Dual Flush Toilets

Abstract

This invention provides a modification kit, consisting of four small elements, by means of which a conventional toilet, of the flush-tank type, may be converted to permit selective actuation of a dual flush system. The central principle of this invention rests on the utilization of a simple rubber-type band to control selectively a float, which, when permitted to fall with the water level in the tank actuates the closing of the outlet prematurely, but when restrained from falling permits the modified toilet to run through the ordinary full flush cycle. As in a standard toilet, when the flushing handle is pressed down and released, a conventional outlet valve is raised from its seat, permitting water to be flushed from the tank into the toilet bowl. At the same time one of the four new elements, a float, falls with the water level in the tank. When the water reaches a predetermined level, the falling float exerts a downward force on the outlet valve, causing the outlet valve to seat, closing the outlet when only about half the water in the tank has been flushed. For a full flush, the flushing handle is pushed down, then pulled up and released. When the flushing handle is pulled up, the float is rerestrained from falling onto the outlet valve permitting the toilet to run through an ordinary flushing cycle.

Description

RELATED INVENTIONS

U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,106,916; 2,351,672; 2,526,294; 2,532,977; 3,538,519.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Conventional flush-tank toilets in homes and apartments are designed to use a standard volume of water which is considered necessary to flush the toilet bowl satisfactorily under maximum requirement conditions. Often less than maximum water volume can satisfactorily flush the toilet. Accordingly, one way to save water which is so wastefully flushed through toilets is to provide a selective flushing system which utilizes a full flush cycle for solid wastes and a partial flush for liquid wastes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Apparatus designed to provide dual flushing systems for flush-tank toilets have been manufactured and used in this country and in foreign lands. They operate on one of three basic designs -

A. They utilize multiple outlet ports.

B. They are actuated by the fall of a separate float which exerts a force on the outlet valve.

C. They are actuated by the fall of the conventional float which controlls the inlet means which by falling exerts a force on the outlet valve.

Some of these mechanisms require more than one exterior flushing handle, others have multiple levers, still others employ complex cams and locking devices. Many are unreliable in every day operations. Most designs are costly, require considerable work, skill and tools for installation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The main purpose of this invention is to conserve water that is flushed through toilets. This objective is achieved through an improved mechanism which fits any ordinary flush-tank toilet, providing such a toilet with a dual flush system, permitting selectively a full tank flush for maximum requirements or a reduced flush for lesser conditions.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a design which will permit the average home-owner or apartment dweller to modify his toilet at minimum cost, with little skill and tool needs. A screw driver or pliers may be required to remove two or three replaceable parts of the conventional toilet to make the change over. No tools are required to install the new mechanism.

Still another important objective of the invention is to provide a design which will take advantage of the conditioned behavior of the user. For years people have become accustomed to press down on the flushing handle to flush the conventional toilet. The improved mechanism utilizes this movement to initiate a reduced flush. For the user to flush a tankful of water, he must press down and then pull up on the handle. Accordingly, in this design the user conserves water without making a conscious effort achieve this objective.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objectives will become apparent with reference to the following drawings and descriptions herein -

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of the four elements of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a float 1 which has a tube 2 positioned vertically through the center of float 1. For purposes of later discussion tube 2 has an upper extension 3, lower extension 4 and hole 5.

FIG. 2 shows bracket 6 which can be mounted on the over-flow tube in a conventional flush-tank toilet. For this purpose bracket 6 has a hole 7 through which the over-flow tube fits and winged screw 8 which serves to tighten bracket 6 on the standard over-flow tube. Bracket 6 has an extension 9 at the left end of which is positioned a vertical mount 10 with cam surfaces 11. Vertical mount 10 also serves as a base for a vertical tube 12 which has an axial hole 13 which runs vertically through tube 12, mount 10 and extension 9. Mount 10 has a portion cut out which is designated for purposes of later discussion as cut-out 14.

