Patent Abstract:
A toilet room flush valve has a valve handle and an actuator mounted on the valve body to cause either sensor-initiated automatic movement or user-initiated manual movement of the valve handle. The actuator includes a handle assembly pivotally mounted in a housing. The handle assembly has an interface which is normally engaged with the valve handle. A motor driven push rod mounted on the handle assembly is engageable with the handle. A drive motor is mounted on the handle assembly and connected to the push rod to cause movement thereof. A battery for operating the drive motor is connected to a sensor mounted on the handle assembly, with the sensor being capable of connect the battery power to the drive motor. The actuator housing is arranged to allow it to slip over the valve handle and clamp on the valve body without disassembling either the flush valve or the actuator.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/916,468, filed Jul. 27, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,853. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to flush valves of the type commonly used to operate toilets and urinals and more specifically to an actuator which moves a valve handle in either a manual operation or an automatic operation. The flush valve may be a diaphragm-type valve, such as that sold by Sloan Valve Company of Franklin Park, Illinois, under the trademark ROYAL, and which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,730, or it may be a piston-type of flush valve sold by Sloan Valve Company under the trademarks GEM and CROWN and shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,993. 
   It is known to use an automatic actuator with a flush valve. Some devices of this type require that the standard manual valve handle be removed and replaced with some sort of electric or hydraulic motor. Such devices are inconvenient and expensive to install, especially if they are used to retrofit standard manual flush valves to automatic operation. Other automatic actuators allow the manual flush valve handle to be retained but the actuators are complicated to install as they require multiple parts or components that must be at least partially disassembled to permit them to be attached to the flush valve. Some automatic actuators provide for automatic operation only, which means if the automatic system becomes inoperative, the entire valve is useless until repairs can be made. Other actuators that do permit either automatic or manual operation are designed such that operation of one type interferes with the components involved in the other type. Battery life, sensor aiming and structural integrity are other areas of concern with prior art automatic actuators. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to toilet room flush valves and more specifically to an actuator that allows manual or automatic operation of the flush valve. 
   The present invention is more specifically directed to a combined automatic/manual actuator for a handle-operated flush valve which may be installed without replacing, removing or disassembling any of either the flush valve components or the actuator components. All of the above types of flush valves have a handle which is mounted on the flush valve body for pivotal movement about a handle axis. The actuator of the present invention provides a housing including a handle assembly which adjoins the valve handle. A sensor and a drive motor are mounted in the handle assembly. When sensor action has been initiated, the sensor will connect a battery pack to the drive motor, with the drive motor causing movement of a push rod in the handle assembly. This provides automatic operation of the flush valve by movement of the flush valve handle about its normal or conventional axis. The handle assembly is pivotally movable, independent of the push rod, and may be used to manually operate the handle in the event the automatic system is temporarily inoperative or if a user wishes to initiate a flush apart from a sensor-initiated one. 
   Of particular advantage in the invention is the fact that the actuator can convert a flush valve from manual only operation to automatic or manual operation. Furthermore, this conversion can be completed through the mounting of a single additional unit on the existing flush valve. Installation does not require removing or altering any components of the flush valve or disconnecting the water supply to the flush valve. And the unit itself need not be opened, disassembled or altered in any way in order to install it. It simply slips directly over the valve handle and is fastened to the flush valve body. 
   A primary object of the invention is a flush valve actuator as described which may be installed without the removal, disassembly or alteration of any flush valve components or any actuator components and without disconnecting the water supply to the flush valve. 
   Another object of the invention is an actuator of the type described which mounts on the flush valve body and has a manually-movable handle assembly in which is mounted a motor-driven push rod movable to cause operation of the flush valve handle when such operation is initiated by an automatic sensor. 
   Still another object of the invention is an actuator as described including a manual override which is pivotally movable independently of the motor-driven push rod. 
   A further object of the invention is an actuator as described in which the motor-driven push rod is mounted for movement with the manual override. 
