Abstract:
A toilet room flush valve includes a body with an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween. A valve assembly in the body is positioned to close upon the seat to control flow from the inlet to the outlet. A cover is mounted upon the body and defines a pressure chamber with the valve assembly. A bypass connects the inlet and the pressure chamber whereby pressure in the chamber maintains the valve assembly upon the seat. The pressure chamber may be vented to permit movement of the valve assembly toward the cover. The stroke of the valve assembly is limited by a volume regulator which is fixed to the cover and an adjustable microcontroller which is movable with the valve assembly and positioned to contact the volume regulator upon venting of the pressure chamber and consequent movement of the valve assembly.

Description:
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to flush valves of the type generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,586, owned by the assignee of the present application, Sloan Valve Company, of Franklin Park, Ill. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement upon the flush valve of the &#39;179 patent in that it provides adjustment of the stroke of the valve assembly, both a fine adjustment and a coarse adjustment of the stroke, which allows the volume of water passing through the flush valve during operation to be controlled in discrete and predictable increments. Such adjustment permits the valve assembly to be converted to a specific application with a minimum number of parts and minimum education for the flush valve installer.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to toilet room flush valves and in particular to improvements in such valves to permit adjustment of the stroke of the valve assembly which controls the volume of water passing through the flush valve in a single operation.  
           [0003]    A primary purpose of the invention is to provide a reliable and simply operable stroke adjustment for a diaphragm-type flush valve.  
           [0004]    Another purpose of the invention is to provide stroke adjustment in a flush valve of the type described in which a single element may be rotated to several different positions, with each position providing a different stroke or degree of movement of the diaphragm assembly.  
           [0005]    Another purpose of the invention is to provide a flush valve as described which has both a coarse and a fine stroke adjustment.  
           [0006]    Another purpose of the invention is to provide stroke adjustment in a diaphragm-type flush valve using a microcontroller which may be moved to several different positions for fine adjustment and a volume regulator which may have variable sized flanges to provide a coarse adjustment for the diaphragm stroke.  
           [0007]    Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a front view, in part section, of a flush valve of the type disclosed herein;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a vertical section illustrating the valve assembly of the flush valve of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective of the microcontroller;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a top view of the microcontroller;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a section along plane  5 - 5  of FIG. 4;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a section along plane  6 - 6  of FIG. 4;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the microcontroller;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a top view of the disk;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a section along plane  9 - 9  of FIG. 8;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a section along plane  10 - 10  of FIG. 8;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a top view of the volume regulator; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a section along plane  12 - 12  of FIG. 11.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    The present invention relates to an improvement in flush valves of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,586 and more specifically to a means for controlling the stroke of the valve assembly as it moves between open and closed positions. The disclosure of the &#39;586 patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
         [0022]    The stroke of the valve assembly, in the case shown herein, a diaphragm-type valve assembly, determines the volume of water delivered during a flushing cycle. Different types of toilet fixtures require different flushing volumes and the present invention provides both a coarse and fine adjustment of the diaphragm as it moves between open and closed positions. There is a microcontroller for fine adjustment of the stroke and there is a volume regulator for coarse adjustment. The components used herein to provide stroke adjustment may be made of a suitable plastic, eliminating potential corrosion, and may be easily adjusted with a minimum of parts and with a minor degree of education by the individual installing the flush valve. The stroke adjustment and the parts used therefor allow the flush valve to have precisely controlled and predictable volumes of water passing through the valve during the flushing cycle and enable the flush valve to be used in many different environments and with different types of toilet fixtures.  
         [0023]    The invention will be described in connection with a battery-operated solenoid flush valve of the type sold by Sloan Valve Company of Franklin Park, Ill., under the trademark OPTIMA. The invention has wider application and is usable in any flush valve in which a pressure chamber is vented through a pilot valve mechanism and the primary flow control assembly moves off of its seat to control flow through the flush valve.  
         [0024]    In FIG. 1, the flush valve body is indicated at  10  and may have an inlet opening  12  and an outlet opening  14 . There is a boss  16  at the left side of the outlet  14  and this normally is the location of the flush valve manual handle. However, in the present instance, a cap  18  may close this opening and may be held in position by a lock ring  20 . The valve shown is of the type sold by Sloan Valve Company under the trademark ROYAL and thus uses the diaphragm to control flow between the inlet and the outlet. The diaphragm is indicated at  22  and is held at its periphery  24  on a shoulder  26  of the body  10  by a flange  28  of an inner cover  30 . A threaded lock ring  32  holds the above-described assembly and an outer cover  34  which will contain the solenoid, an infrared sensor, and the associated battery and electronics to operate the sensor. The sensor window is indicated at  36  in FIG. 1. The above-referenced &#39;586 patent shows these elements in greater detail.  
