Patent Publication Number: US-3877081-A

Title: Water saving device for water closet

Description:
United States Patent Klein 1451 Apr. 15, 1975 WATER SAVING DEVICE FOR WATER 3,732,577 5/1973 Moon 4/1s CLOSET OTHER PUBLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Walter A. Kle1n ,5200 Mt. Vernon Handbook on water saving and waste water Re Alexandna 22309 duction, Published by the Washington Suburban Sani- 22 Filed: May 31, 1972 y Commission, y, 72.  
 [211 App! 258A Primary ExaminerHenry K. Artis Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jones, Tullar &amp; Cooper [52] US. Cl. 4/1; 4/18; 4/227;  
  4/228 [51] Int. Cl A47k 17/00 [57] ABSTRACT 58 Field 01 Search 4/1, 18, 12, 27, 228, 227, A means for reducing substantially the amount of 4/67, 5 4 water used during the flushing operation of a water closet comprising a flexible container mounted within 5 References Cited the flush tank and holding a quantity of water. The UNITED STATES PATENTS container is so located within the flush tank as not to interfere with its operation, while at the same time :Z i g serving to displace a quantity of the water in the tank, 299l5l7 7/1961 g I I X thereby reducing the water flow during the flushing 3 259,918 7/1966 Walker Sr et 51:11:: I: 4/18 and effecting slbstamal the 31334359 8/1967 Weingai&#39;tner 4/67 of Water- The Container may be a flexible Plastic g 3,344,439 10/1967 Davies 4/40 shaped to facilitate filling and Sealing, and carrying 3,362,030 l/l968 Mckinstry 4/27 hesive means for securing the bag to&#39;the side of the 3,545,0l4 12/1970 Davis 4/228 flush tank. 3,618,143 11/1971 1-1111 et al 4/228 3,731,324 5/1973 Moon 4/18 13 Clams, 5 Drawlng Flgul&#39;es WATER SAVING DEVICE FOR WATER CLOSET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates. in general, to devices for reducing the amount of water used during the flushing operation ofa water closet and more particularly to means for displacing a quantity of the water carried in the flush tank.  
  In recent years. considerable publicity has been given to the need for conserving water. not only because the supply is becoming more and more limited in populated areas, but because the cost of treating water for consumption is increasing substantially. Thus. any reduction in usage not only benefits the consumer by reducing his cost. but benefits the utility companies which must provide ever greater quantities of water from a constant or dwindling supply. Further, the increasing usage of water in urban areas, and particularly in many suburban areas experiencing rapid growth rates, has resulted in a serious overloading of sewage treatment plants. Such overloading often leads to a discharge of untreated or poorly treated effluent into rivers and streams. creating untold damage in downstream areas.  
  During normal household water usage, a great deal of clean water is poured into the sewage system. Since every gallon of water flowing into a sewage treatment plant must pass through the entire treatment program. it is evident that a concerted effort to reduce the amount of clean water that is poured into the treatment system would not only reduce the cost of water. but would substantially ease the burden of the sewage treatment plants and thus substantially reduce the impact of such treatment systems on the environment. According to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency. up to 45 percent of the water consumption of the average family in this country is used in flushing -water closets. Thus. it is evident that by reducing the quantity of water and used during a flushing operation. a considerable water saving can be effected.  
  A variety of devices for reducing the use of water in a water closet have been proposed. but none has received widespread acceptance since they are either expensive. difficult to install. or are not usable in all existing flush tanks, and thus they have not met with approval by the homeowners who must purchase and install them in existing water closets. Since most homeowners will not be interested in installing such devices unless they are very inexpensive and simple to install. a device meeting these requirements is needed if there is to be appreciable impact on the water supply and treatment problems.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly. it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive. easily installed universal device for reducing the amount of water used in any water closet.  
  It is a further object of the invention to provide a water saving device that is so inexpensive that its cost can be amortized over a period of a few weeks, and is so simple to install in any existing flush tank that it will find quick acceptance.  
  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water saving device for the flush tanks of water closets that can be incorporated into a conventional existing flush tank without modification of exsiting parts LII or interference with the operation of the tank equipment. and which can be used in any existing flush tanks regardless of the interior conformation so that it will have universal application.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide a water saving device that can be easily and inexpensively distributed and quickly installed so that it will have virtually immediate universal use.  