FIG. 3 shows a lifter and control link 15 which is a vertical wire suitably bent at both ends. At the bottom end it has a horizontal half-loop 16 whose open side is closed by a restrainer 17 which which is a band (as shown) made of suitable flexible material (such as rubber or neoprene) stretched over half-loop 16 as indicated. For purposes of later discussion, the space inclosed by the wire half-loop 16 and restrainer 17 is designated as space 18. At the upper end lifter and control link 15 has a horizontal circular loop 19 whose plane is parallel to the plane made by the wire half-loop 16 and it has a vertical rectangular loop 20 which is in a plane perpendicular to the planes of half-loop 16 and horizontal circular loop 19 with the vertical wire 15 forming one side of the rectangular loop.

FIG. 4 shows a lifter rod 21 which is made of wire and is similar to a lifter rod in a conventional toilet (see FIG. 5), except it is slightly different in length to accommodate the other elements of the new mechanism. The lifter rod 21 has a loop 22 at its upper end and a threaded portion 23 at its lower end.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of those parts of the conventional toilet which are replaced or accommodated by the four new elements of this invention. It shows a bracket 24 mounted on a conventional over-flow tube 25. Link 26 has a hook 27 which is hooked into a suitable hole in a standard lever 28 which is operationally connected to the flushing handle which is mounted outside the flushing-tank. Lifter rod 29 slides vertically through loop 30 of link 26 and through guide hole 31 of bracket 24. The threaded lower end 32 of lifter rod 29 is operationally connected to outlet valve 33 which is seated in outlet 34. The upper end of lifter rod 29 has a loop 35.

In operation in a conventional toilet, when the flushing handle outside the water tank is depressed, lever 28 rises, pulling up link 26. The upper surface of loop 30 engages below loop 35 of lifter rod 29; raising lifter rod 29; lifting outlet valve 33 from its seat in outlet 34; permitting water to flow from the tank into the toilet bowl. Outlet valve 33 being buoyant, floats above outlet 34 when lifted from the seat. The float valve continues to float above the outlet until the tank empties, when outlet valve 33 falls by gravity onto its seat, closing outlet 34 shutting off the flow of water from the tank into the toilet bowl.

FIG. 6 shows the four elements of the new mechanism, previously discussed in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, mounted in place of the conventional parts shown in FIG. 5. Conventional bracket 24 (FIG. 5) is replaced by modification bracket 6 which is fastened to overflow tube 25. Float 1, is mounted below bracket 6 with the vertical upper extension 3 of tube 2 of float 1 engaged slideably in hole 13 which runs vertically through tube 12, mount 10 and extension 9 of bracket 6. Lifter and control link 15 replaces link 26 (FIG. 5), and is shown in FIG. 6 to be forced down onto the top of extension 9. Tube 12 and mount 10 of bracket 6 project up through space 18 of lifter and control link 15. The wire half-loop 16 in its movement downward has been forced to the right by cam surfaces 11 until it rests on top of extension 9, and to the right of cam surfaces 11. Restrainer 17, in its movement downward with the wire half-loop 16, is stretched through cut-out 14 of mount 10. In this position, restrainer 17 holds upper extension 3 of tube 2 tightly against the inside surfaces of hole 13 in tube 12, mount 10 and extension 9 of bracket 6. Accordingly, in FIG. 6, Float 1 is shown locked to bracket 6. Conventional lever 28 is shown engaged in vertical rectangular loop 20 of lifter and control link 15. Lifter rod 21 replaces lifter rod 29 of FIG. 5. It is shown slideably engaged in the circular horizontal loop 19 and hole 5 of tube 2 of float 1. The threaded lower end 23 of lifter rod 21 is secured to the top of outlet valve 33 (not shown).

FIG. 7 is a side view inside a conventional flushing tank 36 looking from the back towards the front of the tank. Water inlet and water level control mechanisms are not shown. Shown are the conventional over-flow tube 25 with outlet valve 33 in its seat in outlet 34. A conventional lever 28 is shown inside tank 36 operationally connected to flushing handle 37 which is mounted outside tank 36 and on the front face of the tank. The four elements of the invention are shown mounted in tank 36 converting an ordinary toilet to a dual flush system. The positioning of the new elements and their functioning are described in detail in the discussion of my preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 6 and 7 show by preferance for mounting the four elements of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in a conventional toilet.

