Abstract:
A dual mode flush valve includes a handle assembly having a handle, a bushing and a plunger. The bushing has a sleeve with a passage therethrough for mounting the plunger for sliding and tilting. The passage is defined by first and second partially overlapping bores that coincide at the inner end of the sleeve and are spaced one above the other at the outer end of the sleeve. The bores define a horizontal plunger travel axis and an angled plunger travel axis. Depending on which direction the user actuates the handle the plunger will travel along one of these axes. Travel along the angled axis will lower the plunger tip, allowing earlier clearance of a relief valve and a reduced flow through the flush valve compared to actuation with the plunger travel along the horizontal axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/211,273, filed Aug. 25, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,635, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to flush valves for use with plumbing fixtures such as toilets, and more specifically to improvements in the bushing of the actuating handle assembly that will provide for user-selectable, dual mode operation of the flush valve. 
     Conservation of water resources in the use of toilets can be achieved by allowing a user to select that volume of water required to clean the fixture. For liquid waste a reduced flush volume is adequate. For solid waste a full flush is necessary. Based on the user&#39;s determination of whether a larger or smaller flush volume is appropriate to clean the bowl, a flush valve can be operated to provide a larger or smaller volume. Flush valves of this type can be designated dual mode flush valves. 
     The prior art includes dual mode flush valves. U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,946 has a handle assembly which allows a user to choose either a low volume flush or a full volume flush depending on the axial direction of handle activation. The flush handle assembly includes a plunger having a U-shaped member attached to the inner end thereof. The U-shaped member surrounds the bottom of the relief valve sleeve with legs which, have different lengths. Upon activation of the handle one of the U-shaped member&#39;s legs will engage the relief valve sleeve and unseat the relief valve. The resulting upward movement of the relief valve will cause the sleeve to clear the leg of fee U-shaped member and reseat. Reseating will happen at different times due to the different lengths of the legs. Accordingly, the relief valve reseats either later or sooner depending on which leg engaged the sleeve. Timing of the relief valve closure is one of the factors which governs the length of time the flush valve is open. Therefore the relief valve closure can be used to control how much water flows through the valve during a flush. In this construction the plunger moves only along a horizontal axis regardless of how the handle is actuated. Also, pushing or pulling the handle in a horizontal plane will not activate the valve. 
     Another attempt to create a dual mode flush valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,570. This valve shows various ways to limit the actuating handle movement, with the intent of limiting the amount of horizontal plunger travel when the user wants to select the minimum flush volume. However, there is no provision for altering the relief valve reseating time. Whether the relief valve sleeve is tilted a small or large amount, the relief valve still cannot reseat until either the diaphragm lifts the sleeve clear of the plunger or the user releases the handle. Therefore, this construction will either fail in practice to produce significant differences in flow volumes or the flow volume will depend on how quickly the user releases the actuating handle. The latter will result in variable and unpredictable flush volumes or incomplete opening of the valve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a dual mode flush valve which allows the user to select the amount of water that will flow, depending on the amount of water required to clean a fixture. Except For the handle bushing and socket the valve may be conventional. It includes a valve body with an inlet and outlet and a valve seat between the inlet and outlet. A valve member is movable in and oat of engagement with the valve seat to open and close the valve. A pressure chamber defined between the valve member and the top of the valve body controls opening and closing, of the valve member. A relief valve mounted on the valve member opens and closes the pressure chamber. The relief valve includes astern and sleeve mounted in telescoping relation. These extend to a point where at least the sleeve is adjacent to a plunger that is actuated by a handle mounted to the valve body. 
     The plunger is mounted in a bushing. The bushing has a sleeve with a passage defined therein. The plunger extends through the passage. The sleeve has an inner end and an outer end. The passage is defined by first and second bores which partially overlap. The bores coincide at the inner end of the sleeve but are spaced one above the other at the outer end of the sleeve. Thus, the passage has a generally circular opening at the inner end and a somewhat oval shape at the outer end of the sleeve. The bores define a horizontal axis of plunger travel and an angled axis of plunger travel. In a preferred embodiment the angled axis is In a vertical plane with the outer end of the bore at a higher elevation than the inner end of the bore. Thus, when the plunger travels along the angled axis the tip of the plunger contacts the relief valve sleeve at a lower point than is the ease when the plunger travels along the horizontal axis. The lower point of contact allows the relief valve sleeve to clear the plunger sooner, resulting in earlier closure of the relief valve and reduced open time for the valve, which of course means a reduced flow amount through the valve. 
