U.S. patent application number 14/513032 was filed with the patent office on 2015-01-29 for toilet valve lever interlock.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fluidmaster, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Fluidmaster, Inc.. Invention is credited to Matt VARGAS.
Application Number | 20150026875 14/513032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47005252 |
Filed Date | 2015-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150026875 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
VARGAS; Matt |
January 29, 2015 |
TOILET VALVE LEVER INTERLOCK
Abstract
A dual flush toilet assembly including a locking mechanism that
prevents over travel of a piston, thereby preventing inadvertent
full flushing when only a partial flush has been selected, yet
permits full flushing when so desired. Specifically, a rotatable
locking mechanism that prevents the piston from moving fully
upwards into the second latched position when a partial flush is
desired, yet rotates to an unlocked position to permit the piston
to move fully upwards into the second latched position when full
flushing is desired.
Inventors: |
VARGAS; Matt; (San Jose,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Fluidmaster, Inc. |
San Juan Capistrano |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Fluidmaster, Inc.
San Juan Capistrano
CA
|
Family ID: |
47005252 |
Appl. No.: |
14/513032 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13449861 |
Apr 18, 2012 |
8881320 |
|
|
14513032 |
|
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61476656 |
Apr 18, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/325 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D 5/026 20130101;
E03D 2001/147 20130101; E03D 1/142 20130101; E03D 3/12 20130101;
E03D 2001/148 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/325 |
International
Class: |
E03D 3/12 20060101
E03D003/12; E03D 5/02 20060101 E03D005/02 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A toilet flushing system, comprising: a frame; a piston
moveable within the frame; a lever mounted to the frame, wherein
the lever lifts the piston to a first latched position for a first
flush and lifts the piston to a second latched position for a
second flush; and a locking mechanism mounted to the frame, wherein
the lever lifting the piston causes the locking mechanism to move
between a locked position that prevents the piston from moving to
the second latched position to an unlocked position that permits
the piston to move to the second latched position.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising: an actuator for
moving the lever thereby lifting the piston.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the actuator comprises a flush
handle connected to a cable connected to the lever.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the piston has a recess into
which an end of the locking mechanism is received.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the recess is on a side of the
piston.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein lifting the lever moves the end
of the locking mechanism into the recess of the piston.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein lifting the lever causes an end
of the lever to lift the locking mechanism such that the end of the
locking mechanism moves into the recess of the piston.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein a free end of the lever is
received under a protrusion on the piston.
19. The system of claim 11, further comprising: a track along which
the piston moves.
20. The system of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism is
V-shaped and rotates around a pivot of the locking mechanism,
wherein the lever lifts an end of the locking mechanism causing an
opposing end of the locking mechanism into a recess on a side of
the piston.
21. The system of claim 11, wherein the first flush is a partial
flush, and wherein a distance travelled by the piston for the first
flush is less than a distanced travelled by the piston for the
second flush.
22. The system of claim 1, wherein the second flush is a full
flush, and wherein a distance travelled by the piston for the first
flush is less than a distanced travelled by the piston for the
second flush.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application 61/476,656, filed Apr. 18, 2011, of the same
title, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] When using a flush valve in a toilet that has multiple lever
or button options, it is possible to achieve an undesired flush,
depending on user activation. An example is a dual flush toilet
where there are two flush states: a partial flush and a full flush.
The dual flush toilet valve can use a single cable mechanism
assembly to control both flushes. The cable mechanism is controlled
by displacing the cable different distances depending on partial
vs. full flush. The cable then acts on a mechanism such as a lever
assembly which raises a piston member, initiating a flush. The
piston interfaces to different latch points for the different flush
options. If the piston latches in the incorrect position, the wrong
flush will be actuated. If the user activates the cable mechanism
assembly quickly, it is possible for the inertia of the piston to
cause it to travel past the intended latch point, into the region
for the other flush latch position. Specifically, if a user is
selecting a partial flush (in which the piston is only supposed to
be raised to a first latch point), yet uses too much force too
quickly, the piston can inadvertently travel fully upwards to the
second latch position causing a full flush. What is instead desired
is a system to avoid an inadvertent full flush when only a partial
flush has been selected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention provides a system for preventing over
travel of a piston in a dual flush toilet valve to avoid an
inadvertent full flush when only a partial flush has been selected.
