Abstract:
An automatic flush device is provided that is mounted in a water tank. The automatic flush device includes an inlet control module, a lever module for discharging water and a tank module. The inlet control module includes an inlet element linked to the inlet tube and a solenoid valve set at the inlet element. The lever module for discharging water has a cup connected with the solenoid valve by a filling tube. An electronic sensing controller controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve to fill water into the cup. When the cup is full of water, the lever unbalances and slants to control the flushing of the water tank. Therefore, it is easy to control water current while requiring minimal power, thereby saving electric energy.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automatic flush device and in particular an automatic flush device applied in a tank toilet. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the prior art, a tank toilet is usually manual, such as a knob-lifting type tank toilet and a button-piston type tank toilet, for example. A knob-lifting type tank toilet generally includes a rod, a lifting member and a knob. As it is needed to flush, the water in the tank can be released by rotating a knob, thereby moving a rod and lifting a lifting member to pull an outlet plug out so that a flush is completed. A piston-button type tank toilet generally includes a moveable outlet plug and a button structure. As it is needed to flush, a moveable outlet plug is lifted by pressing a button structure to flush. 
     With the development of technology, the old manual tank toilet can not satisfy people&#39;s needs. So, the automatic flush toilet appeared in the prior art. It senses the user by a sensor to control the flush and the automatic flush device controls the water flush by an electric motor to lift the outlet plug instead of handling by hands. This automatic flush toilet is more convenient and sanitary. Its operation principle is as follows. The sensor detects the user entering into a sensing area, and then it detects the user leaving the sensing area after a while. At this time, the sensor sends signals to an electronic sensor controller and then the controller judges that it is required to flush at this time according to a preset program. Thus, the controller drives the electric motor to pull the outlet plug out to release the water in the tank and flush the toilet. 
     In the prior art, a sensor not only detects the users, but also other things, such as the toilet lid. Generally speaking, when the toilet is used, the toilet lid is opened. Therefore the detection of the toilet lid position is also one of the preferred sensing methods. The sensing methods can be infrared sensing or electromagnet sensing, for example. In the prior art, there also exists microwave sensing and pressure sensing, for example. 
     However, the automatic flush toilet in the prior art needs extra power to drive the electric motor to rotate and bring out the outlet plug, requiring large power consumption. It is difficult to improve the old manual tank toilet to achieve the object of automatic flush. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to invent a reliable and energy-saving automatic flush device to be applied to a tank toilet. At the same time, it is desirable that this automatic flush device be easily usable with existing tank toilets, thereby upgrading existing manual tank toilets to achieve an automatic flush. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect or embodiment of this invention is to provide an automatic flush device mounted in the tank toilet, the automatic flush device being energy-saving and reliable. The automatic flush device is mountable in a tank and adapted for receiving outside signals to control the flush. The automatic flush device includes a water filling control module, a lever module and a tank module. The water filling control module includes a water filling part linked to a water inlet tube, a solenoid valve for controlling water current, a water filling tube connected with the solenoid valve, and an electronic sensing controller receiving outside signals, for example. The lever module includes a supporting member, a lever mounted at the supporting member, a cup mounted at one end of the lever and connected to the water filling tube, and a lifting member mounted at the other end of the lever, for example. The tank module includes a water supply component for the tank and an outlet plug connected to the lifting member, wherein the water supply component for the tank has a floater for controlling the water level in the tank, for example. 
     Another aspect or embodiment of this invention is that the water filling control module further includes a pipe line linked to the water inlet tube and a solenoid valve is set at the pipe line. The lever module for discharging the water includes a cup connected to the solenoid valve by a water filling tube. 
     Another aspect or embodiments of this invention includes an electronic sensing controller for controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve to fill the water into the cup. When the cup is full of water, the lever will slant to control the flush of the water tank. 
     Compared with the prior art, a useful effect of this invention is that this invention does not need an extra power source, but only needs to fill water to the cup. It has no requirement for hydraulic pressure and it is easy to control water current. Therefore, it needs lower power and saves electric energy. 
     In addition, the automatic flush device in this invention may also be used to improve an existing manual tank toilet by adding an automatic sensing flush function while retaining the original tank components, which is desirable for upgrading the toilet by saving cost and being practical. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an automatic flush device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the automatic flush device of  FIG. 1  mounted in a water tank. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a siphon cup. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a siphon cup. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate manner. Further, in reference to the drawings, the same structure parts or functions are marked with the same numbers on the drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of an automatic flush device  100  includes a lever module, a water filling control module and a tank module. The lever module comprises a lever  1 , a support member  2 , a lifting member  3 , and a cup  4 . The water filling control module includes a water filling part  5 , a solenoid valve  7  for controlling the water current, a water filling tube  8  and an electronic sensing controller  9 . The water filling control module may include a pipe line  11  where the solenoid valve  7  is set (e.g., provided) at the pipe line  11 . The tank module includes a water supply component for the tank and an outlet plug  10 . The water supply component for the tank has a floater  6  for controlling the water level in the water tank. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the automatic flush device  100  is mounted in a tank  200 . The tank  200  receives added water by the water filling part  5  (generally a tee joint module) from a water source. The floater  6  is used to stop the water from entering the tank  200  when the water level in the tank  200  reaches a determined level. Meanwhile, the water filling part  5  is also used to add water into the water filling tube  8  controlled by the solenoid valve  7 . In the illustrated embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the structure of the floater  6  is a simple schematic structure. Therefore it can adopt the general floater structure known in this field. 
