In-field installable closing delay cup

In a toilet flush valve which includes a seat member with a seat leading from a water closet to a toilet bowl, a valve member having an inner end which is pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivot axis in the water closet and an outer end which has a part attached to a chain device, wherein the outer end includes a tank ball, and wherein the valve member can pivot between a closed position wherein the tank ball lies substantially at the level of the seat and an open position wherein the tank ball lies above the seat, and wherein the tank ball always lies on a first horizontal side of said axis and is highly buoyant as the valve member is opened in a full water closet but the tank ball is much less buoyant though still buoyant thereafter to keep the valve member open during most of the drop in water level from a full water closet level and to close the valve member when the water level in the water closet falls to a low level lying at least an inch above the level of said seat, the improvement comprising:

• a closing delay cup device having a cup with a drain hole and having a mount mountable on said tank ball while said valve remains pivotally mounted in said water closet, to hold said cup on said first horizontal side of said axis when said valve member is closed, and on an opposite second side of said axis when said valve member is open, said drain hole being small enough and said cup being positioned far enough on said second side in the open valve position that the water level drops by a majority of the height of said low level above said valve seat before said valve closes, said flush valve being pivotally mounted and attached to the chain device independently of said closing delay cup device, whereby to enable a reliable valve member to be used and to minimize water consumption when the valve has been installed in a large water closet while enabling complete flushing when the valve has been installed in a small tank and incomplete flushing occurs before the cup device has been installed.

In a toilet flush valve which includes a valve seat leading from a water closet to a toilet bowl, a valve member which includes a tank ball and which is pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivot axis in the water closet to pivot between a closed position wherein the tank ball lies substantially at the level of the seat and an open position wherein the tank ball lies above the seat, and wherein the tank ball always lies on a first horizontal side of said axis and is highly buoyant as the valve member is opened in a full water closet but the tank ball is much less buoyant though still buoyant thereafter to keep the valve member open during most of the drop in water level from a full water closet level and to close the valve member when the water level in the water closet falls to a low level lying at lease an inch above the level of said seat, the improvement wherein:

• said tank ball has an upwardly projecting largely cylindrical extension part at its top;
• and including:
• a closing delay cup device which includes a cylindrical lower mount part and a cup at the top of said mount part;
• one of said parts forming a radially-extending annular groove and the other part forming a radially-extending flange that fits into said groove and holds said cup device extending vertically upwardly from the top of said tank ball in the closed position of said valve member.

A method for modifying a toilet seat flush valve which includes a tank ball that forms a largely closed chamber with an open bottom, and that is highly buoyant when it is first pivoted about an axis from a closed position on the valve seat, wherein the bottom faces primarily downward when the water closet is full, toward an open valve position wherein the tank ball bottom faces more horizontally and is less buoyant to close only when the water level drops to a predetermined low level wherein the water closet is primarily but not completely empty, the improvement for use when the water tank has a limited capacity and the toilet bowl does not completely flush, comprising:

• attaching a closing delay cup device which includes a cup with a drainage hole, to said tank ball, so the cup lies on a horizontal side of said axis opposite said seat when the valve member is open and lies on the same side of said axis as said seat when the valve member is closed, said drainage hole being small enough that most of the water lying in said water closet between said predetermined low level and the level of said valve seat drains out through said seat before said cup is light enough to allow said valve member to close;
• said tank ball being formed of soft resilient material while said cup device is of harder material, and said step of attaching includes forcing an outwardly projecting annular flange at the bottom of said cup device into an annular groove formed at the top of said tank ball, whereby to enable field installation without fasteners.

In a toilet flush valve which includes a valve seat leading from a water closet to a toilet bowl, a valve member which includes a tank ball and which is pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivot axis in the water closet to pivot between a closed position wherein the tank ball lies substantially at the level of the seat and an open position wherein the tank ball lies above the seat, and wherein the tank ball always lies on a first horizontal side of said axis and is highly buoyant as the valve member is opened in a full water closet but the tank ball is much less buoyant though still buoyant thereafter to keep the valve member open during most of the drop in water level from a full water closet level and to close the valve member when the water level in the water closet falls to a low level lying at lease an inch above the level of said seat, the improvement comprising:

• a closing delay cup device having a cup with a drain hole and having a mount mountable on said tank ball while said valve remains pivotally mounted in said water closet, to hold said cup on said first horizontal side of said axis when said valve member is closed, and on an opposite second side of said axis when said valve member is open, said drain hole being small enough and said cup being positioned far enough on said second side in the open valve position that the water level drops by a majority of the height of said low level above said valve seat before said valve closes;
• said tank ball has a top and an upwardly projecting cylindrical extension at the top and a radially-extending groove in said extension, and said mount of said cup device has a bottom end forming a flange that is closely receivable in said groove.