In FIG. 7, bracket 6, replaces a conventional bracket and is fastened on over-flow tube 25 with vertical hole 13 positioned directly over the center of outlet 34. Bracket 6 is secured to the over-flow tube 25 by winged screw 8. Float 1 is placed under extension 9 of bracket 6 with hole 5 of vertical tube 2 of float 1 aligned with hole 13. Lifter and control link 15 replaces a conventional link and is placed so that tube 12 projects up through space 18 until wire half-loop 16 rests on the upper part of cam surfaces 11 and restrainer 17 rests to the left of tube 12 and above cut-out 14. Lever 28 is engaged in rectangular loop 20 of lifter and control link 15. Lifter rod 21 is engaged slideably through loop 19 hole 13 of bracket 6 and hole 5 of tube 2 of float 1. The threaded end 23 of lifter rod 21 is screwed into the top of outlet valve 33. The broken line marked "Water Level" indicates the level of the water when the flush tank is full.

In operation, for a reduced flush, flushing handle 37 is depressed and released.

When the flushing handle 37 outside tank 36 is pushed down, lever 28 inside the tank is raised to the position shown by broken lines. Lever 28 being engaged in loop 20 raises lifter and control link 15 as shown by broken lines. The upper surfaces of loop 19 pressing upward on the lower surfaces of loop 22, raises lifter rod 21, causing outlet valve 33 to lift from its seat to the position shown by the broken lines, opening outlet 34, permitting water to flow from tank 36 into the toilet bowl. Outlet valve 33 being buoyant, floats in the position shown above outlet 34. When flushing handle 37 is released, lever 28 falls until the wire half-loop 16 comes to rest on the upper part of cam surfaces 11 of mount 10 as shown in solid lines.

In this position of the lifter and control link 15, float 1 floats in the water with its upper surface pressing up against the bottom of extension 9 of bracket 6. Upper extension 3 of tube 2 of float 1 is free to move slideably in hole 13. When the water in tank 36 drops to a predetermined level A float 1 begins to fall with the water level with extension 4 of float 1 pressing down on top of outlet valve 33. At a predetermined water level B, (approximately at half tank), float 1 has fallen to a position where its weight, pressing down on valve 33 causes outlet valve 33 to be sucked down by the flushing water onto its seat in outlet 34 closing the outlet and shutting off the flow of water from tank 36 into the toilet bowl. A reduced flush is achieved.

With the outlet closed and the inlet (not shown) open water fills tank 36. The head of water above outlet valve 33 holds outlet valve 33 on its seat in outlet 34. Since tube 2 of float 1 is slideably engaged on lifter rod 21 and inside of hole 13, float 1 rises freely with the level of the water in tank 36 until the upper surface of float 1 comes to rest against the lower surface of extension 9. Water in tank 36 continues to rise until the inlet control mechanism (not shown) closes the inlet valve (not shown) at a predetermined water level (full tank). Tank 36 is again filled with water and the dual flushing system is ready for further requirements.

When it is desired to flush all the water in the tank (a full flush), flushing handle 37 outside tank 36 is depressed, then pulled up and released.

When flushing handle 37 is depressed, the initial part of the flushing cycle described in the reduced flush is actuated. Outlet valve 33 is raised from its seat in outlet 34 permitting the buoyant outlet valve to float above outlet 34. With outlet 34 open water flows from tank 36 into the toilet bowl.

