Water control for toilet tanks

Claim 2

Water control mechanism for a tank comprising a substantially vertical water inlet pipe mounted within said tank, a substantially vertical movable float structure comprising a buoyant main body portion and an open ended top portion, the latter portion having a bleed hole therein, said float structure being mounted concentrically about said inlet pipe and being vertically movable to be substantially level with the water within said tank, a pilot valve having a piston which is substantially vertically movable and is coupled by a lever which is extended downwardly to the float structure, said mechanism also having a flexible diaphragm and a stationary retainer for peripherally holding said diaphragm, said diaphragm being relatively thin and substantially uniform in thickness and positioned on one side of said piston and fluidically coupled to the piston through a cavity in said retainer located on one side of the diaphragm and freely responsive to the movement of the piston to control the flow of water through said cavity, the diaphragm responding to the movement of the piston in one direction to reduce the water pressure on one side of said diaphragm and allow the diaphragm to be deflected in one direction to open said valve so that water may freely flow through said cavity into the open-ended float structure, the diaphragm also responding to the movement of the piston in the opposite direction to cause the diaphragm to be deflected in the opposite direction to close the valve by closing said cavity so that the flow of water through said cavity into said open-ended float structure may be reduced and then stopped, the diaphragm having a central aperture, and means fixedly mounted within said movable diaphragm aperture for cleaning said aperture during each deflection of said diaphragm, the discharge of water through the bleed hole as the float structure rises substantially increasing the buoyancy of the float structure.

Claim 3

Water control mechanism according to claim 1 in which the cleaning means comprises a stationary pin made of steel and exteriorly grooved and continually positioned immovably within the movable diaphragm aperture for removing foreign material as the diaphragm is deflected along the external surface of said pin.

Claim 4

Water control mechanism according to claim 2 in which the valve is normally seated upon the vertical inlet pipe above the normal water level within the tank, the flow of water through the inlet pipe being controlled by the deflection of the diaphragm of the valve.

Claim 5

Water control mechanism according to claim 1 in which the float structure comprises two cylindrical cup-shaped members which are vertically arranged and vertically movable as a unit so that the upper cup member is open at the top and the lower cup member is open at the bottom and the upper cup member receives water discharged through the valve and has the bleed hole adjacent the bottom thereof to relay the received water to the tank.

Claim 6

Water control mechanism for a tank comprising a substantially vertical pipe positioned within the tank so that water may be supplied under pressure to the tank, a valve mechanism normally seated on the upper end of the vertical pipe and above the water level within the tank and having a thin, freely flexible diaphragm having an aperture, said diaphragm being of substantially uniform thickness so as to be flexible for the rapid control of the flow of water through the vertical pipe, a stationary retainer for peripherally holding said diaphragm while permitting the center of said diaphragm to be deflected, said valve mechanism incorporating a pilot valve positioned on one side of said diaphragm above the water level within the tank, said retainer having an opening therein for fluidically coupling the pilot valve to said diaphragm for controlling the movement of the diaphraGm, a float structure having an open top cup with a bleed hole and an inverted bottom cup, both cups being concentrically arranged about the vertical pipe but below said valve mechanism and movable in response to changes in the level of the water within the tank, the diaphragm having a substantially central aperture, a substantially vertical pin fixedly mounted within a sleeve of said retainer so that the pin will be stationary and within said diaphragm aperture and remaining stationary as the diaphragm deflects in either direction about said pin, and means responsive to the movement of the float structure in one direction for operating the pilot valve for changing the pressure on the diaphragm and deflecting the diaphragm of the valve mechanism so as to allow water to enter the float structure, the pilot valve being opened and the diaphragm being elevated when the level of the water in the tank has dropped only a small distance to permit the flow of water through the vertical pipe into the tank, the pilot valve being closed and the diaphragm being deflected in the opposite direction to reduce the flow of water into the float structure and then stop the flow of water through the vertical pipe when the level of the water in the tank has reached a predetermined upper level, the discharge of water through the bleed hole of the open top cup increasing the buoyancy of the float structure as it rises so as to improve the closing action of the pilot valve.