  Briefly. the present invention accomplishes the foregoing objects by providing an inexpensive, flexible. plasticcontainer in the form of a bag preferably having an extended neck portion and a funnel-shaped mouth to facilitate filling. The container is provided with an adhesive portion by means of which it can be secured to the side wall of an existing flush tank so that it&#39; will be held in place during flushing operations and not interfere with the flush tank mechanism. The container is filled with approximately 1 gallon of water. and the flexible neck portion is tied to seal the container and to prevent loss of water. When placed in the flush tank. the container then displaces an equal quantity of water within the tank, thus reducing the amount used during the flushing action without reducing the head pressure that is required for proper operation and without requiring any modification of the tank mechanism. A suitable dye may be included in the bag to color the water in the container to provide an indication of bag leakage.  
  The bag preferably is formed of a relatively lightweight flexible plastic material so that it can be easily folded and packaged in a businesssize or similar envelope, thus allowing it to easily be distributed to users by utility companies, commercial organizations or governmental agencies, at a very low cost. The use of nonrustable. noncorrosive plastic material assures long life of the device, and its flexibility allows its shape to be adjusted to match the configuration of any existing water closet flush tank.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of prefered&#39;embodiments thereof. taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the water saving device of the present invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a perspective view ofa modified form of the invention;  
  FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a conventional water closet, showing the installation of the subject water saving device; and  
  FIG. 5 is a partial sectional end view of the water closet of FIG. 4, taken along lines 55 thereof, showing the installation of the water saving device of the present invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Considering now the illustration of FIGS. 1 and 2, the water container of the present invention preferably consists of a flat. transparent bag 10 formed from any suitable plastic material. the plastiepreferably being approximately 2 to 4 mils in thickness. The bag may be manufactured by any one of several known methods.  
 but for ease of manufacture may consist of tubular stock material, heat sealed or otherwise welded along one end. as at 12, to form the bottom of the container. The side wall 14 of the bag thus may be generally tubular in form, although it will be apparent that other shapes may be utilized as desired. For example. the upstanding side wall 14 may be formed from a plurality of pieces heat welded together to form a container having a shape other than tubular; however, such variations in the configuration of the container will be apparent to those of skill in the art. For simplicity of manufacture. and consequent reduction of cost. however. it is preferred that the container be formed from tubular stock material and sealed along its bottom. substantially as illustrated. a  
  The side wall 14 tapers as at shoulder portion 16 to form an elongated neck portion 18 which, in turn, is flared at 20 to produce a funnel-shaped opening 22 by means of which the container can be filled. The neck portion 18 may, if desired, be sufficiently long to act as a hose, whereby filling of the bag from a faucet is facilitated. but in any event should be at least long enough to allow a knot to be tied in it to seal off the container after it is filled with water.  
  FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 and demonstrates the use of a circular base piece 24 as the bottom of the container. In this embodiment. the&#34; container wall 14 is tubular, meeting the circumference of the base 24 at an edge 26 which may be formed by a suitable heat seal or weld, to form a cylindrical container. This configuration provides improved stability for the container when it is filled with water, although it is somewhat more expensive to manufacture than the device of FIG. 1. lt will be apparent that the base 24 may be rectangular or otherwise shaped to provide a container having a desired configuration.  
  Preferably, the container is formed of a transparent plastic such as polyethylene, although similar flexible materials such as rubber or treated fabric can be used, if desired. The container should be so dimensioned as to be capable of containing approximately 1 gallon of water (23l cubic inches) and the bag should be free of leaks. The container should be of a material that is sufficiently strong that when filled no special reinforcement should be required to prevent the pressure of water within the bag from bursting the container when it is standing in an unsubmerged condition. The material also should be sufficiently strong to resist damage that might be caused by accidental bumping of the container against the mechanical equipment within a flush tank, thereby facilitating the handling of the device and insuring a greater degree of reliability.  
  As illustrated in H65. 1, 2 and 3, a unique feature of the present invention is the provision of an adhesive patch 30 located on the side wall 14 of the container and designed for use in securing the container to an interior surface of the flush tank to hold the container in place and to prevent it from interfering with the normal operation of the tank. The adhesive patch may take a number of forms. but preferably comprises a commercially available double-sided tape having a substrate 32 (FIG. 2) coated on both sides with a waterproof adhesive, as at34and 36. The adhesive portion 34 is secured to the side wall 14, while adhesive 36 is covered by a removable strip 38 of plastic or the like which serves to protect the adhesive until the bag is ready for use. Preferably, the protective strip 38 is folded into a generally U-shaped configuration, as illustrated in HO. 2, to provide a tab portion 40 extending upwardly from the location of the adhesive patch toward the neck portion of the container. This tab portion extends sufficiently far above the adhesive to permit the protective layer 38 to be stripped from the patch by pulling upwardly on the tab after the bag is in place within the flush tank. Removal of the protective layer 38 exposes the water insoluble adhesive coating 36 which may then be pressed against the side of the flush tank to hold the container in the desired location.  
