Flush water tank apparatus and flush toilet apparatus comprising flush water tank apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186975-B2
Application number	US-202016984495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2020
Priority date	Aug 5, 2019
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A flush water tank apparatus supplying flush water to a flush toilet by using electrical power generated in the flush water tank apparatus, and a flush toilet apparatus including the flush water tank apparatus are provided. The flush water tank apparatus includes a discharge valve hydraulic drive portion, a discharge control device, an electromagnetic valve, a branching portion causing supplied tap water to flow into the discharge control device and into the water supply valve respectively, and a generator generating electrical power to operate the electromagnetic valve. The generator is provided on a water conduit in a downstream side of the branching portion, and on the water conduit in an upstream side of the water supply valve or in a downstream side of the water supply valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flush water tank apparatus supplying flush water to a flush toilet by using electrical power generated in the flush water tank apparatus, comprising:
a reservoir tank configured to store flush water supplied to the flush toilet, the reservoir tank including a water discharge opening configured to discharge stored flush water to the flush toilet;
a discharge valve configured to open and close the water discharge opening to supply and shut off flush water to the flush toilet;
a discharge valve hydraulic drive portion configured to drive the discharge valve by utilizing a supply pressure of supplied tap water;
a discharge control device configured to supply and shut off water to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion so that supplied tap water flows into the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion;
an electromagnetic valve configured to control the discharge control device to open and close;
a water supply valve configured to supply and shut off water to the reservoir tank so that supplied tap water flows into the reservoir tank;
a branching portion configured to divide supplied tap water so that one part flows into the discharge control device and the other part flows into the water supply valve; and
a generator configured to generate electrical power to operate the electromagnetic valve by using water flow, the generator being provided on a water conduit in a downstream side of the branching portion, and on the water conduit in an upstream side of the water supply valve or in a downstream side of the water supply valve.

2. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the generator is provided on the water conduit in the downstream side of the water supply valve.

3. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
a second branching portion is provided on the water conduit in the downstream side of the water supply valve, the second branching portion being configured to divide the water flowing out from the water supply valve so that one part flows into the reservoir tank and the other part flows into the flush toilet, and
the generator is provided at a further upstream side than the second branching portion.

4. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
water flowing out from the water supply valve is guided to the generator through a flexible pipe.

5. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the discharge control device is configured to shut off the supply of the water to the discharge valve hydraulic drive portion after the discharge valve is opened and before the water supply valve is closed.

6. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a water level detector configured to detect a water level inside the reservoir tank, and
wherein the discharge control device is stopped when the water level detector detects a predetermined water level.

7. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the generator comprises a casing provided on an outside of the generator;
the flush water tank apparatus further comprises a support member supporting the casing of the generator;
and the support member is provided so that at least a portion of the support member extends to a position at or below a dead water level of the reservoir tank.

8. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
an overflow pipe configured to cause flush water flowing in from an overflow opening to discharge to the flush toilet by bypassing the water discharge opening;
wherein a part of the support member is constituted by the overflow pipe.

9. The flush water tank apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the casing of the generator is provided so that a portion of the casing extends to a position at or below the dead water level.

10. A flush toilet apparatus comprising:
the flush water tank apparatus of claim 1 ;
wherein the flush toilet is flushed by flush water supplied from the flush water tank apparatus.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Kitaura Hidekazu
• Hayashi Nobuhiro
• Shimuta Akihiro
• Kuroishi Masahiro

Classifications

• F03B13/00

  Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus (if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18); Power stations or aggregates (incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; {combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008}) · CPC title

• E03D5/105 Primary

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title

• E03D5/024

  Operated hydraulically or pneumatically · CPC title

• E03D1/00 Primary

  Water flushing devices with cisterns {; Setting up a range of flushing devices or water-closets; Combinations of several flushing devices} · CPC title

• E03D1/35

  Flushing valves having buoyancy · CPC title