Patent Publication Number: US-2016230377-A1

Title: Automatic flush device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a flush device, and more particularly to an automatic flush device having a solenoid valve to control the device to flush. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A manually operated flush device is usually applied in toilet or a bathroom. The conventional manually operated flush device has a lever to allow a user to push the lever for flushing after using the toilet. However, some uses easily forget to push the lever so as to cause hygienic problems. Therefore, a detecting and controlling unit is attached to a conventional manually operated flush device to solve the aforementioned problems. The conventional detecting and controlling unit comprises a detector and a gear assembly. The gear assembly is connected with the lever and the detector. When the detector detects that an object approaches and then leaves the flushing device, the gear assembly is driven to push the lever. Accordingly, the flush device will automatically flush after the toilet is used. However, the gear assembly of the conventional detecting and controlling unit is complicated in structure, to assemble and manufacture the gear assembly is difficult. In addition, the conventional gear assembly takes a large space to cause the volume of the conventional flush device taking a large space. 
     In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,436, entitled to “System and Method for Converting Manually Operated Flush valves” discloses a mechanical flush valve. However, the conventional mechanical flush valve of the &#39;436 Patent also has a complicated structure and problems of being difficult in assembling and taking a large of space, and the electric power for the operation of the conventional mechanical flush valve is increased. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,181, entitled to “Automatic Valve Assembly” discloses another flush valve having a flexible diaphragm assembly and a central tube. However, to mount the flexible diaphragm assembly in a valve body is time-consuming and the central tube of the conventional flush valve of the &#39;181 Patent has to be positioned precisely to close the bypass orifice by the piston, to assemble and manufacture the conventional flush valve of the &#39;181 Patent is also difficult. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an automatic flush device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the invention is to provide an automatic flush device that is easily assembled and manufactured. 
     The automatic flush device has a valve base, a detecting and controlling unit, an outer cap assembly, a guiding base and a water-controlling unit. The valve base has a valve body and an inlet tube. The valve body has an opening, a baffle and a holding tube. The opening is defined in a top of the valve body. The baffle is formed on a middle segment of the valve body to divide the valve body into an upper segment and a lower segment. The holding tube protrudes upward from the baffle to form an annular inlet chamber in the upper segment of the valve body. The inlet tube is connected to the upper segment of the valve body and communicates with the inlet chamber. The detecting and controlling unit is connected to the valve base and has a solenoid valve and a detector. The solenoid valve has a piston retractably mounted on the solenoid valve and having a head formed on an end of the piston. The detector is connected to the valve base and is electrically connected with the solenoid valve. The outer cap assembly is mounted securely on the top of the valve body of the valve base and closes the opening in the valve body of the valve base. The guiding base is mounted in the valve body under the outer cap assembly and has a guiding disk and a guiding tube. The guiding disk is located between the top of the valve body of the valve base and the outer cap assembly to form a guiding chamber between the guiding disk and the outer cap assembly and has a guiding hole defined through the guiding disk. The guiding chamber communicates with the inlet chamber via the guiding hole. The guiding tube is connected to a bottom of the guiding disk and is inserted into the holding tube. The water-controlling unit is mounted in the valve base, is connected with the guiding base and has a water-controlling tube inserted into the guiding tube. The water-controlling tube has a bottom end and a separating segment. The bottom end of the water-controlling tube protrudes from a bottom end of the guiding tube and is connected with the solenoid valve. The separating segment is formed in the water-controlling tube to divide an inner space of the water-controlling tube into a lower passage and an upper passage communicating with the guiding chamber. The separating segment has at least one communicating channel, a controlling channel and a bypass channel. The at least one communicating channel is longitudinally formed through the separating segment to communicate the upper passage with the lower passage via the at least one communicating channel. The controlling channel is longitudinally formed through the separating segment and having an upper opening and a lower opening closed by the head of the piston of the solenoid valve. The bypass channel is radially formed through the separating segment, communicates with the controlling channel and the lower segment of the valve body and is free from communicating with the at least one communicating channel. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an automatic flush device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged perspective view of the water-controlling tube of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged perspective view in partial section of the water-controlling tube of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an end view in partial section of the automatic flush device along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged cross sectional top view of the water-controlling tube of the automatic flush device along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an operational side view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 1  when the flush device is in a non-flushing status; 
         FIG. 8  is an operational end view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 7  when the flush device is in a non-flushing status; 
         FIG. 9  is an operational side view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 1  when the flush device is in a flushing status; and 
         FIG. 10  is an operational end view in partial section of the automatic flush device in  FIG. 9  when the flush device is in a flushing status. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an automatic flush device in accordance with the present invention comprises a valve base  10 , a detecting and controlling unit  20 , an outer cap assembly  30 , a guiding base  40  and a water-controlling unit  50 . 