   A still further object of the invention is an actuator as described in which the manual override is stationary during operation of the motor-driven push rod. 
   Yet another object of the invention is an actuator which is suitable for right or left handle operation. 
   Another object of the invention is an actuator as described in which the motor-driven push rod when at rest has some slack between the valve handle and the drive motor so the motor current upon start up is reduced, thereby significantly increasing battery life. 
   Another object is an actuator as described in which the handle assembly includes a handle interface that contacts the flush valve handle when the unit is at rest so the motor-driven push rod is not loaded during a manual actuation of the handle assembly. 
   A further object is an actuator having a housing that transfers any mechanical loads on the unit to the flush valve body without loading the motor-driven drive train, the handle assembly or the fasteners holding the actuator together. 
   Still another object is an actuator as described having the sensor mounted as close as possible to the vertical centerline of the flush valve so it can sense the presence or absence users. 
   A still further object is an actuator as described that can be applied to flush valves having any style handle, whether long, short or otherwise. 
   Other objects will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims. These and other desired benefits and objects 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 front elevation view of a flush valve with the actuator of the present invention mounted thereon. 
       FIG. 2  is a right side elevation view of the actuator mounted on a flush valve. 
       FIG. 3  is a section taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of the actuator with the battery hatch cover removed to show the interior of the rear cover. 
       FIG. 5  is a section taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mounting strap. 
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the mounting strap. 
       FIG. 8  is a section through the rear cover, taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  4 . 
       FIG. 9  is a section through the front cover taken on a horizontal plane, similar to line  5 — 5  of FIG.  4 . 
       FIG. 10  is a rear elevation view of the front cover, looking at the interior of the cover. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the handle collar. 
       FIG. 12  is a right side elevation view of the handle collar. 
       FIG. 13  is a rear elevation view of the handle collar. 
       FIG. 14  is a section taken along line  14 — 14  of FIG.  13 . 
       FIG. 15  is a section taken along line  15 — 15  of FIG.  12 . 
       FIG. 16  is a right end elevation view of the actuator assembly, with parts shown schematically in section to illustrate the mating of the housing components. 
       FIG. 17  is left end elevation view of the actuator assembly, with parts shown schematically in section to illustrate the mating of the housing components. In this figure one of the lower torpedo tube projections is shown rotated out of its actual position for the purpose of illustrating the telescopic connection of the rear cover pillars and the torpedo tubes. 
       FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the interior of the handle assembly with the electronics package and drive train removed to show only the case and its internal walls. 
       FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the interior of the handle assembly with the electronics package removed to show drive train. 
       FIG. 20  is a horizontal section of the handle assembly and valve handle, taken through the centerline of the motor shaft, with the electronics package shown schematically. 
       FIG. 21  is a left end view, on an enlarged scale, of the handle assembly, with the cam and push rod shown in schematic section to highlight these parts. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an actuator that may be attached to a toilet room flush valve so that it may be operated either automatically by means of a sensor or manually by means of a handle assembly. The flush valve may be of the diaphragm type or of the piston type. A diaphragm-type flush valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,182, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, and is sold by Sloan Valve Company, the assignee of the present application, under their trademark ROYAL. The piston-type flush valve may be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,993, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, and may be sold by Sloan Valve Company under their trademarks GEM or CROWN. 
   The actuator utilizes a sensor, which may be of the infrared type, and is preferably battery powered. The sensor may be as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,814, also owned by Sloan Valve Company, and the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Sensor-operated, battery powered flush valves are known in the art from the &#39;261 patent and others. The present invention utilizes the technology in the &#39;261 patent or similar technologies for infrared operation of a flush valve which may be of the types described in the above-referenced patents. The particular disclosure shown herein illustrates a valve of the ROYAL type. 