         [0025]    The area between the underside of the cover  30  and the upper side of the diaphragm  22  forms a pressure chamber  38 . The pressure of the water within this chamber holds the diaphragm  22  upon a seat  40  formed at the upper end of the barrel  42  which forms a conduit between the inlet  12  and the outlet  14 .  
         [0026]    There is a vent passage  44  in the upper cover which connects to pressure chamber  38  and a chamber  46  in the upper cover, with the flow of water between the vent passage  44  and the chamber  46  being controlled by a solenoid  48 . Details of this operation are disclosed in the above-referenced &#39;586 patent, as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,309,781 and 4,793,588.  
         [0027]    Water flow through the inlet  12  reaches the pressure chamber  38  through a filter and bypass ring  50 , the details of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,182. Thus, water from the flush valve inlet reaches the pressure chamber  38 , to maintain the diaphragm in a closed position, and the pressure chamber will be vented by the operation of the solenoid as water will flow upwardly through passage  44 , then into chamber  46 , and then through the passage in the flex tube to be described hereinafter.  
         [0028]    The diaphragm assembly includes the diaphragm which, in its closed position, will rest upon the seat  40  and a disk  52 . The disk  52  is threadedly attached to a guide  54  which carries a flow control ring  56  which is adjacent the interior of the barrel  42 . Directly below the flow control ring  56 , the guide includes arcuate projections  58  which support ring  56 . In addition to the threaded connection  60  between the guide  54  and the disk  52 , the guide carries pairs of inwardly-directed barbs  62 , annular in form, which extend within a recess  64  in the exterior of the disk to lock these elements in an assembled and fixed position. At the lower end of guide  52  there is an inwardly-directed shoulder  66 , which functions to support a lower flex tube adapter  68 , illustrated in more detail in the above-referenced &#39;586 patent. The adapter  68  includes a body  70  and an upwardly-directed nose  72  which will extend into and secure the lower end of a flex tube  74 . The nose  72  has a barb  76  which deforms the flex tube and functions to positively hold the lower end of the flex tube to the adapter. The body  70  includes an outwardly-directed flange  78 , which rests upon the inwardly-directed shoulder  66  of the guide and there is a seal ring  80  which is located within an outwardly-facing groove in the adapter and bears against the interior of the guide.  
         [0029]    A portion  82  of the adapter  68  extends outwardly from the guide and has a shoulder  84  to effectively hold the adapter  68  to the lower end of the guide, with only minimal movement permitted. The adapter  68  has a central water passage  86  which communicates with a central passage  88  in the portion  82  of the adapter. Thus, any water flowing down through the flex tube  74  will pass out of the adapter and be directed toward the flush valve outlet  14 .  
         [0030]    The flex tube  74  which is hollow and in the form of a flexible sleeve, contains a coil spring  90 , which prevents the tube from collapsing due to water pressure flowing downwardly through the disk  52 . At its upper end, the flex tube is attached to an inner cover adapter  92 . The adapter  92  may have one or more outwardly-extending projections  94  which interact with and may deform the interior of the flex tube wall to secure the adapter in position. The upper nose of the adapter  92  is tapered and has an O-ring  95  which forms a seal with an interior wall  96  in an extension  98  of the cover  30 . The adapter  92  thus extends within the chamber  46  and forms part of the fluid connection from the chamber  46 , down through the interior passage  100  of the adapter, and into the interior of the flex tube  74  through which water flows, from the pressure chamber  38  to the flush valve outlet  14 .  
         [0031]    Seated on top of the upper end of the guide  54  is a refill head  102 , with the diaphragm  22  being captured between the upper surface of the refill head and a lower surface  104  of a radially outwardly-extending portion  106  of the disk  52 . The diaphragm, disk  52  and guide  54  will all move together when pressure is relieved in chamber  38  and the diaphragm moves upwardly to provide a direct connection between the flush valve inlet  12  and flush valve outlet  14 . When this takes place, the disk  52  will move up and will carry with it the lower end of the flex tube  74 . Thus, the flex tube must bend as its upper end is fixed within the passage  96  of the cover  30 .  
