WO2005116351A1

WO2005116351A1 - Flush valve leakage prevention device

Info

Publication number: WO2005116351A1
Application number: PCT/CA2005/000771
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Leblanc
Original assignee: Daniel Leblanc
Priority date: 2004-05-25
Filing date: 2005-05-19
Publication date: 2005-12-08
Also published as: CA2469232A1; US20090019628A1; CA2469232C

Abstract

A flush valve leakage prevention device for a toilet tank is disclosed. The device comprises a closer portion adapted to be in resilient contact with the flapper portion of the flush valve and an attachment portion adapted to be attached to the toilet tank. The attachment portion is adapted to be attached in a position which allows the closer portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with the valve flapper portion, and, in the absence of an external force from a flush actuating system of the toilet tank, to hold down said flapper portion to improve the seal between the valve seat and the flapper portion of the valve.

Description

FLUSH VALVE LEAKAGE PREVENTION DEVICE

TITLE OF THE INVENTION A flush valve leakage prevention device FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to flush valve leakage prevention device and more particularly to a flush valve leakage prevention device for a toilet tank. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional flush toilets were developed many years ago and are well known to everybody. Most commonly, a flush toilet comprises a water tank that is sealed by a flush valve to maintain a predetermined volume of water in the tank until it is needed to flush the toilet. The main problem with such conventional flush toilets and especially older models is large water consumption. One source of water wastage results from the valve typically remaining open until the tank in fully drained and this even in those frequent instances where less water would have provided a quite adequate flush therefore wasting a significant volume of water. Another source of water wastage is leakage between the flush valve flapper and the flush valve seat when it is in the closed position. The volume of water so wasted can be 25% or more of the total volume used by the toilet. Some have attempted to limit water wastage by reducing the capacity of the water tank by introducing bulky objects in the tank such as bricks, blocks and liners. However, the reduced available water volume is insufficient to produce an adequate flush in those instances where a heavier flush is required. Other solutions have been suggested to reduce water consumption and some of them are described below. U.S. Patent No. 4,651 ,359 issued to Battle on Mar. 24, 1987 disclosed a dual mode flush valve assembly which includes a flush valve actuator assembly moving downwards to a lower partial flush position to engage the flush valve moving it towards the closed position to provide the partial flush mode. While this device may be suitable for the particular purpose to which it addresses, the design of this device is very complex. U.S. Patent No. 6,571 ,400 issued to Reid on Jun. 3, 2003 disclosed a toilet having two reservoirs and a bowl water flow adjustment system that has a pivotal retaining arm selectively engaging an upper surface of a flush valve. This engagement is dependent of a water level via a float mechanism. U.S. Patent No. 4,224,703 issued to Makhobey on Sep. 30, 1980 disclosed a flush tank valve closer containing a buoyant float that falls with the water level of the tank during a flush and applies its weight against the flush valve to push the valve prematurely into its seat. It is evident that this device is not adaptable for providing partial water draining from the toilet tank when it is appropriate. Inventor Gilliland in U.S. Patent No. 4,240,167 issued on Dec. 23, 1980 disclosed a flush valve control apparatus that comprises a control member, which is normally in a non-control relationship with the flush valve and may be rotated downward by a user until it contacts the top portion of the valve. It allows an operator to close the valve at any time; thereby one may manually control the flush operation thereof to use less than the total tank capacity of water. This device needs a special action from user to stop a flush valve leakage. Thus, there is a need to develop an economical flush valve leakage prevention device which can be easy installed that also allows a partial water draining from the toilet tank when it is necessary and with effective sealing of a discharging outlet of a toilet tank between flush cycles. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved flush valve leakage prevention device that obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages. One more object of the present invention is to provide flush valve leakage prevention device for reduced water consumption by an early stop of the water draining from the toilet tank when it is deemed appropriate by the user. Another object of the present invention is to allow a better sealing of a toilet tank between flush cycles. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flush valve leakage prevention device which is compact. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flush valve leakage prevention device which is adaptable to different toilet tanks. Another object of the present invention is to provide a flush valve leakage prevention device, which can be easily installed. A further object of the present invention is to provide a flush valve leakage prevention device, which is easy to manufacture. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flush valve leakage prevention device, which is inexpensive. Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, a flush valve leakage prevention device for a toilet tank is provided, which comprises a resilient closer having a first portion customized to be attached to the toilet tank and a second portion that extends from the first portion. A fastening member, such as an elastic band may be used to attach the first portion of the resilient closer in a position which allows to the second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper, and, in the absence of an external force from a flush actuating system of the toilet tank, to hold down said flapper to stop a flush cycle and to improve the seal between the flapper portion of the flush valve and the seat thereof. The resilient closer is preferably made from a sheet-like resilient material such as high density polyethylene. In a preferred embodiment, the first portion of the resilient closer is attached to the overflow tube of the toilet tank. It is preferable that the first portion be wider than the second portion in order to at least partially surround the overflow tube. The second portion has a shape generally matching at least partially the part of the flapper that is placed over the seat of the valve. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of flush valve leakage prevention for a toilet tank is provided and comprises the steps of: a) adjusting a first portion of a resilient closer to the toilet tank, wherein the resilient closer has a first portion customized to be attached to the toilet tank and a second portion that extends from the first portion; b) adjusting a second portion of the resilient closer to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper of the flush valve; c) attaching the first portion with a fastening member. It is preferable to adjust the first portion of the resilient closer to the overflow tube of the toilet tank. According to a further aspect of the present invention, a kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank is provided and comprises a resilient closer having a first portion customized to be attached to the toilet tank and a second portion that extends from the first portion, a fastening member adapted to attach the first portion of the resilient closer in a position which allows to the second portion, upon its deformation, to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper, and, in the absence of an external force from a flush actuating system of the toilet tank, to hold down said flapper to stop a flush cycle and to seal a valve seat of the toilet tank for the flush valve leakage prevention. This kit may also contain installation instructions, describing installation steps, including: a) turning off water supply; b) flushing the toilet tank to drain; c) adjusting a first portion of a resilient closer to the toilet tank, wherein the resilient closer has a first portion customized to be attached to the toilet tank and a second portion freely extended from the first portion; d) adjusting a second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper of the flush valve; e) attaching a first portion by a fastening member; f) turning on water supply. It is preferable to adjust the first portion of the resilient closer to the overflow tube of the toilet tank. The invention accordingly comprises the construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the flush valve leakage prevention device of the present invention when the flush valve is in the closed position between flush cycles; Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the flush valve leakage prevention device of the present invention when the flush valve is opened during the flush cycle; Figure 3 is an isometric view of a resilient closer in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the one of the resilient closer shown in figure 3, and Figure 5 is a side view of a fastening member (band) shown in figures 1 and 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the annexed drawings, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purposes and by no means as of limitation. As best shown in Figs. 1 through 5, the present invention relates to a flush valve leakage prevention device and is generally indicated as 10. The device 10 is used in a toilet tank R assembly. Referring to Fig 1 , the device 10 is illustrated in a normally closed position during the period of time between the flush cycles when a valve seat 20 is sealing by a valve flapper 30, at what time it is ready to be operated by the user via applying active forces using an activating system 60 to open a valve flapper 30 for a flushing process. Device 10 (see Figs. 1 and 2) comprises a resilient closer 40 (see Figs. 3 and 4) and a fastening member 50 (see Fig. 5). The resilient closer 40 has a first portion 41 customized to be attached to the toilet tank R and a second portion 43 freely extended from the first portion 41. The fastening member 50 is adapted to attach the first portion 41 of the resilient closer 40 in a position which allows to the second portion 43, upon deformation of the resilient closer, to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper 30, and, in the absence of an external force from a flush activating system 60 of the toilet tank R, to hold down the flapper 30 to stop a flush cycle and to seal a valve seat 20 of the toilet tank T for the flush valve leakage prevention. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, upon actuation of the flush actuating system