     The flush volumes are selected by choosing the direction of handle actuation. Actuation in an upward vertical, direction will tilt the plunger up and cause it to travel on the angled plunger travel axis. This reduces flow as just described. Actuation of the handle in any other direction will not tilt the plunger and it will move in the horizontal axis, resulting in a full flush cycle. 
     The handle assembly includes a socket that is engageable with the valve body of the flush valve. The socket includes an exterior portion that is visible on the exterior of the valve body when the handle assembly is installed on the valve body. Since the conventional handle assembly is symmetrical about the plunger axis, the handle assembly can be installed on the valve body in any orientation without affecting its performance. However, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle assembly is not symmetrical about the plunger axis. Instead it has to be installed in a particular orientation for it to perform as intended. The problem is the non-symmetrical portion of the handle assembly is not visible to the installer. Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides a mark on the visible portion of the socket that indicates to the installer where the non-symmetrical portion of the bushing passage is. This allows the installer to properly orient the bushing relative to the valve body. 
     One of the advantages of the present invention is that it allows a user to conserve water while the bushing is compatible with existing valves. Another advantage is it permits the valve to be actuated by pushing or pulling the handle in any direction, which is what most users are accustomed to. Only actuation in a particular direction will result in a reduced flush, but all other directions are still available for a normal or full volume flush. The present invention also utilizes the inherent static Forces internal to the handle assembly during activation to bias the plunger&#39;s transverse direction. A further advantage of the invention is it uses the existing plunger seat. The bushing geometry where the seal is located is the same as the standard bushing. The plunger traveling, on the angled axis will slightly tilt the existing plunger seal but not sufficiently to adversely affect it. 
     These and other desired benefits of the invention, including combinations of features thereof, will become apparent from the following description. It will be understood, however, that a device could still appropriate the claimed invention without accomplishing each and every one of these desired benefits, including those gleaned from the following description. The appended claims, not these desired benefits, define the subject matter of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial section through a flush valve body. 
         FIG. 2  is a section through a handle assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a left end elevation view of the handle bushing. 
         FIG. 4  is a right end elevation view of the handle bushing. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional representation of the handle bushing of the present invention, showing the handle and plunger travel for a full flush. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional representation of the handle bushing of the present invention, showing the handle and plunger travel for a partial or reduced volume flush. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic end elevation view of the outer end of the handle bushing&#39;s sleeve, illustrating the shape of the passage opening at the outer end. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic end elevation view of the inner end of the handle bushing&#39;s sleeve, illustrating the shape of the passage opening at the inner end. 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the socket, with remaining portions of the handle assembly broken away, showing the mark indicating the location of the tilt portion of the bushing passage. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The flush valve of the present invention includes a body  10  having an inlet  12  and an outlet  14 . When installed the inlet is connected to a water supply and the outlet is connected to a fixture such as a toilet or urinal. A valve member is indicated generally at  16 . In the illustrated embodiment the valve member is a diaphragm assembly but it could be otherwise, such as a piston assembly. The valve member includes a diaphragm  18  peripherally held to the body  10  by an inner cover  20 . The diaphragm is seated upon a shoulder  22  at the upper end of body  10  and the peripheral edge  52  of the diaphragm is clamped in this position by the inner cover  20 . An outer coyer  24  is screw threaded onto the body to hold the inner cover in position. 
     The diaphragm assembly  16 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , is closed upon a valve seat  26  formed at the upper end of a barrel  28 . The barrel  28  forms the fluid conduit connecting the valve seat with outlet  14 . The diaphragm assembly  16  includes a relief valve  30  having a downwardly extending stem  32  telescopic-ally carrying a movable sleeve  34 . Sleeve  34  is positioned for contact by a plunger  36  when operated by a handle  38 . The handle  38  is part of a handle assembly which will be described in further detail below. The handle assembly is retained on the valve body by a nut  39 . 
     The diaphragm assembly  16 , in addition to diaphragm  18  and the relief valve  30 , includes a retaining disk  40 , a refill ring  42  and a flow control ring  44 . The underside of the retaining disk  40  is threadedly attached to a collar  46 , which in turn is threadedly attached at its exterior to a sleeve  48  which carries the refill ring  42 . The above described assembly of elements firmly holds the diaphragm  18  between the upper face of the refill ring  42  and a lower facing surface of the collar  46 . Above the diaphragm assembly  16  is a pressure chamber  50  which maintains the diaphragm assembly in a closed position when the flush valve is not in use. 
