Flush water tank apparatus and flush toilet apparatus provided with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11365535-B2
Application number	US-202117212279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

A flush water tank apparatus enabling accurately setting an amount of flush water to be discharged while opening a discharge valve via a discharge valve hydraulic drive unit and a flush toilet apparatus including the flush water tank are provided. A flush water tank apparatus includes a first float device; a second float device that prevents from descent of the discharge valve according to the water level so as to discharge a second amount of flush water; and an adjustment mechanism configured so that when the second amount of flush water is selected by the flush water amount selection portion the clutch mechanism is disconnected at a pull-up height of the discharge valve such that the discharge valve descended by the disconnection of the clutch mechanism is held by the second float device in a holding state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flush water tank apparatus for supplying flush water to a flush toilet, the flush water tank apparatus comprising:
a storage tank which stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet and in which a drain port for discharging the stored flush water to the flush toilet is formed;
a discharge valve that opens and closes the drain port and that supplies flush water and stops the supply of flush water to the flush toilet;
a discharge valve hydraulic drive unit that drives the discharge valve by using water supply pressure of supplied tap water;
a clutch mechanism that couples the discharge valve and the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit to pull up the discharge valve by a driving force of the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit and that is disconnected at a predetermined pull-up height of the discharge valve to make the discharge valve descend;
a flush water amount selection portion capable of selecting between a first amount of flush water for flushing the flush toilet and a second amount of flush water that is different from the first amount of flush water;
a first float device that is moved according to a water level in the storage tank, the first float device being configured to be switched according to the water level from a holding state in which descent of the discharge valve is prevented to a non-holding state in which the descent is not prevented so as to discharge the first amount of flush water;
a second float device that is moved according to the water level in the storage tank, the second float device being configured to be switched from a holding state in which descent of the discharge valve is prevented to a non-holding state in which the descent is not prevented, according to the water level so as to discharge the second amount of flush water; and
an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the pull-up height of the discharge valve with which the clutch mechanism is disconnected, the adjustment mechanism being configured so that when the second amount of flush water is selected by the flush water amount selection portion the clutch mechanism is disconnected at a pull-up height of the discharge valve such that the discharge valve descended by the disconnection of the clutch mechanism is held by the second float device in the holding state.

2. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second amount of flush water is smaller than the first amount of flush water;
a first height position at which the first float device in the holding state engages with the discharge valve is higher than a second height position at which the second float device in the holding state engages with the discharge valve; and
the adjustment mechanism is configured so that when the second amount of flush water is selected by the flush water amount selection portion and the clutch mechanism is disconnected when an engaging portion of the discharge valve for the first float device and the second float device is located at a height position between the first height position and the second height position.

3. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a discharge valve holding mechanism that includes the clutch mechanism and that provides with an engaging member preventing descent of the discharge valve due to weight of the discharge valve for a predetermined period of time by engaging with the discharge valve; and
a valve control hydraulic drive unit that is operated based on water supply pressure of supplied tap water and is an adjustment mechanism controlling a timing when the discharge valve descends,
wherein when the second amount of flush water is selected by the flush water amount selection portion, the valve control hydraulic drive unit applies operational force on the discharge valve holding mechanism and by driving the engaging member of the discharge valve holding mechanism the discharge valve is descended at an earlier timing in comparison with a case where the first amount of flush water is selected.

4. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit comprises a cylinder into which tap water flows, a piston that is arranged inside the cylinder and that slides by water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the cylinder, and a discharge valve driving rod that is connected to the piston, that projects and extends from a through-hole formed in the cylinder and that is coupled to the discharge valve to drive the discharge valve;
the valve control hydraulic drive unit comprises a pressure chamber into which tap water flows, a drive portion to be driven by water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the pressure chamber, and a rod member that is driven by the drive portion and that applies operational force act on the discharge valve holding mechanism; and
a volume of the pressure chamber is smaller volume than a volume of the cylinder.

5. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the valve control hydraulic drive unit makes the rod member project toward the discharge valve holding mechanism based on the water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the pressure chamber.

6. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the drive portion of the valve control hydraulic drive unit includes an elastic film coupled to the rod member and deformed by the water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the pressure chamber, and the rod member is made to project by the deformation of the elastic film.

7. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the rod member of the valve control hydraulic drive unit is made to project toward the discharge valve holding mechanism by the water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the pressure chamber, and a direction of the projection intersects with a direction in which the discharge valve is pulled up.

8. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the rod member of the valve control hydraulic drive unit is made to project toward the clutch mechanism by the water supply pressure of the tap water flowing into the pressure chamber, and after the rod member projects maximally, the rod member contacts with the engaging member of the clutch mechanism, a connection between the discharge valve and the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit is disconnected.

9. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein tap water is supplied to the valve control hydraulic drive unit simultaneously with a supply to the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit or earlier than a supply to the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit.

10. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the adjustment mechanism comprises a movable rod member; and
the clutch mechanism is disconnected by contacting the rod member of the adjustment mechanism with the clutch mechanism.

11. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a moving direction in which the rod member of the adjustment mechanism moves and a parting direction in which the clutch mechanism is disconnected and moves away are different from each other.

12. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the rod member of the adjustment mechanism is moved to a disconnection position at which the clutch mechanism is disconnected, before the discharge valve reaches the pull-up height at which the clutch mechanism is disconnected.

13. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the rod member of the adjustment mechanism remains at the disconnection position for a predetermined time, even after the dis

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• E03D1/36

  Associated working of inlet and outlet valves · CPC title

• E03D5/024 Primary

  Operated hydraulically or pneumatically · CPC title

• E03D1/32

  Arrangement of inlet valves (devices for reducing noise E03D9/14 {; noise-reducing means E03D11/00}) · CPC title

• E03D5/105

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title

• E03D2001/148

  with means to prevent premature closing of flushing valve · CPC title