  A number of double-sided adhesive tapes are commercially available which will meet the requirements of the present invention. One type now available is the Scotch brand double-coated neoprene tape. Catalogue No. Y-9l22. This tape is available from the 3-M Corporation in rolls with one side having an adhesive surface exposed for application to the side wall 14 of the container and the other side being provided with a protective strip or backing such as the layer 38. Another suitable material is the double-sided Mystic Polykron Film Mend-Aid tape made by the Borden Co. Although a double-sided tape is preferred for ease of manufacture, it will be apparent that a portion of the side wall of the container of the present invention could be coated with a single layer of adhesive, with the side wall 14 acting as the substrate for the adhesive coating, and a suitable protective layer 38 placed directly on that coating. Alternatively, various securing devices may be used to hold the container in position; for example, vacuum cups of various designs may be secured to the side wall, or formed integrally with it, and used to hold the container in position.  
  Although container 10 can be placed in any one of several locations within a conventional flush tank. the preferred location is illustrated in FlG. 4 as being adjacent the left-hand end wall 50 of the flush tank 52. ln this location, the bag will be supported not only by the wall of the tank, but by the water inlet pipe 54 which is conventionally located near the left-hand wall 50 and which supports the filler tube 56 as well as the inlet valve mechanism 58, the ball float mechanism, (not shown) and the like. FIG. 5 illustrates an end view of the flush tank showing the location of container 10 approximately mid-way between the front and back walls 60 and 62 of the tank. The adhesive patch 30 is shown in position, securing the container to the end wall 50 with the container full of water and the neck portion 18 knotted, as at 64, so that the container will retain the entrapped water. The adhesive patch 30 and the inlet pipe 54 cooperate to hold the container firmly in position so that it will not shift unduly as the flush tank fills or is emptied by the operation of a ball valve 66 or equivalent device.  
  A tablet or powder 70 of a vegetable or other harmless dye may be included in the container to dissolve in the water when the bag is filled. If the bag should develop a leak, the dye within the container will be released into the flush tank to provide an indication of such leakage. In the event the bag is damaged, the adhesive patch 30 serves the additional function of retaining the plastic container in the tank so that a flushing operation will not cause it to be carried into the outlet valve where it would interfere with the operation of valve 66, the float valve. lift wires or the like, or otherwise prevent proper operation.  
  In use. the flush tank water supply valve is shut off underneath the tank and the tank is emptied by flushing. The empty water displacement container is located in the area of the flush tank where it is to be secured and the bag is then filled with water by way of the funnel shaped opening at 22. The flexibility of the bag material allows the container during filling to take the shape of the space wherein it is placed and thus to be supported in an upright position by the inlet pipes of the flush tank. The bag is filled until the water level reaches the top of the neck portion 18 and a knot is then tied in the neck portion while gently squeezing upwardly to insure that no air is entrapped within the container. The presence of air can cause flotation of the bag and would increase the possibility of a shift in position that would interfere with the mechanical operation of the flush tank. For convenience. a marker line such as that indicated at 68 in FIG. 1 can be provided on the neck portion to provide the user with an indication of how full the bag should be before the knot is tied.  
  The neck portion 18 of container 10 not only facilitates sealing the displacement container when it is full. but also provides a safety factor in that it prevents children from placing the bags over their heads. and thus prevents accidental injury to the children. The use of a transparent plastic container provides the advantage of allowing the user to see whether any air is entrapped in the container. while the funnel shaped portion at the end of the neck allows easy filling of the bag.  
  After the container has been filled and the neck portion 18 tied. the bag is positioned within the flush tank so that the top of the container is at or slightly below the normal water level. The person installing the con tainer may then grasp the upwardly extending tab 40.  
 which preferably extends above the shoulder portion 16 ofthe bag. and gently pull it upwardly, thus stripping the covering 38 from the adhesive. As the protective covering is peeled off of the adhesive patch 30, the weight of the filled container. together with additional pressure existed by the installer against the side of the bag. will press the adhesive against the flush tank wall 50, securing the container to the wall.  