     The valve base comprises a valve body  11 , an inlet tube  12 , an inlet hose  13  and a connecting tube  14 . The valve base  11  comprises a valve body, a baffle  111  and a holding tube  112 . The valve body has an opening defined in a top of the valve body. The baffle  111  is formed on a middle segment of the valve body to divide the valve body into an upper segment and a lower segment. The holding tube  112  protrudes upward from the baffle  111  to form an annular inlet chamber  113  in the upper segment of the valve body between the holding tube  112  and the inner surface of the valve body The inlet tube  12  is connected to the upper segment of the valve body and communicates with the inlet chamber  113 . The inlet hose  13  is connected with the inlet tube  12  and communicates with the inlet chamber  113  via the inlet tube  12 . The connecting tube  14  is connected and communicates with the lower segment of the valve body. 
     The detecting and controlling unit  20  is connected to the valve base  11  and comprises a solenoid valve  21 , a wire  22  and a detector  23 . The solenoid valve  21  is mounted in the lower segment of the valve body and has a piston  211  retractably mounted on the solenoid valve  21  to move upward and downward relative to the solenoid valve  21 . The piston  211  has a head formed on an end of the piston  211 . The detector  23  is connected to the outer surface of the lower segment of the valve body of the valve base  11  and is electrically connected with the solenoid valve  21  via the wire  22 . The solenoid valve  21  and the detector  23  may be conventional, and the detail descriptions thereof are omitted. 
     The outer cap assembly  30  is mounted securely on the top of the valve body of the valve base  11 , closes the opening in the valve body of the valve base  11  and is located above the detecting and controlling unit  20 . The outer cap assembly  30  comprises a lower cap  31  and an upper cap  32 . Each of the lower cap  31  and the upper cap  32  has an opening defined in a bottom of the cap  31 , 32 . The lower cap  31  has a bottom edge abutting with a top edge of the valve body. The upper cap  32  has an annular inner bottom surface securely connected with an outer surface of the valve body, such that the lower cap  31  is located between the upper cap  32  and the top of the valve body of the valve base  11 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the guiding base  40  is mounted in the valve body under the outer cap assembly  30  and comprises a guiding disk  41  and a guiding tube  42 . With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , the guiding disk  41  is located between the top of the valve body of the valve base  11  and the outer cap assembly  30  to form a guiding chamber  412  between the guiding disk  41  and lower cap  31  of the outer cap assembly  30 . The guiding disk  41  has an annular bottom edge abutting with an annular inner edge of the valve body of the valve base  11 . The guiding disk  41  has multiple guiding holes  413  defined longitudinally through the guiding disk  41 , and the guiding chamber  412  communicates with the inlet chamber  113  via the guiding holes  413 . The guiding disk  41  further has a positioning hole  411  axially formed through the center of the guiding disk  41 . The guiding tube  42  is connected to a bottom of the guiding disk  41 , communicates with the positioning hole  411  and is inserted into the holding tube  112 . Preferably, the guiding disk  41  and the guiding tube  42  are integrally formed as a single part. 