         [0032]    The upward movement of the diaphragm, or the stroke of the valve assembly, controls the amount of water passing through the flush valve during operation. Water flows into the pressure chamber  38  through a bypass orifice  110  which is in communication with the flush valve inlet  12 . The length of time in which it takes for the pressure chamber  38  to fill, forcing the diaphragm back upon its seat  40 , determines the volume of water that will flow through the flush valve. The distance the diaphragm moves upwardly off its seat, the stroke of the valve assembly, is adjustable and is determined by a microcontroller and a volume regulator. The microcontroller is indicated in FIGS.  3 - 7  and its relationship with the guide  52  is illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and  10 . FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the volume regulator.  
         [0033]    The inside cylindrical surface  112  of the guide  52  contains a plurality, in this case twelve, downwardly-extending ribs  114 . The ribs are arranged in three groups of four. Within each group of four the ribs vary in position at their upper end, as illustrated by the dimensions in FIGS. 9 and 10. For example, and only for purposes of explanation, the distance from the top of a rib  116  to the upper surface of an annular rim  118  may be 0.273 in. The distance between a rib  120  shown in FIG. 9 to the top of the rim  118  may be 0.283 in. The distance from the top of a rib  122  to the rim  118  may be 0.293 in. and finally, the distance from the top of a rib  124  to the rim  118  may be 0.303 in. There are thus three ribs of equal height, one within each of the three groups. The microcontroller, indicated at  126 , has three equally spaced downwardly-facing slots  128 . When the microcontroller is inserted within the guide  52 , each of the slots  128  will interact with a rib in one of the three sets. The end result of this cooperating relationship is that the upper surface  130  of the microcontroller may be located at four different heights. As particularly shown in FIG. 8, there are indicia tabs  132 , with the numbers  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  to designate how the microcontroller may be positioned relative to the guide  52  in order to establish the four different heights for the upper surface  130  of the microcontroller.  
         [0034]    The microcontroller is inserted within the guide  52  at one of the four designated positions. Or the microcontroller may be left out entirely, which would establish a fifth fine adjustment height for controlling the stroke of the diaphragm assembly. The microcontroller will be snapped in, either during assembly of the valve at the factory, or by the installer, depending upon the particular type of fixture with which the flush valve will be used. The installer will determine the position of the microcontroller, depending upon the volume of water which is to pass through the flush valve during operation of a particular fixture. The microcontroller has a plurality of tabs  134  which provide a degree of flexibility, allowing the microcontroller to be inserted within the guide, but easily removable. The tabs  134  provide the upper surface  130  which will function as a stop with the volume regulator, as described hereinafter.  
         [0035]    The volume regulator, shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, is indicated at  133  and has an outwardly-extending annular shoulder  136 , the lower surface  138  of which functions as the stop limiting upward movement of the diaphragm assembly and the microcontroller. The surface  130  will contact the surface  138  and the distance through which the surface  130  moves before such contact determines the stroke of the flush valve. The microcontroller provides a fine stroke adjustment and the height of the shoulder  136 , the lower surface of which functions as a stop may provide a coarse adjustment of stroke. Different volume regulators may be utilized, each of which may have a different height for the flange  136 , with the height of the flange determining the location of the surface  138  which in turn limits the upward movement of the diaphragm assembly.  
         [0036]    The volume regulator will be attached to the flex tube adapter  92  by means of an outwardly-extending shoulder  140  on the adapter and an inwardly-extending flange  142  on the volume regulator. This is particularly shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the volume regulator is attached to the flex tube adapter  92 , which in turn is fixed in position relative to the inner cover  30 . Since the volume regulator is fixed in position relative to the inner cover, the upper stop formed by the flange  136  will also be fixed. The distance the valve assembly or the diaphragm may move, or its stroke, is determined by the space between the surface  130  and the underside  138  of the volume regulator. Coarse adjustment is provided by the height of the flange  136 . Fine adjustment is provided by the position of the microcontroller within the guide  52  and as described, there may be four such positions of the guide, each one providing a different location for the upper surface  130 . The fifth location of adjustment is provided by removal of the microcontroller, in which case the flange  136  will be contacted by the rim  118  as the diaphragm assembly moves upwardly. This provides the greatest stroke of the flush valve.  
         [0037]    The stroke control described accurately controls the volume of water which is delivered during a single flushing cycle. The volume regulator provides coarse adjustment and the microcontroller provides fine adjustment. Both the microcontroller and the volume regulator may be made from a suitable plastic and the use of the microcontroller, or its nonuse, provides five fine levels of stroke adjustment. The thickness of the flange and the volume regulator, and there may be several such volume regulators, provides coarse adjustment. Thus, one single flush valve, with a minimum of interchange of parts and arrangement of parts, may provide a substantial number of discrete, predictable flush valve volumes.  
         [0038]    Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto.