Patent ID: 6192916
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: E03D,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
In a water flow control device of the type used for maintaining a supply of water in a reservoir tank and toilet bowl, said flow control device including a vertical riser extending along a vertical axis, a water supply passage extending axially through said riser, a tank filler tube extending along a vertical axis, and a valve actuating arm that is pivotably attached to a top portion of said device,a flow-limiting float valve comprising:(a) a cup shaped base, said vertical riser being attached to the bottom surface of said base at its proximate center, said water supply passage being extended upward through the center of said base and having a projecting circular wall forming an inlet seat; said base having a circular, peripheral spacer rising from the inner surface of said base, concentric with and rising above said inlet seat, forming an inlet flow chamber around said inlet seat and a circular discharge channel around said spacer, said discharge channel having a first discharge opening at one point in its periphery, said tank filler tube having an end attached to the bottom of said base and extending to said first discharge opening; said base including a first circular groove formed in the top surface of its peripheral walls, said groove being shaped to seat a water sealing ring;(b) a sealing ring for sealing said valve from water leakage, said sealing ring being sized to fit in said first circular groove in said base;(c) a valve cap, said cap having a generally cylindrical, open lower portion and an upper portion having a shallow, central dome, said cap being sized and shaped to fit over said base and be locked in place, forming an internal flow discharge chamber; said upper portion having a centrally Located boss enclosing a vertical axial bore, projecting vertically above and through said dome, and including a pivotal mounting means for said valve actuating arm located to place a free end of said actuating arm directly over said boss and said axial bore, said upper portion including a bowl-fill fitting that is attached to said dome and projecting horizontally, and a multiplicity of apertures cut in said dome around said boss to serve as anti-siphon ports, said bowl-fill fitting having an axial internal passage with a second discharge opening in the inner wall of said dome; said lower portion including a second circular groove in its inside surface, located to be opposing said first circular groove in said base and sized to seat said sealing ring;(d) means for removably locking said cap in place on said base;(e) a generally cylindrical valve piston that fits in said bore in said cap, said piston extending its top end partly above said boss and extending below into said flow chamber, including a head at its distal end for bearing against said inlet seat to shut off inlet water flow, said piston comprising an upper portion, a middle stepped portion and a lower portion; said upper portion fitting slidingly in said bore and including means for limiting upward movement of said piston to a maximum ""valve open"" position, said middle stepped portion including a flexible first disk washer and a second disk washer able to move slidingly up and down said stepped portion, said lower portion including a relatively rigid, flow retarding disk in a fixed position, said retarding disk being located such that when said piston is at its uppermost position, said retarding disk is at or just below the top of said circular spacer around said inlet seat, leaving a small space between the peripheral edge of said retarding disk and said circular spacer, thereby retarding and limiting water flow out of said inlet flow chamber;(f) means for preventing rotation of said piston in said cap;(g) a valve top cover providing a spray shield above said anti-siphon ports in the dome of said cap; and(h) means for removably attaching said top cover to the top of said cap leaving a space between them;said piston being pushed down by an end of said actuating arm resulting in the piston head end bearing against and covering said inlet seat to shut off water inlet flow; said piston floating upwards when actuating arm pressure is released, regulating water flow into said discharge chamber and thereby into said tank filler tube and into said bowl-fill fitting for filling, preventing accidental overflow, said piston able to slide out of said bore in said cap for repair when said cap is removed from said base.