Flush valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536014-B2
Application number	US-202017002018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A flush valve includes a valve housing defining a fluid passageway between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The fluid passageway includes a diaphragm valve seat disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The flush valve additionally includes a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and a disc. The diaphragm includes a primary opening and a bypass opening. The primary opening receives the disc therein and the bypass opening allowing water under pressure supplied to the fluid inlet to pass from a fluid inlet side of the diaphragm into a chamber in the fluid passageway. The flush valve additionally includes a relief valve configured to selectively control fluid flow from the chamber to the fluid outlet. The relief valve comprises a stationary valve element and a rotatable valve element each having at least one opening and being rotationally positionable relative to one another to regulate fluid flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flush valve comprising:
a valve housing defining a fluid passageway between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid passageway having a diaphragm valve seat disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and a disc, wherein the disk defines a central axis and an aperture extending axially therethrough, the diaphragm having a primary opening and a bypass opening, the primary opening receiving the disc therein and the bypass opening allowing water under pressure supplied to the fluid inlet to pass from a fluid inlet side of the diaphragm into a chamber in the fluid passageway established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway, wherein the diaphragm assembly is disposed in the fluid passageway and is movable axially between an opened position in which the disc of the diaphragm assembly is not in contact with the diaphragm valve seat and a closed position in which the disc of the diaphragm assembly is in contact with the diaphragm valve seat; and
a relief valve configured to selectively control fluid flow from the chamber to the fluid outlet, the relief valve comprising a relief valve housing, a stationary valve element at least partially positioned within the relief valve housing, and a rotatable valve element at least partially positioned within the relief valve housing, wherein each of the stationary valve element and the rotatable valve element have at least one opening and are rotationally positionable relative to one another to regulate fluid flow, wherein the relief valve housing is at least partially positioned within and movable axially along the aperture of the disk while forming a water-tight seal therebetween, and wherein the relief valve housing defines a valve inlet open to and in fluid communication with the chamber and a valve outlet in fluid communication with the fluid outlet;
wherein in the closed position of the diaphragm assembly and with the relief valve closed, the disc contacts the diaphragm valve seat to form a seal therebetween, and wherein, when the flush valve is activated the relief valve is opened to permit a flow of water from the chamber into the fluid outlet thereby relieving a fluid pressure in the chamber and causing diaphragm assembly to move from the closed position to the opened position such that the disc is unseated from the diaphragm valve seat permitting water to pass from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

2. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein when the diaphragm assembly is in the open position and the relief valve is in the closed position, fluid pressure builds in the chamber causing the disc to contact the diaphragm valve seat thereby forming a seal therebetween, returning the diaphragm assembly to the closed position.

3. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the chamber in the fluid passageway is established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway and a fixed member disposed within the valve housing, the fixed member contacts the diaphragm in at least one radial position and has an extension that extends away from the diaphragm assembly, the extension of the fixed member has an inner chamber.

4. The flush valve of claim 3 , wherein the inner chamber of the fixed member is configured to receive a motor and a gear train and is coaxial with the relief valve.

5. The flush valve of claim 3 , wherein the fixed member is configured to ensure accurate flush volume.

6. The flush valve of claim 4 , wherein the relief valve is configured to be coaxial with the motor.

7. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the position of the rotatable valve element is configured to be controlled by a motor and a gear train.

8. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve housing has an inlet region and an outlet region, the inlet region being configured to receive the stationary valve element and the rotatable valve element, the inlet region has two flat outer faces with one or more openings in selective fluid communication with the chamber, the outlet region being configured to allow fluid to pass through the valve outlet when the relief valve is in the open position.

9. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm valve seat defines a peripheral fluid passageway wherein the peripheral fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet when the diaphragm assembly is in the open position thereby allowing additional fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

10. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve is a quarter-turn valve.

11. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve is a half-turn valve.

12. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve is an eighth-turn valve.

13. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is selectively flexible.

14. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is configured to bend to allow the diaphragm assembly to move from the closed position to the open position.

15. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the disc has a circular outer periphery.

16. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve is configured to be in an open position from 0.5 to 3 seconds which results in the flush valve being open from 3 to 10 seconds.

17. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable valve element is ceramic.

18. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve further comprises at least one seal that prevents fluid communication external to the fluid passageway.

19. The flush valve of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is in fluid communication with the relief valve via a channel running from the chamber to the relief valve.

20. A method for operating a flush valve, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a fluid under pressure to a fluid passageway in a valve housing via a fluid inlet;
(b) communicating the fluid through a bypass opening in a diaphragm assembly into a chamber, the diaphragm assembly is disposed in the fluid passageway and is movable between an opened position in which the diaphragm assembly is not in contact with a diaphragm valve seat and a closed position in which the diaphragm assembly is in contact with the diaphragm valve seat, wherein the chamber is established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway, and wherein the diaphragm assembly defines a diaphragm axis and an aperture extending axially therethrough;
(c) communicating the fluid in the chamber into a relief valve assembly, the relief valve assembly comprising a relief valve housing, a stationary valve element at least partially positioned within the relief valve housing, and a rotatable valve element at least partially positioned within the relief valve housing, wherein each of the stationary valve element and the rotatable valve element have at least one opening and are rotationally positionable relative to one another to regulate fluid flow, wherein the relief valve housing is at least partially positioned within the aperture to form a water-tight seal therebetween, and wherein the relief valve housing defines a valve inlet open to an in fluid communication with the chamber and a valve outlet in fluid communication with the fluid outlet;
(d) rotating the rotatable valve element into an open position such that the at least one opening of the rotatable valve element aligns with the at least one opening of the stationary valve element;
(e) communicating the fluid through the relief valve assembly to a fluid outlet; and
(f) axially tran

Assignees

• Zurn Ind Llc

Inventors

• Funari Michael A
• Block Marc G

Classifications

• E03D3/06

  with diaphragm valve and pressure chamber for retarding the valve-closing movement · CPC title

• F16K5/0407

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• F16K31/402 Primary

  acting on a diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K5/12

  Arrangements for modifying the way in which the rate of flow varies during the actuation of the valve · CPC title

• F16K7/12

  with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm · CPC title