Abstract:
The flush system for a toilet provides a discharge pipe upstanding within a flush tank of the toilet. The pipe has a bottom with a bottom opening through which water from the flush tank travels to the toilet bowl of the toilet. The bottom is connected to the first inlet controlled by a first valve and a second inlet controlled by a second valve. The first inlet is at a higher elevation than the second inlet with respect to the bottom opening. The flush system further comprises actuating handle for selectively moving the first and second members in a first mode or a second mode such that in the first mode, only the second inlet is opened and in the second position the first and second inlets are opened.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a substitute application for application Ser. No. 08/606,862, Filed Feb. 6, 1996, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a water conserving flush system for toilets and, more particularly, to a toilet flush system in which the quantity of water discharged from the flush tank is controllably preselected. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Water conservation has become a critical issue resulting in municipalities imposing temporary water saving measures. Therefore, it is desirable to conserve as much water as possible during our daily activities. Most toilets consume approximately 5 gallons of water during each flush. However, there are many instances when the water consumption can be reduced and remain effective to flush waste from the toilet. 
     Currently in widespread use are flush systems that either waste water, by using a full tank of water to flush down liquid waste, or are only partially effective because they always use a small quantity of water than the full tank flush toilet. These latter system is suitable for flushing down liquid waste, but the use of the same small quantity of water to flush down solid waste cannot push the solid waste far enough into the sewer line to prevent solid waste clogs from occurring. Another type of flush system uses two flush handles to allow the user to decide between a partial tank flush for liquid waste and a full thank flush for solid waste. Therefore, with the existing systems, the user either cannot select the volume of water used or must choose between two different handles or must activate the handle more than once. It is highly possible that the user will inadvertently waste water or create a clogged sewer line by simply electing the wrong flush. These known flush systems are not efficient because they either waste water or money spent on sewer line service calls. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system having two flush modes for a toilet of which one flush mode discharges a first, relatively small, amount of water in the flush tank for flushing liquids or small debris from the toilet and a second flush mode which discharges a maximum discharge amount of water for flushing larger debris from the toilet. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle assembly embodying a construction and relationship of parts mounted exteriorly of the flush tank for a toilet to insure longevity of operation unaffected by contact with water stored in the flush tank and contaminates such as mineral deposits derived from stored quantities of water. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention there is provided a flush system for the toilet, the flush system including an elongated discharge pipe having an opening at one end for connection with a flush tank to discharge water to a toilet, the discharge pipe having first and second inlet openings spaced along the length thereof for delivering water from the tank through the bottom opening, each of the first and second inlet openings having a valve member movable between water discharge position and water blocking position, and a flush control handle including an actuator arm joined by flexible lines with the valve member for each of the first and second inlet openings, a mounting stud including a flush control member at one end opposite a fastener for static support by a flush tank, a handle drivingly interconnected with the actuator arm for pivotally support by the mounting stud, the handle having a cavity containing a projecting wall supporting one end of a spring engaging at the opposite end thereof with a moveable piston resiliently positioned by the spring against a stop in the cavity, the flush control member extending into the cavity between the projecting wall and the moveable piston for pivotally controlling the position of the actuator arm in a first position where the valve member for the first inlet opening is moved to the water discharge position while the valve member for the second inlet opening remains in the water blocking position, pivoting of the handle causing compression of the spring between the flush control member and the projecting wall thereby pivotally positioning the actuator arm to a second position wherein the valve member for the second inlet opening is moved to the water discharge position. 