   Looking at  FIGS. 1-4 , the flush valve is shown generally at  10  and mounted thereon is the actuator  12  of the present invention. The flush valve has a body  14  which includes a water inlet  16 , a water outlet  20  and a vacuum breaker  18  beneath the outlet. A handle opening  22  ( FIG. 3 ) in the water outlet is surrounded by a laterally-extending, annular boss  24  which is externally threaded. Inside the valve body  14  there is either a movable diaphragm or a piston (not shown) which will control the flow of water between the inlet  16  and the outlet  18  in the conventional manner. The diaphragm or piston has associated with it the usual relief valve whose depending stem (not shown) extends to a point opposite the handle opening  22 . 
   A valve handle  26  is mounted to the boss  24  by a handle mounting member. In this case the handle mounting member includes a handle socket  28 . The handle socket has a generally cylindrical cup  30  and an end face formed by a flange  32 . A lip on the opposite end of the cup is trapped by a coupling nut  34 . The coupling nut is threaded to the boss  24 . The valve handle  26  is pivotally movable about a three dimensional pivot when the handle is used to cause operation of the flush valve. A shank  35  inside the handle socket  28  captures the inner end of the valve handle  26 . A plunger  36  joins the shank and extends into the valve body where it can act on the relief valve stem. Tilting of the valve handle  26  causes movement of the shank  35  and plunger  36  that in turn trips the relief valve and begins a flushing cycle. The parts and operation described thus far are all conventional. 
   The primary components of the actuator  12  of the present invention include a housing and a handle assembly. The housing, shown generally at  38 , is preferably a three-part structure that includes a front cover  40 , a rear cover  42 , and a handle collar  44 . Screws fasten the front and rear covers together, with the handle collar disposed between them. The housing defines a receptacle for the valve handle  26 , with the handle collar providing an abutment that mates with the end face of the handle socket  28 . The handle assembly is shown generally at  46 . It is pivotally mounted on bearings formed in the housing  38 . An interior portion of the handle assembly resides within the housing while an exterior portion extends through an opening in the front cover to the outside of the housing. One aspect of the present invention is that the motor and drive train used to effect automatic operation of the flush valve are mounted in the handle assembly  46 , as will be described in detail below. This arrangement affords a compact package for the actuator. Another aspect of the invention is the simple and efficient manner in which the actuator can be attached to a flush valve. Neither the flush valve nor the actuator has to be disassembled or altered in any way in order to mount the actuator on the flush valve. The actuator simply slips over the valve handle and into operative engagement therewith. This is made possible by the housing receptacle and a mounting strap  48 . 
   Details of the mounting strap  48  are shown in  FIGS. 5-7 . The strap includes an arcuate body portion  50  bounded on one end by a hinge sleeve  52  and on the other end by a folded back tab  54 . The tab has an aperture  55  which receives an internally threaded clinch nut  56  (FIG.  5 ). An end portion of the clinch nut fits through the aperture  55  and is crimped to the tab. The hinge sleeve  52  has a pin hole through it. The hinge sleeve  52  fits between a pair of ears on the front cover  40 . The ears also have pin holes which align with that of the sleeve  52 . A hinge pin  58  ( FIG. 5 ) fits through the pin holes to pivotally attach the strap to the front cover. The body portion  50  wraps around the water outlet  20  of the valve body as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . At the rear cover the clinch nut  56  is threadedly engaged by a mounting screw  60 . The mounting screw is rotatably fixed in the rear cover. It has a head  62  protruding from the rear cover wnere it can be tightened or loosened by a screwdriver. Preferably the screw head will accept either Phillips or straight screwdrivers. A retaining ring  64 , which can be a simple rubber O-ring, captivates the mounting screw in the rear cover and prevents it from falling out of the rear cover. 
   The installation procedure for the actuator is as follows. With the body of the mounting strap  48  pivoted away from the centerline of the actuator, the housing  38  is moved laterally over the free end of the valve handle  26  in a direction parallel to the axis of the handle. This movement continues until the collar mounting grommet  134  surrounds the handle socket and the handle collar  44  abuts the end face  32  of the handle socket  28 . Then the body  50  of the strap  48  is pivoted around the water outlet  20  of the flush valve. The clinch nut  56  is aligned with the end of the mounting screw  60  so the screw may be threaded into the nut. Turning the screw tightens the strap about the water outlet  20 . The actuator is clamped onto the body of the valve. Only one tool is required. There are no loose, dangling or separate parts for the installer to deal with. Nothing has to be removed or disassembled on either the actuator or flush valve. Installation is quick and so straightforward it can be performed by personnel of any skill level. Turning now to a discussion of the housing  38 , the rear cover  42  is shown in  FIGS. 2-5  and  8 . The rear cover has an outer shell  66  including generally horizontal top and bottom walls  66 A,  66 B, a curved distal end wall  66 C and a proximal end wall  66 D. The inside edges of these walls define a large battery access hatch  66 E (FIG.  4 ). A battery hatch cover  68  ( FIG. 5 ) has tabs on its ends that engage the end walls in a snap fit. The inside edge of the distal end wall  66 C has an extension  70  having a hollow recess  72  on its outer surface. The recess defines a wall  73  ( FIG. 16 ) with a bore therethrough which receives the mounting screw  60 . The retaining ring  64  on the inside of the extension may cooperate with the wall in the extension or with the web  86  in the tray  82  to captivate the mounting screw in the rear cover. The other end of the mounting screw extends to an upset portion  74  on the proximal end wall  66 D. At the corners where the distal end wall  66 C meets the top and bottom walls  66 A,  66 B there are upper and lower mounting posts  76  on the inside of the shell which cooperate with recesses  78  on the outside of the shell. Self tapping screws  80  whose heads are in the recesses  78  and whose shanks extend through bores in the mounting posts  76  fasten the rear cover to the front cover  40 , as will be explained more fully below. 
   The interior of the shell  66  houses a tray  82 . The tray is made of two U-shaped troughs  84  connected by a central web  86 . The web has a slot  88  that permits passage of the mounting screw  60 . The troughs each have a cutout  90  near the proximal wall  66 D for receiving a portion of the handle collar  44 . Opposite ends of the troughs  84  mount a battery contact spring  92 , while the other ends carry battery contact clips  94 . The troughs are sized to support two C-sized batteries end to end. On the convex side of the troughs there are upper and lower mounting pillars  96 . These engage the torpedo tubes of the handle collar  44  as will be explained below. As seen in  FIG. 8  the pillars are hollow with end walls having bores therethrough.  FIGS. 4 and 17  show the mounting screws  97  that fit in the bores of the pillars to join the front and rear covers with the handle collar between. Details of this connection are shown below. 
   Details of the front cover  40  are shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 ,  9 - 10  and  16 . The front cover has a shell  98 , somewhat similar in shape to the shell  66 , which has top and bottom walls  98 A,  98 B, a distal end wall  98 C and a proximal end wall  98 D. The inside edges of these walls define a large handle assembly opening  98 E. The proximal end wall  98 D has a pair of ears  100  formed thereon. As described above, ears  100  cooperate with the mounting strap sleeve  52  to form a hinge that joins the mounting strap  48  to the front cover  40 . At the corners where the distal end wall  98 C meets the top and bottom walls  98 A,  98 B there are upper and lower mounting posts  102  on the inside of the shell  98 . These posts have bores which receive the screws  80  to fasten the distal ends of the front and rear covers together. The bores in posts  102  do not extend through to the front of the shell. Near the proximal end wall  98 D there are upper and lower mounting pillars  104 . These engage the torpedo tubes of the handle collar as will be explained below. The pillars  104  are hollow but the bores therein do not extend through to the front of the shell  98 . Upper and lower saddles  106  have semi-circular cutouts in their free edges. The saddles cooperate with similar structures on the handle collar to form bearings on which the handle assembly pivots. 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 11-15 , details of the handle collar  44  are shown. The collar has a cylindrical sleeve  108  bounded at its distal end by a radially-extending flange  110  and at its proximal end by an annular ring  112  of enlarged diameter. The sleeve  108  has a pair of central apertures  114  which receive tabs on a grommet as will be explained later. Near the junction between the ring and sleeve are upper and lower torpedo tubes  116 . As seen in  FIG. 14  the torpedo tubes each has a cavity extending through. Each cavity includes a front portion  118 A, a conical central portion  118 B and a rear cylindrical portion  118 C. The front and central portions are divided by a partition  120  which has an aperture in it. Three projections  122  extend radially into the cavity and axially from the partition partially onto the rear portion cutout in its front edge. Saddles  124  cooperate with the saddles  106  on the front cover to form bearings for the handle assembly. The saddles are reinforced by gussets  126 . The ring  112  further includes a channel-shaped guide member  128  that has a U-shaped cutout in one face for receiving the mounting screw  60 . An additional feature of the ring  112  is a pair of depressions  130  ( FIG. 12 ) that fit in the cutouts  90  in the rear cover tray  82 . The axial extent of the ring is such that the ring fits through the cutouts. The depressions maintain the concave profile of the troughs  84  so the batteries will lie flush against the troughs. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates another component of the handle collar. A collar mounting grommet  132  fits inside the sleeve  108  of the collar  44 . The grommet includes a flange  134  and a ribbed skirt  136 . The skirt has locating tabs  138  which extend into the apertures  114  in the sleeve  108 . The flange  134  adjoins the flange  110  of the collar. The grommet is made of a pliant material such as rubber or a rubber compound. 
     FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate how the housing components fit together and are held fast to one another. In  FIG. 16  it can be seen that the ends of the upper and lower mounting posts  76  abut the facing ends of the front cover mounting posts  102 . Screws  80  have heads that fit in the recesses  78 . The threads of the screws engage the inside surface of the bores in posts  102 .  FIG. 17  illustrates the telescoping engagement of the rear cover pillars  96 , the front cover pillars  104  and the torpedo tubes  116 . Specifically, the rear cover pillars  96  fit inside the rear cavities  118 C of the torpedo tubes  116  to a depth permitted by the cavity projections  122 . One of the projections in the lower torpedo tube is shown in phantom at  122 A rotated from its true position to illustrate how the ends of the projections limit the penetration of the rear pillars  96  into the tubes  116 . On the front side of the tubes the pillars  104  fit inside the front cavity portions  118 A to the extent permitted by the partitions  120 . Mounting screws  97  fit in the bores of the rear pillars  104  with the screw heads in contact with the end walls of the pillars. The shanks of the screws pass through the central cavity portions  118 B and the partitions  120  without engaging them. The screw threads engage the inner walls of the front cover pillars  104 . The telescoping engagement of the covers  40 ,  42  and the collar  44  automatically aligns these three components. It also transfers all mechanical loading on the housing covers to the collar, which in turn transfers such loads to the valve body. All abusive loads applied to the housing end up directly on the collar. Furthermore, it is important that the structural members, namely the pillars and torpedo tubes, bear these loads, not the mounting screws  80 ,  97  and their associated threads. This provides a more secure mounting for the actuator. 
   Turning now to consideration of the handle assembly  46 , this component, much like the front and rear covers has a generally five-side shell or case  140 . External features of the case are visible in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . These include a top wall  140 A, a bottom wall  140 B, a distal end wall  140 C and a proximal end wall  140 D. The case also has a front wall  140 E. The remaining features of the handle assembly will be described in conjunction with  FIGS. 18-21 . The top and bottom walls  140 A,  140 B each have a longitudinally extending ledge  142 . The ledge is engageable with the interior edges of the front cover walls about the large opening  98 E. This engagement prevents the handle assembly from coming completely out of the housing. Toward the proximal end of the case  140  the ledges  142  mount top and bottom stubshafts  144 . The stubshafts are held between the saddles  106  of the front cover and the saddles  124  of the handle collar to mount the case  140  for pivoting motion about a vertical axis. The pivot axis is close to the pivot axis A ( FIG. 3 ) of the valve handle  26 . 
