Siphon activated valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10774512-B2
Application number	US-201615557737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A fill valve system with a float nested in a container connected to the fill valve and a siphon device passing water out of the container into the toilet tank, with the siphon device having an air vent dimensioned such that: (i) tank refilling is delayed until after the flush valve closes; (ii) the fill valve is not turned on by small leaks in the tank; and (iii) the fill valve turns off when it encounters large leaks in the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fill valve system, comprising:
(a) a water supply member;
(b) a fill valve fluidly coupled to the water supply member; and
(c) a float assembly coupled to the fill valve, the float assembly comprising:
(i) a container having a plurality of compartments,
wherein the plurality of compartments in the container comprise first and second compartments, and
wherein the fill valve system is configured and arranged for water from the fill valve to enter the first compartment, and
(ii) a float nested in the second compartment,
wherein based on a position of the float in the container, the fill valve is configured and arranged to be turned on and off, and
(iii) at least one siphon device in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of compartments in the container.

2. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one siphon device comprises a siphon tube having an upper end in the container and a bottom end below the container.

3. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one siphon device comprises a pair of nested conical structures positioned in the container.

4. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein the float assembly further comprises:
(i) an air vent into the at least one siphon device.

5. The fill valve system of claim 4 ,
wherein the air vent into the at least one siphon device is dimensioned to cause siphon flow when the water level in a tank in which the fill valve is positioned is dropping at a rate greater than a pre-determined threshold.

6. The fill valve system of claim 4 ,
wherein the air vent in the at least one siphon device is dimensioned to prevent siphon flow when the water level in a tank in which the fill valve is positioned is dropping at a rate less than a pre-determined threshold.

7. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein raising the float in the container turns the fill valve off, and wherein lowering the float in the container turns the fill valve on.

8. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein the container has a passage configured and arranged for tank water to spill through.

9. The fill valve system of claim 1 ,
wherein top and bottom ends of the at least one siphon device have different diameters.

10. A method of operating a fill valve, comprising:
(a) providing a fill valve having a float assembly coupled thereto,
wherein the float assembly comprises an open-ended float nested in a container,
wherein the float assembly is configured and arranged so that the rotational position of the float in the container turns the fill valve on and off, and positioning the fill valve a toilet tank;
(b) draining tank water around the fill valve and float assembly;
(c) siphoning water out of the container to drain the container and thereby lower the float to turn on the fill valve;
(d) diverting a portion of refill water from the fill valve into the container such that the container refills and lifts the float thereby shutting off the fill valve in the event that the toilet tank does not refill;
(e) controlling the rate at which the portion of the refill water fills the container by providing a container with first and second compartments,
wherein the float is disposed in the first compartment, at least a portion of the refill water is directed into the second compartment of the container, and wherein the refill water entering the second compartment spills over into the first compartment; and
(f) siphoning water out of the second compartment to control the rate the water enters the first compartment and lifts the float.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the lowering of the float within the container delays fill valve turn on.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
(a) refilling the toilet tank with tank refill water from the fill valve;
(b) passing tank refill water into the container, and thereby lifting the float and shutting the fill valve off.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
(g) allowing air to break the siphon such that the container does not drain when the water level in the tank is slowly decreasing.

14. A fill valve system, comprising:
(a) a water supply member;
(b) a fill valve in communication with the water supply member; and
(c) a float assembly coupled to the fill valve, the float assembly comprising:
(i) a container,
(ii) an open-ended float nested in a first compartment of the container, and configured and arranged to rotate to actuate the fill valve on and off,
wherein the float has a first float compartment and a second float compartment, and the first and second float compartments have open bottom ends at different heights such that the float rotates in a first direction when water covers the open bottom end of the first float compartment and wherein the float rotates in a second direction when water covers the open bottom end of the second float compartment, and
(iii) a fluid flow path in the fill valve to divert a portion of refill water into a second compartment of the container.

15. The fill valve system of claim 14 ,
wherein based on a position of the float in the first compartment, the fill valve is configured to be turned on or off.

16. The fill valve system of claim 14 ,
wherein a volume of fluid flow through the flow path is not manually adjustable by a user.

17. A fill valve system, comprising:
(a) a water supply member;
(b) a fill valve in fluid communication with the water supply member; and
(c) a float assembly coupled to the fill valve, the float assembly comprising
(i) a container having a plurality of compartments,
wherein the plurality of compartments in the container comprise comprises first and second compartments, and
wherein the fluid valve system is configured and arranged for water from the fill valve to at least partially fill the first compartment and spill into the second compartment;
(ii) a float nested in the second compartment of the container,
wherein based on a position of the float in the second container, the fill valve is configured and arranged to be turned on and off, and
(iii) at least one siphon device in fluid communication with at least the first compartment,
wherein the at least one siphon device is configured and arranged to control a rate at which water from the fill valve at least partially fills the first compartment.

18. The fill valve system of claim 17 ,
wherein the at least one siphon device is configured and arranged to control a rate at which water from the fill valve spills into the second compartment.

Assignees

• Fluidmaster

Inventors

• Le Tuan

Classifications

• F16K31/145

  the fluid acting on a diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K31/1268

  with a plurality of the diaphragms · CPC title

• F16K31/1266

  one side of the diaphragm being acted upon by the circulating fluid · CPC title

• F16K31/22

  with the float rigidly connected to the valve · CPC title

• F16K31/20 Primary

  actuating a lift valve · CPC title