     The present invention also provides a method for discharging different quantities of water from a water tank for flushing a toilet, the method including the steps of turning a handle and an actuator arm rigidly connected thereto through a first angle into confrontation with a resilient biased abutment such that the actuator arm opens a first valve situated to discharge a minimum quantity of flush water from a flush tank to the toilet, and turning the handle through a second angle greater than the first angle to displace the resiliently biased abutment to a position such that the actuator arm opens the first valve and a second valve situated to discharge a maximum quantity of flush water from the flush tank to flush the toilet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These features and advantages as well as others will be more fully understood when the following description is read in light of the accompany drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation showing the flush system with only the first inlet opened; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic representation showing the flush system with the first and second inlets opened; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic representation showing a side view of a first embodiment of the discharge tube; and 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic representation showing a side view of a second embodiment of the discharge tube. 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric illustration of parts forming a flush control handle according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 in illustrating partial assembly of the parts of the flush control handle; 
     FIG. 7 is a section view taken along lines VII—VII of FIG. 1; and 
     FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic representations showing the flush control handle in a ready position, first flush position and a second flush position, respectively; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     There is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a flush system  10  including a discharge pipe  12  upstanding within a flush tank  14  of the toilet. The pipe  12  has a flanged discharged end  16  mounted to the flush tank  14  for directing water received in the pipe  12  from the flush tank  14  to the toilet bowl (not shown) of the toilet. At the top portion of the discharge pipe  12  is a first water inlet  18  controlled by a valve  19  having spaced apart support arms pivotally supported by the discharge pipe to allow pivoting of the valve  19  between open and closed positions. The pipe  12  is provided at an elevation beneath the first water inlet  18  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a second water inlet  20  controlled by a valve  21  having spaced apart support arms pivotally supported by the discharge pipe to allow pivoting of the valve  21  between open and closed positions. Valves  19  and  21  are preferably a Douglas valve, per se well known in the art. 
     The flush system  10  further includes an actuator  22  for selectively controlling the first and second valves  19  and  21  for two modes of operation. In the first mode only valve  19  is opened for delivering the volume of water in the flush tank  14  above inlet  18  to the toilet while valve  21  remains closed thereby preventing discharge of the volume of water in the tank between inlet  18  and inlet  20  to the toilet. In the second mode, valve  19  will be opened by the first mode and valve  21  is additionally opened so that flush water is discharged from the tank to the elevation of inlet  20  for valve  21 . Thus in the second mode, the first and second inlets  18  and  20  are both opened. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the flush system  10 , the actuator  22  includes a handle assembly  24  drivingly interconnected with an actuator arm  26  which is in turn interconnected by first and second flexible lines  30  and  32 , such as thin chains, to the valves  19  and  21 , respectively. Line  32  has a predetermined length providing a desired amount of slack as compared with a relatively small amount of slack provided by the predetermined length of line  30 . Rotation of the handle assembly  24  to a first position, as shown in FIG. 1, causes the first flexible line  30  to pull the valve  19  to open the first inlet  18  while the second inlet  20  remains closed by valve  21 . Rotation of the handle assembly  24  to a second position, as shown in FIG. 2, causes the second flexible line  32  to pull the valve  21  to an open position to allow entrance of the water through inlet  20 . Extending vertically beyond inlet  18  as closed by valve  19  is a tube  34  which has a water receiving opening  36  at an elevation in the tank for overflow protection in the event the float operated water control valve  38  is improperly adjusted or fails to perform the intended function of shutting off the supply of water to the tank when the water level reaches the water receiving opening  36 . The water receiving opening  36  also allows for operation of a refill tube  40  for filling the toilet bowl with water after flushing. 
     Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3, the discharge pipe  12 A is made up of two component parts comprising a first lower component  40  having an enlarged flange  42  into which an elongated cylindrical portion  44  of constant diameter of an upper component  46  is secured in a water-tight fashion. The cylindrical portion  44  of cam slot diameter to allow variations to the length can be adjusted by removing a selected part so that the discharge pipe  12 A can be at an established predetermined length specifically adapted to a particular water tank. The flush system is designed for sale in kit form with a plurality of different length tube portions  44  for allowing the flush system  10  to be installed in a variety of different sized water tanks. Further, by altering the length of the tube  44 , the amount of water discharged through the opening  18  when valve  19  is moved to an open position, can be selectively chosen by the user in relation to the cross sectional area of the water tank. It is well known that the dimensions of water tanks may vary from tank-to-tank. Preferably, the discharge pipe  12 A is comprised of polyvinyl chloride material (PVC). As shown in FIG. 4, the discharge pipe  12 B is comprised of one integral assembly. 
