Patent Publication Number: US-2011067173-A1

Title: Gate tube toilet water saver

Description:
This application is a continuing application of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/277,331 Filed Sep. 23, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to water saving device generally to increase water efficiency of water closets and more particularly to an adjustable proportioning valve assembly that divides bowl fill refill water into the tank to prevent the overfill of bowl water. 
     (b) Discussion of the Prior Art 
     The process of restricting a volume of water through a bowl fill refill tube creates an increase velocity of hydraulic pressure head, creating pressure wave energy that transfers into and becomes a detriment to the components of the water closet namely the system supply valve and the bowl fill refill tube. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 20100095446 to Schuster; Michael J.; et al., U.S. Pat. No. 20100037380 to Robbins; Mike; et al., the patent assignee distributes this invention (model No. 401LG) with two bowl refill tube compression clamp fittings to prevent a tube disconnection from a elevated pressure head. U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,856 to Alles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,294 to Yeung, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,991 to DeMarco, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,860 to Horad, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,996 to Pino, create a supply valve and bowl fill refill tube pressure head, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,889 to Schuster discloses the prevention of a pressure head in a bowl refill tube, thereby creating a pressure head to the supply valve. 
     Water closet supply valves employ a float mechanism to control the volume of water to both the tank and bowl. One vertical float valve manufacturer defines in a float valve installation manual that a water siphon problem exists, the float valve short cycles on and off when the system is at rest, the siphon problem occurs when the discharge end of the attached bowl fill refill tube is placed inside an overfill vent aperture, the manufacture offers an adapter and a clamp device to counteract the siphoning condition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 20100095446 to Schuster; Michael J.; et al., Apr. 22, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 20100037380 to Robbins; Mike; et al., U.S. Pat. No. 20090165198 to Shalev; Efraim, U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,889 to Schuster, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,856 to Alles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,294 to Yeung, U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,025 to Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,860 to Horad, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,996 to Pino, require a adapter mechanism, or a clamp device or a “S” shaped wire means to prevent a float valve reverse draw siphon problem. 
     Furthermore, supply valves have an attached nipple outlet used to fluid connect with a bowl fill refill tube. The supply valve bowl tube outlets are dimensionally varied in outside diameters from one manufacturer production specification to another, bowl tube outlet outside diameter dimensions vary from 0.251 inch (6.3754 mm) up to 0.328 inch (8.334 mm). A lack of a bowl tube outlet diameter industry standard creates an adverse condition to exist for a retrofit water saving installation in that bowl fill refill tubes are not compatible with available supply valves and supply valve outlets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 20100095446 to Schuster; Michael J.; et al., Pat. No. 20100037380 to Robbins; Mike; et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,788 to Wasielwski, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,856 to Alles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,294 to Yeung, U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,025 to Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,860 to Horad, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,991 to DeMarco, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,907, to Svoboda, U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,565 to Auman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,932 to Stemples, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,996 to Pino, are water saving conservation devices that attach to and or modify and or replace the bowl fill refill tube, bowl fill refill tubes function in fluid connection in-line between a fill valve and a overfill vent aperture. To be utilized as a retrofit installation, the examples require an improved means of fluid conduit interconnection to be compatible with fill valves of various Original Equipment Manufacturers and Original Design Manufactures. 
     In-tank toilet bowl cleaner. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,379 to Nguyen et al. is an aftermarket retrofit device that is positioned to the top of the toilet tank, the bowl cleaner becomes an in-line fluid U.S. Pat. No. 7,376,984 to Molter, U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,788 connection extension to the bowl fill refill tube, water from the supply valve bowl tube outlet enters the bowl cleaner apparatus and is discharged into the overflow vent to the toilet bowl. Water conservation examples, to Wasielwski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,025 to Williams, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,565 to Auman, are flow diverter devices. And water conservation examples, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,856 to Alles, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,294 to Yeung, are flow restriction devices. The flow diverter and flow restriction examples are not compatible with the in-tank bowl cleaner; the examples require an improved embodiment modification or an improved means of fluid connection to adjoin to the in-tank bowl cleaner. 
     Water closet systems include a multifunctional passageway aperture that provide a tank overflow outlet a bowl flush ventilation and a conduit for bowl fill refill water. Passageways are integrated into a toilet tank sidewall or integrated into a flush valve embodiment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,376,984 to Molter, U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,788 to Wasielwski, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,565 to Auman, are devices that attach to the tank and bowl supply valve, that are in fluid connection with integrated flush valve passageways, the examples are not adapt to connect and or not adapt to attach to integrated tank passageways, the examples require an improved embodiment means and or an improved attachment means to connect to an integrated tank passageway. 
