Flush valve assembly and toilet flush system incorporating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932728-B2
Application number	US-201514600455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A flush valve assembly for use in a toilet tank that has a drain opening, a valve seat at the drain opening, and a valve member movable relative to the valve seat, together acting as a flush valve. The valve member has an internal chamber for containing water to reduce buoyancy of the valve member in water, so that the valve member may descend through water to reach the valve seat for sealing engagement with the valve seat. The valve member has an inlet for admitting water into the chamber, and an outlet for discharging water from the chamber. A toilet flush system includes the toilet tank, a tank refill mechanism for refilling the toilet tank with water, the flush valve assembly in the toilet tank, and an operating unit for operating the flush valve assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flush valve assembly for use in a toilet tank having a bottom wall with a drain opening, the flush valve assembly comprising:
a valve seat located proximate the drain opening; and
a valve member having an axis, movable along the axis, relative to the valve seat, and having a valve part for, in a lower position of the valve member, sealing engagement of the valve part with the valve seat to hold water in the toilet tank and, in an upper position of the valve member, disengagement of the valve part from the valve seat to drain water from the toilet tank, wherein the valve member includes
an internal chamber for containing water, wherein water contained within the internal chamber reduces buoyancy of the valve member as compared to buoyancy of the valve member when the internal chamber does not contain water, so that the valve member may descend through water outside and contacting the valve member to reach the valve seat for sealing engagement of the valve part with the valve seat,
an inlet at an uppermost part of the internal chamber for admitting water into the internal chamber,
an outlet at a lowermost part of the internal chamber for discharging water from the internal chamber, and
a siphon having a siphon passage extending from the internal chamber to the outlet for flow and discharge of water from inside the internal chamber to outside the internal chamber through the outlet, wherein the siphon includes
an inner tube projecting along the axis of the valve member, located in the internal chamber, having a lower end connected to and in fluid communication with the outlet, and an open upper end opposite the lower end of the inner tube,
an outer tube surrounding, coaxial with, and spaced from the inner tube, and having an open lower end proximate the lowermost part of the internal chamber as a siphon passage inlet between the inner and outer tubes for flow of water from inside the internal chamber into the siphon passage, between the inner and outer tubes, and a closed upper end, spaced by a gap from the open upper end of the inner tube as part of the siphon passage, wherein, when water rises in the internal chamber above the closed end of the outer tube, water is removed from inside the internal chamber by siphon action, through the siphon passage, and discharged from the internal chamber through the outlet.

2. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve member has a 360° periphery around which the valve part is located.

3. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal chamber includes a vent in communication with the ambient atmosphere.

4. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the vent and the inlet are located at an upper end of the valve member.

5. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , including a guide in engagement with the valve member for guiding the valve member in moving along the axis.

6. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the guide is in sliding engagement with the valve member.

7. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the guide comprises a hollow structure within which the valve member is held captive.

8. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the guide is fixed to the drain opening of the toilet tank.

9. A toilet flush system comprising:
a toilet tank,
a tank refill mechanism for refilling the toilet tank with water,
the flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 and located in the toilet tank, and
an operating unit for operating the flush valve assembly.

10. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the operating unit includes a manual operator for manually lifting the valve member off the valve seat.

11. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the operating unit includes a valve in a water circuit from a water source to the inlet of the valve member of the flush valve assembly for controlling supply of water to the internal chamber.

12. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

13. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the operating unit includes an actuator for lifting the valve member from the valve seat.

14. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the operating unit includes a timer for determining duration of operation of the actuator lifting the valve member off the valve seat, thereby determining flush volume.

15. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the operating unit includes a sensor for sensing a certain condition and, in response to sensing the certain condition, operating the actuator.

16. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the actuator comprises a liquid-operated actuator, and
the operating unit includes a valve device for controlling supply of water to operate the actuator.

17. The toilet flush system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the valve device comprises a solenoid valve.

18. A flush valve assembly for use in a toilet tank having a bottom with a drain opening, comprising:
a valve seat located proximate the drain opening; and
a valve member movable relative to the valve seat and having a valve part for, in a lower position, sealing engagement with the valve seat to hold water in the toilet tank and, in an upper position, disengagement from the valve seat to drain water from the toilet tank, wherein the valve member includes
an internal chamber for containing water to reduce buoyancy of the valve member in water, so that the valve member may descend through water to reach the valve seat for sealing engagement with the valve seat, wherein
the internal chamber includes an internal passage for discharging water from the internal chamber,
the internal passage has first and second ends and extends upwardly from the first end and then downwardly to the second end through the second end as the outlet of the internal chamber,
the internal passage comprises an auto-siphon passage for discharging water from the internal chamber by syphon action when water in the internal chamber rises above the internal passage, and
the internal passage has a first section extending upwardly and a second section extending downwardly and within and along the first section,

an inlet for admitting water into the internal chamber, and
an outlet for discharging water from the internal chamber.

19. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the inlet and the outlet are located at upper and lower parts of the internal chamber, respectively.

20. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the valve member has a 360° periphery around which the valve part is located.

21. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein at least the first end, of the first and second ends of the internal passage, is located at a lowermost part of the internal chamber.

22. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the internal passage turns from extending upward to extending downward at a position near an uppermost part of the internal chamber.

23. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the internal passage extends substantially linearly, upwardly and downwardly.

24. The flush valve assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein
the first and second sections of the internal passage include respective outer and inner tubes, and
the outer tube

Assignees

• Defond Components Ltd
• Defond Holdings H K Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Kwok Chiu

Classifications

• E03D5/105

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title

• E03D5/10

  operated electrically (E03D5/01, E03D5/12 take precedence), {e.g. by a photo-cell; also combined with devices for opening or closing shutters in the bowl outlet and/or with devices for raising/or lowering seat and cover and/or for swiveling the bowl} · CPC title

• E03D5/09

  directly by the hand · CPC title

• E03D5/024

  Operated hydraulically or pneumatically · CPC title

• E03D5/01

  using flushing pumps · CPC title