     The actuator  22  which includes handle assembly  24  and actuator arm  26  are constructed according to the present invention as best disclosed in FIGS. 5-8 to control the operation of valves  19  and  21  and thereby select one of two different volumes of water for discharge during a toilet flush. The handle assembly  24  includes a handle body made up of a handle portion  50  extending radially from a cup-shaped body portion  51 . Body portion  51  includes an end face wall  52  from which there extends an annular side wall  54  forming a cavity containing a centrally located annular projecting wall  56 . An annular gap formed between side wall  54  and the projecting wall  56  is traversed by a radial wall  58  which forms opposed abutment face surfaces  58 A and  58 B and angularly spaced from wall  58 , e.g. 90°, is a foreshortened radial wall  60  forming a stop establishing a demarcation position for the second position of handle assembly  24 . A spacer  62  having the form of an annular segment has an end face which abuts against face surface  58 B and a locator post  62 A engaging in a space formed by end convolutions of a coil spring  64 . The end convolutions of the free end of spring  64  engage a locator post  66 A extending from one face surface of a movable piston  66  having a face surface  66 B opposite the surface containing locator post  66 A normally seated against radial wall  60 . When the handle assembly  24  is in a ready position for instituting a flush control, an arcuate gap exists between face surface  66 B and abut face surface  58 A. Extending into this gap is a flush control member  70  having the form of a projection extending outwardly from an annular collar  72  comprising an integral part of a mounting stud  74 . At the side of the collar  72  opposite flush control member  70  is a square anchor section  76  dimensioned to extend within a similarly shaped and dimensioned opening  14 A (FIG. 7) in the wall of a flush tank  14 . A nut  78  is threadedly engaged with threads on a barrel portion  80  of the mounting stud to mount and statically support the mounting stud to the wall of the flush tank. An annular face surface  82  has a reduced diameter and forms a protrusions extending from an annular projecting wall  56 . An annular recess  84  opens out of the end face surface of annular collar  72  for rotatably supporting the annular face surface  82  in a press-fitted relation. Actuator arm  26  has a “L” shaped configuration formed by a right-angled end portion  26 A having an enlarged torque receiving connector  26 B pass through a hollow interior of the body of mounting stud  74  and through a slotted throat  26 C extending interiorly of projecting wall  56  establishing a torque transmitting relation between handle portion  50  and actuator arm  26 . 
     In FIG. 8A the actuator assembly is shown in a stand-by or ready position and as such flush control member  70  rests against face surface  58 A. Spring  64  provides a resilient biased force applied by piston  66  for resistance by stop  60  and applied by spacer  62  for resistence by wall  58 . To discharge a minimum amount of water from the flush tank, as shown in FIG. 8B, handle  51  is rotated through an angle α which moves the piston  66  into engagement with flush control member  70  without compressing spring  64  whereby the piston remains resiliently positioned against stop  60 . The rotation of handle  50  is sufficient to displace the end of actuator rod  26  upwardly and thereby lift valve  19  from inlet  18  allowing the volume of water between overflow  36  and inlet  18  to pass from the water tank into the toilet. To discharge the maximum amount of water from the flush tank, as shown in FIG. 8C, handle  50  is rotated through an angle β which includes angle α. The piston  66  is engaged with flush control member  70  and compresses spring  64  whereby the piston  66  is displaced away from stop  60 . The rotation of handle  50  is sufficient to displace the end of actuator rod  26  upwardly and thereby lifting both of the valves  19  and  21  from their respective inlets  18  and  20  allowing the volume of water between overflow  36  and inlet  20  to pass rom the water tank into the toilet. 
     While the present invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same or similar functions of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.