IE83356B1 - Water saving device for a toilet cistern - Google Patents

Description

TITLE: WATER SAVING DEVICE FOR A TOIILET CISTERN Background of the Invention The present invention concerns a water saving device for arranging in a toilet with cistern of the kind provided with a flushing mechanism with siphonage and including a downwardly open chamber, which is provided upwards with an overflow duct in the shape of a pipe extending over the chamber and subsequently down via a bend along the side of the chamber and finally discharging into the toilet bowl, where a vertically displaceable piston is provided in the chamber, the piston substantially covering the horizontal cross-section of the chamber and capable of being moved manually by means of an actuating rod extending up through the top side of the chamber, and which in its initial position is resting at the lower opening of the chamber.

Furthermore, the invention concerns a toilet with a cistern with flushing mechanism by siphonage and including a downwardly open chamber, which is provided upwards with an overflow duct in the shape of a pipe extending over the chamber and subse- quently down via a bend along the side of the chamber and finally discharging into the toilet bowl, where a vertically displaceable piston is provided in the chamber, the pis- ton substantially covering the horizontal cross-section of the chamber and capable of being moved manually by means of an actuating rod extending up through the top side of the chamber, and which in its initial position is resting at the lower opening of the chamber.

Toilet flushing by siphoning action draws the water content out of the cistern by flush- ing to a level corresponding to the opening at the lower limit of the internal chamber located above the discharge opening to the toilet bowl in the toilet. Water saving is thus not readily effected in such toilets as the flushing carmot be stopped when first initiated.

For use in toilets of this kind there is known a water saving device consisting of a hole located some distance up on the chamber spaced apart from the lower opening of the chamber. This opening is covered by a stopper, and by removing the stopper the water level in the cistern at which the flushing is stopped may be raised as air is drawn into the chamber and the pipe system. Thereby the siphon action is interrupted. The disad- vantage of this device is, however, that the top cover of the toilet cistern has to be re- moved for taking out the stopper and thereby activating the water saving device as well as the stopper is to be fitted again if a greater flush is desired. Switching between large flush and small flush is cumbersome and time-consuming. Therefore, the device is only suited in case a permanent limitation in the amount of water flushed is desired.

In order to provide dual flushing, i.e. easy switching between large and small flush, GB 2 041 421 A discloses a siphon device for a toilet cistern where the downwardly open chamber is provided with a vertical stem projecting inside the chamber and form- ing a venting means for the chamber via a lateral hole in the stem outside the chamber.

The piston, which is provided in the chamber for initiating flushing by manipulation of an external handle, is provided at its upper side facing the interior of the chamber with a buffer. The buffer is disposed in alignment under the stem and has a shape suited to act as a stopper when in contact with the lower rim of the stem. When actuating the siphon device and immediately releasing the handle, the hole interrupts the siphon action when the water level in the cistern has sunk to the level of the hole, thus provid- ing small flush. If the handle is maintained in the actuated position during flushing, the buffer blocks the venting through the stem and the hole, thus allowing full discharge of the water in the cistern until water level has reached the lower opening of the cham- ber. Retrofitting existing toilet cisterns with this device requires exchange of the entire siphoning device, making the adaptation for dual flush expensive. Also, since the venting means and the buffer are integrated in the siphon device, no adjustment of the small flush volume is possible.

Explanation of the Invention The main object of the invention is to provide a water saving device and a toilet of the kind mentioned in the introduction without the disadvantages of the prior art, and par- ticularly of providing dual flush on existing toilets of the siphon type with simple means.

This is achieved by a water saving device of the kind mentioned in the introduction where the device includes a valve adapted to be mounted at a hole in a side wall of the chamber or at the pipe under the bend, including a valve housing, a movable valve body and a connecting member for connecting the valve body with the actuating rod via a fitting in such a way that an upward displacement of the actuating rod may cause the valve body to block air access to the hole, and where the valve housing includes two mutually angular and mutually communicating fluid passage apertures together forming a passage through the valve, where one aperture is provided in a laterally pro- jecting stub adapted for airtight fitting to the hole, and where the other aperture in the mounted state is provided in a downwardly directed fluid passage containing the valve body which can close the passage through the valve housing by abutting on an overly- ing valve seat.

