Patent Publication Number: US-2009235444-A1

Title: Cordless Pedal Flush System for a Tank-type Toilet

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 359,784, filed 7 Feb. 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is a cordless pedal flush system for a tank-type toilet and more particularly a system with a radio frequency (RF) pedal transmitter flush activation and an RF receiver flusher activator that captures the signal and directs an operational current to a servo motor and motorized flush lever used in activating the flushing of a tank-type toilet. 
     For various well-understood reasons, such as the transmission of germs that could lead to sickness, it is desirable to flush a toilet without touching the toilet handle. 
     One way in which the need to make physical contact with the flushing of public toilets has been reduced is the incorporation of automatic flushing systems. Not only are these automatic flushing systems expensive for the average home, but they can be very ineffective and cause such problems as excessive water consumption or unflushed conditions when the detection device malfunctions. Some automatic flushing systems use infrared detection systems. These elaborate systems are very expensive and require highly skilled technicians for service and installation. 
     Although the existing automatic flushing systems reduce the need to make physical contact with toilets they can only work effectively in public restrooms where the toilets are placed in enclosed areas such as stalls. These existing automatic-flushing systems would not work well in home bathrooms because of the bathroom configuration. The detection system would be ineffective due to the different movements of the occupant. For example, the infrared detector would activate a flush even if the occupant was passing to get into the shower or bathtub or simply replacing bath towels, etc. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is a cordless pedal flush system for a tank-type toilet. 
     The cordless pedal flush system employs a tank mounted radio frequency (RF) receiver flusher unit that employs an RF receiver circuit that captures and decodes a coded command signal transmitted by the RF pedal transmitter actuator. Both the pedal transmitter and the receiver flusher units are powered by self-contained DC batteries. The receiver flusher unit circuit includes decoding hardware employed to identify and verify a TIC match for each cordless pedal flush system. The cordless pedal flush system is designed to avoid interference when multiple systems are operated within the same general area. 
     A receiver flusher actuator is installed replacing the conventional manual flush handle employed on most tank-type toilets. The receiver flusher actuator is a motorized gear driven mechanism powered by a small DC motor engaged in gear reduction to rotate and pivot upwards the motorized flush lever to lift the plunger of flapper valve from the valve seat to cause the flushing of a tank-type toilet. The receiver flusher actuator also allows for the conventional manual flushing of the toilet. 
     The cordless pedal flush system employs adjustable mounting arms for adjustment when mounted on the rim of different sized toilet tanks. The installation and operation of the cordless pedal flush system is designed to be an inexpensive simple system that is affordable to the average household. 
     The cordless pedal flush system invention can be used to flush a toilet more conveniently and with less effort, and prevent the transmission of germs that could lead to sickness. The cordless pedal flush system has additional advantages in that it permits the average household to afford a healthier yet simple means for flushing a toilet without the use of ones hands. It remedies common flush problems associated with tank-type toilets due to worn or misaligned fixtures such as short cycle flushes that require the user to hold down the flush handle in order to get a complete flush. It also allows for flushing while being seated on a toilet, avoiding an awkward reaching behind the back. 
     A complete understanding of this invention will be obtained from the detailed description that follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a typical tank-type toilet  10  equipped with a cordless pedal flush system  12 . 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an RF receiver flusher actuator  16  with the accompanying motorized flush lever  22 , with the access door  80  closed. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of an RF receiver flusher actuator  16  with the accompanying motorized flush lever  22 , with the access door  80  open showing the enclosed battery compartment  36 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an assembled and unassembled RF receiver flusher actuator  16  with the accompanying RF foot pedal transmitter actuator  14 . 
         FIG. 5  shows an unassembled perspective view of an RF pedal transmitter actuator  14 . 
         FIG. 6  shows an assembled and unassembled perspective view of a push-button foot switch  20 . 
         FIG. 7  shows top perspective view of an RF receiver flusher actuator  16  mounted within a typical tank-type toilet. 