     The electronic sensing controller  9  receives outside signals  15 , such as signals from an infrared sensing device mounted outside the tank  200  and electronic control signals sent by pressing the keys in the remote control unit  13 , for example. For instance, the infrared sensing device may send control signals for flushing water to the electronic sensing controller  9  after the user leaves the toilet. The controller  9  controls the opening and closing to the solenoid valve  7  when receiving the corresponding control signals. 
     The water filling tube  8  is connected between the solenoid valve  7  and the cup  4 . When the solenoid valve  7  opens, the water will flow into the cup  4  through the water filling tube  8 . 
     The cup  4  is mounted rotationally at one end of the lever  1 . The lifting member  3  is mounted at the other end of the lever  1 , and the bottom of the lifting member  3  is connected to the outlet plug  10 . The lever  1  is fixed at the supporting member  2  rotatably. The arm of lever  1  with the cup  4  is longer than the arm of lever  1  with the lifting member  3 , which enables the lever  1  to tilt with less water so that the outlet plug  10  is raised more easily. 
     During operation, the electronic sensing controller  9  receives an outside signal to drive the solenoid valve  7 , and then the water goes through the tee joint water filling part  5  and the water filling tube  8  into the cup  4  set at one end of the lever  1 . When the cup  4  contains enough water, the lever  1  loses its balance and the lifting member  3  raises the outlet plug  10  of the tank  200 , which enables the tank  200  to flush water. When the water in the tank  200  is discharged out, the water supply component for the tank  200  is controlled by the floater  6  to add water to the tank  200  for the next use. 
     The cup  4  can be a simple cup-shaped structure. A discharge hole  43  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) may be set close to the bottom of the cup-shaped structure. The capacity of the water from the filling tube  8  is larger than that of the water discharged through the discharge hole  43 , so that the water in the cup  4  is increased continuously when the water filling tube  8  is filling water into the cup  4 . The lever  1  tilts to flush water when the water in the cup  4  reaches a certain level. 
     After the tank  200  flushes water, the water filling tube  8  stops to fill water to the cup  4 . The water in the cup  4  flows out through the discharge hole  43 , which enables the lever  1  back to its original position, and the outlet plug  10  closes the outlet. Then water is added to the tank  200 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment of an automatic flush device as shown in  FIG. 3 , the cup  4  may adopt a preferred design of a siphon cup. The siphon cup  4  includes a water containing cavity  40 , a siphon bent pipe  41  connected to the bottom of the water containing cavity  40 , and an outlet  42 . To keep the cup  4  working well in the process of filling and discharging the water, two sets of a siphon bent pipe  41  and an outlet  42  are mounted symmetrically at the two sides of the siphon cup  4 , for example. Alternatively, a siphon bent pipe  41  and an outlet  42  can be set as only one group in another embodiment of this invention. The siphon bent pipe  41  includes a first opening  411  at the joint place between the siphon bent pipe  41  and the water containing cavity  40 , and a second opening  412  at the top of the siphon bent pipe  41 . To get a more ideal siphon effect, the size of the second opening  412  is adapted to be as same as the size of the first opening  411 , for example. 
     During the process of filling water to the siphon cup  4 , the siphon cup  4  begins to discharge water on only when the siphon cup  4  is full of a certain amount of water. The water discharging will not be stopped until the water in the siphon cup  4  is discharged out due to a siphon effect. This structure enables the lever  1  to tilt strongly and quickly. The structure of this siphon cup  4  ensures that the water will not be discharged as soon as it is begins to be filled with water. Therefore, it will not extend the discharged time or negatively influence usage of the toilet. 
     In another embodiment of this invention illustrated in  FIG. 4 , referring to special cases (such as the power is suddenly off), the water in the siphon cup  4  can not be fully discharged so that the lever  1  can not go back to its initial state. A discharge hole  43  is set at the bottom of the water containing cavity  40  of the siphon cup  4  to discharge the remained water in the siphon cup  4 . However, in the process of practical use, the capacity of filling water in the water filling tube  8  is very large. Therefore, the siphon cup  4  would not be unable to work. 
     In another preferred embodiment of the automatic flush device  100  of this invention, the time that the solenoid valve  7  fills the water into the siphon cup  4  can be controlled to enable the tank  200  to flush water in a small or large capacity corresponding to liquid or solid waste in order to save water. When a small capacity of flushing water is needed, the time that the solenoid valve  7  fills the water into the siphon cup  4  can be shorter, as only the filled water amount can make the lever  1  lose balance. At this time, the lever  1  quickly resets because of the quick water discharging. The lifting member  3  only keeps the plug  10  of the tank  200  raised for a short of time period, so the small capacity of water in the tank  200  is discharged out to flush. When a large capacity of water is needed, the time that the solenoid valve  7  fills the water into the siphon cup  4  can be longer, which enables the lever  1  to lose balance for a longer time. The lifting member  3  will keep pulling the plug  10  of the tank  200  out for longer time, so the water in the tank  200  can be discharged out entirely to effect flushing with a large capacity of water. 
     The illustrated embodiments of the automatic flush device  100  do not influence the manual lift structure of a manual tank, and therefore the original manual structure can still be used. However, the automatic flush device  100  of this invention can certainly upgrade an existing manual tank. In addition, the automatic flush device  100  of this invention also can be used in a new automatic flush tank. 
     It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.