  After the bag is firmly positioned. any excess portion of the neck 18 extending above the knot may be trimmed off. and the flush tank may then be filled with water in the normal manner. If the container is properly positioned. the water within container 10 will displace approximately 1 gallon of the water normally used in the flushing operation, thus reducing by that amount the volume of water discharged during each flushing operation. Since the displacement device does not reduce the level of water in the tank. the proper water head is maintained for correct flushing action, while the amount of water used is reduced by approximately 20 percent, depending on the exact design of the flush tank.  
  lt will be seen from the foregoing that the displacement container of the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive, easily installed and universally applicable device for reducing the amount of water used by a household. The flexibility of the container insures that it will fit any existing flush tank. without requiring extensive fitting and sealing, and may be installed in any water closet without the necessity of removing or modifying any of the mechanical structure within the tank. Its simplicity and universality make the displacement container of this invention ideal for mass distribution. and thus for the first time provides a means for reducing on a large scale the amount of water wasted each day by ,the average household. Although the invention has been described in terms of a single displacement container located in a particular place within a flush tank. it will be apparent that these features are illustrative of the use of the device. and are not intended to be binding. The container of the present invention may be positioned anywhere within a flush tank where there is sufficient room for its volume and where it will not interfere with the mechanics of the tank; for example. the container may be located beneath the tank float. A plurality of small containers may be used. if desired. and may be more satisfactory in some installations then a single. large container: thus. one container may be located as shown in the drawings. and a second similar container of the same or different size. may be located on the oppositeside of the flush tank. near but beneath the float. Various other modifications and variations in the invention as described will be apparent to those of skill in the art. without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. as described in the following claims.  
  What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for reducing the volume of water discharged by the flush tank of a water closet during a flushing operation. comprising:  
 a flexible. collapsible. watertight. lightweight bag-like container having a side wall and a closed bottom:  
 means including a closable top for permanently filling said container with a quantity of liquid equal to the quantity by which said volume of discharged water is to be reduced: and  
 adhesive securing means for positioning said container within and below the normal water level of said flush tank to displace said quantity of water. thereby reducing the volume of water discharged during a flushing operation. and for securing said container to prevent contact between said container and the flushing mechanism of said tank.  
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including dye indicator means within said container for providing an indication of container breakage.  
  3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means including a closable top for filling said container comprises an elongated neck portion on said container. said neck portion being adapted to be closed to seal off the interior of said container.  
  4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the free end of said neck portion forms a funnel.  
  5. The apparatus of claim 3, further including dye indicator means within said container and releasable upon breakage of said container to provide an indication of such breakage in the water in said flush tank.  
  6. The apparatus to claim 1, wherein said adhesive securing means comprises an adhesive patch located on said side wall.  
  7. The apparatus of claim 6, further including removable protective strip means covering said adhesive patch. and tab means for said strip to facilitate removal thereof.  
  8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said adhesive patch comprises a double-coated adhesive tape secured on one side to said side wall and covered on the other side by a removable protective strip.  
  9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container is of relatively thin plastic material of sufficient 7 strength to retain said liquid during a flushing operation and of sufficient flexibility to permit application in substantially any flush tank. whereby said container is of substantially universal applicability.  
  10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said closable top includes means for preventing entrapment of air in said container to prevent flotation thereof.  
  11. Apparatus for reducing the volume of water discharged by the flush tank of a water closet during a flushing operation. comprising:  
 a flexible. collapsible. watertight. lightweight bag-like container having a side wall and a closed bottom:  
 means including a closable top for permanently filling said container with a quantity of liquid equal to the quantity by which said volume of discharged water is to be reduced;  
 means for affixing said container within said flush tank and for positioning said container in a location to prevent contact between said container and the flushing mechanism of said tank and below the normal water level of said tank to displace said quantity of water. thereby reducing the volume of water discharged during a flushing operation; and  
 dye indicator means within said container and releasable upon breakage of said container to provide an indication of such breakage in the water in said flush tank.  
  12. The apparatus of claim 11. wherein said means including a closable top comprises an elongated. tapered funnel-like neck portion formed on said container for permanently filling said container. said neck portion being adapted to be closed to seal off the interior of said container.  
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for affixing said container comprises adhesive means.