Control of toilet bowl fill flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9732504-B2
Application number	US-201514723916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 3, 2005
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Various systems and methods of controlling the flow of water from a fill valve in a toilet tank to a toilet bowl of a toilet using a bowl fill valve are provided. An inlet of the bowl fill valve is coupled to a bowl fill outlet of the fill valve and the outlet of the bowl fill valve is channeled to the toilet bowl. In illustrative embodiment, a method is provided comprising the steps of determining when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during a flush cycle, and opening the bowl fill valve for a predefined period of time after the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water to fill the toilet bowl of the toilet with water. The predefined period of time is less than a total time of the flush cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a flow of water from a fill valve in a toilet tank to a toilet bowl of a toilet using a bowl fill valve, wherein an inlet of the bowl fill valve is coupled to a bowl fill outlet of the fill valve and an outlet of the bowl fill valve is channeled to the toilet bowl, the method comprising:
determining that the flow of water from the fill valve into the toilet tank has started for a flush cycle;
opening the bowl fill valve for a predefined period of time to fill the toilet bowl of the toilet with water, wherein the predefined period of time is less than a total time of a flush cycle of the toilet;
detecting a premature cessation of the flow of water flowing into the toilet tank, and
providing an indication of a leak based at least in part upon the detection of the premature cessation of the flow of water flowing into the toilet tank.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein operation of a timer is initiated at the start of the flow of water from the fill valve.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the premature cessation of the flow of water comprises detecting a change in pressure at the inlet of the bowl fill valve.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the start of the flush cycle comprises detecting the start of the flush cycle by detecting a drop in a water level in the toilet tank.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising incrementing a flush cycle error count in response to the detection of the premature cessation of the flow of water flowing into the toilet tank, wherein the indication of the leak is provided when the flush cycle error count reaches a threshold condition.

6. A toilet water flow control system, comprising:
a bowl fill valve having an inlet to receive water flow from a bowl fill outlet of a fill valve in a toilet tank, and the bowl fill valve having an outlet; and
a control circuit operatively coupled to the bowl fill valve, the control circuit being configured to:
open the bowl fill valve for a predefined period of time during a flush cycle of a toilet to fill a toilet bowl of the toilet with water, wherein the predefined period of time is less than a total time of the flush cycle; and
provide an indication of a leak based at least in part upon detection of a premature cessation of the water flow from the fill valve.

7. The toilet water flow control system of claim 6 , further comprising a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the inlet of the bowl fill valve.

8. The toilet water flow control system of claim 6 , further comprising a water level sensor that is configured to be positioned in the toilet tank, the water level sensor generating a signal that varies in response to a water level in the toilet tank.

9. The toilet water flow control system of claim 6 , further comprising means for generating a signal that varies in response to a water level in the toilet tank.

10. The toilet water flow control system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit further comprises circuitry that determines when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during the flush cycle.

11. The toilet water flow control system of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry that determines when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during the flush cycle further comprises a timer that tracks a period of time it takes for the water to substantially drain out of the toilet tank.

12. The toilet water flow control system of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry that determines when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during the flush cycle further comprises circuitry that initiates the operation of the timer upon detecting a start of the flush cycle.

13. The toilet water flow control system of claim 12 , further comprising means for detecting the start of the flush cycle.

14. The toilet water flow control system of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry that determines when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during the flush cycle further comprises circuitry that determines whether a water level in the toilet tank has fallen to a minimum level during the flush cycle.

15. The toilet water flow control system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is configured to increment a flush cycle error count in response to the detection of the premature cessation of the water flow, and the indication of the leak is provided when the flush cycle error count reaches a threshold condition.

16. A toilet water flow control system, comprising:
a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;
a bowl fill valve operatively coupled to the processor circuit, the bowl fill valve having an inlet to receive water flow from a bowl fill outlet of a fill valve in a toilet tank, and the bowl fill valve having an outlet;
an input device operatively coupled to the processor circuit; and
control logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor, where execution of the control logic causes the processor circuit to:
open the bowl fill valve for a predefined period of time during a flush cycle of a toilet to fill a toilet bowl of the toilet with water, wherein the predefined period of time is less than a total time of the flush cycle; and
provide an indication of a leak based at least in part upon detection of a premature cessation of the water flow from the fill valve.

17. The toilet water flow control system of claim 16 , wherein the input device further comprises a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor being positioned to sense a pressure at the inlet of the bowl fill valve.

18. The toilet water flow control system of claim 16 , wherein the input device further comprises a water level sensor, the water level sensor being configured for positioning in the toilet tank, the water level sensor generating a signal that varies in response to a water level in the toilet tank.

19. The toilet water flow control system of claim 16 , wherein execution of the control logic causes the processor circuit to determine when the toilet tank has been substantially drained of water during the flush cycle.

20. The toilet water flow control system of claim 16 , wherein execution of the control logic causes the processor circuit to increment a flush cycle error count in response to the detection of the premature cessation of the water flow, and provide the indication of the leak when the flush cycle error count reaches a threshold condition.

Assignees

• Danco Inc

Inventors

• Schuster Michael J
• D'Aurelio Michael J

Classifications

• G01L19/00

  Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges · CPC title

• E03D1/34

  Flushing valves for outlets; Arrangement of outlet valves · CPC title

• E03D1/32

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

• G01F23/56

  using elements rigidly fixed to, and rectilinearly moving with, the floats as transmission elements · CPC title

• E03D5/105 Primary

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title