Operating device for flush water tank assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340962-B2
Application number	US-201414221073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An operating device of the present invention includes: an operating member configured to be rotationally moved according to a rotational operation performed by a user; a rotary shaft; and a drive unit disposed above a level of flush water within a flush water tank, and configured to displace a coupling member according to a rotational movement of the rotary shaft, the coupling member coupling the drive unit and a water discharge valve together, and capable of opening and closing the water discharge valve by means of its own displacement, wherein the drive unit comprises a rotation mechanism configured to be rotated at a radius of rotation greater than that of the rotary shaft, the drive unit being operable to roll up the coupling member along its own rotational direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operating device for a flush water tank assembly, which is designed to operate a water discharge valve disposed in a flush water tank to start supply of flush water to a toilet main unit, comprising:
an operating member disposed in a lateral region of an outer surface of the flush water tank, and configured to be rotationally moved according to a rotational operation performed by a user;
a rotary shaft for transmitting the rotational movement of the operating member to an inside of the flush water tank;
a drive unit disposed above a level of flush water within the flush water tank, and driven according to the rotational movement of the rotary shaft,
a wire coupling the drive unit and the water discharge valve together, and capable of opening and closing the water discharge valve by means of its own displacement,
wherein the drive unit comprises a rotation mechanism configured to be rotated at a radius of rotation greater than that of the rotary shaft, and the rotation mechanism comprises a rotary roll-up member, the rotary roll-up member being operable to roll up the wire along a pulley portion formed on an outer periphery of the rotary roll-up member by its own rotation.

2. The operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary roll-up member has a roll-up member tooth portion which is a part of another outer periphery thereof formed with external teeth, and a fixing portion fixing the wire while allowing the wire to extend along the outer periphery thereof, and
wherein the rotation mechanism of the drive unit comprises:
a first rotary gear member attached to the rotary shaft in interlocking relation to the rotary shaft, and having a first tooth portion formed with external teeth; and
a second rotary gear member having a second tooth portion formed with external teeth and meshable with each of the first tooth portion and the roll-up member tooth portion.

3. The operating device according to claim 2 , wherein the rotary roll-up member is configured such that a rotational center shaft has an axis identical to that of the rotary shaft to which the first rotary gear member is attached.

4. The operating device according to claim 3 , wherein the drive unit is configured to allow an arrangement of the second rotary gear member and the rotary roll-up member of the rotation mechanism to be changed, whereby the drive unit can be attached to the operating member, irrespective of whether the operating member is attached to a left lateral region or a right lateral region of the outer surface of the flush water tank.

5. The operating device according to claim 2 , wherein the rotary roll-up member comprises:
a first outer peripheral portion at which the fixing portion is disposed and which is formed to have a relatively large curvature radius; and
a second outer peripheral portion which forms the roll-up member tooth portion and which is formed to have a curvature radius smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion.

6. The operating device according to claim 5 , wherein the drive unit comprises a covering member covering the rotation mechanism, the covering member having a restricting portion formed thereinside,
wherein the second rotary gear member is formed in a partial shape smaller than a semicircle, and
wherein the drive unit is configured to allow a lateral surface of the partial shape and the restricting portion to come into contact with each other to thereby restrict a range in which a user is permitted to perform the rotational operation of the operating member.

7. The operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation mechanism of the drive unit comprises:
a first rotary gear member attached to the rotary shaft in interlocking relation to the rotary shaft, and having a first tooth portion formed with external teeth,
wherein the rotary roll-up member has a roll-up member tooth portion which is a part of another outer periphery thereof formed with external teeth and meshable with the first rotary gear member, and a fixing portion fixing the wire while allowing the wire to extend along the outer periphery thereof.

8. The operating device according to claim 7 , wherein the rotary roll-up member comprises:
a first outer peripheral portion at which the fixing portion is disposed and which is formed to have a relatively large curvature radius; and
a second outer peripheral portion which forms the roll-up member tooth portion and which is formed to have a curvature radius smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion.

9. A flush water tank assembly comprising:
a flush water tank storing flush water;
a flush water supply device supplying flush water into the flush water tank;
a water discharge valve disposed in the flush water tank to start supply of flush water to the toilet main unit; and
the operating device according to claim 1 .

10. A flush toilet comprising:
the flush water tank assembly according to claim 9 ; and
the toilet main unit having a bowl portion and a drainage trap passage.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Tanimoto Hideki
• Shinohara Koki
• Hatama Kenji

Classifications

• E03D5/094 Primary

  the flushing element, e.g. siphon bell, being actuated through a cable, chain or the like · CPC title