     The water-controlling unit  50  is mounted in the holding tube  112  of the valve base  11 , is connected with the guiding base  40  and comprises a connecting member  51  and a water-controlling tube  52 . The connecting member  51  is inserted into the positioning hole  411  in the guiding disk  41  and has a bottom end extends into the guiding tube  42  and has an outer thread  512  formed on the outer surface of the bottom end. The connecting member  51  further has a through hole  511  axially formed through the connecting member  51  and communicating with the guiding chamber  412  between the lower cap  31  and the guiding disk  41 . 
     The water-controlling tube  52  is inserted into the guiding tube  42 , is connected with the bottom end of the connecting member  51  and has a bottom end protruding from a bottom end of the guiding tube  42  and connected with the solenoid valve  21 . The water-connecting tube  52  further has a separating segment  521  formed in the water-controlling tube  52  to divide an inner space of the water-controlling tube into a lower passage  523  and an upper passage  522 . Preferably, the separating segment  521  is cylindrical in a round section. The upper passage  522  communicates with the guiding chamber  412  and has an inner thread  524  formed on the inner surface of the upper passage  522  and crewed with the outer thread  512  on the connecting member  51 . 
     The separating segment  521  has at least one communicating channel  525 , a controlling channel  526  and a bypass channel  527 . The at least one communicating channel  525  is longitudinally formed through the separating segment  521  to communicate the upper passage  522  with the lower passage  523  via the at least one communicating channel  525 . Preferably, two communicating channel  525  are implemented. The controlling channel  526  is longitudinally formed through the separating segment  521  and has an upper opening and a lower opening closed by the head of the piston  211  of the solenoid valve  21 . The lower opening of the controlling channel  526  is at located a position lower than the positions of the lower ends of the communicating channels  525 . The bypass channel  527  is radially formed through the separating segment  521 , communicates with the controlling channel  526  and the lower segment of the valve body and is free from communicating with the communicating channels  525 . Preferably, with reference to  FIG. 6 , the two communicating channels  525  are respectively at positions of 0° and 180° of the section of the separating segment  521 , and the bypass channel  527  has two ends at positions of 90° and 270° of the section of the separating segment  521  respectively. With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in a non-flushing status, the detector  23  does not detect any object approach the detector  23 , the lower opening of the controlling channel  526  is closed by the head of the piston  211  of the solenoid valve  21 . Water is led into the inlet chamber  113  via the inlet hose  13  and the inlet tube  12  and enters into the guiding chamber  412  via the guiding holes  413  in the guiding disk  41 . The water enters into the upper passage  522  of the water-controlling tube  52  via the through hole  511  in the connecting member  51  and flows into the lower passage  523  via the communicating channels  525 . Because the lower opening of the controlling channel  526  is closed by the head of the piston  211 , water is kept from entering into the controlling channel  526  and stored in the inlet chamber  113 , the guiding chamber  412 , the through hole  511 , the upper passage  522  and the lower passage  523 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , in the flushing status, the detector  23  detects an object approaching and then leaving away the detector  23 , the detector  23  actuates the solenoid valve  21  to retract the piston to move downward and away from the position where closes the lower opening of the controlling channel  526 . Consequently, the water can flow into the controlling channel  526  and the bypass channel  527  and enter the lower segment of the valve body of the vale base  11  to flush via the connecting tube  14 . 
     With such an arrangement, the communication between the communicating channels  525  and the controlling channel  526  can be controlled by the upward or downward movement of the piston  211  of the solenoid valve  21  so as to control the flush device to flush or not. The structure of the automatic flush device can be simplified, and the volume of the automatic flush device can be effectively reduced with the solenoid valve  21  being mounted inside the valve base  11 . Because the solenoid valve  21  is a general component and easily gained, the difficulty of manufacturing the automatic flush device can also be reduced. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.