The toilet according to the invention is peculiar in that a lateral hole is provided in a side wall of the chamber or at the pipe under the bend, and that a valve with two mu- tually angular and mutually communicating fluid passage apertures is provided at the hole, where one aperture is provided in a laterally projecting stub mounted at and fit- ting in an airtight manner to the hole, and where the other aperture is provided in a downwardly directed fluid passage containing a valve body which can close the pas- sage through the valve housing by abutting on an overlying valve seat, the valve body being connected with the actuating rod via a connecting member in such a way that closing the hole may be effected by upwards displacement of the actuating rod and that clearing of the fluid passage through the hole may be effected by downward dis- placement of the actuation rod to its bottom position.

The water saving device functions in the way that the closing member by pulling the actuating rod blocks the hole in the wall of the chamber or pipe. l.e. the flushing com- mences in a normal way and water is drawn out of the cistern through the pipe. If the user desires a flush with a small amount of water, the actuating rod is released immediately after the flushing has started. When the water level then reaches a level corresponding to that of the hole, air will be sucked in from the space above the water and through the hole, whereby the flushing is interrupted. The water amount used by such a small flush corresponds to the volume above the level of the hole and up to the water level when the cistern is full. If the user desires to perform flushing with large amount of water, he keeps the actuating rod in the top position until the flushing has finished, as the hole thereby is maintained as closed, and air is not sucked in before the water level go under the level at the lower opening of the chamber, where the flushing is interrupted in the normal way.

By retrofitting the device, a hole or similar may be bored into the side of the pipe or the chamber after which the lateral pipe stub is inserted therein and fastened. The fas- tening may either be effected by cutting a thread in the hole or by a clip, a clamp or other means. Furthermore, this implies a simple and secure closing function since the valve body is to perform an upward movement like the actuating rod, why a direct connection between the actuating rod and the valve body may suffice when blocking of the hole and thereby a large flush is desired.

In a simple embodiment of a valve for use in the water saving device, the valve body is suspended in the valve housing by a through-going rod, and a section of the rod pro- jecting downwards in the mounted state may be connected to the connecting member.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the connecting member consists of a helical spring for engaging the rod. A spring has the advantage of having a certain resiliency which to some degree may absorb the difference in stroke between the movement of the actuat- ing rod and the movement of the valve body.

In order to adjust the amount of water flushed by the "small" flush, it is preferred that a part of the valve housing surrounding the valve body is formed as a casing being slidable relative to the valve housing and forming the downwardly directed fluid pas- sage aperture at its free end. By displacing the casing, the level in the cistern for the opening forming inlet to the hole is also displaced. In practice, as a consequence there is achieved a level at which the flushing is interrupted by suction of air, and which may be adjusted in height. Thereby the flushed amount of water is also changed. Thus it is unnecessary to bore a new hole if one desires another amount of water by the small flush.

For secure function combined with rapid, easy and simple retrofitting, the water saving device according to the invention may be have the features that the laterally projecting stub is provided with a protruding bushing or pipe section disposed so as to form the aperture of the stub, that the bushing is provided with a cutting rim at its protruding end for cutting the hole in the side wall of the pipe, that the clip is provided with a internally threaded hole for receiving the laterally projecting stub, and that the project- ing stub is provided with an external thread for engaging the threaded hole. Firstly, the clip it mounted on the pipe section extending over the chamber. Then the lateral stub is engaged with the threaded hole in the clip. Then the valve housing is turned, thus also turning and moving the bushing towards the side wall of the pipe in the siphon, eventually causing the cutting edge of the bushing to cut a hole in the sidewall. The valve is then turned to its permanent position. The establishing of a venting hole in the siphon system and securing the valve airtight in the sidewall of the pipe is thus pro- vided in one step without use of tools.

By the toilet according to the invention it is preferred that the closing member is a valve body which is slidingly suspended at a downward facing aperture in a valve housing. Furthermore, it is preferred that the downward facing aperture is provided at the free end of a casing sliding in relation to the valve housing.

The Drawing Embodiments of the invention will be described more closely below with reference to the drawing, where: Fig. 1 shows a toilet cistern adapted for siphon flushing and without any water sav- ing device, Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a water saving device according to the invention arranged in a toilet cistern shown on Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail in section of a water saving device according to the invention in a second embodiment mounted on a pipe in a toilet with sipho- nage, and Fig. 4 shows a section on the line IV-IV on Fig. 3.

Description of Example Embodiments A cistern 1 for flushing a toilet according to the siphon principle is shown schemati- cally on Fig. l, where 1 refers to the vessel constituting sides and bottom of the cis- tern, 2 refers to the internal chamber with piston 4, which comprises a flexible mem- brane at the upper side of a horizontal mesh or frame. The piston 4 is displaced verti- cally inside the chamber 2 by a actuating rod 5 in that a user manipulate an operating rod 6 or a lever connected therewith, which in a not shown way protrudes out of the top cover or side of the cistern.