     As is known in the art, when fee handle  38  is operated, the plunger  36  will contact sleeve  34 , tilting the relief valve  30  off its seat on the retaining: disk  40 . This will permit the discharge of water within the pressure chamber  50  down through the sleeve  48 . Inlet pressure will then cause the diaphragm to move upwardly off its seat  26 , permitting direct commumcation between the inlet  12  and the outlet  14  through the space between the bottom, of the diaphragm assembly and the seat  26 . The raising of the diaphragm  16  also lifts the relief valve sleeve  34 , allowing it to clear the plunger  36  even if the user has held the handle  38  in an actuated position. Once the sleeve clears the plunger the relief valve reseats on the retaining disk  40 . As soon as this operation has taken place, the pressure chamber  50  will begin to fill through the filter and bypass orifice  54  in the diaphragm assembly. As flow continues into the pressure chamber  50 , the diaphragm assembly will move back down toward its valve seat  26  and when it has reached that position, the flush valve will be closed. 
       FIGS. 2-4  illustrate the handle assembly  56  of the present invention. The handle assembly fits through an opening in the valve body and is retained therein by the nut  39  ( FIG. 1 ) in the conventional manner. The handle assembly includes the handle  38  which has a face plate  58  at its inner end. The face plate is held within a chamber formed by a handle socket  60 . An inwardly extending flange  62  on the socket&#39;s outer end retains the handle face plate  58 . A sleeve  64  may line the socket chamber and flange  62 . The inner end of the socket is threaded to the bushing  66  of the present invention. The bushing has a central sleeve  68  and an outer skirt  70  joined by a wail  72 . The skirt  70  is threaded to the socket  60 . The inner end of the sleeve has a beveled nose  74  that mounts a handle packing or seal  76 . The sleeve has a passage  78  there through that receives the shank  80  of the plunger  36 . Further details of the passage  78  will be described below. There is a head  82  on the outer end of the plunger shank. The head  82  engages the face plate  58  of the handle. A compression spring  84  or other suitable biasing device fits between the bushing and the head  82  to urge the plunger into engagement with the face plate  58  of handle  38 . The wall  72  may also have an indicia thereon which indicates which side of the bushing has the angled axis. The indicia may be in the form of a depression  86  in the wall. Other markings are possible. This will assist the installer in orienting the bushing properly. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 5-8 , details of the bushing&#39;s passage  78  are shown. The passage can he considered to be defined by first and second bores  88  and  90  extending through the sleeve  68 . The bores are preferably centered on the same vertical plane. The first bore  88  is horizontal and defines a horizontal plunger travel axis A. The second bore  90  is not horizontal it is tilted upwardly at the outer end of the sleeve and defines an angled plunger travel axis B. The second bore can be considered a tilt portion of the bushing passage  78 . The bores preferably each have a diameter slightly greater than that of the plunger shank  80 . The bores overlap and merge together at the inner end of the sleeve so that they define a substantially circular opening  92  at the inner end. At the outer end of the sleeve the second bore  90  is above the first bore  88 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , the opening  94  at the outer end of the sleeve includes an upper arcuate portion  96 , a lower arcuate portion  98 , and a pair of extension portions  100  and  102  joining the upper and lower arcuate portions. The result is a somewhat oval, although not strictly elliptical, shaped opening  94 . As seen in  FIG. 8 , the opening  92  at the inner end of the sleeve includes an upper arcuate portion  104 , a lower arcuate portion  106 . In a preferred embodiment the height of the extension portions at the opening has shrunk to essentially zero so the arcuate portions  104  and  106  join one another. 
     It can be seen that the diameter of the plunger is just slightly less than that of the inner opening  92 . Thus, the plunger can slide and tilt freely in the opening  92  but it cannot move up, down or sideways appreciably. This contrasts with the opening  94  which permits appreciable up and down movement of the plunger at that point. The result of the combination of the two sleeve bores and their openings is the plunger can tilt up and down as well as slide axially. 