When next flushing handle 37 is pulled up, lever 28 inside tank 36 is forced downward. Wire half-loop 16 is forced down on cam surfaces 11 causing wire half-loop 16 to move downward and to the right until it comes to rest on the top surface of extension 9 as shown in FIG. 6. The flexible restrainer 17 is stretched over the upper part of mount 10 down into cut-out 14 where the stretched restrainer 17 engages upper extension 3 of tube 2, of of float 1 pressing extension 3 inside hole 13 against tube 12, mount 10 and extension 9. This pressure of the stretched restrainer 17 locks extension 3 and thus float 1 to bracket 6 restraining float 1 from falling with the level of the water in tank 36.

When flushing handle 37 is released lever 28 rests inside loop 20. Lifter and control link 15 remains in its locked position, shown in FIG. 6, with the stretched restrainer 17 in cut-out 14 locking float 1 to bracket 6. As the water level in tank 36 falls below float 1, the buoyant outlet valve 33 begins to fall by gravity with lifter rod 21 sliding vertically downward through loop 19, hole 13 and hole 5. As the water in tank 36 empties, outlet valve 33 continues to fall until it is sucked onto its seat in outlet 34 shutting off the flow of water from tank 36 into the toilet bowl.

With the outlet 34 closed and the inlet (not shown) open, tank 36 fills with water until the inlet control mechanism, (not shown) closes the inlet valve (not shown), at a predetermined water level in tank 36 (full tank). Water tank 36 and dual flush mechanism are ready for further requirements. Lifter and control link 15 may remain in position shown in FIG. 6 until it becomes necessary to flush the toilet again. When flushing handle 37 is depressed again for either a partial or full flush lever 28 raises lifter and control link 15 initiating another flushing cycle.

The central principle of this invention, utilizing a simple rubber type band to control selectively the movement of the actuating elements, may be applied in several ways to achieve a dual flushing system. Lifter and control link 15 and bracket 6 may be modified to accommodate a slightly changed float 1, a conventional bracket may be modified to perform the basic functions of bracket 6 and instead of utilizing a separate float, the large float of the conventional inlet control mechanism may be used to close the outlet valve prematurely.

Claims

I claim:

1. An improvement in the actuating mechanism of the flushing system in a dual flush type toilet having:

a. a water storage tank for flushing the toilet;

b. a fluid inlet;

c. a float connected inlet valve which is actuated by the water level in the tank;

d. an overflow tube which is operationally connected to the fluid outlet;

e. a fluid outlet means;

f. an outlet valve, including a vertically extended rod having a loop at its upper end, held in position above the outlet;

g. a bracket, which can be mounted on and tightened to the overflow tube, an extension on the bracket, having a mount on which is set a vertically extended tube, which is aligned with a vertical hole in the mount and the bracket extension, forming a continous vertical hole running through the tube, mount and bracket extension, with cam surfaces on the mount at the base of the tube extending downward and in the direction of the overflow tube and on the other side of the mount a cut-out, exposing the vertical hole which extends through the tube, mount and bracket extension;

h. a float, with a vertical tube through its center, extending above and below the float, mounted below the bracket, with that portion of the tube extending above the float, engaged slideably in the vertical hole which runs through the bracket extension, mount and vertical tube of the bracket;

i. a flushing handle mounted on the outside of the water storage tank and operationally attached to a lever inside the tank, arranged so that when the flushing handle is depressed the lever rises and when the flushing handle is pulled up, the lever is forced down;

j. a vertical wire link, with a horizontally positioned half-loop bend at its bottom, having a loop of flexible material (such as a rubber or neoprene band) stretched over the wire half-loop in such a manner as to close the open side of the wire half-loop, with two loops at the upper end of the vertical wire link, the first bend in the wire at the upper end forming a horizontal circular loop directly above and in a plane parallel to the plane of the wire half-loop at the bottom of the link and the second bend forming a rectangular loop whose plane is perpendicular to the planes of the half-loop at the bottom and the circular loop at the top of the link, with the vertical element of the link forming one of the sides of the rectangular loop which is positioned so that the end of the lever which is operationally connected to the flushing handle fits through the upper rectangular loop and the vertically extended tube and mounted on the bracket extension slide up through the space enclosed by the wire half-loop and the strands of flexible material which close the open side of the wire half-loop, permitting the vertically extended rod of the outlet valve to be slideably engaged through the horizontal circular loop of the wire link, the upper part of the hole in the vertically extended tube on the bracket and the hole in the vertical tube of the float, with the loop in the top of the vertically extended rod of the outlet valve positioned above the horizontal circular loop of the wire link;

