Abstract:
A water valve having dual mechanisms for controlling the flow of water for both high pressure and low pressure applications. The first mechanism controlling the flow of water out of a first opening and the second mechanism controlling the flow of water out a second opening. The mechanisms work together to control the flow of water from a closed position to an open position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to water valves used in supplying water to a variety of containers including animal drinkers and toilets. Water valves are used in a variety of commercial and residential applications. A typical water valve works on leverage and is designed to work at a predetermined range of water pressures. 
     A general summary of the existing typical mechanism for filling a container such as an animal drinker is as follows. A ballcock or pilot fill valve in the tank is connected to a pressurized water line. As the tank drains, a float connected to the ballcock or pilot fill valve via a float arm descends. The lowering of the float activates the ballcock or pilot fill valve and it begins to refill the tank with water. The tank continues to refill as the float connected to the ballcock or pilot fill valve rises. Once the float reaches a predetermined height indicating that the tank is full, the ballcock or pilot fill valve completely turns off. As pressures increases, an increasingly larger float and longer float arm is required. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a water valve that can work at a range of water pressures. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a water valve that can shut off at low pressure. 
     If is a further object of the invention to provide a water valve that can shut off at high pressure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a water valve which has dual mechanisms that allow the valve to operate at a range of water pressures. A float arm attached to a buoyant device, typically a float, exerts pressure on a sealing member or rocker. A piston also exerts pressure on the sealing member. Together the pressures keep a first passageway in a closed position. A second passageway remains in a closed position with the pressure generated by the float arm on a lever portion of the device. The second passageway is selectively closed by a pilot. 
     The valve is attached to a water supply and is housed within a container which is fillable with water, such as an animal drinker. The valve has a body which contains a first cavity and a second cavity. The piston preferably has a tail which the tails substantially occupies a connection between the first and second cavity. The tail aids in prolonging the life of the device and assists in cleaning debris. 
     In the closed position, water has filled the container such that the float arm has been rotated around a secondary fulcrum and the force is applied to the sealing member to at least partially assist in closing a first opening in liquid communication with the first passageway. Additionally the water supply has flooded the first two cavities, which puts pressure on the piston which in turns puts additional pressure on the sealing member. This pressure on the sealing member rotates the sealing member such that it also assists in keeping the first opening closed. The lower the water pressure, the greater amount of the force is generated by the float arm&#39;s movement in closing the first opening. The higher the water pressure, the greater amount of the force is generated by the piston&#39;s movement in closing the first opening. Typically, the low end of the water pressure range is between 3-5 psi. When the container is filled with water, the valve arm also applies pressure to the lever which in turn puts pressure on the pilot. In this closed position, a second passageway is also blocked. 
     When a user activates a device containing the water valve, for example by flushing the toilet, the container of water is emptied. In the context of an animal waterer, as an animal continues to drink, the device will eventually activate once the animal has drank a sufficient quantity of liquid. As the water level in the container lowers, the float arm rotates around the secondary fulcrum such that the lever applies less press to the pilot. Water begins to escape the second cavity out of the second passageway which reduces the pressure on the piston. Accordingly, the piston puts less pressure on the sealing member which allows the sealing member to rotate about the primary fulcrum. With no pressure behind the piston, the water exits the first passageway through the first opening. 
     The exiting of the water through the first opening, and in some degree through the second opening, begins to fill the container. The refilling of the container causes the water level to rise such that the float arm is rotated. The float arm then puts pressure on the lever which puts pressure again on the pilot which closes the second passageway. The second cavity is filled with water which puts pressure on the piston. The piston then applies pressure on the sealing member such that it rotates around the primary fulcrum. At some point the first opening of the first passageway is closed. The valve remains in the closed position until once again activated by a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of the invention taken at line  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  showing the water valve at a fully closed position; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the invention taken at line  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  showing the water valve at a partially closed position when beginning the opening process; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the invention taken at line  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  showing the water valve at a fully open position; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of the invention taken at line  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  showing the water valve at a partially open position when beginning the closing process; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a back view of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is the invention covered by a hood. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Now referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the preferred embodiment of the invention. A water valve  10  comprises a body  12 , a float arm  14 , a lever  16 , a sealing member  18 , a piston  20 , and a pilot  22 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the body  10  comprises a first cavity  24  and a second cavity  26  which are in fluid communication with one another via a tunnel  23 . The body further comprises a first passageway  28  and a second passageway  30 . The first passageway  28  has a first opening  32  and the second passageway has a second opening  34 . The float arm  14  is preferably L-shaped with a first section  36  and a second section  38  wherein second section  38  is substantially perpendicular to the first section  36 . The sealing member  18  is preferably shaped such that it has an upper portion  40  and lower portion  42  and is pivotable around a primary fulcrum  44 . 
     The lever  16  comprises lever arms  50  that extend from a lever body  52 . The arms  50  extend partially around the float arm  14 , preferably at the location where the first section  36  meets the second section  38 . The arms  50  are pivotable around a secondary fulcrum  60 . The lever body  52  is also pivotable around the primary fulcrum  44 . 
