Operating device for flush water tank assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9447569-B2
Application number	US-201514660911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an operating device for a flush water tank assembly in a flush toilet as the user can operate operating part toward the one and opposite direction, the rotary direction changing mechanism can change the direction of rotation which is transmitted from the rotating shaft to a rotary wind-up mechanism so that the direction of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism can be maintain in a predetermined same direction of rotation. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly includes a drive unit including a rotary wind-up mechanism, a rotary direction changing mechanism for changing the direction of rotation transmitted from the rotating shaft to the rotational wind-up mechanism so that the transmitted direction of rotation can be maintain in accord with a predetermined and fixed direction of rotation, and a limiting mechanism for limiting an angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operating device for a flush water tank assembly adapted to actuate a discharge valve disposed in a flush water tank so as to initiate delivery of flush water to a toilet main unit, the operating device comprising:
an operating part for allowing user to select one of one direction and opposite direction of rotating operations, thereby selecting corresponding one of large-scale and small-scale flushing modes;
a rotating shaft adapted to rotate either one of the one direction and opposite direction of rotation by rotating operation of the operating part;
a connecting member connected to the discharge valve and adapted to open or close the discharge valve to switch an amount of the flush water delivered to the toilet main unit between an amount of the flush water in the large-scale flushing mode and an amount of the flush water in the small-scale flushing mode; and
a drive unit pulling up the connecting member in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft; the drive unit comprising:
a rotary wind-up mechanism having a radius of rotation greater than that of the rotating shaft and adapted to wind up the connecting member along the direction of rotation thereof;
a rotary direction changing mechanism changing the direction of rotation transmitted from the rotating shaft to the rotational wind-up mechanism so that the direction of rotation of the rotational wind-up mechanism is in a predetermined same direction of rotation both when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is the one direction of rotation and when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is the opposite direction of rotation; and
a limiting mechanism limiting an angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism such that the angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is one of the one and opposite directions of rotation is smaller than that of the rotary wind-up mechanism when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is the other of the opposite and one directions of rotation.

2. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit also comprises:
a first rotary gear member incorporated into the rotary direction changing mechanism and connected to the rotating shaft such that the first rotary gear member rotates together with the rotating shaft when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is either one of the one and opposite directions of rotation, the first rotary gear member including first toothed part having external teeth thereon;
a rotary wind-up member incorporated into the rotary wind-up mechanism, the rotary direction changing mechanism, and the limiting mechanism, the rotary wind-up member forming external teeth on a part of the circumference thereof to engage the first toothed part, and having a wind-up member gear portion rotatable about a wind-up member shaft and, a mounting part mounting the connecting member along the outer periphery thereof; and a receiving part receiving a force rotating the receiving part in outside of the wind-up member shaft, the rotary wind-up member being adapted to wind up the connecting member along its own direction of rotation;
a second rotary gear member incorporated into the rotary direction changing mechanism and connected to the rotating shaft such that the second rotary gear member rotates together with the rotating shaft when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is the other of the opposite and one directions of rotation, the second rotary gear member including second toothed part having external teeth thereon;
a third rotary gear member incorporated into the rotary direction changing mechanism and adapted to be rotated about a third rotary gear member shaft, the third rotary gear member including a third toothed part having external teeth formed thereon to engage the second toothed part; and
a rotary abutment member incorporated into the rotary wind-up mechanism, the rotary direction changing mechanism, and the limiting mechanism and adapted to be rotated about the wind-up member shaft, the rotary abutment member including a first abutment part adapted to engage the receiving part of the rotary wind-up member in such a manner to rotate the rotary wind-up member in the same direction of rotation as the direction of rotation thereof and an abutment member gear portion having external teeth formed thereon to engage the third toothed part of the third rotary gear member.

3. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the drive unit also comprises:
a case member incorporated into the limiting mechanism and provided with a stop;
the rotary wind-up member including a first limiting part adapted to engage the stop of the case member when the first limiting part rotates to a first angle of rotation thereof, the engagement of the first limiting part with the stop being adapted to limit a range of rotation within which the rotary wind-up member can wind up the connecting member along its own direction of rotation to a first range of rotation;
the rotary abutment member including a second limiting part adapted to engage the stop of the case member when the rotary abutment member rotates to a second angle of rotation thereof which is smaller than the first angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up member, the engagement of the second limiting part with the stop causing a range of rotation within which the rotary wind-up member can be rotated to be limited to a second range of rotation which is narrower than the first range of rotation.

4. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit further comprises a speed increasing mechanism increasing the angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism relative to the angle of rotation of the rotating shaft.

5. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft of rotation on which the rotary wind-up mechanism rotates is separate from the rotating shaft.

6. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit further comprises a speed decreasing mechanism decreasing the angle of rotation of the rotary wind-up mechanism relative to the angle of rotation of the rotating shaft.

7. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the shaft of rotation on which the rotary wind-up mechanism rotates is separate from the rotating shaft.

8. The operating device for the flush water tank assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit further comprises:
a rotary wind-up member incorporated into the rotary wind-up mechanism, the rotary direction changing mechanism, and the limiting mechanism and connected to the rotating shaft such that the rotary wind-up member rotates together with a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft when the rotating shaft is either one of the one and opposite directions, the rotary wind-up member including a mounting part mounting the connecting member along the outer periphery thereof and a receiving part receiving a force rotating the receiving part in outside of the rotating shaft, the rotary wind-up member being adapted to wind up the connecting member along its own direction of rotation;
a second rotary gear member incorporated into the rotary direction changing mechanism and connected to the rotating shaft such that the second rotary gear member rotates together with the rotating shaft when a direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is rotated in the other of the one and opposite directions, the second rotary gear member including second toothed part having external teeth thereon;
a third rotary

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Shinohara Koki
• Tanimoto Hideki
• Kubozono Yukinori

Classifications

• E03D5/094

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

• E03D3/12 Primary

  Flushing devices discharging variable quantities of water (flushing cisterns discharging variable quantities of water E03D1/14) · CPC title