     Flush valve water savers include, U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,751 to Antunez and U.S. Pat. No. 2,945,239 to H. A. Fulton; et al., assigned to Mansfield Sanitary Pottery Inc. further manufactured and distributed by the William H. Harvey Co., trademarked as Mansfield Model No. 210 and 211, are vertical lifting discharge valves that save water during a water closet flush cycle, the devices have a tank overflow vent bowl fill refill passageway integrated with the valve body. Devices that save water during a water closet fill refill cycle include, U.S. Pat. No. 7,376,984 to Molter, U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,788 to Wasielwski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,907, to Svoboda, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,565 to Auman, are devices that attach to the tank and bowl supply valve that are in fluid connection to a flush valve overflow bowl fill refill passageway. The fill refill cycle water saving examples is not adapt to connect with and is not adapt to attach with the vertical lifting discharge valve water saving examples. In addition the flush valve and the fill refill examples are not compatible with each other to be utilized as a combined water saving means. To be compatible, the fill refill examples require an improved embodiment means and or an improved attachment means to connect to the passageway of water saving vertical flush discharge valves. 
     A water closet water saving device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,907 to Svoboda, utilize an elongated slot or multiple holes along the side of a one piece hollow embodiment positioned in fluid connection before the restriction orifice to provide a fixed means of flow adjustment that cannot be readjusted in reverse to a reduced flow setting. Further, having an adjustment discharge means before the flow restriction is inefficient in operation, due to the variation of water velocity to the water closet supply valve and the fixed diameter ratio of the inlet orifice, discharge slot or holes orifice, and restriction discharge orifice, having the device adjusted to gain maximum conservation displacement during periods of high velocity supply will be of minimum conservation value during periods of low velocity, thereby overfilling the toilet bowl. 
     Toilet bowl water level indicator. For example U.S. Pat. No. 20100095446 to Schuster; Michael J.; et al. utilizes a water flow control circuit, a processor with memory to control bowl water volume, that requires a means of a electronic power source, whereby creating a negative solution to a retrofit installation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objects of my present invention are directed to the ecological demand of water conservation and the environmental demand to reduce landfill pollution by providing an economical and an improved do it yourself retrofit instillation means of water conservation to increase water efficiency of existing water closets, whereby eliminating the need to replace and to discard toilets into landfills. In addition, the present invention is an improved conservation means to increase water efficiency of newly constructed water closets. 
     Accordingly, the advantages and further objects of my present invention are an improved water saving device that; eliminates excessive pressure head energy to the system supply valve and bowl fill refill tube, and eliminates float supply valve backflow siphon. Further, an improved water saving device that is compatible with the verity of supply valve bowl tube outlets, and compatible with in-tank bowl cleaners, and is further compatible with integrated tank and integrated discharge valve overflow vent bowl refill apertures, and is further compatible with integrated overflow vent bowl refill apertures of water saving vertical lifting flush discharge valves to provide an improved collective means of water conservation. And further provides an improved means of constant water conservation efficiency during high and low variations in water supply velocity. And further the above stated advantages and objects are accomplished without the use of an electric power source. 
     The preferred proportioning embodiment provides a retrofit installation compatible to a verity of available supply valves, an assembly of four individual components, each providing a specific structure of utility, having a adjustable restriction means being compatible to the verity of manufactured water closets. 
     Another preferred proportioning embodiment provides for an Original Equipment Manufactured and or an Original Design Manufactured installation, whereas a single proportioning embodiment having a fixed restriction means is matched with the component specifications of the new construction of water closets. 
     The present invention is a commercially viable water saving device, it is trademarked as the Gate Tube Toilet Water Saver, during the period of January 16, into March 21, of the year of 2010, six hundred (600) units were distributed to consumers of both residential and commercial property, to the date of Jul. 23, 2010 only two (2) counts of complaints were reported. The present water saver invention being short in length. It was explained and therefore became apparent to the two complainants that the length was expandable by attaching the original bowl fill refill tube to the end of the restriction embodiment thereby resolving the two complaint issues, no other complaints and or problems were reported, consumers have reported a decrease in water consumption, resulting in a decrease in water utility fees. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a single proportioning embodiment assembly, utilized in Original Equipment Manufactured and or in Original Design Manufactured installation. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a multiple proportioning embodiment assembly, utilized in aftermarket retrofit installation. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of a multiple proportioning embodiment assembly in fluid connection from a supply fill valve to a in tank bowl cleaner to a flush valve overflow vent. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a primary conduit  1  having variable predetermined modulus of diameter elasticity, adjoined with a fixed restriction proportioning embodiment  2  adjoined with a second conduit  3  having predetermined modules of liner elasticity. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a primary conduit  1  having variable predetermined modulus of diameter elasticity, adjoined with a proportioning embodiment  4  adjoined with a second conduit  3  having predetermined modules of liner elasticity, adjoined with restriction embodiments  5  or  6  providing a adjustable means of proportioning flow. 
       FIG. 3  a illustration of  FIG. 2  in combination with a bowl and tank supply valve  7 , having a attached nipple outlet  8  of varying diameters adjoined with a primary conduit  1  having variable predetermined modulus of diameter elasticity, adjoined with a proportioning embodiment  4  adjoined with a second conduit  3  having predetermined modules of liner elasticity, adjoined with a in tank bowl cleaner  9 , adjoined with a second conduit  3  having predetermined modules of liner elasticity adjoined with a restriction embodiment  5  or  6  providing a adjustable means of proportioning flow, positioned within a discharge valve overflow vent passageway  10 .