     The piston  20  occupies at least a portion of the second cavity  26 . The piston  20  has a tail  21  which is located in the tunnel  23 . The piston  20  is selectively movable within the second cavity  26  such that it exert a range of force on the sealing member  18 . A gasket  25  assists in maintaining a water tight seal. A pilot  22  comprises a pilot seal  31  which selectively covers a second end of the second passageway  30 . 
     The parts described above will now be explained in operation of the water valve  10 , beginning with the valve in a fully closed position to a partially open position to a fully opened position. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the body  12  is attached to a water supply (not shown) wherein the valve  10  is located above water. A typical location for use of the valve  10  would be in a standard toilet. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the valve  10  is in a fully closed position. A float (not shown) is attached to the first section  36  of the float arm  14 . As the buoyancy of the float pushes the float arm  14  upward, a force is generated such that the float arm rotates clockwise (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) and puts force on the sealing member  18 . The sealing member  18  has a seal  19  which covers the opening of the first passageway  28 . Additionally, the water supplied by the water supply has flooded the first cavity  24  and the second cavity  26 , thereby forcing the piston  20  to make contact with the sealing member  18 . The force from the water on the piston  18  causes the sealing member  18  to also rotate (clockwise in  FIG. 2 ) on the primary fulcrum  60  and this puts additional force on the opening of the first passageway. The force supplied by the float arm and the sealing member maintain the opening of the first passageway in a closed position. Depending on the water pressure, the force generated by the float arm and the force generated by the piston will contribute to varying degrees in maintaining the opening of the first passageway in a closed position. In low pressure applications, the float arm  14  will provide sufficient force on the sealing member  18  to close the valve  10  without the piston  20  functioning. In high pressure applications, the piston provides most of the force to maintain the closed position. The force from the float arm  14  also pushes against the lever  16  such that the lever  16  then pushes on the pilot  22 . The pilot seal  31  is therefore maintained in a position that keeps the opening of the second passageway closed. 
     Once the water drops a certain level, the force exerted by the float valve on the float arm  14  will begin to lessen and when the water drops further, the upward force will eventually cease all together. As the force lessens, the float arm  14  falls (rotate counterclockwise in  FIG. 3 ) which in turn forces the lever  16  to turn counterclockwise about the primary fulcrum  44 . With the lever  16  turning, the force applied by the lever against the pilot  22  also lessens such that the water pressure against the pilot seal  31  exits the opening  34  of the second passageway  30 . As water exits the opening  34 , pressure on the piston  20  is greatly reduced, and the sealing member  18  forces the piston  20  toward the first cavity  24 . The lateral movement of the piston  20  is away from the sealing member  18 . The lateral movement of the piston  20  reduces the amount of force on the sealing member  18  which assists in allowing the sealing member  18  to rotate counter-clockwise around the primary fulcrum  44 . This in turn further reduces the pressure on the opening of the first passageway  38 . Water then exits the opening of the first passageway  28  and along with water exiting the opening of the second passageway  30  begins to fill the container (not shown). 
       FIG. 4  shows the valve  10  in the fully opened position. In the fully opened position, the piston  20  has reached or substantially reached a wall  70  which separates the first cavity  24  from the second cavity  26 . The opening of the first passageway  28  is fully opened and the float arm  14  is pressing on the sealing membrane  18  which in turn presses on the piston  20 . Additionally, the second opening  34  is in an open position which allows water to exit the second opening  34  and continue to fill the container. 
     As the water in the container begins to rise, eventually it will make contact with the float.  FIG. 5  shows the valve  10  as it begins to close from the opened position. As the float begins to rise, the float arm  14  rise and will rotate around (clockwise in  FIG. 5 ) the secondary fulcrum  60 . The rotational movement of the float arm  14  causes the second section  38  to apply an increasing amount of pressure on the sealing member  18 . Additionally the movement of the float arm  14  causes the lever  16  to rotate clockwise and put pressure on the pilot  22 . The pressure on the pilot  22  cause it to be pushed downward which begins to close the opening  34  to the second passageway  30 . 
     As the water continues to rise, eventually the opening  34  is closed by the pilot  22  and water pressure then begins to increase on the piston  20 . The piston  20  then moves away from the wall  70  and presses on the sealing member  18 . The float arm  14  further rotates clockwise as the water rises, putting more pressure on the sealing member  18  until it closes the opening of the first passageway  28 . Again, depending on the water pressure, the contribution of the piston and the float arm in maintaining a sufficient force to keep the first opening in a closed position will vary.  FIG. 9  shows the valve  10  with a hood  80 . The hood  80  deflects the water as it escapes the first opening of the first passageway  28  and/or the second opening  34  of the second passageway  30 . Gravity then pulls the deflected water downward and in the case of a toilet tank begins to refill the tank. 
     Having thus described the invention in connection with the several embodiments thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various revisions can be made to the several embodiments described herein with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is my intention, however, that all such revisions and modifications that are evident to those skilled in the art will be included with in the scope of the following claims. Any elements of any embodiments disclosed herein can be used in combination with any elements of other embodiments disclosed herein in any manner to create different embodiments.