Discharge valve operating device, flush water tank device, and toilet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10519640-B2
Application number	US-201815879357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A discharge valve operating device includes a first linking member and a second linking member, a rotary winding device, and an operation unit configured to rotationally operate the rotary winding device, wherein when the operation unit rotationally operates in a first direction, the operation unit is configured to perform toilet flushing in a full-flushing mode by pulling up the discharge valve by a first length by the rotary winding device winding the first linking member by the first length in the first direction, and when the operation unit rotationally operates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the operation unit is configured to perform toilet flushing in a partial-flushing mode by pulling up the discharge valve by a second length by the rotary winding device winding the second linking member in the second direction by the second length which is the same as the first length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A discharge valve operating device configured to perform a valve opening operation of a discharge valve disposed in a flush water tank device configured to supply flush water to a toilet, the discharge valve operating device comprising:
a first connector and a second connector including respective one ends linked to the discharge valve;
a rotary winding device to which respective other ends of the first connector and the second connector are linked, the rotary winding device including an outer circumferential surface along which each of the first and second connectors is wound;
an operation unit including a rotating shaft configured to rotationally operate the rotary winding device, and
a first protective cover and a second protective cover, each respectively disposed on the first and second connectors, the first and second protective covers each being fixed within the discharge operating device and configured to allow the first and second connectors to slide relative to the respective first and second protective cover,
wherein when the operation unit rotationally operates in a first direction in a first flushing mode, the operation unit is configured to supply flush water from the flush water tank device to the toilet by a first flush water amount by pulling up the discharge valve by a first length by the rotary winding device which winds the first connector by the first length in the first direction, and
when in a second flushing mode the operation unit rotationally operates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the operation unit is configured to supply flush water from the flush water tank device to the toilet by a second flush water amount different from the first flush water amount by pulling up the discharge valve by a second length by the rotary winding device which winds the second connector in the second direction by the second length which is the same as the first length, and
wherein before toilet flushing in the first and second flushing modes is performed, the first and second connectors are respectively set to be wound in advance by a predetermined length along an outer portion of the rotary winding device.

2. The discharge valve operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation unit is an electric operation unit configured to electrically operate the discharge valve, the electric operation unit includes an electric rotating shaft configured to rotationally drive by electric power from an outside, and the electric rotating shaft is linked to the rotary winding device, and
the rotary winding device is configured to rotate with a rotation radius larger than a rotation radius of the electric rotating shaft by rotational drive of the electric rotating shaft.

3. The discharge valve operating device according to claim 2 , wherein the outer portion of the rotary winding device includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion to which the respective other ends of the first connector and the second connector are mounted, and the respective mounting portions are disposed on the outer portion of the rotary winding device and substantially in parallel in a direction of a rotation central axis of the rotary winding device,
the first connector and the second connector are disposed symmetrically to each other at one side and the other side with respect to a rotation center of the rotary winding device in plan view of the rotary winding device,
a standby position of the first mounting portion of the rotary winding device and the other end of the first connector in a state before start of an electric operation of the electric operation unit is set at a position where the first connector is wound in advance by a predetermined length along the outer periphery of the rotary winding device in the first direction, and a standby position of the second mounting portion of the rotary winding device and the other end of the second connector in the state before start of the electric operation of the electric operation unit is set at a position where the second connector is wound in advance by the predetermined length along the outer periphery of the rotary winding device in the second direction.

4. The discharge valve operating device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a first lever configured to indirectly link the discharge valve and the one end of the first connector; and
a second lever configured to indirectly link the discharge valve and the one end of the second connector,
wherein the first lever includes a first linking portion at one end of the first lever, the first linking portion being configured to slidably hold the first connector and to link the other end of the first connector engageably and disengageably, and
the second lever includes a second linking portion at one end of the second lever, the second linking portion being configured to slidably hold the second connector and to link the other end of the second connector engageably and disengageably.

5. The discharge valve operating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a casing configured to hold the rotary winding device rotatably therein,
wherein the rotary winding device and the casing include a rotating angle limiting device, the rotating angle limiting device including a protrusion and a groove, the groove having a first and a second end, the protrusion being configured to slide within the groove and stop rotation of the rotary winding device in response to contacting either the first or the second end of the groove, wherein the rotary angle limiting device is configured to limit a rotation angle of the rotary winding device.

6. A flush water tank device, comprising:
the discharge valve operating device according to claim 1 .

7. A toilet system, comprising:
the flush water tank device according to claim 6 ; and
a flush toilet connected to the flush water tank device.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Tanimoto Hideki
• Taketani Tomoyoshi
• Matsusaki Takashi

Classifications

• E03D1/0125

  of built-in cisterns · CPC title

• E03D5/10 Primary

  operated electrically (E03D5/01, E03D5/12 take precedence), {e.g. by a photo-cell; also combined with devices for opening or closing shutters in the bowl outlet and/or with devices for raising/or lowering seat and cover and/or for swiveling the bowl} · CPC title

• E03D1/35

  Flushing valves having buoyancy · CPC title

• E03D1/34 Primary

  Flushing valves for outlets; Arrangement of outlet valves · CPC title

• E03D1/144

  having a single flush outlet and an additional float for delaying the valve closure · CPC title