60 by an external force (typically the person using the toilet), the resilient closer 40 is deformed or bent so that the second portion 43 remain in at least resilient partial contact with the valve flapper 30 (see Fig. 2). When the external force is removed, the resilience of the resilient closer 40 forces the closer 40 to return to its original form (see Fig. 1), thus forcing down the flapper 30 on the valve seat, effectively stopping a flush cycle and sealing the valve seat 20. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate one of the possible embodiments of the resilient closer 40 which is made from a sheet-like resilient material and preferably a material that will not be adversely affected by water. An example of such material is high density polyethylene. As is illustrated on Figures 1 and 2 as example, the first portion 41 of the resilient closer 40 is adapted to be attached to an overflow tube T of the toilet tank R. The first portion 41 is customized wider than the second portion 43 for at least partially encompassing the overflow tube T (D>d as indicated on Fig.4) to define a better attachment. The second portion 43 has a shape generally matching at least partially that of the flapper 30. As example (see Figs. 3 and 4) the second portion has an opening 44 adapting a convexity 34 of the flapper 30 for best matching that allows to the second portion 43, upon the resilient closer 40 deformation, to hold down a peripheral area 36 of the valve flapper 30 under uniform pressure for better sealing of the flush valve. The fastening member 50 could be made as an elastic retaining band. Various shapes of such band may be used for fastening. It is also possible to use different types of clamping mechanism (not shown) to define the immovable position of the first end 41. With reference to Figs 1-4 there a method of flush valve leakage prevention for a toilet tank R is illustrated and comprises the steps of: a) adjusting a first portion 41 of a resilient closer 40 to the toilet tank R, wherein this first portion 41 is customized to be attached to the toilet tank R, a second portion 43 of the resilient closer 40 freely extends from the first portion 41 ; b) adjusting the second portion 43 of the resilient closer 40, upon deformation of the resilient closer, to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper 30 of the flush valve; c) attaching the first portion 41 by a fastening member 50 such that said flapper 30 will be held down by the second portion 43 to seal a valve seat 20 of the toilet tank R for the flush valve leakage prevention in the absence of an external force activated by user. Figs. 1 and 2 show an example of the resilient closer 40 attached to an overflow tube T of the toilet tank R that has the first portion 41 customized to be attached to this tube T. With reference to Figs. 1-4 a kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank R is illustrated and comprises a resilient closer 40 and a fastening member 50. This kit may also include installation instructions, describing installation steps, including: a) turning off water supply; b) flushing the toilet tank R to drain; c) adjusting a first portion 41 of a resilient closer 40 to the toilet tank R; d) adjusting a second portion 43 of the resilient closer 40, upon its deformation, to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper 30 of the flush valve; e) attaching the first portion 41 by a fastening member 50 such that said flapper 30 will be held down by the second portion 43 to seal a valve seat 20 of the toilet tank R for the flush valve leakage prevention in the absence of an external force; f) turning on water supply. For the toilet tank with an overflow tube T a kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank R includes a resilient closer 40 having a first portion 41 customized to be attached to this tube T. A fastening member 50 adapted to attach the first portion 41 of the resilient closer 40 in a position which allows to the second portion 43 to remain in at least partial resilient contact with a valve flapper, and, in the absence of an external force from a flush activating system 60 of the toilet tank R, to hold down the flapper 30 to stop a flush cycle and to seal a valve seat 20 of the toilet tank R for the flush valve leakage prevention. The retainer 40 extends from this first end 41 and is at least partially contacting with the flapper 30 to define a force between the flapper 30 and the valve seat 20 to seal the flush valve and to prevent a water leakage from the toilet tank R between the flush cycles. The resiliency of the resilient retainer 40 is enough to stop a flush cycle and to provide sealing for protection against water leaking through the flush valve between flush cycles. At the same time, when the user deactivates the flush by releasing the flush activating system 60, the resilient retainer 40 forces the flapper 30 into the sealing position with the valve seat to close water flushing and leaking. The resilient retainer 40 may be made from different resilient materials, with different shapes and forms which have resilience sufficient to jam the flapper 30 in a sealing engagement with the valve seat 20 without water leaking between them. The resilient retainer 40 is preferably made from lightweight resilient materials, which have a low cost and are mass producible such as high density polyethylene. The resiliency range of the retainer 40 illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 is dependent of a deformation of the second portion 43 relatively to the attached first portion 41. To prevent leakage of a flush valve positioned in a discharge outlet of a toilet tank R installed before, the retaining device 10 is very useful. The flush valve leakage prevention device 10 may be used in new toilet tanks as well as in old toilets. The installation process is as we described before. User via any type of a flush activating system 60 produces an external force to open the flapper 30 to define a water flush from the toilet tank R. When user released the activating system 60, a flush valve leakage prevention device 10 will automatically close the flush valve to reduce the water consumption. The drawings and the description attached to it are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. As to the details, the invention may vary within the scope of the claims. So, the shape or size of the resilient retainer 40 may be formed as desired, considering the needs and specific water tank T models. Although the present flush valve leakage prevention device has been described with a certain degree of particularity it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiment(s) described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A- flush valve leakage prevention device for a toilet tank comprising a flush actuating system, a valve seat and a valve flapper, said leakage prevention device comprising a resilient closer having a first portion customized to be attached to the toilet tank and a second portion that extends from said first portion wherein, when external force actuates said flush actuating system and initiates a flush cycle, said resilient closer is resiliently deformed to cause said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said valve flapper, and, when said external force is removed, said second portion returns to its original form and forces down said flapper, stopping said flush cycle and sealing said valve seat of said toilet tank.

2. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 1 , wherein said closer is made from a sheet-like resilient material.

3. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 2, wherein said material is high density polyethylene.

4. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein said toilet tank further comprises an overflow tube and said first portion of said resilient closer is customized to be attached to said overflow tube of said toilet tank.

5. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein said toilet tank further comprises an overflow tube and said first portion of said resilient closer is customized to be attached to said overflow tube of said toilet tank and to at least partially surround said tube.

6. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein said second portion has a shape generally matching at least partially that of said flapper.

7. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein said second portion has a shape generally matching the periphery of said flapper.

8. A flush valve leakage prevention device for a toilet tank comprising a flush actuating system, a valve seat and a valve flapper, said leakage prevention device comprising a resilient closer made from a sheet-like resilient material, said closer having a first portion customized to be attached to an overflow tube of the toilet tank and a second portion that extends from said first portion wherein, when external force actuates said flush actuating system and initiates a flush cycle, said resilient closer is resiliently deformed to cause said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said valve flapper, and, when said external force is removed, said second portion returns to its original form and forces down said flapper, stopping said flush cycle and sealing said valve seat of said toilet tank.

9. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 8, wherein said material is high density polyethylene.

10. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said toilet tank further comprises an overflow tube and said first portion of said resilient closer is customized to be attached to said overflow tube of said toilet tank and to at least partially surround said tube.

11. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said second portion has a shape generally matching at least partially that of said flapper.

12. The flush valve leakage prevention device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said second portion has a shape generally matching the periphery of said flapper.

13. Method of flush valve leakage prevention for a toilet tank comprising a flush actuating system, a flush valve, a valve seat and a valve flapper, said method comprising the steps of: a) adjusting first portion of a resilient closer to said toilet tank, wherein said resilient closer has said first portion customized to be attached to said toilet tank and a second portion that extends from said first portion; b) adjusting said second portion of said resilient closer to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said valve flapper of said flush valve; c) attaching said first portion to said toilet tank by a fastening member such that when external force actuates said flush actuating system and initiates a flush cycle, said resilient closer is resiliently deformed to cause said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said flapper, and, when said external force is removed, said second portion returns to its original form and forces down said flapper, stopping said flush cycle and sealing said valve seat of said toilet tank.

14. Method of flush valve leakage prevention for a toilet tank, according to claim 13, wherein said toilet tank further comprises an overflow tube and wherein said step a) is replaced by the following: a') adjusting said first portion of said resilient closer to said overflow tube of said toilet tank, wherein said resilient closer has said first portion customized to be attached to said overflow tube of said toilet tank and a second portion that extends from said first portion.

15. A kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank comprising a flush actuating system, a flush valve, a valve seat and a valve flapper, said kit comprising: a resilient closer having a first portion customized to be attached to said toilet tank and a second portion that extends from said first portion, a fastening member adapted to attach said first portion of said resilient closer in a position wherein when external force actuates said flush actuating system and initiates a flush cycle, said resilient closer is resiliently deformed to cause said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said flapper, and, when said external force is removed, said second portion returns to its original form and forces down said flapper, stopping said flush cycle and sealing said valve seat of said toilet tank.

16. A kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank as claimed in claim 15, further comprising installation instructions, describing installation steps, including: a) turning off water supply; b) flushing said toilet tank to drain; c) adjusting said first portion of said resilient closer to said toilet tank; d) adjusting said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said valve flapper of said flush valve; e) attaching said first portion to said toilet tank by said fastening member; f) holding down said flapper by said resilient closer to seal said valve seat of said toilet tank for said flush valve leakage prevention in the absence of said external force; and g) turning on said water supply.

17. A kit for a flush valve leakage prevention of a toilet tank according to claim 15 or 16 wherein said toilet tank further comprises an overflow tube and wherein said first portion of said resilient closer is customized to be attached to said overflow tube of said toilet tank.

18. A toilet tank comprising: a flush valve having a seat portion and a flapper portion sitting on said seat portion, an overflow tube, a flush actuating system, and a leakage prevention device, comprising a resilient closer having a first portion customized to be attached to said overflow tube and a second portion that extends from said first portion wherein, when external force actuates said flush actuating system, and initiates a flush cycle, said resilient closer is resiliently deformed to cause said second portion to remain in at least partial resilient contact with said flapper portion, and, when said external force is removed, said second portion returns to its original form and forces down said flapper portion, stopping said flush cycle and sealing said seat portion of said toilet tank.

19. A toilet tank as claimed in claim 18, wherein said closer is made from a sheet-like resilient material.

20. A toilet tank as claimed in claim 19, wherein said closer is made from a high density polyethylene.