k. a means for selectively allowing the float to fall with the water level in the tank and a means for restraining the float from moving downward; and

l. a means for transferring the downward force of the weight of the float to the outlet valve.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 with the elements of the invention so arranged and positioned that:

a. when the flushing handle is depressed the lever inside the tank pulls the wire link up, causing the upper horizontal circular loop to engage below the loop at the top of the vertically extended rod of the outlet valve, lifting the outlet valve from its seat in the outlet permitting water to flow from the tank into the toilet bowl to achieve a full flush;

b. when the flushing handle is released, the lever falls, causing the wire link to fall until the wire half-loop comes to rest on top of the cam surfaces on the mount located on the end of the bracket extension, permitting the float and outlet valve to move freely with the level of the water in the tank;

c. when the water in the tank falls to a predetermined level, the float falling by gravity with the water level exerts a downward pressure, through its tube which extends below the float, on the top of the outlet valve forcing the outlet valve downward until the out-rushing water sucks the outlet valve onto its seat in the outlet, shutting off the flow of water from the tank into the toilet bowl;

d. with the outlet closed and the inlet open the tank fills with water, causing the head of water above the outlet valve to hold it down on its seat and forcing the float upward, the vertically extended tube of the float sliding up along the vertical rod of the outlet valve and inside the vertical hole which extends up through the extension, mount and tube on the bracket, until the upper surface of the float comes to rest against the bottom surface of the bracket extension while the water rises in the tank until the float controlled inlet valve is closed at a predetermined water level (full tank), completing a reduced flushing cycle; and

e. with the tank full of water, to achieve a full flush -

1. pulling up the flushing handle, depresses the lever inside the tank, forcing the wire link downward, causing the wire half-loop to slide downward and to the right over the cam surfaces on the mount of the bracket, until the wire half-loop comes to rest on top of the bracket extension, stretching the flexible loop of the wire link over the mount and into the cut-out portion of the mount, causing the flexible strands of the flexible loop to press against the upper portion of the vertical tube of the float, which is exposed in the cut-out portion of the mount, binding the vertical tube of the float in the vertical hole running up through the extension, mount and tube of the bracket, locking the float to the bracket, restraining the float from falling or rising with the water level in the tank, and

2. releasing the flushing handle permits the end of the lever in the tank to rest in the rectangular vertical loop of the wire link, while the vertically extended rod of the outlet valve slides downward in the hole in which it is engaged which extends vertically through the upper portion of the tube of the bracket and the length of the tube of the float, until the tank empties, when the outlet valve closes by gravity, shutting off the flow of water from the tank into the toilet bowl to complete a full flush cycle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 having a means for selective flushing of the toilet by the movement of a single flushing handle and a single lever inside the tank, actuating the opening and closing of the outlet to allow predetermined volumes of water to flow from the tank into the toilet bowl.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 having a means for partial flushing of the toilet by depressing the flushing handle and releasing it, and for full flushing, by depressing the flushing, then pulling it up and releasing it.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 having a means for locking the float to the bracket, restraining the float from falling with the water level in the tank, by pulling the flushing handle up.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 having a locking device, made of flexible material, to control selectively the movement of a float which actuates the premature closing of the outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 having a link which can be used to actuate the lifting of the outlet valve from its seat in the outlet permitting water to flush from the tank into the toilet bowl, and which selectively can be used to allow the float to fall with the water level in the tank, causing the outlet valve to close the outlet when only a portion of the water in the tank has been flushed into the toilet bowl, or to restrain the float from falling, permitting no force to act on the outlet valve except its own weight causing the outlet valve to close the outlet when a tankful of water has been flushed.