Toilet with overflow protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834918-B2
Application number	US-201314384923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Mar 13, 2012
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A flush toilet includes a bowl, a tank coupled to the bowl, a flush valve positioned within the tank, and a flush device configured to initiate a flush cycle. The automatic toilet further comprises an electronic sensing assembly having a sensing member positioned on the bowl for detecting an overflow condition of the bowl, an overflow device operably coupled to the flush device, and a controller in electronic communication with the electronic sensing assembly and the overflow device for controlling the flush device in response to a condition of the toilet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A toilet comprising:
a bowl;
a tank positioned above the bowl;
a flush actuator positioned within the tank;
a waterway assembly in fluid communication with the flush actuator and a flow rate of the waterway assembly is substantially constant;
at least one electrically operable valve assembly in fluid communication with the waterway assembly to control water flow from the waterway assembly to the flush actuator;
an actuation sensor operably coupled to the at least one electrically operable valve assembly; and an overflow device in communication with the at least one electrically operable valve assembly.

2. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the actuation sensor is configured for proximity sensing.

3. The toilet of claim 2 , wherein the actuation sensor is a capacitive sensor.

4. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein a flush cycle of the toilet occurs when the flush actuator is pressurized by water in the waterway assembly.

5. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the pressure applied to the flush actuator is substantially constant.

6. The toilet of claim 5 , further comprising a pressure relief valve downstream from the electrically-operable valve assembly.

7. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the overflow device includes a capacitive sensor coupled to the bowl to detect a water level in the bowl.

8. The toilet of claim 1 , further comprises a flush valve having a flapper, wherein the flush actuator includes a piston operably coupled to the flapper to control water from the tank to the bowl.

9. An automatic flush toilet comprising:
a bowl;
a tank positioned above the bowl;
a proximity sensor coupled to the tank;
a flush actuator assembly positioned within the tank, the flush actuator assembly being configured to receive a flow of water from a water supply;
at least one electrically operable valve operably coupled to the flush actuator assembly and configured to control water flow from the water supply to the flush actuator assembly; and
a flush valve assembly operably coupled to the flush actuator assembly; and
a controller configured to receive a signal from the proximity sensor to initiate a flush cycle of the toilet, wherein during the flush cycle the flush actuation assembly is activated by water pressure to engage the flush valve assembly, and the pressure activating the flush actuator assembly is substantially constant and independent of a water pressure in the water supply.

10. The automatic toilet of claim 9 , further comprising a fill valve assembly and a pressure relief member positioned downstream of the fill valve assembly, wherein the pressure relief member is configured to maintain the constant pressure activating the flush actuator assembly.

11. The automatic toilet of claim 10 , further comprising a flow restriction member upstream of the fill valve assembly, wherein the flow restriction member cooperates with the pressure relief member to maintain the constant pressure activating the flush actuator assembly.

12. The automatic toilet of claim 9 , wherein the flush valve assembly includes a flapper configured to pivotally move to an open position during the flush cycle and is configured to pivotally move to a closed position after the flush cycle.

13. The automatic toilet of claim 12 , wherein the flush actuator assembly comprises a piston and piston rod, the piston rod being configured to pivotally move the flapper to the open position during the flush cycle.

14. The automatic toilet of claim 9 , further comprising an overflow assembly operably coupled to the flush actuator assembly and configured to engage the flush actuator assembly before a flush cycle of the toilet when the controller receives a signal that a water level in the bowl is above a predetermined level.

15. An automatic flush toilet comprising:
a bowl;
a tank coupled to the bowl and supporting a quantity of water;
a fill valve assembly positioned in the tank and including at least one electrically-operable valve assembly;
a flush actuator fluidly coupled to the fill valve assembly;
a water supply in fluid communication with the fill valve assembly;
a flush valve assembly having a flapper configured to move between an open position wherein water flows into the bowl from the tank and a closed position wherein water remains in the tank, the flapper being operably coupled to the flush actuator to move the flapper to the open position and a pressure applied to the flush actuator for operating the flush valve assembly is constant; and
an overflow device in communication with the at least one electrically operable valve assembly, wherein the overflow device is configured to prevent water from the water supply from entering the tank, and the overflow device is configured to retain the flapper in the closed position.

16. The toilet of claim 15 , wherein the flush actuator includes a piston and rolling diaphragm.

17. The toilet of claim 15 , wherein a flow rate of the water from the water supply is controlled upstream of the fill valve assembly.

18. The toilet of claim 17 , further comprising a flow restricting member configured to control the flow rate of the water from the water supply.

19. The toilet of claim 15 , further comprising a pressure relief member positioned downstream of the at least one electrically-operable valve assembly, the pressure relief member is configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the pressure relief member is configured to open when the pressure applied to the flush actuator increases to a predetermined level.

20. An automatic flush toilet comprising:
a bowl;
a tank positioned above the bowl;
a flush valve positioned within the tank;
a flush actuator operably coupled to the flush valve, the flush actuator including a piston and a cylinder, and a constant force is applied to the flush valve by the flush actuator;
an electronic sensing assembly in communication with the flush actuator; an overflow device operably coupled to the flush actuator; and a controller in electronic communication with the electronic sensing assembly and the overflow device for controlling the flush actuator.

21. The toilet of claim 20 , wherein the electronic sensing assembly is configured for hands-free operation of the flush valve.

22. The toilet of claim 21 , wherein the electronic sensing assembly includes a capacitive sensor.

23. The toilet of claim 20 , wherein the overflow device comprises an electronic sensor in communication with the electronic sensing assembly to control operation of the flush actuator.

24. The toilet of claim 20 , wherein the flush actuator is configured to move between an open position and a closed position, the flush actuator is positioned at an elevated level in the open position to initiate a flush operation of the toilet.

25. An automatic flush toilet comprising:
a bowl;
a tank coupled to the bowl;
a flush actuator positioned within the tank;
a water supply in fluid communication with the flush actuator;
at least one electrically-operable valve assembly in fluid communication with the water supply;
a housing for supporting the at least one electrically-operable valve assembly;
a sensor operably coupled to the at least one electrically operable valve assembly; and
an overflow device in communication with the at least one electrically operable valve assembly, wherein the at least one electrically-operable valve assembly is integra

Assignees

• Masco Corp
• Delta Faucet Co

Inventors

• Veros Michael J
• Thomas Kurt Judson
• Rodenbeck Robert W
• Marty Garry Robin
• Brown Derek Allen

Classifications

• E03D5/105 Primary

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title

• E03D5/026

  Devices preventing overflow or locks inhibiting the use of the flushing system (devices preventing overflow of the bowl contents and seals for the bowl outlet E03D11/00); Devices preventing sucking-up of sealing and flushing water · CPC title

• E03D1/00

  Water flushing devices with cisterns {; Setting up a range of flushing devices or water-closets; Combinations of several flushing devices} · CPC title

• E03D11/13

  Parts or details of bowls; Special adaptations of pipe joints or couplings for use with bowls {, e.g. provisions in bowl construction preventing backflow of waste-water from the bowl in the flushing pipe or cistern, provisions for a secondary flushing, for noise-reducing} · CPC title

• E03D1/34

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