Quiet flush actuator for pressure-assist toilets
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsWilliam C. Kuru, William Kalk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tank assembly for a pressure-assist toilet includes a flush assembly having an outer chamber and an inner chamber disposed in the outer chamber. The flush assembly further includes a flush valve disposed in the inner chamber, and a pilot valve disposed in the inner chamber and extending through the flush valve. The tank assembly further includes an actuator engaging the pilot valve and configured to hold the pilot valve at each of a first height, a second height offset a first distance from the first height, and a third height offset a second distance from the first height greater than a first distance.
Claims20
An actuator for a pressure-assist toilet, the actuator comprising:
- a motor configured to be coupled to a flush assembly having a pilot valve for activating a flush sequence;
- and
- a cam coupled to the motor and configured to rotate about a cam axis, the cam defining an outer periphery including a first arc configured to move the pilot valve to a first height, a second arc configured to move the pilot valve to a second height less than the first height, and a third arc configured to move the pilot valve to a third height less than the first height and different than the second height.
An actuator for a pressure-assist toilet, the actuator comprising:
- a motor configured to be coupled to a flush assembly including a pilot valve for activating a flush sequence;
- and
- an arm coupled to the motor and configured to move linearly along an actuator axis, the arm configured to extend to a first offset distance so as to move the pilot valve to a first height, extend to a second offset distance greater than the first offset distance so as to move the pilot valve to a second height, and extend to a third offset distance greater than each of the first offset distance and the second offset distance, so as to move the pilot valve to pilot valve to a third height.
A method for a pressure-assist flush assembly, the method comprising:
- opening a quiet flush actuator disposed between a first line and a second line a first amount allowing a flow at a first flow rate to pass from the first line to the second line, wherein in response to the first flow rate, a flush valve disposed in an outer chamber allows a portion of a supply of water in the outer chamber to flow through a chamber outlet;
- and
- opening the quiet flush actuator a second amount allowing the flow at a second flow rate to pass from the first line to the second line, wherein in response to the second flow rate, the flush valve allows a remaining supply of water in the outer chamber to flow through the chamber outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.