Claim 7

Water control mechanism for a tank comprising a substantially vertical pipe positioned within the tank so that water may be supplied under pressure to the tank, a valve mechanism normally seated on the upper end of the vertical pipe and above the water level within the tank and having a thin, freely flexible diaphragm having an aperture, said diaphragm being of substantially uniform thickness so as to be flexible for the rapid control of the flow of water through the vertical pipe, a stationary retainer for peripherally holding said diaphragm while permitting the center of said diaphragm to be deflected, said valve mechanism incorporating a pilot valve positioned on one side of said diaphragm above the water level within the tank, said retainer having an opening therein for fluidically coupling the pilot valve to said diaphragm for controlling the movement of the diaphraGm, a float structure having an open top cup with a bleed hole and an inverted bottom cup, both cups being concentrically arranged about the vertical pipe but below said valve mechanism and movable in response to changes in the level of the water within the tank, the diaphragm having a substantially central aperture, a substantially vertical pin fixedly mounted within a sleeve of said retainer so that the pin will be stationary and within said diaphragm aperture and remaining stationary as the diaphragm deflects in either direction about said pin, and means responsive to the movement of the float structure in one direction for operating the pilot valve for changing the pressure on the diaphragm and deflecting the diaphragm of the valve mechanism so as to allow water to enter the float structure, the pilot valve being opened and the diaphragm being elevated when the level of the water in the tank has dropped only a small distance to permit the flow of water through the vertical pipe into the tank, the pilot valve being closed and the diaphragm being deflected in the opposite direction to reduce the flow of water into the float structure and then stop the flow of water through the vertical pipe when the level of the water in the tank has reached a predetermined upper level, the discharge of water through the bleed hole of the open top cup increasing the buoyancy of the float structure as it rises so as to improve the closing action of the pilot valve.

Claim 8

Water control mechanism according to claim 5, in which the vertically arranged continuously stationary pin positioned within the aperture of the diaphragm is grooved, so that as the diaphragm moves in either direction, foreign matter deposited or to be deposited within said aperture will be displaced from said aperture.

Claim 9

Water control mechanism according to claim 5 in which the pilot valve includes a substantially vertically moving plunger which is coupled by a lever extending downwardly to the float structure.

Claim 10

Water control mechanism according to claim 5 in which the pilot valve has a piston positioned adjacent the opening in the retainer and movable to control the pressure applied to the diaphragm to thereby control its deflection.

Claim 11

A water control valve for a tank, including within said tank a substantially vertically arranged water inlet supply pipe, a valve normally seated adjacent the upper end of said inlet pipe and continuously positioned above the water level within said tank, an open-top float structure concentrically arranged about the inlet pipe for receiving some of the water discharged from said valve and for responding to the level of the water within the tank, said valve having a stationary retainer for a peripherally retained thin, easily flexible diaphragm of substantially uniform thickness and having a concentric aperture and including means to seal the upper end of the inlet pipe, a pilot piston mechanism to control the operation of the diaphragm, said retainer having an opening therein aligned with the pilot mechanism to control pressure on the diaphragm, means responsive to the downward movement of the float structure to operate the pilot mechanism and in turn relieve the pressure on the diaphragm so as to elevate the diaphragm and allow water to flow through the inlet pipe and through the valve into the open-top float structure and into the flush tank, and responsive to the movement of the float structure to a predetermined upper level to close the pilot mechanism and return the diaphragm to its normal position to cause the diaphragm to be re-seated adjacent to and atop of the inlet pipe, a pin fixedly held by said retainer and mounted so as to be spaced within the aperture of the diaphragm for preventing the clogging of the aperture as water flows therethrough with each movement of the diaphragm about said pin, and means to improve the buoyancy of the float structure, said means including a bleed hole in said float structure to release water therefrom as the float structure rises in said tanK.