   The interior of the case is divided by a double wall partition  146 . This partition defines an electronics compartment  148  and a drive train compartment  150  in the case  140 . The electronics compartment contains suitable mounting locations for a printed circuit board which is shown schematically at  152  in FIG.  20 . This board will include a sensor  154  and associated electronics for detecting a user near the flush valve. The board is electrically connected to the battery terminals  92 ,  94 . The front wall  140 E has a window portion  140 F ( FIG. 20 ) which is transparent to the signals for the sensor. It will be understood the window may be opaque to visible light but allow other types of electromagnetic energy, e.g., infrared light, to pass freely. 
   The drive train compartment  150  incorporates several structures for mounting drive train components. These include a pair of motor mounts  156  having semi-circular cutouts therein. First and second panels  158 ,  160  define a cam chamber between them. The first panel  158  has an arcuate cutout  162  for receiving the cam drive gear. A guide channel  164  is formed in the partition  146 . 
   The drive train itself is shown in  FIGS. 19-21 . It includes a mounting tube  166 . This is a generally cylindrical tube with an enlarged portion  166 A near its open end. The tube rests in the cutouts of the motor mounts  156 . Brackets  166 B on the exterior of the tube  166  allow the tube to be screwed to posts built in to the motor mounts. The exterior of the tube also has an interface or pad  166 C which is sized and located to be in engagement with the valve handle  26  when the drive train is inactive. The enlarged portion  166 A of the tube receives an electric motor  168  therein. The motor is, of course, electrically connected to the printed circuit board  152  for control by the electronics thereon. The output shaft of the motor is connected to a planetary gear train. In the illustrated embodiment this is a three-stage planetary drive but it will understood that different numbers of stages could be used. Indeed, other types of gear trains could be substituted for the planetary drive so long as they provide the necessary speed reduction and torque. The planetary drive shown includes a fixed ring gear  170  in the closed end of the mounting tube  166 . The ring gear has internal teeth on its inner surface. These teeth mesh with those of plural planetary gears  172  which are mounted on carriers  174  the usual sun gears  176  on the centerline of the motor shaft. The output of the planetary gear train is an externally splined shaft which engages the internal splines of a cam drive gear  178 . This gear is fixed to a cam  180 . The gear  178  is supported by the arcuate cutout  162  in the first panel  158 . A cam shaft (not shown) attached to the cam  180  on the side opposite gear  178  is mounted for rotation on the second panel  160 . The cam in this embodiment includes two lobes, each having a curved actuating surface  180 A and a neutral surface  180 B. Different numbers of lobes could be used. The cam is operatively engageable with a push rod shown generally at  182 . The push rod is preferably an integral member which includes a cam follower  184 , an arcuate shoe  186  and a guide plate  188 . The push rod is mounted for linear motion in a horizontal plane. The guide plate  188  is slidably mounted in the guide channel  164  and constrains the push rod to linear motion. The shoe  186  is engageable with the valve handle  26  to impart a pivoting motion thereto when the motor  168  is activated by the sensor  154 . 
   It is important that the drive train have some slack between the motor and the valve handle. This can be achieved by spacing the surface of the push rod&#39;s shoe  186  slightly from the valve handle when the motor is at rest. Or the cam actuating surface  180 A might be spaced slightly from the follower  184  when the motor is at rest. Or there might be a combination of these two. Leaving some slack in the drive train will significantly increase battery life by allowing the gear train to begin movement while not under resistance from the valve handle. This no-load startup movement lasts only an instant but it is enough to get the entire drive train moving before encountering resistance from the valve handle. Another benefit to having slack in the drive train while at rest is when a manual actuation of the handle assembly  46  occurs the drive train experiences no load at all. It simply goes along for the ride with the case  140 . Using separate structures to effect the automatic and manual actuation increases the life of the drive train components. 
   The use, operation and function of the actuator are as follows. The installation of the actuator was described above. Once installed the unit can activate the flush valve  10  either automatically or manually. Automatic operation occurs when the sensor  154  detects a condition calling for a flush cycle. The sensor turns on the motor  168 . The motor shaft turn the first sun gear  176  causing the planetary gears  172  and carriers  174  of the drive stages to rotate, ultimately resulting in rotation of the output shaft and the cam drive gear  178 . The cam drive gear rotates the cam  180 , causing its actuating surface  180 A to engage the end of the cam follower  184 , as seen in FIG.  21 . The cam rotates in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG.  21 . The cam surface  180 A drives the push rod  182  to the left, i.e., toward the valve handle  26 . After the slack between the in the drive train is taken up, the push rod causes a pivoting motion of the valve handle  26  about its axis A. This initiates the flush cycle of the valve  10  in the usual manner. When the cam surface  180 A slides past the follower  184  the neutral surface  180 B is parallel to the follower. A feedback switch (not shown) turns off the motor. The return spring in the valve that acts on the valve handle causes the valve handle to return to its rest position, which also moves the push rod  182  back to its rest position. Once the valve completes its flush cycle and the electronics resets, the valve is ready for the next operation. 
   If the automatic system is inoperative for some reason, e.g., dead batteries, or if a user wishes to flush the fixture separate from the normal time programmed into the electronics, the valve can be flushed manually as follows. The user presses on the front wall  140 E of the handle assembly  46  toward the rear of the unit. This causes the entire case  140  to pivot about the stubshafts  144 . Since the mounting tube pad  166 C is already engaged with the valve handle  26 , this immediately causes a pivoting motion of the valve handle. Sufficient movement opens the flush valve at which point the user removes pressure from the handle assembly. The valve handle return spring causes the valve handle and the case  140  to return to their normal, non-actuated positions. Even if the user doesn&#39;t release the case, the plunger  36  disconnects from the relief valve, allowing the flush valve to cycle normally, as is conventional. 
   One of the advantages of the present invention is the arrangement of the compartments in the case  140 . It will be noted that the electronics compartment  148  is closer to the proximal end than the drive train compartment. This locates the sensor  154  closer to the centerline of the valve body which in turn makes it much more likely that the sensor will have the user in its field of view. No special optics or aiming of the sensor need be provided with the electronics located as described. 
   Of particular importance in the invention is the fact that the actuator assembly may be mounted on the flush valve without removing, loosening or otherwise altering any flush valve components or actuator components. Neither is disconnecting the water supply necessary. Once the batteries are installed, the actuator simply slides over the end of the handle until the flanges  134  and  110  of the grommet  132  and handle collar  44  contact the end face of the handle socket  28 . Then the mounting strap is wrapped around the water outlet  20  of the valve body and the mounting screw is tightened in the clinch nut  56 . This clamps the actuator on to the end face of the handle mounting member. It will be understood that the term handle mounting member is intended to encompass any structure surrounding the valve handle, whether it be the socket  28 , the coupling nut  34  or some alternate component that provides a solid mounting point for the collar. Alternate valve body constructions might make the body itself the component most available for clamping engagement with the actuator. All of these possibilities are within the contemplated scope of the invention. 
   While reference has been made herein to the advantages of the invention in retrofitting or converting manually-operated flush valves to automatic/manual operation, it will be understood that the actuator is not just for retrofitting previously-installed valves. New valves of standard construction can also benefit from the actuator of the present invention. 
   Whereas 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, while battery power is shown and preferred to make the unit self-contained, it would be possible to connect an external power supply.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8