When the vessel 1 is full and filled to its upper level designated with letter A, the flushing is performed by pulling the piston 4 up, whereby the water inside the chamber 2 is pressed into the U-shaped pipe 7. This means that the water is pressed up in a up- ward extending section 7a, passes a 180° bend 7b, then goes down in the downward extending pipe section 70 and subsequently to the not shown toilet bowl. Due to the difference in elevation between the interior of the vessel 1 and the outlet of the down- wardly extending pipe section 7c, all water is sucked out of the vessel 1 until it reaches the level C, which indicates the position of the rim of a lower aperture 3 in the cham- ber 2. When the water level sinks under the level C, air is sucked in through the aper- ture 3 and the flushing stops.

In the first embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 2, but only schematically, there is provided a valve forming a third level B between A and C. The valve is here fastened into the pipe section 7a by means of a lateral pipe stub on the valve, so that an aperture 12 is formed into the interior of the pipe section 7a. The remaining part of the valve is angular, so that a downward facing aperture 13 is formed, the lower rim of which defining the level B. In order to close the valve, there is a valve body 11 which can abut on a valve seat 14 corresponding to the lower rim of the aperture 13. The valve body 11 is connected to the actuating rod 5 by a resilient connection 9 and a crossbar 8.

When the handle 6 is pulled and the actuating rod 5 moves upwards, aperture 13 will be blocked by the valve body 11. If the actuating rod is kept at its top position during the whole flushing, the passage through the apertures 12 and 13 remains closed, caus- ing the vessel 1 to be emptied down to the level C. Thereby is achieved a large flush with a maximum amount of water.

If the handle 6 is released right after the rod 5 has been drawn up to its top position and the flushing has thus started, the valve body 11 will fall down due to the force of gravity and thus expose the aperture 13. When the water level then sinks down to the level B corresponding to the lower edge of the aperture 13, air is sucked through the passage through 13 and 12 and into the pipe section 7a, after which the flushing is terminated because the siphoning is interrupted. The amount of water thus used by this small flush corresponds to the volume between the levels A and B.

In the second and preferred embodiment shown on Figs. 3 and 4, the valve 15 is built up in principle in the same way as on Fig. 2. This version is particularly suited for ret- rofitting in existing toilet cisterns with flushing by siphonage. The valve housing 16 is fastened to the pipe section 7a with a clip 22 extending about 2/3 around the outer circumference of the pipe 7a. A thick base part of the clip 22 is provided with a threaded hole with which a lateral pipe stub 23 of the valve housing 16 engages with an external thread. At its free end, the stub 23 is provided with a protruding bushing 31 of a hard material, preferably steel, and which is provided with cutting means, pref- erably teeth 32, at its free rim 33. The bushing 32 thereby forms one opening at the end of an inner fluid passage in valve housing 16, the passage continuing into the lat- eral pipe stub 23 and further on in a downwardly facing aperture 24. The bushing 32 is fixed in the stub 23, e.g. inserted in the housing 16 during injection moulding of the latter.

The valve 15 is mounted by firstly fitting the clip 22 on the pipe section 7a while de- tached from the housing 16. Then the stub 23 is brought in threaded engagement with the corresponding hole in the clip 22, and the housing 16 is turned about a horizontal axis. Thereby the bushing 32 moves against the outer side of the pipe 7a and finally cuts through the wall of the pipe 7a by its teeth 32. Hereby is provided an airtight con- nection between the siphon pipe section 7a and the valve 15. This mounting of the valve 15 is simple, secure and very easily performed.

The downward facing aperture 24 is formed by a casing 17, here a pipe section, which can be displaced as shown with the arrow 29, i.e. in vertical direction in the mounted state .

A valve body 18 is suspended sliding inside the valve housing 16, as the body 18 can shut off the internal fluid passage by abutting on a valve seat 21. The valve seat 18 is situated inside the pipe section 17. The valve body 18 is prevented from falling out of the valve housing 16 by a stop 20 fastened at the upper end of a through-going rod 19, in that the stop 20 abuts upon the upper edge of the valve housing 16, when the valve body 18 is not actuated in any other way. A connecting member 25 in the shape of a helical spring 25 transmits the movement from the actuating rod 5 via a fitting 27 to the valve body 18 as the spring 25 draws the valve body 18 upwards when the actuat- ing rod 5 is pulled up. The spring 25 has certain resiliency due to its structure so that compensation for the differences in the stroke between the actuating rod 5 and the valve body 18 can be provided.