Claim 12

A water control valve for a tank, including within said tank a substantially vertically arranged water inlet supply pipe, a valve normally seated adjacent the upper end of said inlet pipe and continuously positioned above the water level within said tank, an open-top float structure concentrically arranged about the inlet pipe for receiving some of the water discharged from said valve and for responding to the level of the water within the tank, said valve having a stationary retainer for a peripherally retained thin, easily flexible diaphragm of substantially uniform thickness and having a concentric aperture and including means to seal the upper end of the inlet pipe, a pilot piston mechanism to control the operation of the diaphragm, said retainer having an opening therein aligned with the pilot mechanism to control pressure on the diaphragm, means responsive to the downward movement of the float structure to operate the pilot mechanism and in turn relieve the pressure on the diaphragm so as to elevate the diaphragm and allow water to flow through the inlet pipe and through the valve into the open-top float structure and into the flush tank, and responsive to the movement of the float structure to a predetermined upper level to close the pilot mechanism and return the diaphragm to its normal position to cause the diaphragm to be re-seated adjacent to and atop of the inlet pipe, a pin fixedly held by said retainer and mounted so as to be spaced within the aperture of the diaphragm for preventing the clogging of the aperture as water flows therethrough with each movement of the diaphragm about said pin, and means to improve the buoyancy of the float structure, said means including a bleed hole in said float structure to release water therefrom as the float structure rises in said tanK.

Claim 13

A water control valve according to claim 9, in which the float structure includes two cup-shaped members which are substantially vertically arranged, the upper cup-shaped member being open at the top for receiving water discharged from the valve and having a bleed hole for discharging the received water, the lower cup-shaped member being open at the bottom and substantially responsive to the level of the water within the flush tank to raise the float structure and cause the operation of the valve.

Claim 14

A water control valve according to claim 9, in which the pilot mechanism includes a piston which is positioned adjacent the opening in the retainer and is coupled by a lever extending downwardly to the float structure and moves substantially vertically.

Claim 15

A water control valve according to claim 11, in which the piston of the pilot mechanism is fluidically spaced from and coupled to the diaphragm.

Claim 16

Fluid control mechanism for a tank, comprising a substantially vertically moving float mechanism composed of two cup-like members one of which is open at the top with a bleed hole therein adjacent its bottom and the other is open at the bottom, a valve mechanism having an apertured retainer supporting a stationary vertical externally grooved pin and a substantially vertically moving piston-like element and a substantially uniformly thin flexible diaphragm peripherally held by said retainer and spaced from the fluidically coupled to said element by and through said aperture in said retainer which separates said element from said diaphragm, means for mechanically coupling said float mechanism to said element of said valve mechanism so that said float mechanism and said element move only in opposite directions, said diaphragm having a central opening within which said pin is spacedly positioned and remains stationary as the diaphragm moves in either direction about said pin, said aperture in said retainer and said opening in said diaphragm being spaced from each other by a substantially unobstructed path, and means responsive to the lowering of the float mechanism to operate the valve mechanism to permit fluid to enter the cup-like member which is open at the top and the tank through said unobstructed path and responsive to the return of said float mechanism to its original position to release the valve mechanism to interrupt the flow of fluid into the latter cup-like member and into the tank through said unobstructed path, the bleed hole exiting water into said tank to increase the buoyancy of the float mechanism as it is returned to its original position.

Claim 17

Fluid control mechanism for a tank, comprising a substantially vertically moving float mechanism composed of two cup-like members one of which is open at the top with a bleed hole therein adjacent its bottom and the other is open at the bottom, a valve mechanism having an apertured retainer supporting a stationary vertical externally grooved pin and a substantially vertically moving piston-like element and a substantially uniformly thin flexible diaphragm peripherally held by said retainer and spaced from the fluidically coupled to said element by and through said aperture in said retainer which separates said element from said diaphragm, means for mechanically coupling said float mechanism to said element of said valve mechanism so that said float mechanism and said element move only in opposite directions, said diaphragm having a central opening within which said pin is spacedly positioned and remains stationary as the diaphragm moves in either direction about said pin, said aperture in said retainer and said opening in said diaphragm being spaced from each other by a substantially unobstructed path, and means responsive to the lowering of the float mechanism to operate the valve mechanism to permit fluid to enter the cup-like member which is open at the top and the tank through said unobstructed path and responsive to the return of said float mechanism to its original position to release the valve mechanism to interrupt the flow of fluid into the latter cup-like member and into the tank through said unobstructed path, the bleed hole exiting water into said tank to increase the buoyancy of the float mechanism as it is returned to its original position.