     The operation of the handle assembly will now be described.  FIG. 5  shows the handle in an actuated position where it has been moved down by a user. Downward movement of the handle causes the face plate  58  to pivot about the upper portion of plate (which remains in contact with the socket flange  62 ) with the lower portion of plate  58  moving to the right, as seen in  FIG. 5 . This places a force F handle  on the lower portion of the plunger head  82 . With the noted forces F bushing  on the plunger, the plunger remains centered on the horizontal plunger travel axis A. A diagrammatic end view of the plunger shank is shown at  108 .  FIG. 6  shows the handle in an actuated position where it has been moved up by a user. Upward movement of the handle causes the face plate  58  to pivot about the lower portion of plate with the upper portion of plate  58  moving to the right, as seen in  FIG. 6 . This places a force F handle  on the upper portion of the plunger head  58 . With the noted forces F bushing  on the plunger, the plunger tilts upward at the left end and downward at the right end, taking the plunger into the second bore  90  where it is aligned with the angled plunger travel axis B. This lowers the inner tip of the plunger. A diagrammatic end view of the plunger tip when on axis B is shown at  110  in  FIG. 6 . The end view of plunger tip  108  on the horizontal axis A is also represented in  FIG. 6  to illustrate the vertical drop D of the plunger tip on axis B as compared to when the plunger travels on axis A. 
     It can be appreciated by looking at  FIG. 1  that dropping the plunger tip to position  1 - 10  by angling the plunger shank will permit the sleeve  34  of the relief valve to clear the plunger tip sooner than is the case when the plunger travels on the horizontal axis and the tip is at position  108 . As a result of the earlier plunger clearance, the relief valve  30  closes sooner. This allows reestablishment of the pressure in chamber  50  sooner, resulting in earlier closure of the diaphragm and lesser volume per flush cycle. So when the user pushes the handle  38  upwardly, the plunger will be angled downwardly and there will be a reduced flush. When the user pushes the plunger in any direction but up, the plunger will move on the horizontal axis and the full volume flush will result. 
     Alternate configurations of the bushing passage are possible. For example, instead of having the widened opening of the passage at the outside end of the sleeve, it could be at the inner end. Or, instead of having the lowermost edge of the passage be horizontal and the uppermost edge be angled as shown, this arrangement could be reversed. A further alternative is to provide a sleeve passage with a horizontal axis and an angled axis wherein the inner end of the plunger is angled above horizontal. In that ease the horizontal travel, caused by an upward actuation of the handle, would provide the lower flush volume. Similarly, the upwardly angled travel, caused by a downward actuation of the handle, would provide the higher volume flush. Some shortening of the relief valve sleeve might be needed in conjunction with this setup. Yet another possible alternate construction of the bushing, passage is to make the inside diameter of the bushing passage appreciably larger than the outside diameter of the plunger. This would cause the plunger to tilt somewhat no matter which direction the handle is actuated, but only tilting in the vertical, plane would affect the volume of the flush. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates yet another feature of the present invention. As will be evident from the above description, the second bore  90  provides a tilt portion of the bushing passage  78 . This produces a non-symmetrical configuration of the passage, as compared to having only a simple, single horizontal bore at  88 . This can be seen in  FIG. 7 . In order to provide the vertical plunger tip drop D illustrated in  FIG. 6  with the attendant lower flush volume, the bushing  66  must be installed on the valve body such that the first and second bores  88 ,  90  are oriented in a generally vertical plane with the second bore  90  on top. However, since the bores are in the interior of the bushing an installer can see neither the bores nor the indicia  86  once the bushing goes into the valve body. The present invention solves this, problem by providing an externally-visible mark or indicator  112  showing the location of the second bore. In the illustrated embodiment the mark is simply a line which may be suitably printed on a label that is attached to the exterior portion  114  of the socket  60 . The label may optionally carry additional graphics  116  to instruct the user regarding the availability of the reduced flush alternative. Instead of a label the mark  112  could be engraved or otherwise formed directly on the socket. The mark  112  can be used in conjunction with the indicia  86  on the bushing  66 . That is, at the time of installation of the handle assembly on to the valve body, the installer can look to ensure that the mark  112  is rotationally aligned with the indicia  86  and then make sure that the mark  112  is at the top of the handle assembly when the nut  39  is tightened. This will result, in the bushing passage  78  having the proper orientation relative to the valve body  10  and relief valve sleeve  34 . Further assurance of proper alignment may be added by placing a flat  118  on the external flange of the bushing. Aligning the mark  112  with the flat  116  during assembly of the handle and then placing the mark at the top of the handle during installation of the handle assembly will result in the correct orientation. 
     While 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. For example, the arcuate portions  96  and/or  98  may be fully semi-circular or they could extend somewhat less than a full 180°. Also, while a circular cross section for the plunger shank and the opening  92  is preferred, it could be otherwise so long as the plunger is free to slide.