Specifically, the present invention automatically disables full
piston travel (i.e.: a full flush) with an interlock feature unless
such full piston travel is desired. This ensures more repeatable
flushing as intended by the user.
[0004] In preferred aspects, the interlock is a movable lock that
prevents over travel for a short distance actuation, and is
disabled for full travel distance actuation. The cable mechanism
activates a lever that lifts the piston up. In the case of the
shorter distance flush (i.e.: the partial flush), the piston has a
feature that collides with the lever interlock. This prevents
further travel of the piston. In the case of the full distance
(full flush), the lever begins the piston in motion. The additional
rotation of the piston lever then lifts the interlock lever out of
the way of the piston. This allows the piston to travel further
upwards.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the flush valve prior to
flushing.
[0006] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the flush valve during a
partial flush when the piston is moved up to the first latched
position.
[0007] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a full flush when the lever has
first contacted the locking mechanism.
[0008] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a full flush after the lever
has rotated the locking mechanism such that the piston is cleared
to move into in the second latched position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the flush valve prior to
flushing showing the components of the present invention, as
follows. A dual flush toilet assembly 10 is provided. Assembly 10
comprises: a frame 20; a piston 30 moveable up and down within
frame 20; and a lever 40 mounted to frame 20 for lifting piston 30.
As will be shown and explained in FIGS. 1 to 4, lever 40 lifts
piston 30 partially upwards to a first latched position for a
partial flush and fully upwards to a second latched position for a
full flush. Assembly 10 also comprises a locking mechanism 50
mounted to frame 20. As will be shown, this locking mechanism 50 is
moveable between a locked position (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) that prevents
piston 30 from moving fully upwards into the second latched
position, and an unlocked position (FIG. 4) that permits piston 30
to move fully upwards into the second latched position. In
accordance with the present invention, lever 40 moves locking
mechanism 50 into the unlocked position when lever 40 lifts piston
30 into the second latched position. Note: the first latched
position is the partial flush position and the second latched
position is the full flush position. In other words, piston 30 is
lifted a shorter distance upwards for a partial flush and a greater
distance upwards for a full flush. Also included is an actuator 60
for pulling lever 40 thereby moving the piston upwards to either of
the first or second latched positions. Actuator 60 may optionally
comprise a flush handle connected to a cable connected to lever 40.
Lever 40 rotates about its central pivot point 43.
[0010] As can also be seen, piston 30 has a side recess 32 into
which bottom end 52 of locking mechanism 50 can be received. As
seen in FIG. 2, a user selects a partial flush (by turning handle
which pulls on a cable thereby rotating locking lever 40). This
moves lever 40 which in turn pulls piston 30 up to its first
latched position. However, if the user inadvertently uses too much
force or flushes too quickly, the danger is that piston 30 would
"over travel" due to its own inertia, and rise to a position higher
than the desired first latched position shown in FIG. 2. The
present invention is specifically designed to overcome this
problem. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the present system prevents
excessive piston movement since side projection 34 on piston 30
will be stopped in its tracks when it hits bottom end 52 of locking
mechanism 50. Thus, piston 30 will be prevented from "over
travelling" upwards to the second latch position.
[0011] In accordance with the present invention, however, full
flushing is provided when desired as follows. As seen in FIG. 4,
when a full flush has been selected (by rotating lever 40 further
upwards), lever 40 now contacts the top end 54 of locking mechanism
50, thereby rotating V-shaped locking mechanism 50 about its
central pivot point 53. (Note: a hidden portion of locking
mechanism 50 is shown in dotted lines for ease of understanding).
This is turn rotates bottom end 52 of locking mechanism 50 into
recess 32 on piston 30. In summary, piston 30 is thus only free to
travel to the second latched position (i.e.: the full flush
position shown in FIG. 4), when lever 40 has already caused locking
mechanism 50 to release piston 30 for such travel. As a result,
full flushing can only be selected when the user has first rotated
lever 40 to a position at which it has first released interlock
50.
* * * * *