The embodiment on Figs. 3 and 4 has a special adjusting possibility as the level B may be adjusted by displacing the pipe section 17 as shown with the arrow 29. Thereby, it is possible to increase or reduce the amount of water flushed out by the small flush.

Other embodiments of the water saving device according to the invention are of course possible. Instead of a displaceable valve body, a ball-shaped valve body hinged at the side of the pipe section 7a and which can close a hole at the side of the pipe section 7a may be used. Other kinds of connecting members between valve and actuating rod are of course also possible, e.g. semi-resilient connections by wire brackets or rigid con- nections with rigid connecting member combined with a valve body that can perform the same stroke as the actuating rod 5.

Claims (10)

1. A water saving device for arranging in a toilet with cistern of the kind provided with a flushing mechanism with siphonage and including a downwardly open chamber, which is provided upwards with an overflow duct in the shape of a pipe extending over the chamber and subsequently down via a bend along the side of the chamber and finally discharging into the toilet bowl, where a vertically displaceable piston is pro- vided in the chamber, the piston substantially covering the horizontal cross-section of the chamber and capable of being moved manually by means of an actuating rod ex- tending up through the top side of the chamber, and which in its initial position is rest- ing at the lower opening of the chamber, characterised in - that the device includes a valve adapted to be mounted at a hole in a side wall of the chamber or at the pipe under the bend, including a valve housing, a movable valve body and a connecting member for connecting the valve body with the actuating rod via a fitting in such a way that an upward displacement of the actuating rod may cause the valve body to block air access to the hole, and - that the valve housing includes two mutually angular and mutually communi- cating fluid passage apertures together forming a passage through the valve, where one aperture is provided in a laterally projecting stub adapted for airtight fitting to the hole, and where the other aperture in the mounted state is provided in a downwardly di- rected fluid passage containing the valve body which can close the passage through the valve housing by abutting on an overlying valve seat.

2. A water saving device according to claim 1, characterised in that the valve body is suspended in the valve housing by a through-going guide rod, and that a downwardly projecting section of the guide rod in the mounted state may be connected to the con- necting member.

3. A water saving device according to claim 2, characterised in that the connecting member consists of a helical spring for engaging the guide rod. 10

4. A water saving device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that a part of the valve housing surrounding the valve body is formed as a jacket or casing provided slidable relative to the valve housing and forming the downwardly directed fluid passage aperture at its free end.

5. A water saving device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the laterally projecting stub is provided with a protruding bushing or pipe section disposed so as to form the aperture of the stub, that the bushing is provided with a cutting rim at its protruding end for cutting the hole in the side wall of the pipe, that the clip is pro- vided with a internally threaded hole for receiving the laterally projecting stub, and that the projecting stub is provided with an external thread for engaging the threaded hole.

6. A toilet with a cistern with flushing mechanism by siphonage and including a down- wardly open chamber, which is provided upwards with an overflow duct in the shape of a pipe extending over the chamber and subsequently down via a bend along the side of the chamber and finally discharging into the toilet bowl, where a vertically displaceable piston is provided in the chamber, the piston substantially covering the horizontal cross-section of the chamber and capable of being moved manually by means of an actuating rod extending up through the top side of the chamber, and which in its initial position is resting at the lower opening of the chamber, character- ised in that a lateral hole is provided in a side wall of the chamber or at the pipe under the bend, and that a valve with two mutually angular and mutually communicating fluid passage apertures is provided at the hole, where one aperture is provided in a laterally projecting stub mounted at and fitting in an airtight manner to the hole, and where the other aperture is provided in a downwardly directed fluid passage contain- ing a valve body which can close the passage through the valve housing by abutting on an overlying valve seat, the valve body being connected with the actuating rod via a connecting member in such a way that closing the hole may be effected by upwards displacement of the actuating rod and that clearing of the fluid passage through the hole may be effected by downward displacement of the actuation rod to its bottom position.

7. A toilet according to claim 5, characterised in that the valve body is slidingly sus- pended at a downwardly facing aperture in a valve housing.

8. A toilet according to claim 6, characterised in that the downward facing aperture is provided at the free end of a jacket or casing provided slidable in relation to the valve housing.

9. A water saving device substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. A toilet substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in 10 the accompanying drawings. TOMKINS & CO .