         FIG. 8  shows an unassembled and assembled perspective view of an RF foot pedal transmitter actuator  14  including a hidden view of the transmitter circuit board  32  and batteries  22 . 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the RF transmitter circuit board  32  and the RF receiver circuit board  34 . 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMBERS 
       10 . Tank-type toilet 
       12 . Cordless pedal flush system 
       14 . RF foot pedal transmitter actuator 
       16 . RF receiver flusher actuator 
       18 . Manual flush handle 
       20 . Push-button foot switch 
       22 . Motorized flush lever 
       24 . Manual flush handle/lever 
       26 . Flapper valve 
       28 . Rubber base enclosure 
       30 . Adjustable mounting arms 
       32 . RF transmitter circuit board 
       34 . RF receiver circuit board 
       36 . Circuit/battery compartment 
       38 . Servo motor 
       40 . Electrical contact 
       42 . Circuit wiring 
       44 . Spring 
       46 . Top metal ring 
       48 . Bottom metal ring 
       50 . Top push-button 
       52 . Bottom push-button 
       54 . Antenna 
       56 . RF radio transmitter 
       58 . Microcontroller—encoder 
       60 . RF radio receiver 
       62 . Microcontroller—decoder 
       64 . Channel select switch 
       66 . Chain 
       68 . Servo motor connector 
       70 . Power supply connector 
       72 . Battery 
       74 . Battery holder 
       76 . Power supply wiring 
       78 . Power supply receptacle 
       80 . Access door 
       82 . LED (Light Emitting Diode) 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the cordless pedal flush system  12  is shown generally in  FIGS. 1 and 7 . This embodiment is based on a functioning prototype. The RF foot pedal transmitter actuator  14  is shown positioned on the floor near a typical tank-type toilet. The RF receiver flusher actuator  16  is shown installed within the toilet tank showing the motorized flush lever  22  connected to the flapper valve  26  of the toilet via chain  66  or linkage. The cordless pedal flush system  12  is used to initiate a flush sequence of a tank-type toilet  10 . The user will press and release the push-button switch of the RF foot pedal transmitter actuator  14  to transmit a coded RF signal to the RF receiver flusher actuator  16 . The RF receiver flusher actuator  16  will receive the RF signal and will initiate a timed sequential flush by activating the power circuit of the receiver flusher. The motorized flush lever  22  will pivot the lever upwards to lift the flapper valve  26  for flushing of the toilet. A receiver flusher actuator  16  is shown installed to accentuate the conventional manual flush lever. A motorized flush lever is shown connected to a chain or flapper valve  26  positioned to lift the valve from the valve seat to facilitate the flushing of a tank-type toilet. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a typical embodiment of a cordless pedal flush system  12  is illustrated with the access door shown closed in  FIG. 2  and in  FIG. 3  is shown with the access door open, providing access to the battery compartment  36  shown. The case frame enclosure of the RF receiver flusher actuator  16  is of a rigid molded plastic or other suitable material to provide a sealed watertight assembly employed to protect the enclosed RF receiver circuit board  34  including the batteries and servo motor  38 . 
     A motorized flush lever  22  also of a rigid molded plastic, generally known in the art, is attached to the output shaft of the servo motor  38  that extends from the center of the case frame enclosure. Two adjustable mounting arms  30  are shown extended from the case frame enclosure of the RF receiver flusher actuator  16 . The adjustable mounting arms are employed to attach the RF receiver flusher actuator  16  to the inside rim of the tank of the tank-type toilet. The adjustable mounting arms are constructed of a rigid molded plastic or light metal alloy. The unassembled case frame enclosure of the RF receiver flusher actuator  16  is shown, detailing the circuit battery compartment  36  and servo motor  38 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  8 , a typical embodiment of an RF pedal transmitter actuator  14  is illustrated. The design of the RF foot pedal transmitter actuator  14  is constructed of a push-button foot switch  20  enclosed within a rubber base enclosure  28  that houses a RF transmitter circuit board  32 , antenna, and battery  72 . The design of the push-button foot switch  20  is mostly constructed of two mating halves of a top metal ring  46  and a bottom metal ring  48  with an access opening in the middle for insertion of a top push-button  50  and a bottom push-button  52 . The push-button is preferably of a rigid molded plastic with circular electrical contacts  40  and circuit wiring  42  are attached at the base of each push-button. A compression spring is positioned between both push-buttons. As can be seen, the push-button foot switch  20  is compressed into a detachable rubber base enclosure  28  constructed of a rubber material with a circular shape and sloping surface sized to enclose the bottom half portion of the push-button foot switch  20 . Finally, an RF transmitter circuit board  32  and batteries are enclosed within the circuitry/battery compartment  36  recessed into the bottom portion of the rubber base enclosure  28 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , an RF receiver flusher actuator  16  is shown installed within a typical toilet tank of a tank-type toilet  10 . The RF receiver flusher actuator  16  is attached to the tank by adjustable mounting arms  30  connected to the rim of the tank. The adjustable mounting arms  30  will allow the adjustable arms well as the adjustment of the body of enclosure along the axis of the arms to accommodate the different sizes and different components of toilet tanks. The motorized flush lever  22  is shown attached to a typical chain  66  or linkage connected to a typical flapper valve  26 . The shaft (not shown) on the motorized flush lever is adjustable and designed to lock and unlock in place with telescopic movement while avoiding interference with other toilet tank components. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , an RF receiver circuit board  34  is shown and sized to fit within the enclosure of the RF receiver flusher actuator  16 . The circuit board integrates the electrical components known in the arts such as batteries (not shown) integrated RF radio receiver  60  comparable to a Linx RF module model, integrated antenna  54  module comparable to a splatch model, channel selector switch  64  Microcontroller-Decoder  62  servo motor connector  68  etc. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 9 , an RF transmitter circuit board  32  is shown and sized to fit within the RF pedal transmitter actuator  14  enclosure. The circuit board integrates the electrical components known in the arts such as batteries integrated RF radio transmitter  56  comparable to a Linx RF module model, integrated antenna  54  module comparable to a splatch model, microcontroller-encoder  58  channel selector switch  64  etc. 
     While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to its preferred embodiments, the principles and modes of operation of the invention have also been described in this specification. The invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular forms disclosed, which are illustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications, variations, and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as described by the following claims.