and tilting movement brings resilient rib 25 into engagement with the periphery of the outlet opening as the assembly is moved toward the fully installed position shown in dotted lines on FIGURE 4. Rib 25 contacts the periphery of opening 1, and is resiliently compressed toward body 4 as the body moves upwardly through outlet opening 1 into the interior of the flush tank. After resilient rib 25 has passed through opening 1 preferably it will snap into engagement with the upper surface 30 of bottom tank wall 2, and thus prevent the body 4 from being withdrawn from the outlet opening although with a thick bottom wall tank the resilient rib 25 may remain frictionally pressing against the bore of the outlet opening 1 to retain the assembly in place pending mounting of the tank on the upper wall of a toilet bowl. Inclined abutting surface 32 remains in contact with the periphery of the outlet opening 1 when the rib 25 snaps into engagement with bottom wall 2 and urges the body 4 laterally to help retain the rib 25 in place and also tends to cam the assembly upwardly so that retaining wall means 13 will be snug against the underside 20 of tank bottom 2.

As illustrated by the phantom lines in FIGURE 4, the gasket 16 and flange forming retaining wall means 13 are in substantial contact with the under surface of bottom wall 2 when rib engages the upper surface and such wall means prevents upward movement of the valve body 4 within opening 1. In addition, when the flush tank is positioned above the toilet bowl, as shown in FIGURE 1, the gasket 16 provides a fluid-tight connection between the toilet tank and bowl.

From the above description, it is apparent that this invention allows the main portion of the toilet tank outlet valve assembly, such as the valve body 4 and overflow tube 12, to be inserted and retained within the outlet opening 1 by one simple operation, performed solely from beneath the bottom wall of the flush tank. Since the resilient retaining means 24 snaps into engagement with the bottom wall 2 to retain the valve body 4 within the opening 1, it is unnecessary to perform installing operations on the other side of the flush tank bottom wall 2.

To complete the installation of the valve assembly, if the valve member '40 was not in place when the assembly was being installed as described above, the arms 70 of flush valve 40 are spread apart and the aligned apertures 71 placed over the studs 75 on the overflow tube 12. The arms 70 are then released to retract inwardly on to studs 75, and retain the studs 75 within the aligned apertures 71. The flush valve 40 is thereby pivotally mounted on the overflow tube 12. The refill tube 9 which may conveniently be housed within overflow tube 12 with only a short length extending above wall 6 may then be pulled upwardly through aperture 8 in the top of the overflow tube 12 and appropriately connected to the float controlled water inlet valve (not shown) to complete the installation.

There has been illustrated and described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of this invention. It will be understood, however, that various modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An outlet flush valve assembly for a toilet flush tank comprising a valve body insertable into the outlet opening in the bottom wall of a flush tank to provide an outlet passage for the flush water with the upper end of said body including a valve seat, said body further having an overflow tube in communication with and offset from said outlet passage below said valve seat,

a flush valve member engageable with said valve seat to close said outlet passage,

retaining wall means on said body extending laterally outwardly therefrom to engage the underside of the bottom wall of the flush tank; and

resilient retaining means secured to said body to engage the tank bottom wall, said resilient retaining means being resiliently compressed toward said body as said body is inserted through the outlet opening whereby said retaining means engage the bottom wall to retain said valve body within the outlet opening in the flush tank.

2. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said resilient retaining means comprises a resilient rib connected to said body and extending outwardly at an angle therefrom.

3. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein said resilient rib is angularly inclined from the axis of said body toward said retaining wall means.

4. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein said resilient retaining means further comprises abutment means connected to said body substantially opposite the position of said rib on said body, said abutment means being engageable with the periphery of the outlet opening to urge said body laterally within the outlet opening and retain said rib engagement with the bottom wall.

5. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 4 wherein said abutment comprises a member angularly inclined relative to the axis of said body.

6. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said retaining wall means is connected to the lower end of said body in the form of an annular flange enclosed within a gasket to engage the under surface of the tank bottom wall, and said resilient retaining means is connected to said body to engage the upper surface of the bottom wall whereby said body is insertable upwardly through the outlet opening to snap said resilient retaining means into engagement with the upper surface of the bottom wall of the flush tank.

7. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said flush valve member comprises an upper valve element pivotally connected to said overflow tube, a lower valve element connected to said upper element including a hollow float means defined therebetween, a washer retained between said upper and lower valve elements and extending laterally beyond said lower member so that said washer is engageable with said valve seat to close the upper end of said body, and means to connect flush actuating means to said flush valve member.

8. An outlet flush valve assembly according to claim 7 wherein said upper and lower valve elements are threadably interconnected with said washer being clamped between the threadably connected elements to enable replacement of said washer by separating said elements and said washer serves as a seal for the hollow float means defined between said elements.

9. An outlet valve assembly according to claim 7 wherein said upper valve element includes a pair of arms extending outwardly toward said overflow tube, the outer ends of said arms being pivotally connected to said tube.

10. An outlet flush valve assembly for a toilet flush tank comprising a valve body insertable into the outlet opening in the bottom wall of a flush tank to provide an outlet passage for the flush water, the upper end of said body including a valve seat,

7 8 an overflow tube connected to said body communicab of said cylindrical wall and terminating beneath said ing with and ofiset from said outlet passage below annular rib, said valve seat, the lower end of said tube including a substantially flat annular washer removably secured a pair of aligned studs projecting outwardly therebetween said flange of said lower element and said from, rib of said upper element, said washer extending retaining means secured to said body and engageable laterally beyond said flange to be engageable with with the bottom wall of the flush tank to retain said said valve seat in closing the upper end of said outlet body within the outlet opening, and passage, and a flush valve member engageable with said valve seat means to connect actuating means to said flush valve having an upper valve element with a substantially 10 member to initiate the flushing operation. flat lower face, said upper valve element including a raised central portion having a threaded recess References Cited therebelow, said lower face including an annular rib UNITED STATES PATENTS encircling said recess, said upper valve element further including a pair of arms extending outwardly g s toward said overflow tube, the outer end of said 2693601 11/1954 S ig arms including aligned apertures engageable with 2735112 2/1956 m1 Myers 4-57 said aligned studs to pivotally connect sa1d upper 2763 872 9/1956 N elson 457 P valve element to said overflow tube, 2 849 725 9/1958 A t 0 t 1 a lower valve including a hollow central portion de- 3O72919 1/1963 gg ng "L P fimng float means wlth sa1d threaded recess and an 3,154,794 11/1964 Antunez P upwardly extending cylindrical wall threadably engaged within said threaded recess to connect said LAVERNE D GEIGER Primary Examiner lower element to said upper element, said lower elemerit further including a flange extending outwardly K ARTIS, Assistant Examiner-

Claims

1. AN OUTLET FLUSH VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A TOILET FLUSH TANK COMPRISING A VALVE BODY INSERTABLE INTO THE OUTLET OPENING IN THE BOTTOM WALL OF A FLUSH TANK TO PROVIDE AN OUTLET PASSAGE FOR THE FLUSH WATER WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID BODY INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT, SAID BODY FURTHER HAVING AN OVERFLOW TUBE IN COMMUNICATION WITH AND OFFSET FROM SAID OUTLET PASSAGE BELOW SAID VALVE SEAT, A FLUSH VALVE MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO CLOSE SAID OUTLET PASSAGE, RETAINING WALL MEANS ON SAID BODY EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE FLUSH TANK; AND RESILIENT RETAINING MEANS SECURED TO SAID BODY TO ENGAGE THE TANK BOTTOM WALL, SAID RESILIENT RETAINING MEANS BEING RESILIENTLY COMPRESSED TOWARD SAID BODY AS SAID BODY IS INSERTED THROUGH THE OUTLET OPENING WHEREBY SAID RETAINING MEANS ENGAGE THE BOTTOM WALL TO RETAIN SAID VALVE BODY WITHIN THE OUTLET OPENING IN THE FLUSH TANK.